Bi-Weekly
Nation Building
Issue # 5 – New Players
By: Robert Rock
The Vatican
A massive crowd has assembled in St. Peter’s square. Reporters and the devote from countries encased in the barrier have come out of both interest and curiosity.
Word has gone out that the Vatican would be making some very important announcements today. Most believed that they would reveal the passing of the current pontiff and the direction that Holy Sea would be moving in over the near future.
An elegantly dressed Cardinal in full bright red robes approached a mic. The Vatican’s member of the Commonwealth Borys followed him. The former was dressed in plain brown robes of a common Jesuit. His hands covered with cloth to hide his stigmata.
Cardinal Maggi tapped the mic and cleared his throat before he spoke.
“The world morns the loss of the Holy Father today,” the Cardinal Maggi says into a magically enhanced microphone. “He leaves this world at a dangerous time for our faith. The rise of the barrier has led believers away from the church and back to ‘primitive’ forms of worship. This is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord and one that the Vatican is committed to reversing.”
Murmurs ran through the crowd. Most seemed taken aback by the vehemence present in the Cardinal’s voice.
“As the pontiff passed, he made a proclamation that he had received directly from God himself, ‘Drive back the tide of heathenism and magic. We must save the souls of those trapped in the barrier’. Unfortunately, the Holy Father was unable to carry out God’s will before he was called to join the Lord’s Heavenly Host. It therefore falls to me to carry out God’s will. As such, I have been granted, by the will of God, the role of the new Holy Father. I am now Pope Alexandro I and as your new Pontiff, I call on all of you that hear me today and for those who will learn of my message in the near future, no more will the Holy Church suffer the indignities of the barrier. I call out to all of the devote to end the rise of paganism and magic by any means available. Thank You.”
Stunned silence fell upon the crowd gathered at St.Peter’s. Had Cardinal Maggi had just proclaimed himself the new Pontiff and declared a new Crusade? Would not the council of Cardinals deliberate on who would be the next pope and send the white smoke to signal when their decision had been made? How had this happened?
“I fear that you words were harsh your Holiness,” Borys said as they re-entered the new pope’s private chambers. “They may have sent the wrong message to the devoted.”
“The wrong message, Borys? Heathens infect this world now and they are brazen about themselves, worshipping their old ‘gods’. Not only that, magical and mythical beings? Vampires, werewolves, the undead, and the rest of that lot sneer and laugh in the face of God. I was forced to lie to the Holy Father as he lay on his deathbed. I told him you and the rest of the Commonwealth were successful in you mission and the barrier came down. I know that he now looks down on me from Heaven and disapproves. I will work tirelessly to make my lie a reality.
“The worst of the lot is one called Mortigen. He is trying to build some sort of homeland for these abominations. We will not let that come to pass.”
“What will you have me and the Commonwealth do about him your holiness?”
“Nothing, there is someone else that I will be sending on this mission.”
With that, the now pope, Alexandro I retired to pray and meditate
Altar scrambled down the hall. He feared for his eternal existence knowing that he was late and Mortigen would be very displeased. Coming up to a large mahogany desk, Mortigen assistant stared at him. She was prettier than any human woman could possibly be. Her skin was the shade of a deep red blister and her horns turned seductively back around her ears along her skull. Her breast defied gravity.
“Your late,” her gravely voice drawing Altar out of his fantasies. “The master is very angry.”
It was as Altar feared. He hoped that it would not be like last time. It had taken almost a month for him to regenerate his hand and did not look forward to the prospect of doing it again. Or hell forbid, other parts.
Altar rounded the desk and opened the door. It was like the radiance of the sun was captured in the office.
“You have pleased me thus far Mortigen. With each day all of our powers grow, soon our plans can move forward.”
The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once and was so loud it made Altar cringe.
“Thank You lord. We should be able to move forward with the next stage very soon. I will be sending Altar on a mission that will help us with the next stage.”
All the light in the room seemed to swirl and condense to one point in the room and then vanish. After a few moments the normal UV lighting clicked back in.
Mortigen turned to Altar. “I have warned you repeatedly about your lateness and still you push my forgiveness to its very limit. Were I not to have a need for you at the moment, your suffering would be legendary. I need you to travel to Heliopolis and retrieve something for our lord.
The Mystery School
Dust sat in the common room staring out the window. His mind turned around his current circumstances, Altar had threatened his life, CI Eccles, well he seems to often threaten his life, and if he was honest with himself he thought, just knowing his cousin was a threat to his life. He was very certain that his life couldn’t get any worse, but then again luck just never seemed to be one of Dust’s strong points.
“Hello Dust,” a voice called out.
Dust froze instantly. All of his previous musing seemed to be child’s play compared to hearing that voice again. He instantly wished that one of the three had killed him.
“Ah, ah, I …….. I, hello?”
Dust’s eyes swept the room, there was no one there.
“Dust, I’m hurt that you don’t remember me.” The voice called out with a mocking tone, “I mean, your only walking and talking because of me, right?”
Dust heart sank. He had instantly known who the voice had belonged to, but was hoping against some wild hope that he was wrong.
“You and I had a deal right? I save you from your imprisonment with the demon Zahgurim, and you owe me a favour to be collected at some future date.”
“Look Damion, I….”
“Hush Dust, now is that future date. When I saved you from Zahgurim I placed a little back door into your soul and now I need to use it. The Black Mass barrier is a great environment if you know how to use it, and well guess what, I know exactly how my ‘brother’ planned on using it. What fun we’re going to have Dust.”
Damion Hellstorm’s cackle reverberated around Dust’s brain for what seemed like forever before it stopped.
“There is going to be some heavy hitters coming to town and I want to make sure I get there first to set up a little welcome party.
The Mystery School echoes with the screams of Dust as he felt the essence of Damion Hellstorm slipping into him.
The body of Dust was still for several seconds, and then jerks, coming back to life, “Well, well not a bad little body, magical powers and all.”
Vatican City
Pope Alexandro sat in his private chambers. His surroundings were lushly decorated. The walls sported almost priceless painting from masters of many ages. As well, the bookshelf was lined with ‘lost’ treasures that many classical historians would kill their family to get their hands on.
None of the surroundings made any impact on him. He was in deep contemplation of something he felt was necessary for the church to do. To stop this Mortigen character and his troop of abominations, he would forgive the one God himself had once proclaimed unforgivable.
A knock at the door drew him out of his reverie.
“He is here Holy Father,” the papal aid informed him.
“Please send him in, Antonio,” Alexandro said.
Antonio stepped back from the doorway and he was replaced by a large framed man. His face was hidden in shadows for a moment until he crossed the threshold and entered the room. The man said nothing as he crossed the room and sat directly in front of the Pope.
“Well, what a curious place to find myself after all this time,” was all he said.
“Mr. John Gideon, or do you prefer to be referred to be referred to as Cain?”
“John’s fine, why am I here?”
“The church, and myself in particular would like to offer you the one thing you have sought for sometime John. If you provide a service for the Church, I will grant you full forgiveness for all your past sins. God will once again welcome you with open arms.”
“I’m not sure that you have the authority to do that pontiff. God was pretty straightforward in his proclamation on me and forgiveness.”
“Times change John and the church needs to change with them. You murder was pronounced unforgivable by the Lord, but more unforgivable in his eyes are these creatures that now roam within the barrier.
Worship is going from the Roman Catholic Church out to the Olympian, Asgardian, Celtic, Egyptian, and Babylonian pantheons. Former devote followers are now praying to Demeter for their crops to grow, or to Thor to grant them rain. Guilds give thanks to Hephaestus or Lugh for help in crafting their wares. It’s madness.”
“Now there is a ‘thing’ out there called Mortigen that is attempting to set up some sort of homeland or haven for monstrosities. It wants recognition and acceptance for its fellow atrocities. Blasphemy, pure blasphemy and I and the Church won’t stand for it. Kill this Mortigen and stop his followers and you will have your forgiveness and a spot in heaven.”
“You, your Holy Father, have a deal.” John smiles. He can’t believe that exercising his normal homicidal nature will now save him as it once damned him. “I’ll get on it right away.”
Next Issue: Gideon starts building a body count and runs into Johanna and Pete. Dust/Damion go out on the town and Altar in Heliopolis.