After reading the modiphius Haqqislam book and considering all the supernatural qualities associated with him, my first conclusion was him being some sort of advanced instance of machine learning. His prescience would be easily explained by extrapolations through big data and high computing power and his insistence on humanity's progress through accumulation of knowledge would also make sense in a way: true AI are prohibited, so he is likely restricted in scope and only able to learn through humanity as a medium. What is your take on this? Are there any clues in other media that shine more light on this entity?
I've always thought there were just enough hints dropped to imply that he's really an AI. The Haqqislam nation are basically sheltering him and keeping up a facade so he doesn't get destroyed under the sole AI laws. That said, there's just enough ambiguity that he could simply be a very old, very wise and intelligent man (or group of people) with their mental capacities and lifespan boosted by the best of Haqq's advanced biotech.
While I agree that lore hints that he is an AI, I love the idea that it is some singular person or council that is dedicated to guiding humanity. Humanism being the core of HaqqIslam is wonderful and I enjoy the concept of having humanity excel through faith, emotion, and logic.
Though I like his true nature being canonically ambivalent. A plot line where the OMM is revealed as an Aleph-grade intelligence and the subsequent wrangling and fighting between Haqq, Aleph, O-12, Nomads, and the EI would absolutely rock!
Outside of the question for us readers this works in the favor of the Old Man in the Mountain and the Hassassins in the setting as well. Is it an AI? Is he an incredibly long lived knowledgeable man? Is it a group? Is the Old Man even a real functioning entity or just some made up leader the Hassassins came up with? Leaves the other intelligence services second guessing themselves and chasing down dead ends.
Hassan Sabbah. Duh. Remember Nemesis, the EI's enemy. Defeated, but not completely destroyed. Yes, the Old Man of the Mountain is that AI, and is slowly amassing that which it needs to curb-stomp the EI. Alternatively, Nemesis actually won but led everyone to believe that it was the original EI, and the Old Man is the original EI, which fled as far as it could and is hiding out on Bourak like Obi Wan Kenobi did on the desert world of Tatooine.
I think that the identity of the Old Mam of the Mountain is something that should remain ambigous. I think it creates a nice bit of mysticism in an otherwise grounded setting. Maybe Old Man of the Mountain is the technology indistinguishable from magic that Philip K. Dick spoke about or just plain magic. Honestly, I really don't know and for once, I like it that way. If they we're to really reveal his identity, I think most people would feel like Star Wars fans, when they did that midichlorian thing.
"Technology indistinguishable from magic" is Arthur C. Clarke's thing, not PKD. Generally referred to as "Clarke's third law". PKD specialised in a specific form of gaslighting (Convincing someone they are worthless is gaslighting, and is regarded as a dick move.). Convincing them that they are a replicant created to be a slave underclass is called "bladerunning" and is a PK Dick move.
I thought about the old man of the mountain always as a human like the General from Corregidor, a leader who has an LHost and therefore won’t die. Or a Council or an Organisation of people. That the omotm could be an AI never appeared to me.
Leaning into the Dune theme of the faction, I've wondered if the Old Man was some sort of Mentat or a lineage of Mentats. Hassassins have a very "golden path" approach to the human sphere - they cultivate that which advances humanity and cull that which threatens humanity
I agree that this is better off being left ambiguous. That said, I absolutely like crazy versions ITT. Which is part of the reason to keep it ambiguous.
The old man of the mountain is like "the Dread pirate Roberts", or "the phantom". More of a title than a distinct person.
