[MUD-Dev] OT: Caballah [was Character development]

[Jon A. Lambert]

On 13 Apr 98 at 4:08, Marian Griffith wrote:
> 
> A caballist is commonly meant as 'a follower of the Cabal',  not a scholar
> of the Caballah. The Cabal being the leaders of a secret but highly power-
> full group typically deriving their powers from demonic or satanic sources
> and thus a caballist  is somebody who uses evil sources to gain power.  In
> this respect a caballist is indeed the anti-thesis of the paladdin.  I can
> not remember which book first coined the Cabal but certainly somebody else
> on this list knows.
> 

I recall a short story/novella by Clive Barker, "Cabal".  While the
term has a specific meaning from the middle ages to present day, 
which Caliban illustrated.  It also has a modern-day generic meaning 
like coterie or fifth column.  Basically it could be applied to any 
group that acts in secret to achieve goals or influence public 
policy.  The word is usually used in a negative way or intended 
to be perceived negatively.  The "vast right-wing conspiracy" could 
have been the "vast right-wing cabal".  Of course both phrases are 
oxymorons in any event. ;)

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