StormLordXIII Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 Hi all, Haven't gotten a copy of ES Faction Book yet; for those of you who have read the stories, do any of the four episodes offer further insight into who Gretchen Janus really is following the reveal at the end of the McCabe Story "Lost and Found?" Looking at the cards released on the M3E app, I figured she might be Nexus or Jedza, but I know nothing about their backstories so it's purely a guess based on appearance. Also, do Jessie, Ludwig, and McCabe make cameos? Thanks! Been very curious about this for a while... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commoner1 Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 SPOILERS! Gretchen is definately not Jedza. As far as I understand the Ten Thunders-story she's a Neverborn and none of the new masters is a Neverborn besides Cadmus. But Cadmus is a VERY alien creature and there is an interaction between Gretchen and Cadmus in the intro story of the Society book, which makes it rather unlikely that they're the same. And yes, Jessie, Ludwig and McCabe make Cameos. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormLordXIII Posted December 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 35 minutes ago, Commoner1 said: As far as I understand the Ten Thunders-story she's a Neverborn and none of the new masters is a Neverborn besides Cadmus. But Cadmus is a VERY alien creature and there is an interaction between Gretchen and Cadmus in the intro story of the Society book, which makes it rather unlikely that they're the same. Oooh... what do they discuss? I don't mind spoilers so long as others don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commoner1 Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 I just reread the intro. Gretchen is definately NOT Cadmus, because it's explicitely stated that she found Cadmus during an excavation. The story itself is about a meeting between Gretchen, Cooper, Anya, Cadmus and English Ivan in a secret lair below the Society's headquarter. That part is just about the clandestine operations of the society and it becomes pretty clear that Jedza, Basse, McCabe and Maxine are just useful idiots for Gretchen and her cronies, although I think that all of them know that already. In the last paragraph Cadmus and Gretchen discuss some kind of magical contraption that Gretchen wants to power up, which needs a certain command phrase that she's looking for and which might be the sole reason for the Explorer Society's continued existence. My guess is that she wants to become a tyrant herself, but that's just a gut feeling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maogrim Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 On a side-note, as you are discussing fluff: is there something mentioned about the relationship between English Ivan and Mei Feng? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commoner1 Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 17 minutes ago, Maogrim said: On a side-note, as you are discussing fluff: is there something mentioned about the relationship between English Ivan and Mei Feng? Sadly not really. It's just mentioned that he played Guild AND Arcanists and that he might be responsible for Mei's injuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peturd Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 They do hint at him working towards something for the society “before the foundry” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adran Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 2 hours ago, Commoner1 said: The story itself is about a meeting between Gretchen, Cooper, Anya, Cadmus and English Ivan in a secret lair below the Society's headquarter. That part is just about the clandestine operations of the society and it becomes pretty clear that Jedza, Basse, McCabe and Maxine are just useful idiots for Gretchen and her cronies, although I think that all of them know that already. I would probably add Cooper, Anya and English Ivan to that list of "useful idiots" for Gretchen. And you could probably argue that Cadmus fits into it as well. It looks Gretchen has her own plans for the society, and is happy to use any of its members to achieve her goals. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesy Blue Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Adran said: I would probably add Cooper, Anya and English Ivan to that list of "useful idiots" for Gretchen. And you could probably argue that Cadmus fits into it as well. It looks Gretchen has her own plans for the society, and is happy to use any of its members to achieve her goals. I think McCabe is a useful idiot too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adran Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 11 minutes ago, Jesy Blue said: I think McCabe is a useful idiot too. McCabe was on the list I quoted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commoner1 Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 3 hours ago, Adran said: I would probably add Cooper, Anya and English Ivan to that list of "useful idiots" for Gretchen. And you could probably argue that Cadmus fits into it as well. It looks Gretchen has her own plans for the society, and is happy to use any of its members to achieve her goals. Oh absolutely, but the entities in the meeting seem to be more aware of the Society's plans. They just don't care and only want to kill "prey" (Cooper), are in for the money/power (Anya), are inscrutable (Cadmus) or play their own game (Ivan). In the end Gretchen admittedly gives me some "Actually-smart-and-succesful-Lucius"-vibes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormLordXIII Posted December 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 7 hours ago, Commoner1 said: Sadly not really. It's just mentioned that he played Guild AND Arcanists and that he might be responsible for Mei's injuries. Honestly glad to hear this. I always found it off-putting that Mei had a sort of romantic thread with English Ivan; given her portrayal since she was first introduced in M1E Storm of Shadows, and how she is portrayed in "From the Ashes" and "Three Riddles," she just seems too tough for that in my view. Not super sure why they went this direction at the end of Shifting Loyalties. Also when you mention Mei's injuries - do you mean the ones she sustained from fighting Avatar Kitchener or from her duel with Misaki? Or did she get hurt again? Thanks for the updates. Even more eager to get my ES book now! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commoner1 Posted December 4, 2020 Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 3 hours ago, StormLordXIII said: Honestly glad to hear this. I always found it off-putting that Mei had a sort of romantic thread with English Ivan; given her portrayal since she was first introduced in M1E Storm of Shadows, and how she is portrayed in "From the Ashes" and "Three Riddles," she just seems too tough for that in my view. Not super sure why they went this direction at the end of Shifting Loyalties. Also when you mention Mei's injuries - do you mean the ones she sustained from fighting Avatar Kitchener or from her duel with Misaki? Or did she get hurt again? Thanks for the updates. Even more eager to get my ES book now! It refers to events in Sunbeam, which I think is the place of the duel with Kitchener. But to be honest I haven't read much of the m2e fluff so far, because as a newcomer I'm working my backwards through the timeline. So I'm not entirely sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da Git Posted December 4, 2020 Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 Gretchin's definitely her own person, just a fluff character, much like Kitchener, Marlow and the former Oyabun are/were. She interacts with pretty well all of the other characters throughout the story. It'll be interesting to see where she goes, she's got some Blackblood in her, so at this stage Nephilim? Half-breed?? Lilith's long lost sister??? It might be a way for Lilith to come back (fingers crossed for Explorers Lilith and undead Neverborn!) I reckon Gretchin views the whole society as tools for her personal ambitions... she kind of feels a little like Kitchener did for Guild and his ascension... Seriously though, Cooper really should have spent some more time reading Roman mythology instead of shooting things when he decided to hand the keys over to her... No mention of the Mei/Ivan love-fest, reckon that's definitely gone the wayside since the infiltration of the 10T was a job for Ramos... Now he has other shadowy priorities! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukemouse Posted December 4, 2020 Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 Gretchen Janus? More like Gremlin Genius. Its Big Brain Brin in a costume. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pallas4 Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 22 hours ago, Nukemouse said: Gretchen Janus? More like Gremlin Genius. Its Big Brain Brin in a costume. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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