The Collective as seen in HAPPYBIRTHDAY
The Collective is a mysterious, hivemind-like group of entities. Each member has been converted into a powerful Proxy by the Slender Man.
Background
According to the Observer's Formspring answers, the Collective has been around for a very long time, existing at the time of World War II in the 1940's, and most likely much longer before then. The Collective's numbers are unquantifiable, but there are several prominent members, and possibly more. The Collective is described as a limb of the Slender Man. The Collective exist in separate realms, where time moves non-linearly.
Each member has their own obligations, and each appears to be following different people. The Observer follows Noah and DeadHead appears to have been following Sebastian, the writer of the journal in Karl's possession.
Members
Current Members
- The Observer: The most well-known member. Wears glasses and is using Kevin as a vessel. Referred to as "The Eyes"
- DeadHead: Wears a skull mask. Most likely followed Sebastian and is possibly following Karl Maxwell. Deadhead's name comes from the German word Totenkopf, which means "death's head". He is referred to by the Observer as "The Nationalist". He is seen more often than most members, and could be of a higher standing.
- Persolus: Persolus is Latin for "quite alone", his visage resembles that of an old man, and is referred to by The Observer as "The Hermit". It has been suggested, but not likely, that Persolus is Karl Maxwell.
- Swain: The person to the Observer's left, shown wearing a theater mask and an old European soldier uniform. He is referred to as "The Lover".
Former/Rogue Members
- Firebrand: Noah Maxwell from a separate dimension of time, identified with pinhole eyes and a toothy grin. Referred to by the Observer as "The Stubborn". Firebrand's loyalties come into question during the video "Interception," When he interrupts the Observers 11/11/12 session, stops him from assimilating Noah, and attempts to reveal crucial information regarding Mary Asher, the diary of Sebastian Kraus, and the dis-assembly of the Collective. It is revealed that he is in fact Noah from an alternate timeline. In DEUS EX MACHINA, it is revealed that Firebrand is no longer a proxy, and thus no longer a member of the Collective. Firebrand was supposedly saved by HABIT, an entity from the EverymanHYBRID ARG.
- Cursor: A female member who appears with X's over her eyes, and is referred to by the Observer as "The Selfish". It was confirmed in "Obituary" that Cursor is Mary Asher who is currently deceased. The cause of death was a gunshot to the stomach by Milo/Mr. Scars in Milo's Tape.
- Mr. Scars: Referred to by the Observer as a "pawn", and is also referred as "The Burdened". In Milo's Tape, it was confirmed that Mr. Scars is Milo.
Chess Pieces
During the Valentine's Day 2012 stream, the Observer tweeted several images of each member of the Collective, along with a title for each and a text symbol of a chess piece.
The chess pieces are meant to represent the "game" that is being played by the members of the Collective. Each "player" (which includes the Collective members and several other people) is represented by a chess piece, either black or white. The significance of the teams has not yet been revealed, but several Collective members are on opposing teams. This could simply be a means of competition between members, or a complete rivalry. Whereas Slender Man, the Observer, and Deadhead appear violent, Firebrand has allied himself with Noah, Sarah was Noah's friend, and the other members have not announced themselves.
(The colors of the icons will not show up correctly, as the wiki font color is white.)
Black
| Name | Title | Chess Piece | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slender Man | The Administrator The Keeper |
♚ Black King |
Described as "onedividedbyzero". |
| The Observer | The Eyes The Sentinel |
♜ Black Rook |
Describes himself as "asentinelbytradepasthisexpirationdate". |
| DeadHead | The Nationalist | ♞ Black Knight |
? |
White
| Name | Title | Chess Piece | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firebrand | The Stubborn | ♔ White King |
? |
| Cursor | The Selfish | ♕ White Queen |
? |
| Persolus | The Hermit | ♗ White Bishop |
? |
| Swain | The Lover | ♘ White Knight |
? |
| Mr. Scars | The Burdened | ♖ White Rook |
Described as "theonewhokillsmary", hinting towards him "Ending" Mary Asher's "Session". |
| Sarah | ? | ♙ White Pawn |
Taken by the Observer / Black Rook. |
According to the Observer, there are 32 chess pieces in total within the Collective. Those that are not mentioned above are described as "undefined". This can be found on Noah Maxwell's twitter on the 15th of February 2012.
