InDeus Ex: Mankind Divided, the Illuminati is a secret society dedicated to individual spiritual perfection and clandestine dominance over all civilized institutions. “Illuminati” is the plural form of the Latin word Illuminatus, which means “enlightened.” The Illuminati’s ultimate goal is to establish a New World Order that will allow them to rule the world without challenge.
The Illuminati operate behind the scenes, influencing the world while keeping their existence hidden. Their members are mostly extraordinarily wealthy and in positions of power and influence. The Illuminati has included major business leaders, scientists, and political figures at various times of all theDeus Ex: Mankind Dividedworld. They see themselves as stewards of humanity, believing that society would collapse without the intervention and guidance of an elite group that makes decisions for the masses. One member observes that absolute freedom is analogous to complete chaos, implying that they must sacrifice some of an individual’s freedom to maintain order.
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Illuminati’s Origins and Ascension
Adam Weishaupt established the Illuminati formally in 1776, intending to provide a good management system to the rest of the world. However, the ideals that underpin the society predate Weishaupt’s establishment. During the Crusades, the Order of Assassins, or Hashishim, was the forefather of the Illuminati. Another ancient order with ties to the Illuminati is theKnights Templar. For many years, the Templars have funded Illuminati interests by controlling the world’s banking system.
The Illuminati was primarily a political and religious organization before the twentieth century. However, it recognized that, due to growing hostility toward politicians and disinterest in organized religion, these tools could no longer be used to influence society effectively. As a result, the conspiracy’s leadership decided to create two new branches to oversee financial and technological matters. To that end, in 1947, they establishedMajestic 12, a technology branch, and in 1954, they established the Bilderberg Group, a financial unit.
Many of the twentieth-century conflicts were influenced by the Illuminati. World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War are examples of such conflicts. They also had a hand in some of the most significant events of the twentieth century, such as the election of John F. Kennedy as President of the United States. When Kennedy publicly mentioned a “plot” involving a secret society, the group organized his assassination. The Illuminati was also involved in the fall of theBerlinWall, the Challenger disaster, and the Tokyo subway sarin attack, among other things.
The Illuminati conducted experimental research on children in the 1990s. White Helix Labs, a subsidiary of VersaLife, a company run by the Illuminati, tested genetic therapy treatments on infants. Adam Jensen, who was five years old at the time the experimentation ended, was one such child. The majority of the other infants who were subjected to the experiments died, but this research had a lasting impact onJensen, the sole survivor. White Helix had, whether intentionally or unintentionally, inserted mutagenic genes into Jensen’s DNA, conferring immunity to Darrow Deficiency Syndrome. Jensen was carrying the key to universal augmentation without realizing it, but these experiments ended with staff members' intentional burning down of White Helix Labs.
The Illuminati During the 21st Century
The Illuminati reach the pinnacle of their power in the early twenty-first century. They are involved in a variety of activities during this time, and their ultimate goal is to establish a set of common principles that will be used to govern the entire world. However, before they can do so, they must first deal with the aspects of society over which they have no control. Global electronic communications andmechanical augmentations, in particular, are significant threats to the conspiracy. If left unchecked, these technologies will provide humanity with unprecedented levels of freedom and autonomy. The Illuminati believe that if society is not regulated, anarchy will ensue.
The Illuminati’s actions frequently aim to induce what is known as the “Icarus Effect” artificially. This is the phenomenon in which members of society with far superior abilities are naturally “cut down” not to endanger the rest of the species. The Illuminati does not want humanity to advance too quickly and stray from their established boundaries. to accomplish this, they ensure that the Icarus Effect occurs at a faster rate than usual. The Illuminati’s unrivaled influence over a wide range of intergovernmental organizations and multinational corporations makes this possible.
They use the private military contractor Belltower Associates in countries worldwide to keep the local populace in check and to protect their covert operations. In addition, the Tyrants, a clandestine mercenary group, carry out special operations for the conspiracy, including assassinations and kidnappings. Many of the missions assigned to theTyrantsin the late 2020s involve killing people involved in the augmentation debate. This contributes to the development of an environment conducive to the implementation of Illuminati’s desired regulations on augmentation technology.
Propaganda is a tool that the cabal frequently employs because it is one of the most powerful at its disposal. It enables them to shape public opinion and control what information is revealed about current events. To accomplish this, the Illuminati primarily rely on various Picus Group subsidiaries. By the 2020s, the Picus Group had grown to become the world’s largest media corporation, with over a thousand offices in over a hundred countries. Picus can easily spreadthe Illuminati’s propaganda due to the breadth of its pursuits. For example, Picus produces “footage” of events that did not necessarily occur at the request of the Illuminati. It also defends others with opposing opinions and removes political figures from the power that the Illuminati do not support.
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