I was wondering if the Illuminati are mentioned in canon. After a quick search all I turned up was the following from Kanda Ten on a poll for UCAS President in 2068:

"Vote Illuminaties of the New Dawn, er I mean New Century!Magic is the means to heal! To lead! To rule!"

[Sorry, I don't know how to link to it.]

Anyway, if they are canon, where? If not, what ideas do you have for them?

My idea (I am of course assuming that they are not already covered) follows:

The Illuminati are a group dedicated to the take-over and control of the world in order to better prepare for the invasion of the Horrors. They were formed after the beginning of the Fifth Age and dedicated themselves to prepare for the Sixth and the Return. Assuming (meta)human-kind is not capable of getting there on their own, they use force, diplomacy, intrigue, bribery, extorsion, kidnapping, murder, etc. to stay in power (in the shadows of course) to prepare the defense of earth.

Kind of a burn the village to save it mentality.

What do YOU think?

- theartthief

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I think they are in MitS under Groups, and in SoNA under UCAS political parties they are mentioned as supporting the New Century Party.

[edit]
You're not far off. Basically, they think those with magic should rule to protect the world.

Those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves
-Rush

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Note these are the Illuminates of the New Dawn not the Illuminati. The closest thing SR has come to the Illuminati is the Black Lodge.

Exactly. The Illuminates are a magical group with a wider social agenda (via the New Century Party) and are quite obviously a tip of the hat to Crowley's Order of the Golden Dawn. Its also American-centric. Finally it fails in two other major distinctions which define the Illuminati, since the Illuminates are neither secret nor particularly well-connected to other powers behind the throne.

The Black Lodge on the other hand was secret, widespread, globally influential and apparently connected to a bunch of conspiratorial societies and groups (Templars, Rosicrucians and Freemasons to name a few). Its membership is highly hierachical and cell-structured for additional secrecy. It is conspiratorial as well as initiatory and works behind the scenes. All of which are characteristics of Illuminati conspiracy.

Plus: Do you think they would have lost the elections if they were the Illuminati's public face?

Soooo... what yer saying here Synner, is that Dunk was/is Illuminati?

Yes, the Illuminati exist. Yes, they're canon. I don't know if DUnkie was a member, but Lofwyr and Nebelherr are.

I'd love to read those applications...

I: "Work Experience?"

L: "heh."

Never mind that the real Illuminati were just a cult of German losers who liked to play dress-up and have secret tea parties.

That's just what they want you to think.

Well one conspiracy theory doing the round is that back in 1876 a group calling itself The Order of File and Claw broke into the Yale Skull and Bones secret society to see what they're up to. They're meant to be an off-shoot/branch of an earlier German initiatory group- The Illuminati?

I have no idea if the real Illuminati are mentioned in canon. It'd be awful fun to introduce them into my campaign though Especially this guy's idea of them. Har har.

If that link was on whitehouse.gov instead of a joke site i'd be impressed.