lb_lee | Cass Oakdown/Panopticon Dump Thread

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Okay, this has happened enough times that I feel like it might prove useful.

Since I finished the Cultiples series, ex-followers of Panopticon's groups have been coming forward to speak to me. There's been a decent few of them, and I thought it might be best for them to have a centralized place to share their stories, link-dump, and otherwise talk with each other, if they so desire. Anon comments are turned on, and also screened, so that none will appear unless I specifically say so; if you want your words unscreened, just say so, otherwise they will remain hidden. I will keep the comments moderated.

Panopticon has my blog staked out, and they may retaliate. Be aware.

I will also use this as a centralized post to note those folks who have already come forward and stated they're okay with being public:

~~Pigeon, Panopticon's former roommate's testimony~~. (And here's the thread where they said they were okay with it being public.) (EDIT: tumblr purged the post, so here is the archived version.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From: (Anonymous)

Hey, all. It’s Pigeon. Feel free to reach out on Tumblr if you like. A number of people already have. I’ve been floored by the support but I’m also happy to provide it in return. My health is stabilizing and we’re getting the loose ends tied up. Once again I’m just so grateful to the people who have spoken the truth in spite of the harassment, as it helped us pull ourselves free. I truly hope that this is the wake up call the person who was once my cousin needs to grow up and get it together.

From: (Anonymous)

Update: my stuff has been removed by Tumblr for whatever reason. May be for the best. Just know you can reach out wherever you find HRH the Pigeon Royal online. And know that for all intents and purposes it appears the person once called Cass has learned absolutely nothing from the last few weeks, and is still out there. Protect yourselves, because even if they’re just a stupid kid with no resources, they can still cause emotional pain.

From: (Anonymous)

The reblogs still exist (https://inimitabletimedragon.tumblr.com/post/185158136944/cassandra-oakdown-a-cultiples-response#notes). So does a Google cache (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:rGnc6RDfutgJ:https://hrhthepigeonroyal.tumblr.com/post/185143604408/lwymmd+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=opera) for now. And I have a local copy of the original. Can rehost if you want.

From: (Anonymous)

Archived.

https://archive.is/9ZyNt

PA

From: (Anonymous)

Pigeon here. Thank you to the people who went hunting in archives.

My wife and I haven’t heard from whatever-name-they’re-using since they collected their belongings. We’re happy about that. All I know about them now is that apparently at one point they slut-shamed my wife anonymously online because one time we had sex instead of listening to their QPP’s radio show with them. Apparently preferring the private company of your spouse to three hours on Discord voice chat of a kid in Ohio whining that their family’s vacation cabin didn’t have WiFi is “pathologically hypersexual.” That’s not a diagnosis, but when has whatever-the-frick ever placed any stock in other peoples’ expertise?

I’m happy to let the archive link stay up as a testament to what happened and how horribly it affected my family. I personally am moving on and won’t be devoting any further energy to them unless it becomes necessary. It’s saddening to hear they have gained zero self-awareness in the last few months, but not surprising. Thank you to everyone who provided support and who forgave me for the things I said and did while involved with them.

From:

Glad y'all seem to be safe and no longer in the line of fire. I hope y'all got your missing possessions back, don't have any more trouble, and can leave them behind.

I do have one question before you go. Were you one of the folks who harassed Abraham Riesman? I ask because I hope so; it means I have less to worry about regarding future campaigns. Panopticon seem very averse to doing their own dirty work, and I'm hoping that eventually, they will run out of assistants.

From: (Anonymous)

Yes, I was manipulated to contacting him one night while exhausted and drunk immediately following a week of constant harassment and bullying from a coworker I filed a complaint against the following week. It was the start of the chain of events that led to me finally having the scales fall from my eyes. I apologize for any pain I caused him, you all, and anyone else.

Pidge

From:

Seeing as all you managed was a conversational reference that boiled down to, "oh, them again," I think it's safe to say you didn't cause either of us much heartache. But your apology is accepted with gratitude. Thank you for your honesty.

If it got you out, I figure that's a pretty good trade.

From: (Anonymous)

PS - “one of” the folks is new to me. I was not aware anyone else had contacted him. To be honest, when the article came out as did Cultiples III, their entire group panicked and begged me for advice and weren’t shy about their desire that I foot the bill for legal action. It wouldn’t surprise me if their QPP went off on him as well, though. That person often sent knee-jerk rage messages to anyone the perceived as a threat to whatever-they-say-they-are, including me.

Pidge.

From:

Actually, I wasn't certain and couldn't remember whether it was one or many, so I just guessed on the worst plausible case.

their entire group panicked and begged me for advice and weren’t shy about their desire that I foot the bill for legal action.

Yeah, I saw the posts about trying to get me legally silenced. Fortunately, I had prepped for that years prior, and so it wasn't much of a concern. I had already planned to release the entire series for free and let the Internet spiderbots do the legwork; Internet files barely exist, but they never stop barely existing.

From: (Anonymous)

Well again. Thank you for your work. I know it was scary and stressful and difficult and often thankless, but you saved my life and my marriage with it, and I’ll never be able to repay you for that. I wish you everything good, everything you need, and everything you love. I’m going to move on as much as I can, but I’m not afraid to revisit this if doing so down the line would help anyone. These kinds of people deserve no quarter. As much as their escalation has been horrifying, it’s also made it a lot harder for them to keep up their facade. As my father once said, sometimes after a while you just gotta sit back and let people screw themselves over, cause they’re usually way better at it than you.

Pidge.

From: (Anonymous)

LB, just not signed in. Something you said just got my notice...

Namely wait, the ARTICLE freaked them out? It wasn't even about Cultiples! That project doesn't even get alluded to!

...do they seriously not realize that the Cultiples series is NOT my professional life, and that other projects are far more of interest to folks?

I don't know why this boggles me but it kinda does. Most of my colleagues seemed perplexed as to why on Earth I made the series at all!

????

From: (Anonymous)

Anything to do with you freaks them out. I don’t know if it’s half-exaggerated on purpose to make themselves seem like they’re just incapable of functioning like an adult because you published their screen names or what, but they seem to think that if you get any kind of major national platform, you’ll use it to “expose” them and “stalk” them and “target” them, etc. etc. etc. Because, you know, they can’t fathom a universe that doesn’t revolve around them. Everyone is either worshipping them, aiding them, or constantly plotting against them, because no one could possibly not give a shit about them, they’re *Insert Made-Up Title Bestowed By Deity No One Else Can Speak To That Conveniently Has The Same Priorities As Them.*

-P

From:

...I guess I shouldn't really be surprised, but man is that depressing.

Especially since they could easily guarantee I will never say another word about them. All it would require is for them to stop creating coercive groups with reality-blurring RP. If they just up and became a goddamned birdwatcher or something, or took up competitive macrame...

*sigh* This is probably crazy, but part of how sad it is is that they're so YOUNG. Draven and Tristan at least, were my age or older; they were at the stages in their life where they were fairly set in their ways. They weren't going to change... but they weren't at an age where you EXPECT anyone to change.

But Panopticon are YOUNG! They should be out... I dunno, discovering themselves, working shitty jobs that pay crappy wages, drinking crappy beer and having silly teenage dramas that are really important but that they get to laugh about later, figuring out what they want to do with their lives, and learning about what makes them happy!

For them to be barely drinking age and have already run like half a dozen different coercive fandom cults? And that they seem so hellbent on continuing? It's just... sad. Like watching someone smash their face into a wall over and over, knowing that the only one who can stop is them, and they're never going to. And there's just this sense of... of WASTE! They didn't have to be this way! They're young enough that they could change, and I know that if they do, it will have nothing to do with me but it still sucks anyway!

I know they would never believe it coming from me, but I don't actually want them to be unhappy! I just want them to stop hurting people and... and get a fucking life that's OUTSIDE fandom as religious experience!

Sorry, I had no business ranting that in your inbox. I'm just... even though they tried to get me stabbed in the face at Flamecon, they still seem to have hurt others and themselves way more than me, like that old story about the scorpion and the frog. And it's not at all satisfying or schadenfreude-y to watch, it's just sad.

I don't like being right. In this case, I so, so badly want to be wrong. And it keeps not happening.

Edited Date: 2019-08-18 01:40 am (UTC)

From: (Anonymous)

So did anyone else notice the weird overlap of Panopticon supporters and age regressors? I suspect that for Panopticon, encouraging followers to age regress was a way to exert even more control over their psyches. I only mention it now because I was expecting someone else to have talked about it by now and nobody did, so.
-The person formerly known as AUK

From:

I hadn't noticed, because I didn't know age regression was a thing in that group. (Though it's a long-standing dysfunction in plural groups, just mostly I've seen it done in therapy.)

Also, your comment is currently screened so only I can see it. Would you like it unscreened?

From: (Anonymous)

Yes, please. Not certain why it was screened.

From:

All the comments here are automatically screened, since some folks want to talk privately. Yours has been unscreened though, as has the one made after yours.

From: (Anonymous)

This is the poster of the comment below, not former AUK. I wanted to be certain and state that I replied to this by mistake and I recommend hiding former AUK’s comment until they can consent to it’s reveal.

From:

Oh! Thank you for saying. Comment rescreened.

From: (Anonymous)

Former AUK here, and yes it's okay to unscreen what I commented. Should've said that to begin with, my bad.

From:

Thanks for checking in again, AUK! Your comments have been unscreened.

From: (Anonymous)

Hey, this isn't AUK. But I was heavily involved within GT at its peak.

Age regression was absolutely a thing, and was heavily encouraged. There was a seperate server dedicated to system littles and age regressors. I don't remember much, but I do know Cassandra was at the helm of that server.

From:

RE: age regression new anon (you didn't state whether you wanted your comment unscreened, so I'm leaving it as is)

Well, that's depressing. I guess with the younger plurals, they missed the Memory Wars so they don't realize that this is a repeat of something from the '80s.

For folks interested in learning more, I recommend Magaret Thaler Singer's book "Crazy Therapy." Margaret Singer was a cult authority who died in the '90s, and even THEN she managed to write a book about therapy used coercively, including age regression in hypnosis and the shitty fads in multi therapy at that time. It is well worth looking up, and libraries are decently likely to have it.

From: (Anonymous)

Under the names Calden Releth, Calden G. Sparrow, and Calden Sparrow, the system formerly known as Panopticon is currently attempting to promote a “micronation” and “reconstructionist tribunal temple” called New Velothis. Said “nation” claims land Calden has no claim to, invites legal minors to apply for citizenship, and drips with the same kind of BS GT did, just with different colors and a different fandom. They also continue to make forays into the pagan community where they live, and have added Thelema to their interests. Also, their almalexiaschild/Gabriel Gray reddit contains some startling incelese.

Calden is a terrible attempt at a con artist and cult leader, and honestly, at this point it seems at least partially intentional. They make no effort to truly hide their identity or activities, possibly because every “exposure” they experience can be used as further proof of what a victim they are and as an excuse to be depressed for another year or two and do nothing to get their life together. They make no effort to make amends with the people they have wronged, they send their dwindling followers after anyone who calls them out, they prey on the lonely and insecure, and they continue to try and create an insular community that revolves around them, validates them unconditionally, and that nets them fame and glory and passive income with little effort on their part. They cannot resist trying to create power, privilege, and persecution for themselves, no matter how many times it blows up in their face. This wouldn’t have been posted if it weren’t for the fact that they’re now actively recruiting minors into their attempted collective delusion.

https://newvelothis.weebly.com/

https://micronations.wiki/wiki/The_Independent_State_of_New_Velothis

https://micronations.wiki/wiki/Reformed_Temple_of_New_Velothis

https://www.reddit.com/user/NewVelothis

https://www.reddit.com/user/almalexiaschild/

https://gettogether.community/profile/20323/

https://gettogether.community/reformed-temple-of-new-velothis-oklahoma-city-chapter/

https://www.facebook.com/gabe.sparrow.39

https://www.facebook.com/activeandclawed

Discord indorilsparrow, ID 550741913825837057

Shared that others might know this information and use it for the greater good. This post is not a call to doxx or harass, but a notice to past and potential victims. If doxxing was the aim, that would’ve been done already and with far more sensitive information than a few public online profile links. This needs to be known. Calden Releth is an adult preying on teenagers and this information cannot be held privately in good conscience any longer. The holders of this information could not live with themselves if someone was irreversibly hurt in part due to their unwillingness to share it. Let Calden paint them as bullies and stalkers if they like; they are not the ones who continue to exhibit a disturbing disregard for others and complete lack of awareness of the effects of their actions. If Calden wants to truly start over, then they should truly start over, and not attempt the same things over and over again, cry the same tears each time it doesn’t work, and remain a five-minute Google search away from connection to their former personas.

From: (Anonymous)

Calden is believed to be located in Missouri now, exact location unknown. All in Oklahoma who dread encountering them need worry no longer.

From:

RE: Missouri Anon (your comment remains screened for now, since you made no reference one way or the other)

Source?

From: (Anonymous)

Still looking for hard corroboration. Personal communication at present. You are welcome to unscreen it and this.

What we can confirm is that they appear to be the driving, but unacknowledged, creative force behind an Arkn: Legacy character and plot.

https://thearknmythos.fandom.com/wiki/Marchosias_Aversen

Cursory viewing of their Tumblr reveals they seem to believe Marchosias is both connected to (but not the same as) Rassilon AND is the Goetic demon Marchosias. The Tumblr shannathesiren, which is referenced in their indorilblues Tumblr tagline, appears to be their RP blog as Marchosias’ innocent victim and “Acolyte.”

Their QPP also claims that Asmodeus is their headmate, and to our knowledge once claimed they were “adjacent” to the Archangel Michael, whatever in the name of all that is sharp and pointy that nonsense means. First claim is on Tumblr, second is personal communication.

What a surprise, Panopticon “join” a new sect, Thelema, and in a matter of weeks believe they know more about the spirits served by its longtime adherents than anyone else. What are over 100 years of history in the face of the awe-inspiring enlightenment of The Truine Way, a totally real thing that absolutely has more than 7 followers?

For the record; we are the only anons on this thread, and the anon who accidentally replied to AUK’s screened comment, and behind the link dump. We currently devote about five minutes every few days to following the breadcrumbs. We will continue to do so until we have no threads left to tug, or Panopticon shows true remorse. For the protection of the vulnerable.

Since we like drama, let’s just call ourselves the Riders.

From: (Anonymous)

NA (unscreen plz)

They say they're the creator of the Siren Saga here: https://www.reddit.com/r/arknmythos/comments/ckdlsg/im_innes_sparrow_the_creator_and_writer_of_the/

Seems to be more reality-blur roleplay, used as Gabe/Innes/Calden's excuse to rope people into their recovery narrative of getting over Rassilon.

From: (Anonymous)

Oh for the love of all that is sharp and pointy, they’re literally going to run out of pseudonyms to call themself by the next Presidential election.

They’re like a cat. They behave like they don’t have the part of their brain that processes consequences or learns that when you do something stupid, it hurts, and you get the same result when you do it again. They’re just sitting there on Tumblr, thinking *anyone* with access to the whole story will *ever* believe that everything they’ve done is all Rassilon’s fault...and they even seem to be shifting away from Almalexia and onto this Marchosias character in spite of straight-up acknowledging that’s the *worst* possible idea. Because, you know, if their deity can’t be construed as a villain in some way, how will they blame them for everything they do?

We’re going to have to have surgery to unroll our eyes. At least this is an entertaining dumpster fire. Besides, between all of us we seem able to keep up with them fairly easily.

There’s no hiding place down here.

- The Riders (unscreen please)

From: (Anonymous)

AYRT

They keep deleting. With all the names and accounts, who can keep track? Sure, it's here. But who reads here? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It might work.

From: (Anonymous)

It’s here, yes, and few read here, but at the same time, all it has to do is exist. All it has to do is be here. That’s enough both to create a record should one ever be legally necessary, God forbid, and also to let them know they’ll never know peace unless they actually own their BS and change.

We know for a fact they and their friends were handed a step-by-step guide to scrubbing their online presences as much as is possible in this day and age and they all decided it was too “stressful” to take said steps. Screenshots exist. They’re profoundly lazy, or profoundly cocky, or profoundly stupid, or profoundly masochistic, or all of the above. We feel it’s likely the latter. This whole mess is going to come to it’s inevitable head in the fairly near future, by our estimation.

We’ll bring the popcorn.

- The Riders

From:

I really hope you're not attempting to infiltrate the group and aren't on the inside. If you're out, for the love of god, stay out!

--Rogan

From: (Anonymous)

Oh heavens no, this is just what can be found with a minute or two of looking and conversations with victims who consent to having their experiences shared.

-The Riders (unscreen)

From:

Okay, good, glad you're safe. Phew! You had me worried there for a moment.

From: (Anonymous)

Riders, just posted, please unscreen it.

From: (Anonymous)

(Unscreen)

Having taken a quick look over all that... it seems to be a redo of The Sharing: https://the-sharing.org/ just with the Arkn Mythos instead of Animorphs. Same, "let's RP a fictional cult that sounds a lot like a real one," same "is it fiction or is it reality????" through-the-rabbit-hole encouragement, though with the extra headfuck as Panopticon seem to be claiming that Rassilon and Marchiosas are... the same but not? Are DEMONS but not? The pantheon of Arkn is real but not??????

https://indorilblues.tumblr.com/post/187160880859/me-writing-on-a-chalkboard-over-and-over-like

https://indorilblues.tumblr.com/post/187123868809/best-goetic-demons-for-beginners#notes

https://indorilblues.tumblr.com/post/186829812989/playlist-for-severing-yourself-from-an-abusive

https://indorilblues.tumblr.com/post/186500516049/taguelkin-indorilblues-my-day-so-far-get

From: (Anonymous)

Somewhere we have either a screenshot or some communication that confirms their fascination with Animorphs-centric cult activity predating their removal from the Pigeon household.

-The Riders (unscreen)

From:

I mean, the Sharing was from a good year or two beforehand; they shut it down not long after they tried to get us to advertise their merch for it and I went, "you know what, I'm uneasy selling fake cult merch that is impossible to differentiate from the real thing." That happened here and that was almost two years ago.

(Jesus, I can't believe that all of this happened within such a short amount of time. I didn't know Panopticon from Adam until just three years ago, and now I've been their "enemy" for a year!)

From: (Anonymous)

This is why we feel like this will all reach it’s zenith fairly quickly. They’ve ripped the breaks off the train at this point.

- TR (unscreen)

From:

I mean. Folks said that about Draven, and he's still going after twenty years and a felony conviction (though the glory days are long past).

Hopefully Panopticon don't turn out like Draven. But I admit, so far nothing I'm hearing reassures me.

From:

ghostridersonthestorm

The main difference to us is that Panopticon’s violence is psychological and emotional, not physical. They’re at least currently aware of their physical limitations and/or too terrified that someone else will be stronger, or the one smart thought in their head is that they’ll look less like a victim if they give someone else a scar. By their current age, Draven had been threatening people with physical harm for some time. Panopticon’s threats are always vague and non-physical, like, “I wish they would feel everything they put me through.” They definitely seem inspired heavily by Draven, but their focus is on the non-physical in all respects.

-TR (went legit and got an account, anything we say on it can be unscreened)

From:

ghostridersonthestorm

Mississippi. In a town of less than 20k people. Since it’s MS we assume they are, in fact, with family, as they have stated. Funny, since they acted for so long like they couldn’t count on family. They plan to move to New Orleans. Source is a post made on a Facebook page for a well-known living history group. Screenshot in our possession.

Something to do while our nails dried.

From:

ghostridersonthestorm

ae is their TikTok. Probably is them anywhere else you find that phrase, too, can’t find it anywhere else. Who knows wtf it means.

From:

If I'm understanding the Elder Scrolls Online linguistics properly, it's Daedra for "is the hand of Ayem [Almalexia]."

The Hands of Almalexia are the personal guards of Almalexia, apparently. From the Wiki:

"The Hands are pledged to honor, protect, and serve Almalexia in all ways. [...] Some say the Hands are the most terrible mortal warriors in the world. [...] In the past they used to spend much of their time punishing criminals and protecting the people. Now they spend all their time protecting Almalexia. [...] Speaking to any of the Hands will have them express their undying loyalty towards Almalexia, after which they will send you on your way: 'We await the Goddess' command. Her word is our law. There is no time to speak with the likes of you.' If you are wearing the sacred cuirass and/or helmet, conversing with a Hand will have them stay their hand, unlike with other High Ordinators: 'You wear the sacred garb of the Ordinator, but you are not of the Order. I stay my hand solely at the Lady's discretion. Speak with me no more.'"

From:

ghostridersonthestorm

If they’re not already privately calling themselves her consort/godspouse, they will be soon. We’d bet all 12 of our spurs on it. If we knew their address, we’d go ahead and mail them an Almalexia body pillow.

From:

ghostridersonthestorm

Greetings from The Riders

Yesterday we posted a several-part run-down of why exactly Panopticon qualifies as a cult leader and a destructive one. It was difficult to do both for us and for Pigeon, whose input was completely invaluable in creating it, as it couldn’t exist without her disclosures. We feel it is a fairly comprehensive argument as to why Panopticon is a cult leader, and if we may toot our own horns, we think it eviscerates them in a way they richly deserve.

After we fix some typos and omitted words and some of the flow, we will be taking a three-month hiatus from talking about Panopticon specifically unless they do something that we become aware of that cannot be ignored and must be passed on. Mostly, we will be working on turning our page primarily into a resource dump for people attempting to escape manipulation and emotional and psychological abuse.

Thank you all. We hope what we have done and whatever we do going forward proves helpful.

-TR

From: (Anonymous)

https://twitter.com/IV_Sparrow

Contains link to their Patreon.

Discord is Velothi.Rey as in Rey from Star Wars, their newest kintype claim.

From:

Going to assume you wanted this unscreened, based on content. Let me know if this is untrue.

(screened comment)

From:

Done, Pidge. Hope you're doing well and happy!

(screened comment)

From:

I think you intended this comment to be a response to someone, but it was posted all on its own. It's also screened, just a heads up, since that's my policy on this post, to keep the comments invisible to everyone but me unless stated otherwise.

Edited Date: 2023-07-19 08:36 pm (UTC)

From:

cosmicspacekid

yeah, i did mean to reply to a comment of yours- apologies, i'm on mobile and it's a bit wonky at times as far as ui. it's cosmic by the way, you're okay to unscreen stuff for me.

Edited Date: 2023-07-23 04:21 am (UTC)

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