The Illuminati: Intellectual Pretenders or Inter-dimensional Puppetmasters?

[caljitsu]

This theory is a little different from what I usually like to do. It reaches for some things and presumes others - a dangerous combination when trying to write a good zombies theory - but it's so damn interesting, I've been working on it on and off for months on gathering information about it, and even if there's a kernel of truth, it might just change everything.

 

WHO ARE THE ILLUMINATI?

Contrary to popular belief, the Illuminati are/were a real organisation, not just the stuff of conspiracy. Founded in Bavaria, in what is today Germany (throughout the middle-ages to renaissance, as with many European countries, Germany was constantly splitting, reforming and waging war upon itself) by Adam Weishaupt, the Order of the Illuminati, literally "Illuminated" (or "Enlightened") ones, was a secret society of intellectuals, and later politicians and men of great social (and quite literal) power, who wished to oppose the status quo of superstition, public untruths, religious influence and abuses of the power by the State. The idea of the Illuminati wishing to control all things comes from the general statues of the order, where they wrote:

"The order of the day is to put an end to the machinations of the purveyors of injustice, to control them without dominating them."

It is in this quote that we understand the essence of the Illuminati, and the salient point that has worked its way into many fictitious depictions of them - including that of their portrayal in the Aether Storyline (and potentially inspired The Order in the Chaos Storyline). That is that their ideology is true justice and the best path for humanity, and to implement it, they will silently manipulate all those who they believe are enemies of this enlightened way.

 

HOW DO THEY RELATE TO ZOMBIES?

The Illuminati are first introduced in Der Riese, via coded messages on scraps of paper that litter the facility, or drawn onto walls. The canonicity of some of these messages is up for debate, such as

"Edward, it's time to kill Maxis" 

Where we know exactly why Richtofen "killed" Maxis at the facility - and by that point, he had already left the Illuminati almost five years prior. One explanation is that though he had already receded from the organisation, he used their coded system of writing to remind himself of what to do, given 115's adverse affect on the memory, as well as his own rapidly degrading mental state. A rather interesting detail, however, is that he renounced his ties to the organisation immediately after returning to Der Riese after his absence following the initial human-teleporter trial. Perhaps what he had discovered on the moon and at Shangri-La made him believe he no longer had any use for them. It may also be of note that Shangri-La features heavy use of Illuminati Code.

 

It is important to remember, however, that by 1940, when he renounces his ties, Richtofen had been part of the Illuminati for 15 years - and in fact, that was his initial motivation for joining Group 935 - almost certainly to give them access to otherwise highly classified research. Keep this point, specifically, in mind.

 

The Illuminati are not referenced in any meaningful way again until Mob of the Dead, where their code lines many of the Prison's walls. This seemed like an interesting detail at first, but nothing more than that. Until we were re-introduced to them again through both the Timeline and Blood of the Dead. In these installments, we learn firstly that the Illuminati operate in Alcatraz, and that Stanley Ferguson - along with the Warden, are associates (though neither one is an Illuminatus). Furthermore, we learn that after Richtofen gets the idea to use Victis to help him acquire the Kronorium (but vitally, before he has acquired the Kronorium) Primis Richtofen returns to his home dimension - Dimension 63 - where he "enlists (...) the help of members [of the Illuminati]" to help him construct a lab, this lab ends up being in Alcatraz. Now if you're anything like me, you will read that and alarm bells should be instantly ringing in your mind, because there are two serious points that you have to take from that chronology of events. 

 

 

ENLISTING THE ILLUMINATI

Or more appropriately. What? We know that Primis Richtofen never had any contact with the Illuminati prior to this point - or at least to no group who were outwardly the Illuminati. Regardless of your knowledge on the topic, I think we would all agree that you don't "enlist" the Illuminati for help when you're just a random dude to them. Therefore Primis Richtofen almost certainly had to have some tie to the Illuminati - but where? Here is the first reach of the theory. 

 

In the original dimension, Group 935 is founded by Dr. Ludvig Maxis, however in Dimension 63, things happen rather differently. Not only do the d63 counterparts of Maxis and Richtofen join the group together, as equals, but there is no mention of Maxis being anywhere close to the higher echelons, and in fact, when Maxis begins showing signs of insanity at the dig site, Richtofen reports it to their superiors - eliminating any question of Maxis being in a position of leadership. Who then founded Group 935 in this dimension? I believe it was members of the Illuminati. Not only is this incarnation of 935 seemingly German based (potentially hinting at a connection to the Bavarian Illuminati), but far more explicitly, Bavaria in the real world is home to Masonic Lodge #935. For the sake of transparency, this real world Masonic lodge was founded in 1975, however, it was made up of an amalgamation of smaller lodges stretching back to around the time of the Second World War. To me, this says Treyarch possibly drew inspiration from this particular lodge in the formative days of the storyline, and when they found a point where it made sense, decided to tie Group 935 back to it's roots as a Bavarian Lodge - and of course I there is a fairly clear connection between Bavarian Masonic Practices and the Bavarian Illuminati.

 

If this is true, it completely alleviates the first problem, that is, how Richtofen was so easily able to enlist the help of a Group that he appeared to have no connection to. However, we now face the second issue.

 

 

ALCATRAZ ISLAND

At a glance, Alcatraz Island as a location for the lab makes sense, Richtofen needs to acquire the blood of Sal DeLuca and Michael "Finn" O'Leary from there, however this does not make sense. Looking at the timeline, we know that the construction of the lab was initiated before Richtofen had acquired the Kronorium, meaning there was no conceivable way he knew he would need to return here in order to collect these prisoners' blood, furthermore, he would have no way of knowing about the pocket dimension that exists that he would later visit during each cycle in order to prolong it. More crucially, if the lab was almost anywhere else, the cycle that Sal, Finn, Billy, and Al are trapped in breaking may not have resulted in the death of Primis Richtofen, as he would have been in a wholly different location during the event.

 

One counter argument here is that, for Victis' blood to function correctly, they would have had to be installed within the pocket dimension. This is correct, however it once again raises the same issue - Richtofen had no knowledge of the Warden's activities to try and forge this pocket dimension, nor the intent of his master to harvest Richtofen's blood - however we can say near categorically that one group did - the Illuminati.

 

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING?

Within Blood of the Dead, we hear numerous audio logs from The Warden of Alcatraz. The Warden, as we know, was an avid occultist, specifically, a Devil worshipper (that is to say, the Judeo-Christian Devil), and as formerly mentioned, he was a known associate of the Illuminati, but he was not a member. Here, I would like to draw your attention to Audio Log #2 from Blood of the Dead

 

The Warden: Ugh, what am I doing wrong? Nothing! Every interpretation by every scholar I have made real, in flesh and blood, and still the dark ones remain silent. They are deaf, blind and dumb where ever it is they reside in the fabric of reality. Have I not bled the wicked? Have I not placed the markers on the proper lines? What more? What more?! — I am tired, and I have grown so very disturbed, waiting for the release that was promised but I fear will never be delivered. Because they do not exist! No, wretched are the Thrawls who despair in darkness! Wretched! Wretched! WRETCHED! The work will continue with or without the dam(static) Illuminati. All they do is talk and scheme and pass judgement on methods that they deem unorthodox. Well, to hell with their protection! I will awaken this island. Even if it takes every last soul in her walls. If I fail, I will be locked in here and soon join them all in hell. (sigh) The result is the same.

 

The first thing of note here is that the Warden is under the Illuminati's protection. This is incredibly curious, as what interest would they have in the Warden - but furthermore, they are sneering at his methods. It is worth noting the real-world Illuminati here, who as mentioned, scorned religious institutions and superstition, and so on the one hand, it's entirely possible that they just believe the Warden is an insane, glorified prison guard who is a waste of their time. But then why protect him? He is not a member, and getting another prison warden would be incredibly easy for an organisation as powerful as they. However perhaps they knew more than they were letting on, and the reason for their disdain of the Warden's archaic, incredibly religious methods were not because of a lack of belief that the forces he wished to commune with were real, but instead they understood these forces far more than him. Remember, the Warden's adherence to these bizarre scholarly works gets him nowhere, and it is in fact the Shadowman himself who speaks to the warden - seemingly of his own free will.

 

If indeed the Illuminati were the ones who "suggested" the location of Alcatraz to a Richtofen who was, at that time, ignorant of the importance of the location, as well as being aware of the Warden's bizarre attempts to contact forces he had little understanding of - all the while still offering him protection - leads me to the conclusion that they are, potentially, the masterminds behind the plot to break the cycle.

 

THE ILLUMINATED ONES

The Illuminati were already aware of Teleportation Technology and element 115 - at least at a base level - thanks to Ultimis Richtofen's activities within 935 whilst still within their ranks. In Blood of the Dead, Primis Richtofen even suggests that the lab was built specifically with the intention of it being housed within the pocket dimension

"Ja let's build your lab under Alcatraz! It's just a twisted little pocket dimension, what could go wrong?" Fucking Illuminati...

If the Illuminati are aware of the idea of a pocket dimension in one reality, and were fed teleporter technology (by arguably the smartest character in the storyline) in another, I believe this forms a solid foundation for the idea that the Illuminati are a trans-dimensional organisation, working towards an ultimate goal. Much as the ultimate goal of the Buddhist philosophy is to attain peace by breaking the infinite Samsara-cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, the Illuminati's final revelation - their enlightenment - is to achieve the same feat for the world - to achieve peace by breaking the infinite loop of suffering

 

ADDENDUM

An interesting piece of evidence, though one that cannot be tied perfectly anywhere, comes as courtesy of Albert Arlington. During his time in Alcatraz - both still in Dimension 63 and in the hellscape it would become - Al made quick sketches of disturbing events he bore witness to, and one of them in particular is incredibly disturbing

.

As seen in this sketch, we see Richtofen, seemingly portalling into Alcatraz. We know the Weasel has spotted Primis Richtofen there before, thanks to another drawing of his that depicts him conversing with Stanley Ferguson, but this is not Primis Richtofen.

There are two further pieces when added to this drawing, form a potentially interesting conclusion. The first is this chalkboard within the Lab.

Primis Richtofen is commenting on the board that the cannot understand how the Dark Mechanism works. He demands to know how he did it, and finishes by saying it's madness! 

The second, but related, piece is when pack-a-punching on the map. Richtofen will sometimes say

How could the warden have had the knowledge required to build such a machine... Unless...

This quote is in reference to the Pack-A-Punch machine, however if the Warden is unable to make that, there is no way the Warden was able to make a device as complex as the Dark Mechanism. I therefore believe it is possible that, due to his presence on the island at some point, it was Ultimis Richtofen who constructed the device - the thing that is pivotal for breaking the cycle.

 

The reason this doesn't fit neatly into the theory is because of Ultimis Richtofen severing ties with the Illuminati. It could be argued that, in this instance, their goals align. Feel free to discount this from the theory, however, as it does not detract from the core.

 

[Mattzs]

Did Richtofen leaving the Illuminati come from the timeline?

That is an interesting retcon. I believe in Shi No Numa, Richtofen, when revived, will sometimes say “My Service to the Illuminati can continue”. This would imply he was still a part of the order in 1945 and mean that the instructions to kill Maxis were fairly recent.

 

Now things are much different. Initially, the Illuminati were tied to Richtofen’s endgame.  

I am curious why Treyarch would separate Richtofen from the organization when he was the only character with tangible ties to them in the story. Without Richtofen, they are kind of aimless. I thought the retcon might have to do with Richtofen aligning with the Shadowman, but that happened much later. I wonder what their original role in the story was going to be. 

 

Regardless, the lack of information about the Illuminati in the story is oddly fitting. They have some important role in the Aether universe, but lurk in the shadows. The Illuminati being the founders of 935 in Dimension 63 makes perfect sense. Their involvement would connect all of the Dimension 63 Maps. @RadZakpak even theorized that the Illuminati are tied to the cult mentioned in Shadows.

I would even bet Ultimis Richtofen had something to do with the foundation of Dimension 63's  935 as well; a sort of predestination paradox.

 

You are definitely on to something!

 

https://www.callofdutyzombies.com/topic/197187-the-order-of-forgotten-mysteries-13-the-illuminati/?tab=comments#comment-1782874

[caljitsu]

5 minutes ago, Mattzs said:

Did Richtofen leaving the Illuminati come from the timeline?

 

Yeah it's a retcon for sure, timeline dates it as 1940.

[Mattzs]

1 hour ago, caljitsu said:

Yeah it's a retcon for sure, timeline dates it as 1940.

 

I wonder if the voice line is in the Chronicles version of Shi No Numa.

Did Richtofen touch the MPD in 1940 then?

If so, I need to give  the timeline another look.

[RadZakpak]

12 minutes ago, Mattzs said:

 

I wonder if the voice line is in the Chronicles version of Shi No Numa.

Did Richtofen touch the MPD in 1940 then?

If so, I need to give  the timeline another look.

He leaves right after he gets back to Der Riese after a month away on Moon then Shang. So whatever he planned/saw there made him want to quit.

[Mattzs]

11 minutes ago, RadZakpak said:

He leaves right after he gets back to Der Riese after a month away on Moon then Shang. So whatever he planned/saw there made him want to quit.

And this happened in 1940? 

I always thought it was close to the end of the war/beginning of the maps.

Uggh, I am behind.  

[RadZakpak]

35 minutes ago, Mattzs said:

And this happened in 1940? 

I always thought it was close to the end of the war/beginning of the maps.

Uggh, I am behind.  

Yep right at the beginning of 1940

[Mattzs]

7 minutes ago, RadZakpak said:

Yep right at the beginning of 1940

So weird. I need a whole crash course in the retcons lol.  I guess that explains it though. The Shadowman is most likely the reason Richtofen left the Illuminati.

Does this change your opinion then about the Illuminati be Apothicon allied?

With the theme of betrayal being common place, I still think they Illuminati might be somehow tied to the Apothicons.  

[caljitsu]

7 hours ago, Mattzs said:

 

I wonder if the voice line is in the Chronicles version of Shi No Numa.

Did Richtofen touch the MPD in 1940 then?

If so, I need to give  the timeline another look.

He leaves the Illuminati a day after he gets back from the first Teleporter test, so yeah

[caljitsu]

6 hours ago, Mattzs said:

Does this change your opinion then about the Illuminati be Apothicon allied?

With the theme of betrayal being common place, I still think they Illuminati might be somehow tied to the Apothicons.  

I don't think they were allied, per se. It's not within the theme of the Illuminati to follow any force outside of their order. That's not to say that they don't know or understand the Apothicons though, I just don't think they would hold any reverence for them.

[anonymous]

Cool thread, definately Asylum stuff here! I think there is even one more connection between D63's Group 935 and the Illuminati. As the official origins of the Illuminati lays in the 1700s, Bavaria, conspiracy theorists also look to the Freemasons and Knights Templar as their predecessors (see that thread Mattzs shared for the extensive story). Having said that, would it be coincidence that Group 935 somehow acquired Pablo's diary in which a sacret Knights Templar site was marked?

 

Combining this with the fact that Illuminati symbols are found in Shangri La, on gongs and stones that originate from a time way before G935's arrival there, could the ancient origins of this secret Order lay at humanity's early contact with the Keepers? The Knights Templar would be shows the first glimpse of the possibilities and danger of the Aether and it's 115th Element, and this information was passed on in the Western world in which would later be known as the society of Illuminated. 'Illuminated' with knowledge, perhaps? 

 

Now I know the following stuff I will say has absolutely no evidence, it's a far strench but let's do a 'what if...'. I think you are spot on that the Illuminati are an interdimensional organization. They know about teleportation, even further proved by their telegram found in Kino der Toten. Now I am thinking about Pernell's plan to make his Broken Arrow program global. After all, this was the reason for the meeting with Castro at the Pentagon. Now we never notice anything of international cooperation during the Black Ops campaigns, but it could be of course that this cooperation concerned only Element 115, the undead and defending the world against Samantha (meanwhile all political conflicts, wars, etc rage on). It could be that the international cooperation became a failed idea, but we got that sign of International Zombies Center at Die Rise, which used to be a Broken Arrow facility. From this I conclude that at some point, Broken Arrow went global. Having an secret organization that researches the abilities and history of 115 globally, without any nation counteracting it, the potental is limitless. This could be our Nova Ordem Mondial, the New World Order. 

 

We know Agonia Maxis had contact with Broken Arrow (from the future) at some point, so they weren't unknown of travelling and manipulating other dimensions, it seems. Interdimensional puppetmasters. Could they have set up Group 935 in Dimension 63?

10 hours ago, Mattzs said:

I believe in Shi No Numa, Richtofen, when revived, will sometimes say “My Service to the Illuminati can continue”.

This always buggered me, as indeed Richtofen sounds somewhat positive and even loyal to his overlords at the Illuminati in Shi no Numa and Der Riese, while in Kino der Toten he clearly says that "the Illuminati will never get their hands on him again", stating his envy for them.