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ITS MAGNUS PROTOCOL TIME BABY (prepare for fanart to ensue)
A rant: Why Jon and Martin WILL 100% be coming back in the Magnus Protocol.
Hello, John.
Apologies for the deception, but I wanted to make sure you started reading, so I thought it best not to announce myself.
I’m assuming you’re alone; you always did prefer to read your statements in private. (slightly strained) I wouldn’t try too hard to stop reading; there’s every likelihood you’ll just hurt yourself. So just listen.
Now, shall we turn the page and try again?
Statement of Jonah Magnus regarding Jonathan Sims, The Archivist.
Statement begins.
I hope you’ll forgive me the self-indulgence, but I have worked so very hard for this moment, a culmination of two centuries of work. It’s rare that you get the chance to monologue through another, and you can’t tell me you’re not curious.
Why does a man seek to destroy the world?
It’s a simple enough answer: for immortality and power. Uninspired, perhaps, but – my god. The discovery, not simply of the dark and horrible reality of the world in which you live, but that you would quite willingly doom that world and confine the billions in it to an eternity of terror and suffering, all to ensure your own happiness, to place yourself beyond pain and death and fear.
It is an awful thing to know about yourself, but the freedom, John, the freedom of it all. I have dedicated my life to handing the world to these Dread Powers all for my own gain, and I feel… nothing but satisfaction in that choice.
I am to be a king of a ruined world, and I shall never die.
I believe there are far more people in this world that would take that bargain than you would ever guess. And I have beaten all of them.
Of course, this desire did not manifest overnight. When Smirke first gathered our little band – Lukas, Scott, and the rest – to discuss and hypothesize on the nature of the things he had learned from Rayner, I felt what I believe we all felt: curiosity, and fear.
But as he compiled his taxonomy and codified his theories on the grand rituals, I began to develop a very specific concern. Smirke was so obsessed with his ideas on balance, even as our fellows began to experiment and fall to the service of our patrons.
I began to worry that if one of them successfully attempted their ritual, then I would be as much a victim as any, trapped in the nightmare landscape of a twisted world.
At first, I attempted prevention, but the cause seemed hopeless. The only way to ensure I did not suffer the tribulations of what I believed to be an inevitable transformation was to bring it about myself. So what began as an experiment soon became a race.
Beyond that, I was getting older, and mortality began to weigh more heavily on my mind. How much in this world is done because we fear death, the last and greatest terror?
I convinced Smirke to work on Millbank, leading him to design it as a temple to all the Fears in equilibrium, such that my own modifications to the design of the Panopticon went… unremarked.
It. Took. Years, for the dread of the prisoners to fully suffuse the place, and I was an old man before I made my first attempt at the Watcher’s Crown, sat in the center of that colossal eye, the great ring of cells encircling me like a coronet.
It was… flawed, of course, as all Smirke’s rituals were, and none of the inmates survived as the power I attempted to harness shook the building almost to pieces, and the murky swamp upon which the prison was built consumed it.
But it left me a gift: For sat in that watchtower, I could see everything I turned my mind to.
It was a dizzying power, and one I discovered I maintained even as I found vessels to extend my life. Of course, I had to make sure the location was kept under my control while I worked on revising my plans, and so I moved the organization I had founded to assist in my research down to London, and the Institute as you know it was born.
I’ll not bore you with details of my bodies and failures through those intervening years. Suffice to say I kept busy, both planning my own next attempt, and doing my best to stymie those others who tried versions of their own.
Surely my interpretation of the Watcher’s Crown had been incomplete; there had been some element of the ritual I had overlooked.
It was not until I met Gertrude Robinson that things began to really come into focus.
You see, the role of Archivist has been part of the Beholding for as far back as my research can go. This isn’t uncommon for the Powers; most of the beliefs around them are guesswork and fallible human interpretation, but there are certain throughlines and consistencies that can be spotted, regardless of the trappings.
But Gertrude was unlike any other Archivist. She simply did not care about compiling experiences or collecting the fears of others. She was driven to stop those who served the Powers.
More than once I thought she must secretly be of the Hunt – but there was never that sick joy in her, that thrill of predator and prey. She had simply decided that this was her position in life, and went about it with a practicality that even I found disconcerting at times.
I once asked her what drove her, what had started her down that path. She told me the Desolation had killed her cat.
I don’t know if she was joking, and, to be honest, I could never bring myself to look into her mind and find out for sure.
In any case, Gertrude’s ruthless efficiency in derailing and collapsing rituals threw into stark relief a question that had been bothering me for almost a hundred and fifty years: In the whole span of humanity, why had nobody ever succeeded?
Perhaps there were a long line of Gertrude Robinsons throughout history, but I found that hard to credit. Could it be, then, that there was something in the very concept of the rituals that meant they couldn’t succeed?
She was clearly having similar thoughts in that last year, all of which culminated with the People’s Church.
When I saw that she was making no preparations whatsoever to stop it, I realized she was putting into practice a theory, and one she couldn’t afford to be wrong. She was going to wait, and see if the unopposed ritual succeeded, or if it collapsed under its own strain as mine had all those years ago.
Knowing Gertrude, I’m sure she had a backup plan if she had miscalculated – but she had not. The ritual failed. And all at once, I realized what had to be done.
You see, the thing about the Fears is that they can never be truly separated from each other. When does the fear of sudden violence transition into the fear of hunted prey? When does the mask of the Stranger become the deception of the Spiral?
Even those that seem to exist in direct opposition rely on each other for their definition as much as up relies on down.
To try and create a world with only the Buried makes as much sense as trying to conceive a world with only down.
Every ritual tied itself so closely to a single power as to render itself impossible. They could bring their patron close, but never sever it from the others, and eventually it would be violently pulled back into the place next to reality where they dwell.
The solution, then, is simple: A new ritual must be devised which will bring through all the Powers at once. All fourteen, as I had hoped I could complete it before any new powers such as Extinction were able to fully emerge. All under the Eye’s auspices, of course. We mustn’t forget our roots.
And there was only one being that could possibly serve as a lynchpin for this new ritual: The Archivist. A position that had so recently become vacant, thanks to Gertrude’s ill-timed retirement plans.
Because the thing about the Archivist is that – well, it’s a bit of a misnomer.
It might, perhaps, be better named: The Archive.
Because you do not administer and preserve the records of fear, John. You are a record of fear, both in mind as you walk the shuddering record of each statement, and in body as the Powers each leave their mark upon you.
You are a living chronicle of terror.
Perhaps, then, if I could find an Archivist and have each Power mark them, have them confront each one and each in turn instill in them a powerful and acute fear for their life, they could be turned into a conduit for the coming of this – nightmare kingdom.
Do you see where I’m going, John?
It does tickle me, that in this world of would-be occult dynasties and ageless monsters, the Chosen One is simply that – someone I chose. It’s not in your blood, or your soul, or your destiny. It’s just in your own, rotten luck.
I’ll admit, my options were somewhat limited, but My God, when you came to me already marked by the Web, I knew it had to be you. I even held out some small hope you had been sent by the Spider as some sort of implicit blessing on the whole project, and, do you know what, I think it was.
Of course, I had to bide my time, get a measure of you before I began to push, learn how you worked – So I decided I would wait until something came for you, and see how you reacted. Attacks upon the Archives were not uncommon during Gertrude’s tenure, and, while she was always prepared, I made sure you would not be.
I reasoned if you couldn’t survive a single encounter, you were unlikely to make it through all fourteen. So, when Jane Prentiss attacked, I watched eagerly, one hand on the gas release from the start.
You acquitted yourself well enough, so I decided to see how far you would get, though I waited until the worms were in you before I pulled the lever. I needed to make sure you felt that fear all the way to your bones.
The discovery that one of the Stranger’s minions had infiltrated the Institute in the aftermath was certainly a pleasant bonus. Even if that sliver of paranoia, that vague wrongness you couldn’t quite place wouldn’t count as a mark, it was only a matter of time before it confronted you in a far more direct and affecting matter.
Admittedly, given the advent of the Unknowing, I needn’t have bothered. But what’s the old saying about hindsight?
More important to me was Sasha’s encounter with the Distortion. If it had taken an interest, then I very much wanted it to cross your path.
So I found one of its current victims and convinced her to make a statement.
Poor Helen. I actually had to put her in a taxi myself, she was getting so lost in those narrow London side streets.
It worked, though.
Between the stabbing and at least two desperate flights into its doors – you’re marked very deeply by the Spiral.
Jurgen Leitner was a surprise, of course, and I was forced to improvise. I had no idea how much Gertrude would have told him, and he could very easily have derailed everything if you learned too much too fast.
I… justified it to myself saying I was going to have to send you out into the world anyway, if you were to encounter more of the Powers, but I can’t honestly pretend it wasn’t a… rather rash move.
Still. I’d requested Detective Tonner be assigned to the case when they found Gertrude’s body in the hope that having a Hunter in the mix would eventually lead to a confrontation, and setting you up as a killer certainly hastened that.
Then it was just a matter of feeding you statements to lead you to a few Avatars I thought were likely to harm you – but probably would stop short of actually killing you.
Jude served her purpose exactly as I had hoped, as did our dearly departed Mr. Crew, marking you for the Desolation and the Vast.
Honestly, I had – nothing to do with Melanie and her Slaughter adventure, but when I saw the situation, I made sure to trap her here, so when her rage bubbled over you would be right there, a ready target.
I didn’t foresee the mark coming from surgery gone wrong, but it was a very pleasant surprise.
The Unknowing was a distraction, but not an unwelcome one. For this to work, you needed more than just the marks; you needed power. And that was something the Unknowing served to test, though it posed no actual danger in the grand scheme of things.
And it did serve another purpose, of course. It inadvertently pushed you to confront death, a mark I had been very worried about trying to orchestrate. If I tried too early, you’d just die. Too late, and you might be powerful enough to see the attempt coming, and maybe even understand why.
As it was, it was just right, and once again, you came through with flying colors.
By this point, your abilities were coming along in leaps and bounds, and I was concerned that meeting face-to-face might end up with you – (sigh) – Knowing something you shouldn’t.
I had initially planned to go into hiding, but when your colleagues surprised me with the police, well. It was simple enough to cut a deal.
All that remained, then, were the Dark, the Flesh, the Buried, and the Lonely.
I was a little put out when that idiot Jared Hopworth misinterpreted my letters and attacked the Institute too soon, before you were even out of the hospital, but then – Ho, you should have see my face when you voluntarily went to him.
I couldn’t see what happened in there, of course, but given how you came out, I’m very sure it counts as a mark.
I suspected the coffin might turn up again, and once it did, it was simply a matter of getting any, uh… restraining factors you might have had flying off on a wild goose chase, and waiting.
Honestly, Detective Tonner has been proving invaluable through this process. I’d been racking my brains for months about what I could use to lure you in.
And, of course, I knew the Dark Sun was just sitting there waiting. So when it came time, I just whipped up another apocalypse and sent you on your merry way.
Then all that remained was the Lonely.
Poor Peter. He really should have left well enough alone. (cruel laugh) Or just done what I’d asked in the first place.
Ah well. He knew what I was attempting, and was very unwilling to cooperate until I made him a little wager about Martin.
Of course, he had no way of knowing that, in addition to setting you up for the final mark, he was giving you all the tools you needed to escape from it.
How is Martin, by the way? He looks well. You will keep an eye on him when all this is over, won’t you? He’s earned that.
And there, I think, we are brought just about up to date. I have enjoyed our little trip down memory lane, but past here lies only impatience.
You are prepared. You are ready. You are marked. The power of the Ceaseless Watcher flows through you, and the time of our victory is here.
Don’t worry, John. You’ll get used to it here, in the world that we have made.
Now. (cruel, cruel laugh) Repeat after me.
You who watch and know and understand none. You who listen and hear and will not comprehend. You who wait and wait and drink in all that is not yours by right.
Come to us in your wholeness.
Come to us in your perfection.
Bring all that is fear and all that is terror and all that is the awful dread that crawls and chokes and blinds and falls and twists and leaves and hides and weaves and burns and hunts and rips and bleeds and dies!
Come to us.
I – OPEN – THE DOOR!
Okay. In this logo we see three alchemy symbols [ignoring the many in the background]. These three are Salt, Mercury, and Sulfur. They make up something in alchemy known as the Tria Prima, which represents the three “states” all matter is in [because back when alchemy was a big thing, people didn’t all know about the periodic elements]. These states and my theories:
Sulfur is the soul and combustible matter [Desolation aligned?] Mercury is the spirit and change/volatility [spiral?] Salt is the body and solid unchanging matter [not combustible nor volatile]
So then I start theorizing on what these animals mean. Unicorns in alchemy are representative of Mercury, but what’s curious is that lions (the green lion) is said to be consuming the sun, which in Jungian theory is meant to represent human consciousness being overwhelmed by desires and something about madness and the Ego? To be quite honest I’m not too well versed in Jung so these are just some of the interpretations I found. The RED lion however is supposed to be some kind of already tamed desires, or a combination of Mercury and Sulfur.
Unicorns = Mercury, Green lion = Human desires
And of course as you can google, non vacillabimus translates to “We will not falter”, and O.I.A.R. stands for Office of Incident Assessment and Response, where Alice and Sam work.
Feel free to correct me on any of this, I’m just autistic and theorizing.
The official cast and logo for The Magnus Protocol, courtesy of the kickstarter update.
A link to the arg site is also available!
Did anyone get here in the ARG yet or am I just really behind?
EDIT: I found this by taking all of the missing letters from words on the “Night Shift” page on the official O.I.A.R. website.
CURRENT PROTOCOL ARG NOTES POST! Hope any of this helps people!
If you have any info about the ARG or about any forums to talk about it, PLEASE LMK I NEED TO BE PART OF THIS!
Also current theory is that the algorithm (FR3-D1) is some kind of AI, possibly extinction aligned, OR is either Jonah Magnus, Jon Sims, or Sergei Ushenka in digital form. HEHEHSHHDKDJR !!!
Some of my first impressions as quick concept sketches I made in class! I’m so happy and excited. Alice is a Scene Queen that never grew out of it, but that might just be me. Love all of them!!!! Love them so much!!!!
As you can tell I liked Nigel and his terrible roommate situation a lot...
surely this has been done before
I should draw Sam. I just wish I knew where his dang accent was from. There’s only like 3 accents I know how to reckognise. Anyway Sam-with-dyed-hair rights.
What colour thooo. I feel like he’s go for a natural colour just dyed in an unnatural way.
I’m so excited because there’s absolutely no fannon for what he looks like yet and I get to go wild. He could be wearing a clown suit for all I care!
Oh boy I sure hope nothing bad happens to you him.
(Cries in a corner)
Anyway yea I want him to have dyed hair but I’m now quite sure about the Color. It looks kinda shit I think which is funny.
I’m not the best with Colored pencils and have very limited Color so any time I draw him traditionally his skin Color will prob be way out of wack. In this one he’s darker than I intended and way too rosy toned. The woes of trying to figure out skin tones with traditional media ;-;.
So like I don’t know if I’m the first person to do this but I just thought that the cover for the Scissor Sisters’s album “ Ta - Dah “ gave off a very strong Tmp2 vibes so one thing led to another and :-) . I hope you all like it as much as I had fun making it (it was incredibly fun for me)
have you done Jared hopworth????
stares at you with wide eyes
*intense staring contest ensues* I haven't. But. for u? Ofc <33 (I've been meaning to ty so much and sry it took me 3 decades to get to it)
Yummeh
He's talking 2 jon but... if ur interested
HAND EM OVA
Anyways
Drink waterrrrrr it's so damn hot UHHGGGGG
Also get snacks, they r very good and ur hungry
Help get Amal and her family to safety. Donate reblog. Share. Do what you can to help her and her children!!
This is Amal and her family. My children are living under bombardment in the war 😭 Please consider them your children and help them 🙏🙏 Stand by my side to save and protect my children. They haven't gone to school for a year 🙏😢😢 Donate to save my children's lives 🍉 🙏🇵🇸 We live in very difficult and desperate circumstances, and what is worst of all is that the fear that haunts me increases day by day. Help me provide them with basic life needs. @gazavetters is verified, my verified number in the list is (#55)
please help if you can. all eyes on gaza 🇵🇸
Intro!!!
Cuz I don’t think we’ve done one—
ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ
Canonical Mess or Cluster Bee System
He/They/Dex and Asper collectively
BPD, OSDD(?), Autism
We got lots of little guys (alters) and many love to share about themselves so questions are welcomed
Things I like- The Magnus Archives, Welcome To Night Vale, Creepypasta/Slenderverse, Art, Music, Health- specifically mental health, history, musicals, etccc
DNI-
Transphobes, Homophobes, Anti Neopronouns or Anti Xenogenders, Anti MOGAI, TCC, Pedos and Zoophiles, radqueers, ragebait.
2 hours & 22 minutes until the protocol panel at London Podcast festival !! [or just under two hours until the doors open]
losing it a little
Posting the autographs I got at the festival [which I am sosososo grateful for, Anusia & Ryan & Shahan are the sweetest and I’m so glad I got the chance to meet them!!] a with a little ramble underneath [i swear it’s something!]
There was a great Q&A held where people honestly asked fantastic questions I wouldn’t have thought of, I had my hand raised but honestly the only question I could think of in the moment was did Colin eat his fish.
He totally did, if you ask me, anyway
Back in the hotel and KICKING myself over forgetting my biggest question / thought about the Magnus universe in general, so I’m gonna share it!;
The extinction was made prominent as an up and coming fear in archives, obviously, and it was also made clear that there was no counter power or whatever — until protocol.
Jon, The Archivist, Chester, whatever you see them as, is the extinction. Ready to end everything for everyone on a whim.
Martin, Norris, A Vessel To The Lonely, the opposite.
Yes, he spread the fear — but he also spread humanity, humanity thrives and grows and is meant to be shared, and it is far from perfect.
Martin is humanity.
And Jon, is the extinction coiled around it.
Maybe in every universe the embodiment of the extinction and humanity fall inlove. Maybe in one of them it doesn’t doom their world.
— 👁️☁️ —
Honestly !! A concept I need people to write about, Christ, it’s just so MMM. Anyway. Thank you for listening =w=
An itty bitty WIP for my AU while I work on a bigger piece.
Jonathon Sims working at the OIAR??!!!? Idk why but him & Alice as roommates is a concept that’s been driving me crazy recently. So.
