On the Matter of Them
To kick the forums off officially, I figured a good discussion regarding the nature of "Them" would do the trick nicely.
Some ideas worth considering:
- Reference is made quite frequently to religious mythos in direct relation to the Keys. In 046-The Soup Kitchen, the Phenomena itself involves the tears of a tortured, captive angel. In 043-The Butcher's Shop, part of the Phenomena requires conversing with an individual who "used to be one of Them." Four greasy pies later, the acolyte is led to a specific house, in which is housed the "ark they rode to get here." One dire warning later and we're left with an unexpected allusion to the Mesopotamian/Early Biblical narrative regarding the Ark and the flood of the Lord (or other various deities). What significance does this "ark" have? How was it ridden, and from where? The word "ark" is not used widely in any other sense than to mean the Ark of fable. Surely there are many more examples throughout the listing.
- Separating out the many possible considerations may lead to a more fitting conclusion as to what They are, what They signify and what Their goals are. Notions that they are of alien origin, while reasonable given the information given, aren't exactly supported in canon. For a valid, working hypothesis, each point we make needs to be cited directly from the primary source (the texts of the Phenomena themselves). Because the terminology of Ark lends itself to ambiguity, it could be interpreted to be such nebulous constructs as an interstellar vessel, but this doesn't seem in fitting with the rest of the canon mythos. More investigation will follow.