The Masons

The Masons stir mixed feelings in those around them. On the one hand, they are admired for their sturdy independence, which manifests in the construction of private hospitals, universities, and poor relief.

On the other hand, they are mistrusted because of their relentless, often criminal pursuit of local economic and political power. Even when they open their private institutions to outsiders, they appear to do so less out of charity than out of a wish to bring selected individuals under an obligation to them.

The mistrust is heightened by countless rumours about the Masons' ultimate purposes. The suggestions range from a simple obsession with ethics to the influence of a concealed alien of an unknown species that is mentally and physically superior to humans. Nor is the speculation decreased by the Masons' own descriptions of their affairs and purposes, which are couched in architectural and construction metaphors so dense as to be either incomprehensible or ambiguous.

Some, too, consider Masons to be hypocrites. Although the average Mason lives an outwardly blameless life and talks at length about ethics, Masons are known to be astute negotiators and business executives. Moreover, more than one economic opponent of the Masons has met an end that was all too convenient for the advancement of the Clan. Such events only heighten the uneasiness about the Clan's goals.

However, given the Clan's size and long history, many believe that the Clan has no larger purpose than the accumulation of power for its own sake. Where the Clan has come to dominate local politics, its members rarely act as though they have a vision -- only a determination that, if anyone is going to hold power, that person is going to be a Mason.

History

Given the undoubted illegality of some of the Masons' activities, concrete information about the Clan is understandably hard to come by. Although the Masons are said to keep detailed records, and private histories supposedly circulate within the Clan, even the most detatched interest in their activities by outsiders is strongly discouraged.

However, a number of facts have emerged over the millennia. The Masons bear strong similarities to an a group called the Freemasons in the ancient Terran Union, but history shows no real connection and the Masons themselves disclaim any relationship. The first record of the Masons comes from the Far Eyries sphere in the old Human Federation, from before the Great War. Organized crime appears to have established itself as a dominant political element on the world of Quarter Section, borrowing the symbols of the earlier Freemasons to mark buildings where the groups could find refuge or assistance.

These early Masons also appear to be among the first to grasp the realities of space travel, and the impossibility of dominating more than a single planet (or, at most, a single system) politically for any length of time. Instead of attempting to expand its control beyond Quarter Section, the early Masons limited their ambitions and established trade relations with similar elements on other planets in which mutual autonomy was respected and guaranteed. These ideas spread, and, in the hammering out of the details that ensured local autonomy, the Clan was born.

By the outbreak of the Great War, semi-legal Mason groups -- or perhaps more accurately, criminal organizations made retroactively legitimate by power -- were major political factors in over half a dozen other worlds. Besides Quarter Section, worlds with evidence of Mason activity in this period included Acropolis, Back Forty, Big Dent, Home Corner, and Twinlands. As many as three or four planets may also have had a Mason presence.

This system of profitable co-existence was shattered by the Crucian advance at the start of the Great War. While others fought, Masons packed up their organizations and bought refuge on other worlds such as Golden Mountain, Wai's Helix and Chinook, all of which have retained a heavy Mason influence ever since. Many Masons arrived on their new homes in reduced circumstances, and the efforts to help them is believed to be one of the origins of the mutual aid that characterizes Masons today -- evidently, for all their alleged ruthlessness, the Clan knows the value and obligations of loyalty.

Distracted by their resettlement, Masons took little part in the fighting during the Great War. Although some Mason communities, such as the one on Wai's Helix, raised money for ship construction, these actions were largely self-interested acts by Mason leaders wishing to defend their financial and political empires. Moreover, records show that many of the ships built in this way were characterized by cost overruns and other forms of blatant profiteering, and required extensive reoutfitting before they were fit for service. Early Mason leaders such as Gustav Tang on Chinook and Judi von Ramdumpling on Golden Helix were also tried repeatedly for war profiteering, but with only limited success.

Mason enlistment was also considerably lower than most Clans'. Moreover, where Masons did enlist or were conscripted, they were not welcome. Admirals and generals as varied as the coward Walker and the first emperor expressed concern about the growth of "Masonry" in the ranks, citing countless cases of war-profiteering and of blackmailing and co-opting of officers.

One or two high-ranking officers attempted, with only limited success, to ban Masons altogether from war zones or planets under their control. Their fear was that, if allowed any chance whatsoever, the Masons would make influential officers and politicians obligated to them. That these fears were justified was proven by an outbreak of corruption trials in the early days of the Empire -- a part of the aftermath of the Great War often neglected in official histories.

With the end of the Great War, the Masons resumed their former lifestyles, and most of their activities sank from sight. However, there is little reason to think that their actions differed from those that were noted during the Great War. For the most part, they showed a surprising ability to avoid charges, either through strong organization or influence. However, outbreaks of violence within the local Clan, and even one or two ill-considered attempts by Mason leaders to extend their influence beyond a single system, such as the one between Golden Mountain and Sundering, ensured that the ambiguity with which the Clan is regarded would continue.

During the Empire, the most prominent events associated with the Masons are the repeated efforts to curb the Clan's power and to press criminal charges against its leaders. The first of these efforts were made in IY 3201 by Empress Wayan, who brought charges of extortion, fraud, and murder against dozens of Mason leaders. But, while several of those charged were found guilty -- most of minor offences -- the majority were not. In fact, on the whole, both the Clan's legal representatives and the length to which they managed to draw out the trials served mainly to emphasize the power it was capable of wielding. After several decades of legal proceedings, the last of these trials were dismissed by Wayan's son Deng in "the public interest of peace," as he put it. Scholars still debate to what extent he was pressured by the Clan in this action.

The second official action against the Masons occurred in IY 3642, when Emperor Mbele brought anti-trust charges against the Clan on dozens of planets. But many of these charges were dropped when key witnesses either disappeared or changed their stories. Several large Mason-controlled businesses were broken up into smaller ones, but, as subsequent events showed, most of these smaller companies were also Mason-controlled, so any reduction in the Clan power was minimal.

The last significant Imperial action against the Masons began when Jong Mason Kapek became regent for the Emperor Abdullah IV in IY 4049. Riots forced his resignation within ten months and he was replaced by a council whose members were chosen by the Dowager Empress for their hatred of the Clan. Heavily influenced by this regency council, Abdullah IV celebrated reaching legal age a few years later by organizing a multi-disciplinary police force dedicated to removing the Masons from the Imperial capital. This force proved thorough enough and incorruptible enough that the Masons enjoyed next to no influence in the capital for several generations.

Abdullah IV died leaving no successors in 4120, and the ruling council that governed for the next thirteen years (the First Interregnum) balked at the expense of this effort. The force's activities became increasingly curtailed by budget cuts, and the Masons gradually re-established themselves in the capitol. No doubt this dropoff in enthusiasm was also assisted by Masonic lobbying behind the scenes. In the time since this last action, the Masons solidified their position to become full members of the Imperial court, among the last of the Great Clans.

Until the Disappearance, the Masons had gradually been losing their corrupt and criminal image. However, they appear to have viewed the Disappearance mainly as a business opportunity. Although affected as seriously as most clans, the Masons were the first in many systems to organize relief. These efforts were praised at first, but later came to be seen as cynical attempts to increase influence. Several political leaders through Human space are thought to have found themselves obligated to the local Masons, and rumours persist that several of the larger fragments of the former Empire may be dominated by the Clan.

Before long, more rumours started circulating that the Masons could mount their relief efforts because they were somehow responsible for the Disappearance and had been prepared for it. On many worlds, such rumours resulted in attempts to ban the Clan and vigilante violence against its members. On several worlds, the Masons responded by building self-contained, heavily patrolled enclaves for Clan members.

This mistrust has diminished somewhat in recent years, at least partly because of Malik Mason Bothy of Gold Mountain, the currently most influential Clan leader. Under Bothy's philosophical influence. many Masons have renounced their past, publicly embraced pacifism, and even in some cases thrown open their private institutions to the general public.

However, distrust of the Masons is too ingrained to die easily, and many believe this public change of heart to be a cynical gesture. The superficial reform, skeptics say, is no more than a change of tactics that allows Mason ambition to continue unchecked, and will not survive the first time that violence becomes a convenient tactic.

The Masons Today

Masons spend considerable time and energies ensuring smooth relations with each other, communicating with fellow Clan members on other worlds. Trade treaties are continually being negotiated, and initiated Masons are obligated to aid any Clan members who requests aid -- although a Mason is perfectly free to demand reciprocity in terms of some economic or political advantage later on, and generally does. These exchanges are thought to be aided by an elaborate repertoire of gestures and coded signals that the Masons have built up over the millennia to distinguish true Clan members from false ones.

But, at any rate, this web of cooperation often makes galactic travel cheaper, easier, and less dangerous for the Masons than for members of other Clans. In fact, some governments and businesses, while not controlled by Masons themselves (so far as is known), regularly employ Masons as couriers because of it.

Despite these inter-system lines of communication, Mason self-government remains resolutely local. Depending on the population of the planet, there may be local organizations -- or Debating Societies, as they are often called -- each with anywhere from 20 to several thousand members. Often centering on a large building, Debating Societies serve as social clubs, daycares, executive boardrooms and, perhaps, even prisons and torture chambers for Mason-connected businesses and families. Since the Disappearance, many also have small charities attached to them, such as soup kitchens or public hospitals. These charities are generally supposed to help the Masons stay on good terms with their neighbors and, perhaps, to recruit low level informants.

Debating Societies are led by a Master Builder, who is assisted by up to a dozen executive officers known as Framers. Lesser officers in a Debating Society include the Joist, who ceremonially guard official meetings, and Artisans, who act as mid-level managers.

None of these officials carries any badge of office, or dresses in anything other than the gray or black coveralls that other Masons wear. In fact, Mason officials make a point of showing no signs of rank in public, and may be publicly criticized by other members of a Meeting Hall or even demoted if they do. Although the occasional Mason leader has become known over the years of the Clan's existence, the majority vastly prefer to remain anonymous, or, at least, unknown outside of their home system.

Membership requirements vary between Debating Societies, but, in general, anyone who who is willing to accept Masonic principles and obey the local Clan leaders may be considered. At times, Masons may put pressure on a useful person to join, but most are careful to make sure that the decision is voluntary, realizing that resentful members might betray Clan secrets. A few Meeting Halls ban women or men, or set minimum age limits for membership, but these are a minority.

Those who are accepted by the Masons must undergo an apprenticeship of at least three years before being fully accepted. This period is thought to be one of intense study and education in Mason ideology and practices, with a heavy emphasis on loyalty to the local Debating Society. Presumably, it also includes close background investiations of both the would-be member and their friends and relatives.

During this period, they are closely watched and evaluated by full Masons, and are expected to devote much of their time to Clan activity.

What happens then is uncertain. However, it is thought that initiated Masons pass through several degrees of membership, known as Knight Errant, Knight Hospitaller, and Knight Templar. With each advance in rank, Masons are gradually given additional responsibilities and become more involved with the affairs of the Clan, until, by the time they are senior Knight Templars, the average Mason is devoted entirely to the purposes of the Clan.

These names seem to break with the Mason's usual naming traditions, and also seem to conflict with claims of pacifism and to connect the Masons with legendary semi-secret organizations. However, the Masons themselves explain these names with allusions to ancient legends, talking in convolutedly mystical terms of how the purpose of strength is to dedicate it to a higher purpose. As might be expected, critics suggest that such explanations only reflect the depth of hypocrisy and cynicism displayed by the clan.

In return for their loyalty, Masons enjoy a support network that is the envy of many. One of the few facts that seem well-established is that Masons swear never to see another Clan member in need or danger without making good-faith efforts to assist.

Less officially, Masons prefer to do business with other Masons as often as possible, and some professional associations that officially have no connection with the Clan unofficially make having obtained a certain rank within the group a pre-requisite for membership. No doubt such practices are one of the sources of the conspiracy theories that surround the Clan.

Contrary to the popular imagination, initiated Masons are not required to heavily tattoo their torsos, nor to amputate a knuckle on their left hand when they advance in degree or become an officer of their Debating Societies. Nor do Masons habitually carry weapons, although their history of violence suggests that they have no trouble finding some when necessary.

Largely devoted to advancement in the Clan, the average Mason makes for a sober and conventional neighbor. In fact, Mason policy seems to emphasize avoiding unnecessary conflicts. However, many non-members are reluctant to be on more than superficially polite terms with Mason neighbors. Stories abound of Masons exacting the highest possible return for the mildest of favours, and usually only the most desperate are willing to test the truth of the stories.

Stories abound, too, about the Masons' intolerance for anyone who attempts to infiltrate the group. According to some stories, even the most pacificistic of Meeting Halls retain an official known as the Black Door to punish interlopers. These stories have undoubtedly grown in the telling from a handful of instances, but it is a fact that intruders usually have legal charges brought against them. If they run businesses, they often face boycotts. For whatever reason, the ordinarily mild Masons of today become considerably less so when their privacy is violated.

Relations to Other Clans and Intelligent Species

Masons are found on countless worlds, and on places such as Gold Mountain are even said to provide honest and efficient government. However, most of the time, relations between Masons and other humans vary from wary respect to outright avoidance on both sides. Moreover, since the Disappearance, Masons have become a favourite target of conspiracy theories, to say nothing of pogroms and hate campaigns. As in the Great War, in recent years Masons on many worlds have faced attempts to ban them by those who believe they have too large an influence on local governments or are too successful in business.

The Aristocracy has long been rumoured to have close ties with the Masons, and these rumours have often fuelled mistrust of the Clan, seeming to add substance to the belief that Masons are a hidden power in human affairs. These rumours are no doubt exaggerations, although it is true that, faced with their own increasing irrelevance since the Disappearance, many Aristocrats have turned to the Masons, finding in the Clan an echo of the feudal structure and noblesse oblige that once characterized their own clan. On many worlds, the impoverished Aristocrat with his architectural metaphors for religion and obscure researches and an unerring eye for a deal or a political advantage is a stock figure of commercial dramas, and, according to one rumour, the Grand Duke Constantine, the nephew of the last Emperor, is a Mason.

By contrast, the relation of Masons with Pilgrims is stormy, although periods and areas of grudging toleration can be found. The Masons tend to view Pilgrims as direct competition in their efforts to control human affairs, while the Pilgrims dismiss the Masons as a secret and subversive organization. Pilgrims have issued regular edicts against not only the Masons but any Pilgrims associating with them socially or economically, and have barred Masons from all Pilgrim shrines and temples on pain of death.

The Pilgrims have particularly seized on the office of the Joist. According to Masons, the Joist is supposed to be a ceremonial guard at meetings, but Pilgrim writings insist that the Joist form a secret society within a society whose purpose is the armed overthrow of other human authority and the establishment of a Masonic Empire.

As a Clan, Masons have few connections to other intelligent species. Some critics of the Clan suggest that this fact reflects a xenophobic strain in Mason beliefs. And it is true that books such as Lal Mason Balakrishnan's The Secret Architecture of the Great War or Theresa Mason Rahsakaiontha's The Roofless Room regard hostile or threatening species such as the Crucians and the Demons as threats and challenges to humanity, but whether these references are meant to be spiritual, social, or economical and political is uncertain.

Moreover, against this evidence is the fact that Mason have interacted with Ferrets and Bappakana with no greater animosity than they do with other humans. Probably, it is most accurate to say that other forms of sentience are simply not a major concern of the Masons one way or the other unless they offer a profit or an advantage.

Names and Social Titles

Today, Masons come from many different backgrounds, but all members of the Clan take "Mason" as a middle name. As a result of this practice, Masons inevitably use a minimum of three names for identification.