This article was originally published on June 26, 2014
In modern times, the presence of paranormal entities, whether identified as extraterrestrials, poltergeists, or ‘monsters’ like Bigfoot or Mothman, are often associated with the spontaneous failure of complex technology. Paranormalists tend to attribute this to the presence of unusual electromagnetic fields that short out or cause destructive interference with electronic devices. This may not be the whole story, though: there are plenty of reports of older forms of technology that did not rely as heavily on electronics and electrical power mysteriously failing, including older internal combustion engines, firearms, and mechanical watches. Consider the reports of various people who claimed to have shot at a Sasquatch or an ‘alien’ (or in Stephen Decatur’s case, the Jersey Devil) to no effect.
Within the context of the Ascension Epoch then, I hypothesize that there is some sort of “jinx field” present around every Ultraterrestrial that arrives in the mundane world from some other part of the Empyrean. It’s not merely an electric field, although that may be a component of it – it’s actually a complex phenomenon that involves the alteration of localized ‘probability fields’ such that complex technological devices are bound to fail or at least go on the fritz. It may even extend beyond technology to living beings, thus explaining the tendency for pursued victims to inconveniently fall and twist their ankle or run into a low tree branch. In any case, it makes such creatures much more difficult to combat or evade, as vehicle engines seize, flashlights and NVGs go out, and firearms misfire and jam.
Fortunately, this effect is not permanent, and its intensity varies over the duration of the Ultraterrestrial’s stay. It is strongest on first arrival, gradually diminishing until it goes away entirely.
And it also works the other way around: when a human being travels from the mundane world to another part of the Empyrean, they have the same sort of “jinx” effect on the denizens of that other world. I don’t know yet if this should also affect the technology of those who possess the jinx field, or if their tech should be immune. I lean toward immunity.
I think this would be very fun to model in a role playing game…particularly in an upcoming Ascension Epoch role playing game. Ahem.
