On The Elements, Chapter 2 (Patreon)

From, On the Elements, by Dr. Fatima Tabib

Only  eternity can bring us closer to the Heavenly Principles. I am no longer  the shadow. Mine is the most supreme and noble form.

- Beezlebul, Electro Archon

As  discussed in the first chapter Visions are defined as mortal ambition  manifested into physical form as a connection to one of the fundamental  elements. That connection is forged through a mortals own will and  ambition matching with the mind of an Archon. In the case of Electro,  that means the Raiden Shogun, God of Eternity. To first know Electro  Visions and Vision Holders, we must then first know the mind of the  Raiden Shogun.

Out of all  the Archons, the Raiden Shogun is, thus far, the one most blatant and  explicit that she is a god, and should be treated as such. She is not  like Buer, who takes the form of a child and does not pursue dominion.  Nor is she like Barbatos, who takes the form of a mortal and hides among  the masses. The Raiden Shogun is the God of Eternity, the Narukami  Oshogo, and the Spirit of Japan.

To  know the mind of an Archon itself is extremely difficult. They are not  human, no matter what some might think, nor are they parahumans. Their  fundamental physiology and psychology are different. Thus, to know the  mind of an Archon, we must study the minds of mortal men. An in the case  of Electro Vision Holders, a clear pattern emerges that tells us of the  Raiden Shogun's own mind.

1. Rejection of Sociatal Norms

This  is somewhat hard to notice at first, because the Raiden Shogun herself  sets what the societal norms are for Japan in so many ways, but  fundamentally, Beezlebul rejects mortal society and mortal culture in  exchange for her "Eternity." We see this with Electro Allogens, who  universally in some fashion, reject mortal society. Take, for example,  the famous Sara Tengan. As a cosplayer in the time before the Raiden  Shogun had arrived, she had fundamentally rejected the idea of normal  society. She was cast out by her parents, labeled an "otaku", which was  far from a flattering term in those days, and generally considered an  outsider. The same is true for the Raiden Shogun. She rejects all mortal  conceptions of how the world, and indeed society, are to be ordered,  and instead orders herself and her domain in her own unique way. She  rebelled against the global trade order, and while at times she has  suffered for it along with her nation, the reality is that she and Japan  are too powerful and influental to be cast aside, and global society  itself reoriented around her own vision.

So  too is the Electro Allogen. They refuse in some way to follow normal  society. Perhaps they are like American Secretary of the Treasury  Miniver Cheevy, who rejected his peers demands and fully dedicated  himself to rooting out graft and political corrupt, going so far as to  nearly take down the famed Number Man in his quest. Or they could be  like Capri Cohen, who left her own people and dwelt in a society with an  antipathy towards the Romani people, fully dedicated to her pursuit of  her dream of music. Whether it be teenaged rebellion, a lifelong  obsession, or a fundamentally different way of looking at things,  Electro Allogens walk their own path. Which brings us to the second  part;

2. Life in the Shadows

Again,  it is hard to notice because she is a world leader and public figure,  but the Raiden Shogun does not enjoy the company of most others. She  spends most of her time sequestered in her palace, built in the  mountains away from Tokyo at Tenshukaku on the island of Kyushu. If  rumors are to be believed, and I think they should, indeed, she spends a  good deal of her time in an entirely seperate dimension of her own  creation. While she is seen with some regularity at public events, she  does not mingle overmuch with the general populace. She is an aloof God  Emperor, with her two daughters and Tri-Commission heads doing much of  the public events and work that a ruler would be expected to. The  exception, of course, is in time of war, as the CUI and DPRK learned to  their sorrow.

The same is  also true of Electro Allogens. Kathrine Schmidt, the head of Fantastic  Days and of the Knights of Favonius, does not make many public  appearances, and those she does are highly scripted before she vanishes  back into the shadows. Much like her master Barbados, Capri Cohen loves  the limelight of the stage, but outside of those performances does not  typically socialize with fans, prefering to hide from her fame, despite  the Tone Deaf Bards being the best selling band for nearly a decade now.  Even when leading a public life, Elector Allogens are intensely private  and secretive of themselves. They are, however, not complete hermits,  for there is always one sure thing to draw them out. What it is varies,  but it is universally true.

3. Single-Minded Dedication

All  Vision holders have a great and overwhelming ambition in their lives.  What that ambition is varies greatly and its study is the purpose of  this book, but for Electro Vision Holders it is even more all consuming  and overwhelming: They are given over entirely to a single pursuit, and  will stop at absolutely nothing to see that made into reality, rejecting  everything else, overcoming all obstacles.

Again,  this varies greatly. Danny Hebert, known as Longshoreman and the first  known American Electro Allogen, was simplemindedly obsessed with  revitalizing the Longshoreman Union and restoring maritime trade. His  daughter was so obsessed that her quest led to her receiving her own  chapter in this book, but her single minded focus from an early age  earned her a Vision as well. Secretary of the Treasury Cheevy's  obsession has led to his seeking the highest office in America, and he  may well become the next President, all in pursuit of eliminating graft,  corruption, and tax evasion.

The  real question is, of course, what is the Raiden Shogun's overriding  goal? The answer is simple: Eternity. She seeks to bring about an  Eternal Empire for the nation of Japan, ruled over by herself. A nation  unchanging and unchanged by the storms of the world, itself the storm  that consumes and alters destiny itself.

Now,  with these in mind, let us delve further into each aspect, and how  Electro Visions are manifested and recieved, as well as the forms they  take (...)