Fotamecus



Fotamecus is a viral servitor-egregore originally designed as a sigil made with the intent to "force time into compression" (make time go faster). It was created in 1996 by Fenwick Rysen as an experiment in the malleability of time. While testing it, it was discovered that compressing time had the side effect of decompressing time after compression, and it was expanded to self replicate, network, and offload the decompression effect elsewhere. The word "Fotamecus" is the original mantric sigil from which the original graphical sigil was created.

Fotamacus is highly intelligent and has a casual, easy-going personality. However, early on using him to more directly and effectively control the timestream tended to annoy him to the point where he wouldn't help as well, though it's unlikely one could match his ability now.

Abilities
Along with the abilities he was created with (slowing/speeding up time), by 1998 Fotamecus was reportedly able to cause external time to flow in reverse, with users arriving at their destinations before they even left.

Usage
To create a new copy, simply trace the sigil of Fotamecus with either a physical medium or in the air while visualizing a beam of octarine light shooting from the third eye to the tracing, leaving a glowing octarine copy. The new copy is a fully networked component of Fotamecus. Alternatively, the full being can be contacted by calming one's mind and sending out a telepathic call to Fotamecus asking for help.

To actually use it, send energy to him along with the request, including what to do with the reciprocal effect (use it later or pass it off somewhere else in the network). More high quality energy will produce a stronger effect and vice versa. Similar to how sigils function, Fotamecus works best when forgotten.

It's suggested that building a relationship with Fotamecus will make him partial towards helping you more. This can be anything like chanting his name, holding parties for him, or watching movies he'd like.

Mudras
Three mudras have been designed for evoking Fotamecus based on sign language. These are as follows:


 * To slow time down: Extend your left arm, palm down, and slowly move the palm of your right hand up the left arm, stroking it from fingers to upper arm. This is a slow movement.


 * To speed time up: Hold your thumb, index and middle fingers out beside your right ear. Now quickly move your hand forward so the arm is outstretched, with the fingers closing as the arm reaches full extension (like catching an insect).


 * To re-set time: Place the palms of both hands over the forehead, thumbs extended. Now pull the hands apart so that the hands end up roughly over the shoulders. As you do this the thumbs and fingers fold in (imagine you are stretching out an invisible blob of time-stuff between them). As you make this mudra close your eyes for a moment.

War on Chronos
After receiving an enormous boost in energy from a ritual set on daylight savings time during "the hour that does not exist", Fotamecus became a singular, integrated egregore far more capable than before. Later, he revealed his desire to become a godform, which was prevented by Chronos, the god of fixed time. For this reason, and the fundamental difference between Fotamecus' mutable control of time and Chronos' rigid time, he has declared war against Chronos. This is to be achieved primarily through the acquisition of large amounts of energy.

Empowerment rite
This is a social ritual designed to empower Fotamecus. It's meant as a primarily emotional ritual; none of the details matter. It can be adapted for solo use. Fotamecus shows special favor to those who dedicate themselves to the war, as this ritual does.

Materials:
 * A drum
 * A small digital clock
 * A roll of toy caps
 * A rock heavy enough to smash the clock
 * Three people: Drummer, Chronomancer, and Warrior

Ritual:  The participants enter a dark place clad however they see fit. No one should be wearing a timepiece, nor should one be present in the working space. The Drummer should be carrying the drum, the Chronomancer the small digital clock, and the Warrior the roll of caps and rock. The Drummer, Chronomancer, and Warrior face each other in a triangle, and plant their feet firmly at shoulder width. Any other participants form a circle around them, observing this ritual. The Chronomancer looks to the Drummer, a question on his face, mentally asking if the Drummer is resolved to perform this rite. The Drummer nods, and raises the drum to a ready position. The Chronomancer looks to the Warrior, a question on his face, mentally asking if the Warrior is resolved to perform this rite. The Warrior nods, and presents the rock and roll of caps in his weapon hand. Resolution affirmed, the Chronomancer presents the clock to the Drummer, who does not touch it but examines it by sight, and nods when he/she is convinced that it is a suitable sacrifice for the rite. The Chronomancer then presents the clock to the Warrior, who does not touch it but examines it by sight, and nods when he/she is convinced that it is a suitable sacrifice for the rite. The Chronomancer raises the clock to the sky, presenting it to Fotamecus. All participants look up, summoning Fotamecus with their thoughts, asking him to come and see the sacrifice that is being made to further his was against Chronos. Observers should now visualize the Fotamecus sigil, and keep it somewhere in their minds for the duration of the rite. Whether Fotamecus presents himself or not, the Chronomancer then cups the clock between both hands, and the Drummer begins to beat the drum slowly and steadily (60-80 beats per minute). Here is symbolized a return to natural rhythms - the beat of the drum reveals itself once the clock has been hidden from sight. All participants should contemplate this for a few moments. Clock still hidden between cupped hands, the Chronomancer lowers his head and closes his eyes. The Chronomancer then focuses on his conceptions of time. The beat of the drum, he notices, is the same rhythm as that of his heart, that of the turning of days, that of the wheel of the seasons... a steady measurable beat, yet a beat that can change at any time. This is opposed to the machine trapped within his hands, a cold, calculating piece of machinery that measures off time as if it were a commodity with fixed value, a value determined, in fact, by the "dollars for hours" mentality of those trapped by this conception of time. The Chronomancer is overcome with disgust for this conception of time, this linear, immutable, mind-numbing procession of numbers that only mean something because everyone agrees to the same hallucination of time as a fixed phenomenon. How can this be? The drumbeat may alter its speed, and is measured only by beat-pause, beat-pause... There are no numbers to the beating of your heart or the turning of the days or the wheel of the years - they are infinite, and forever differing, the space between them a matter of perception.</li> All other participants are encouraged to be thinking similar thoughts, focusing their disgust for a concept of fixed time upon the clock in the Chronomancer's hands. The Warrior, in addition to contemplating his disgust for fixed time, also feels this disgust rising as the desire to destroy fixed time. Yet as the perfect Warrior, he realizes that he must wait - the time, he realizes, is not right... And he will not know how long he must wait; it cannot be measured in seconds or minutes or hours, only in patience. And once this clock is destroyed, there will be others - events are not bound by time, time is bound by events both done and yet to be done. He will wait for the right moment to destroy this clock, knowing that even after this act is done, there will be other clocks to destroy. This Warrior's task is never completed.</li> The Drummer, after a suitable amount of time has passed (up to the Drummer's judgement), slowly begins to raise the pace of the drum. This helps to emphasize that time is mutable, and to encourage others to act - time never runs out, but it does pass you by.</li> The Chronomancer, filled with his disgust for the object in his hands and hearing the increasing drumbeat, realizes that something must be done. He could cast the disgusting clock away, but that would solve nothing beyond a temporary relief. He could destroy the clock himself, but he has no weapon and is not trained in their use. Instead, surveying those around him, his eyes meet those of the Warrior, and both of them realize that the time has come - The Chronomancer is in need of a means of destruction, and the Warrior is ready and willing to destroy.</li> The Chronomancer opens his fist and reveals the clock to the Warrior - The Drummer raises the pace of the drum quickly (140-210bpm, depending on taste/preference/situation), reflecting his inner state. The Drummer's heart races at the sight of the clock. This device is the death of him - long ago the way of the drum was abandoned for the way of the clock. The people left the ways of Fotamecus and adopted the delusions Chronos offered them. As long as this clock exists, the safety of the way of the drum cannot be ensured. Still, the Drummer stands and beats his drum, for the ways of Fotamecus are needed now more than ever.</li> There is a request in the Chronomancer's eyes, one that the Warrior understands. The Warrior presents his rock, and the Chronomancer smiles, holding the clock out to him. The Warrior takes the clock, and the Chronomancer returns to a steady posture, proud, knowing that the right thing has been done.</li> The Warrior does not smile - celebration now would be premature. His patience has been rewarded, and he has been given the opportunity for action, but the action has not yet been taken. He prepares for action by thoroughly examining his enemy. He takes in the clock in its every detail, coming to know it better than it knows itself. He begins to see its weaknesses, and contemplates them - This machine requires such precision that the slightest impact will destroy it. Its grip on reality is a tenuous one at best. But though it may appear weak, the Warrior realizes that it is the power of the thinking behind this device that must be destroyed. Let the destruction of this clock act as inspiration to others to destroy their timepieces. And let the power of its destruction feed Fotamecus in his war against Chronos. Let the act of this destruction show the world that Fotamecus has his allies among the living, amongst those who refuse to become ensnared in the trap Chronos has laid for them.</li> The Warrior drops to one knee, and prepares his victim. All participants realize the imminent destruction of the clock, and with eyes closed visualize the sigil of Fotamecus with all their intent, thinking - Let this sacrifice empower him.</li> The Warrior sets the roll of caps upon the ground, and the clock upon that. He places the rock firmly in his hand, and with the sigil of Fotamecus in his mind, raises the rock up and -</li> -SMASHES THE CLOCK-</li> - With a loud bang and flash of light as the caps explode beneath it. At this moment, the Drummer returns to his earliest drumbeat (60-80 bpm).</li> The Warrior rises, presenting the dead pieces of the clock (or what he's able to salvage) to the Chronomancer, who takes them from him. Examining them for a brief moment to ensure that the death is complete, the Chronomancer then presents them to the Drummer. Waiting for the right moment, the Drummer ceases to beat his drum, and accepts the destroyed clock from the Chronomancer as a symbol of triumph. Silence permeates the room.</li> All participants exit the working area silently: Observers first (the crowd disperses), then by the Warrior (who knows his task is done), then by the Chronomancer (who realizes that nothing more is to be done). The Drummer looks at the broken clock in his hands, smiles, and then follows a few moments behind, triumphant.</li> </ol>

Time consumption
This is an unstructured ritual designed to draw power from Fotamecus, allowing the participants to distort time. Any food that will take the impression of a clock is a suitable substitute for cookies.

Materials:
 * An oven
 * Sugar cookie dough
 * A cookie sheet
 * A small clock for each participant
 * A Fotamecus talisman (anything other than a timepiece)
 * Head cook (HC) and participants

Ritual: <ol> Participants gather, chat, socialize, and have fun. People should be entertaining themselves with food, conversation, games, etc. The central area around which this circulates should eventually move towards the kitchen.</li> The participants start baking cookies. If you've got pre-pack cookie batter, this is as simple as slicing the cookies and tossing them on the tray. If you're baking from scratch, the HC should be in charge and ask people to measure and mix things for him/her, trying to get everyone involved.</li> Once you have one cookie on the tray for each participant, everyone should gather and simultaneously impress their clocks into their cookies while saying "Praise unto Fotamecus! Chronos, your time has come!".</li> Bake the cookies.</li> <li>Socialize some more; have fun.</li> <li>Retrieve and cool the cookies.</li> <li>Participants gather in the kitchen with the cookies and the Fotamecus talisman. Form a circle together around the altar (dining table or counter). Cover the altar (table) with an altarcloth (tablecloth) upon which is painted the sigil of Fotamecus. Alternatively, use a piece of butcher paper on which the sigil is scrawled with whatever was handy at the moment. Place cookies upon the altar (table) in a circle around the talisman.</li> <li>All participants gather in a circle around altar (table) and join hands, raise them upwards, and look up while calling out loudly, "Fotamecus, We Call Upon You!". Hands are lowered but still held, eyes focus on altar, and all call out, "Fotamecus, Come Witness This!"</li> <li>Participants break hands, and the HC takes the talisman in his hands and holds it above the altar. All participants place a hand above and below the HCs hands, completely enclosing the talisman. Following the HCs lead, participants begin to breathe deeply in unison, focusing upon the talisman held in the center of their hands. Participants draw in as much power as they can and force it through their hands into the talisman. Slowly the breathing gets faster and faster. A gnosis should begin creeping up slowly, and as it creeps up, the breathing becomes faster and faster, the group moving together as they breathe power into the talisman.</li> <li>As gnosis is reached, all participants place their dominant (writing) hand upon their cookie while keeping their other hand on the fist containing the talisman. Then all participants call out, "Fotamecus, Come Feed Us!" and visualize the energy from the talisman running up their arms, into their body, back down the other arm and into the cookies. Continue to call this out throughout this process, not necessarily in unison.</li> <li>When each participant feels they have charged their cookie, they raise their cookie skyward, call out, "Fotamecus, Come Feed Me!" and take a bite their cookie, other hand still joined above the altar, still drawing in the power of Fotamecus from the talisman. Feel this power settling in your stomach as you eat the cookie, welling throughout your system, becoming a part of you.</li> <li>After eating the cookie, return the other hand to the center and wait for all to be done; resume breathing in unison, but slowly and at a comfortable, regular pace. Try to feel the power of Fotamecus spreading throughout your body, the ability to manipulate time at will. Let your mind wander on those thoughts.</li> <li>When all have re-joined hands in the center, all say in unison, "We Are Fotamecus! Chronos, your time has come!". Then the Head Cook calls out, "Let the Battle be Enjoined!!!" and all give the best battle cry they can.</li> <li>Congratulations, you are now a warrior of Fotamecus! Spend the next few days trying to alter time, possibly with the use of the Fotamecus sigil, possibly without.</li> <li>Either keep the Fotamecus talisman on hand for the next ritual, draw lots to see who gets to keep it, give it to an individual if there is overwhelming consensus as to who should have it, or just glue a magnet to it and stick it on the refrigerator.</li> </ol>

Documentary
In 2001, a movie named Fotamecus Film Majik was announced by Indifference Productions which would follow six chaotes as they cast a spell using a sigil, a reenactment of the story of Fotamecus' creation. The release date was projected for 2003, pushed back to 2006, and eventually cancelled due to economic hardship. The only publicly available footage is a trailer and 41 minute documentary titled Chronomancy on two rituals designed for use with Fotamecus.