jtr7 on 9/9/2007 at 12:00

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KCdictionary:
"Compiled Lexicography, Volume IV: Religion...
Mechanist Religion - A schism of the Hammerite Religion (see) formed by the prophet Karras. The Mechanists were characterized by a focus on machinery and technology, and an overwhelming desire to destroy elements of nature. After the destruction of their primary cathedral Soulforge and the death of Karras, the religion was disbanded. See Hammerite Heresy Trials, The for more information."

jtr7 on 9/9/2007 at 22:43

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Nobody said the people themselves popped up. the order of the Mechanists popped up and changed the face of The City in two years, and did a lot more besides. The number of Hammers who changed sides, followed Karras, and adopted radical new philosophies, happened in less than two years. Very fast. Not just the movement, but the changes to the City, the amount of iron that would have to be mined, the industrialization of the forges, building almost entirely without stone and wood. Massive work in such a short time.

jtr7 on 10/9/2007 at 08:03

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The devs.

I'll see if I can find the quotes for you.

In the meantime, Jordan "Null" Thomas said:
As for the mechanist Viktrola... I believe that would be a writing continuity error. The word 'mechanist' should be excised from that text file. Tease Terri about it.

The Cradle fire:
[SPOILER]Null: The burnt material in her cell was just the beginning. She went on to set fire to the Staff tower (urged by the charismatic maniac King No-One -- No.1 -- get it?), and sat down to watch. Hence the chair, and the reason why there's nothing left of the Staff to animate except memories. The entire Cradle didn't burn down. Just the authority, and the nursery tower. Anything elevated (and thus made of lighter material) was doomed.[/SPOILER]

[SPOILER]Rogue Wolf: What happened to the inmates after the fire? Were they killed by smoke inhalation or the like... or worse, were they sealed in by the City authorities? The doors are all barricaded from the INSIDE, except for the basement hatch.
Ugh, there's the most disturbing thought of all... the still-living patients wandering the halls pathetically, succumbing to starvation... then brought back to 'life' by the Cradle itself. Deliciously sick.[/SPOILER]

[SPOILER]Null: Correct.

The inmates remained inside and likely slaughtered the remaining Staff that didn't occupy the tower (bones here and there indicate as such), and for a time, they probably had the run the asylum under the spider-like rule of their mad king. The few Staff and orphans left in the halls were probably stalked and unspeakably disposed of by the White Hall 9.

Ultimately, though, these worst among the patients became emaciated, and probably lost their lives to the overwhelming, alien will of the institution. With lockdown portcullises preventing any real escape, they could do nothing but sit there and erode under its omnipresent attention. I've always thought of the Cradle's malignance as that of a surrogate parent. A home to the lost, in which they'll never be found.

The building, whatever it is, had the strongest, most interesting memories of those in the White Hall, and so it kept them animated for 50+ years, waiting to play with you.

"A Stitch In Time Saves Nine."[/SPOILER]

Lauryl says: [SPOILER]m09v09a
It worked. You're in the past now. This is what everything looks like, the way the Cradle remembers it. It's like...a stitch in time. You can't die here because you're inside a patient. But if
the staff catch you, they'll take away your toy, and you'll have to find another one.[/SPOILER]

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Okay. I made a mistake! It's only been about (http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54744&highlight=time+between&page=3) ONE year between TDP/Gold and TMA! Haha! My bad.... I hadn't gotten around to studying this for the ETU, but I've got what I need now. Thanks Nicked!

Marglar's link is now dead, but here's the text:
Players once again occupy the weathered boots of Garrett - master thief, expert in stealth and unlikely victor over the mad nature god the Trickster. It's been over a year since the events portrayed in Thief: The Dark Project, and Garett's life has thieving runs and lucrative "jobs". But the cost of business has just gone up, and Garrett may end up paying with his life.
Enter Gorman Truart, newly elected sheriff and bane of the city's underworld. More than just an elected official sworn to uphold public office, Truart is a man with dark, unknown intentions. The poor and desolate are snatched from the streets, never seen nor heard from again. "Semi-legitimate" operations run by well-known wardens are raided and shut down. The false sense of security, while corruption, graft, and treachery run rampant through the sheriff's organization. To a certain master thief, these events could probably be overlooked if not for one very disturbing fact: Sheriff Gorman Truart wants Garrett dead, and will stop at nothing until he succeeds. It's your job to keep Garrett alive, and discover the reason for the sheriff's vendetta. The action in Thief 2 is set against the intrigue and mystery of the well-established city, where several factions struggle to satisfy their own, often opposing, agendas. Foremost are the Mechanists, Hammerite separatists who abandoned their original leadership after the Order's disastrous run-in with the Trickster. The Mechanists are just as fanatical as their Hammerite cousins, but far more technologically innovative. Their advanced technology has altered the very landscape of the city, and they've won favor with the local nobility by handing out plenty of high-tech toys. The city's criminal element isn't as lucky: the Mechanists have also been supplying the Sheriff with sophisticated security devices, like mechanical beasts specifically created to hunt and kill, security cameras, and turrets that shoot deadly cannon balls. Directly opposed to the Mechanists are the Pagans, the last remnants of the Trickster's forces. With their forces depleted and their infrastructure weakened, the Pagans act as saboteurs and guerillas, spreading their anti-technological message by performing daring hit-and-run raids against the Mechanists. And then there are the Keepers, the enigmatic holders of knowledge who observe all of the city's events but never actively get involved. Instead, they continue to persuade Garrett to act on their behalf, as their warning rings in his ears: "Beware the Dawn of the Metal Age". As an ex-Keeper who abandoned the order and its secluded, monastic lifestyle, Garrett couldn't be bothered with prophecies or portents of evil. He's played the hero once, and wants nothing to do with his former associates... no matter how persistent they may be.

Garriath on 11/9/2007 at 02:47

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My *God* that brings back memories :p

metal dawn on 18/9/2007 at 23:38

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It's been a while since I've played. Was anything on the victrola's recording?

It could have been left at a more recent time. Wasn't the facility repurposed numerous times?
...
Retcon on my part? Maybe, but it can't hurt.