Carnivàle/Mythology

The Alpha

In the Age of Wonder, first there was the Alpha, the first female Prophet. She lived before the Flood. Her story is now lost with the destruction of the Royal Library of Alexandria. From her, to every generation is born a Creature of Light and a Creature of Dark, which implies that she contained both light and dark within her. These Creatures are known as Avatara, manifestations of some higher power. Other than the Alpha, they have always been male.

The Avatara

• While the moral defect (i.e. Light or Dark) is randomly assigned to an Avatar upon birth, it will also play against their basic human nature that can be good or evil. When Avataric and human natures coincide, the Avatar will work well towards the goal of his House. When they are in opposition, the opposite is likely to happen (like with Scudder).

• The avataric blood travels within families forming a dynasty. The first born son of an Avatar is himself the Avatar of a new generation. Whether the new Avatar is Light or Dark is chance. All that matters is that there is one of each per generation.

• Any other children to an Avatar other than the eldest male is a Vectorus. The Vectori are those with avataric blood who are not themselves Avatara. They are not uncommon and are usually female. They cannot become Avatara, as that mantle is only conveyed upon birth. They can exhibit some minor powers and are often crazy in some way.

• A woman who gives birth to an Avatar is stricken barren and insane. Before that time, she can give birth to unlimited females from an Avatar.

Prophets and Princes: Avataric bloodlines

• The eldest Avatar within a House is called the Prophet and has blue blood. The next in line is the Prince. The Prophet always seems to know his Prince even if he is in a different family.

• If the Prince dies before the Prophet, a dynasty ends and the first male child born elsewhere in the world with the most avataric blood is the new Prince unless the Prince had a son in which case the son will raise to Prince. If the Prince loses his son while the Prophet still lives, no new Avatar is born until the Prince rises to Prophet then a new Prince will be born elsewhere in the world starting a new dynasty. A dynasty usually lasts about 3 generations.

• When a Prophet dies while a Prince also lives, one of two things happens. If the Prophet dies at the hands of his Prince, the Prince will gain the mantle of Prophet with an extra boon. This boon is likely additional powers and knowledge not otherwise gained. If a Prophet dies in any other way, the Prince will be automatically raised to Prophet in his stead.

Avataric powers

• All Avatara draw from the same pool of powers. It is only in how they are used that differs. Imagine there is a toolbox with a knife. Both the Avatar of Light and the Avatar of Dark can use the knife. Whereas the AoL might use the knife to help someone else, the AoD will likely use the knife to kill someone. On an individual basis, there is nothing to prevent an AoD from also healing someone, or from an AoL killing someone, it is only on the large scale average that the general trend can be seen.

• Healing someone in body requires the transfer of energy from elsewhere. To bring someone back from death requires the Avatar to consciously completely remove the life from someone else and "transfer" it. This resurrection may form a connection between the two individuals, as with Ruthie and Lodz. Healing someone in spirit, on the other hand, requires no such transfer in energy and is unlimited in scope.

• Other types of powers, like astral projection, are trying on the Avatar and may cause him damage. Thus, an Avatar is still mortal even if they are more resilient. Anybody can kill a normal Avatar.

• Avatars exert a degree of control over dreams. Both Scudder and Belyakov were adept at manipulating the dreams of those they employed (mainly Ben, although Scudder sent dreams to other individuals as well). Avatars also seem to be present in each other's dreams, though they are often unaware of it (Justin was present in many of Ben's dreams, but while Ben remembered his face, Justin was clueless as to what Ben looked like until midway through the second season).

• Finally, an Avatar can grant some small measure of his power to a mortal. This does not make the mortal of the avataric blood, but does give them additional powers. Lodz is an example of this. Scudder gifted him with his mentalist abilities and his psychometry, but also took Lodz's sight in the process. As a result of the transaction, Lodz is able to sense where Scudder is.

The Omega

The final part of the equation is the Omega. It has been assumed by occult scholars that the Omega and the Usher are one and the same. This is not the case. The Omega is the last Prophet. She is also a female, the bookend to the Alpha. As the Omega, she will be ruled by the principle of the three selves of the Gospel of Thomas. The fixed hidden self is likely Dark, the varying hidden self is likely Light and the varying visible self is a mix of the two, varying between both extremes yet tending to Dark.

Once again, the Omega's role in these matters is unknown.

The Usher of Destruction

The Usher of Destruction is a unique creature. He has been prophesied throughout the ages but can only be manifest once. In visions, he is seen as the Tattooed Man. He can only be killed by an anointed blade thrust into the bough of his tree tattoo where the dark heart dwells. We can assume that the blade must also be whole, since Ben's broken dagger was not enough to permanently kill Justin. Regardless, the Usher's motives are also unknown, but we can assume they involve "destruction."