Further on "Opening the Sarcophagus."

Vampiriana · Post by **Vampiriana** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:55 am

While the mechanics of gaining access to, and opening, the sarcophagus have been ably explained by Jhereg and others, the question remains as to why Jack and his possible Ming accomplices would risk releasing the presumed occupant. After all, Kindred legend held that it contained the corpse of a powerful vampire, perhaps an Antediluvian. Added to this was the fact of the psychic disturbance experienced by Los Angeleno vampires at the time of the arrival of the Elizabeth Dane. Why then would Jack et al take the chance of initiating Gehenna and its consequences? If the purpose of the raid on the ship was to prevent the sarcophagus from falling into the hands of LaCroix or other undesirables, then why not simply steal it and hide it somewhere safe?
Was Jack privy to special information that allowed him to use the arrival of the sarcophagus to plan the killing of LaCroix?

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:14 am

Double-posting the same new thread 15 minutes apart?

Please use the edit button below your post, if you want to change any content in the future. Thanks.

Jhereg · Post by **Jhereg** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 11:09 am

*** Spoilers ***

Vampiriana wrote:While the mechanics of gaining access to, and opening, the sarcophagus have been ably explained by Jhereg and others, the question remains as to why Jack and his possible Ming accomplices would risk releasing the presumed occupant. After all, Kindred legend held that it contained the corpse of a powerful vampire, perhaps an Antediluvian. Added to this was the fact of the psychic disturbance experienced by Los Angeleno vampires at the time of the arrival of the Elizabeth Dane. Why then would Jack et al take the chance of initiating Gehenna and its consequences? If the purpose of the raid on the ship was to prevent the sarcophagus from falling into the hands of LaCroix or other undesirables, then why not simply steal it and hide it somewhere safe?
Was Jack privy to special information that allowed him to use the arrival of the sarcophagus to plan the killing of LaCroix?

There have been other threads on this, as well. If you manage to get the correct dialog options from Johannsen, you are given the information that he had no idea about the existance of the sarcophagus until he got an envelope of information from an anonymous source, which led him directly to it.

That instantly begs the question of who would give him that information, did they know the thing would be shipped to LA, and did they know the contents of the sarcophagus? Inasmuch as even Johannsen didn't know about it until he got the letter, who sent it, and why? Then, who spread the rumors of an Antedeluvian in the box, since apparrently nobody else knew about it.

Like I said previously, there is much grist for a conspiracy mill here. Specifically, was this whole thing set up by somebody? inasmuch as the desired result seems to have been one of a) killing Lacriox, b) killing you, or c) getting rid of the non-anarch factions in LA, it would seem that ultimately, the ring-leader was one of the anarchs. Who? That's a whole other can of worms.

Jack has been credited with the whole mess, but an 18th century pirate? How would he know of a Messopotamian King in an undiscovered crypt in Turkey? Lacriox is not old enough, nor is Nines, Skelter, Damsel or pretty much anybody else. Isaac? Perhaps. At least his family line hails from the right part of the planet, and we don't know how old he might be. Gary is too young, as are Mitnick and Imalia. Andrei? Maybe, but if he is clever enough to set this up, how is it that he didn't see it might result in his own death?

The sheriff? Unlikely seeming, but we don't know how old he is, what clan he is from, how powerful he may be. All we really know about him is that he's powerful, doesn't speak a lot, has a really big sword, and was apparrently found in Africa. Enough unknowns to give him a place in the list of suspects. But again, if he's that smart, how was it that he didn't see his own death?

fbandersnatch · Post by **fbandersnatch** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:18 am

Further on "Opening the Sarcophagus." [SPOILERS]

My personal opinion is that Messerat is just a corpse. Jack replaces the corpse with a bomb. Watch the animations at the end of the game. Messerat sits motionless in the lawn chair, never responding to Jack's antics.

I've read the vampire chronicles and can imagine a vampire so old and powerful he has no need/urge to move at all for centuries.

But I like the idea of Jack playing on the superstitions of other vampires to play a practical joke and eliminate an annoying (and dangerous) LaCroix.

f.

Celacena · Post by **Celacena** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 6:03 am

fbandersnatch wrote:My personal opinion is that Messerat is just a corpse. Jack replaces the corpse with a bomb. Watch the animations at the end of the game. Messerat sits motionless in the lawn chair, never responding to Jack's antics.

I've read the vampire chronicles and can imagine a vampire so old and powerful he has no need/urge to move at all for centuries.

But I like the idea of Jack playing on the superstitions of other vampires to play a practical joke and eliminate an annoying (and dangerous) LaCroix.

f.

I'm relying on the game, not external resources for what I say, before anybody tells me that on page x of y it says that z.

LaX is relatively new to LA - the Anarch Free State is the dominant faction. LA is West Coast and the closest part of the mainland USA to Asia (excluding Alaska). Ming sees LA as the place to start in USA.
LaX is ambitious and wants to rule LA - Nines and Jack are too good for him and Isaac and other barons are not entirely on LaX side. Even Strauss doesn't like him. LaX is a loose cannon and Ming sets up an alliance.
that could threaten the Anarchs, so there is a problem.
Jack is an old pirate - what do pirates love? treasure!
an old coffin can be revealed to the Professor who arranges for it to be shipped to the USA. there is a blood-bath onboard ship - I wonder if a pirate had the skills to pull that off...
the PC is sent to investigate - somebody untainted by LaX - and finds something extraordinary has happened, which is reported back.
the key goes AWOL so nobody can open the box, which has been re-locked.

end of part 1.

gonin · Post by **gonin** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:42 pm

Shadow

fbandersnatch wrote:My personal opinion is that Messerat is just a corpse. Jack replaces the corpse with a bomb. Watch the animations at the end of the game. Messerat sits motionless in the lawn chair, never responding to Jack's antics.
f.

WHen i finsihed for the first time i can distintly see a shadow coming up behind Jack and the corpse. I'm thinking that Jack maybe just got pplayed

shana · Post by **shana** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 7:41 pm

I always thought the shadow was the PC coming up to meet Jack.

Jhereg · Post by **Jhereg** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:43 pm

shana wrote:I always thought the shadow was the PC coming up to meet Jack.

If that's the PC, then my (female) Tremere has a really deep voice and a weird accent for a Callifornia Girl. Personallly, I think it's the cabbie - "Farewell, Vampire" is the same thing the cab driver says to you when you head off to the end-game. The black stuff coming off him, though - that's different. I've seen that come off the sherrif, but only when he wasn't that happy and was about to or just had teleported.

Celacena · Post by **Celacena** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:19 am

the cabbie is a constant in the game - and with the Caine idea being 'in the mix' during development, it's no surprise that he's there at the end.
However, as he appears to be somebody "in the know" and can take you wherever in the final series of encounters, the prosaic answer is probbaly that he drove you up to the hill to meet Jack as an associate.