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Message no. 1
From: Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Zealot's Ahoy
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 01:15:04 +0100
*****PRIVATE: Lim'aal'tk
>>>>>[You may wish to inform Cas'il'nar, and all concerned that Abbadon
is dead. I was not responsible, another beat me to it. Not
understanding his purpose, I chose to remain concealed believing that he
may be a contact for Abbadon. Whatever, this beast has expired in a
most fitting manner.


+++++Include: Minicam.vid


Moscow. The Hotel overlooks Red Square, a weak spring sun glares
briefly through broken clouds. The previously glorious city looking
grey and neglected in the scattered sunlight. People wrapped up against
the cold wind wander apparently aimlessly around the streets.


Entering the hotel, Stranger walks up to the reception desk, and briefly
talks with the suited man behind. He is directed to the elevators at
the far end of the entrance foyer.


Five floors later the doors open and stranger steps into what in the
previous century was probably opulence. Now it is threadbare and worn,
little care taken to maintain the once proud hallways and carpets.
Paper peels from the wall at the corners and dust sits thickly on the
decorations.


Walking down the hallway he carefully looks at the door numbers he
passes. Finding the one he is looking for, he steps back and takes a
moment to compose himself. Squaring his shoulders, he strides towards
the door, waving a hand at it negligently, it opens as he reaches it. A
tall, athletically built man, dark hair, looking out of the window while
drinking coffee spins round, shirt tails flying.


"Who the hell..." Something rises from the floor grabbing the man
around the chest, pinning his arms and holding him firmly in it's grasp.
The formless shape wraps itself around the man's struggling legs. Panic
and confusion on his face.


"Who are you to have done this? Who do you think you are Helmut?"


"What the hell are you talking about? Done what?" The expression
shifts dramatically between panic, confusion and strain, as the man
tries to break free from the grip of the creature restraining him.


"Don't struggle. The more you struggle the tighter it will hold you.
Seattle Helmut. Just who do you think you are having started that
slaughter?"


"Seattle? I have no idea what you are talking about. Who the hell are
you?"


I am the Dark Stranger, Abbadon. Have you so quickly forgotten the one
who spoke with you? I warned you that you had gone too far. Now you
have a chance to explain yourself while I decide what is to be done with
you.


Helmut/Abaddon stops struggling. His muscles relaxing as he studies the
face of the man in front of him. "So. You've found me. To what end?
Do what you will Stranger, I am quite evidently at your mercy. I doubt
that you have come for a chat and a cake."


"I wish to know why you have done what you have done. Is that so
difficult? Who are you to have caused so much suffering?"


"I am the Light within the darkness and the darkness of the light. I am
he that liveth, and was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore, and
have the keys of hell and of death. I am Abbadon."


"Interesting use of terminology. Do you liken yourself to the Christian
god then Abbadon? What arrogance is this? You are a man, a man of men,
not a god, not a demon, merely a man. No better and no worse than I or
a troll in the gutter."


"Really? Are we so alike that you can compare a human to a troll. And
God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing
that creepeth upon the earth." A strange expression passes across
Abaddon's face, something alien, as if another spoke for him. "We are
made in God's image, from his breath, in his likeness. We. Men. ARE
Gods. This earth was given to us to rule over. Some of us have the
will, the strength and the ability to rule so. Why should we allow
those who are weak to gain dominion over that which they have not earned
nor deserve."


The Dark Stranger sits down on a worn armchair, crossing his legs and
considering Abaddon with some amusement. "Ah, a man named after a demon
who quotes from the scriptures. Somewhat hypocritical Helmut. Elves,
Orks, Trolls, Dwarves are they not also human? What else would you call
them? They come from man, from the same genetic pool. It was from
mankind that the metahuman races sprang. Your posturing implies that
man was created by God in his image. Then I put it to you that all the
races were created by Him in His image. Your argument fails under it's
own ignorance. It's fine to quote passages that suit you, but it is in
the interpretation of such things that the truth can be found. Your
God..."


"Not my God Stranger. I have no god, only equals."


"Equals? Reading more than our usual share of Neitzsche? So where did
we come from?"


Mankind was placed upon this planet. Can you seriously doubt that? We
did not evolve from some long forgotten slime pool, crawling out of the
morass that was pre-historic earth...


The first sign of impatience crosses Strangers face, "I'm not going to
debate evolution or creation with a zealot."


Unfazed, Abaddon continues his rhetoric. "Not evolution Stranger,
something beyond evolution. We arrived here, or were left here, or
possibly were even created to exist here. For a purpose that none can
remember, except from archaic scripts and prophecies that were left by
people who spoke in riddles. Anything can be read and interpreted to
mean anything that the reader wants, yet in all the religions,
throughout the ages, one thing always comes to the fore. Man was
created by the God or Gods, to rule over the earth. Man and Woman. At
no point in any text does it mention faeries, orks trolls or other
creatures, except in reference to nightmarish monsters who's only
purpose is the destruction of mankind."


"The written word is as suspect as the spoken word Helmut. Just because
some moldy old tome doesn't mention trolls doesn't mean they weren't
ever here. And just because they mention faeries and the like as evil
doesn't mean that they are; history is written and colored by the
victors Helmut. If the Nazis had won World War Two just think how
accepted history would have been rewritten. I don't like orks and
trolls, but they are human, no amount of hatred can change that."


"Moldy old tomes do mention trolls, but in as poor a light as any other
creature. These metahumans as they are called are not human. They grew
out of the evil inherent in man himself. These creatures are the demons
and devils of legend. Can you doubt that? Look upon them if you do not
believe me. Trolls with horns similar to those of the old demons, orcs
with tusks and teeth designed specifically for the rending of meat,
living flesh. Elves, whose machinations always drive the lesser races
of ork and troll before them, who also bear the mark of Satan, in their
curved ears."


"Oh please Helmut. The souls of metas are no more evil than yours or
mine. Your mother told you too many tales of the Brothers Grimm as a
child."


"I didn't know my mother Stranger, and nobody read fairy tales to me.
What I have learned I was taught by life and by my own quest for
understanding. These are the fair folk of tales, myth and legend, these
are the creatures who are awarded intelligence and guile by their
demonic master. Whether his name be Satan, or some other
interpretation. There is no doubt that he is a spirit, a spirit of
evil, of power, of schemes beyond our comprehension. And in all cases,
it is left to a few wise men to oppose him and his schemes and his
slaves. It is always the part of these people to be ridiculed and
outcast from society as insane and heretic. Just as I and the cabal are
outcast from society. We are the persecuted. Hunted across the world.
Destroyed under the shadow of the demon that controls those who are
avaricious in nature, and those that have evil in their hearts. It is
we of the Cabal who are condemned to be the guardians against the time
when the Dark One shall walk on the earth and hold dominion over all
things."


"Ah, you are just and right, while all those that oppose you are the
tools of Darkness. I've heard this tale before Helmut. I've even told
variations of it myself."


"Whether we are just and right is immaterial. There are very few who
understand even a little of what mankind faces, we are fortunate enough
to understand that something approaches us, something we have little
enough defence against. There is something else that may make you think
a little.

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the
Dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels. And prevailed not; neither
was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast
out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the
whole world; he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out
with him.

"Dragons, Stranger. Dragons are mentioned in a book over two thousand
years old. Dragons and his angels. Who serve the dragons now Stranger?
Elves. Elves are the fairest among the races, just as Satan's servants
may appear fair to the eye and pleasing to the ear. Would they not
appear as angels to a race that did not understand such things. The
classic paintings of angels include wings. But at no point are wings
described in many texts. Just the fact that they fly. Do not mages fly
Stranger. Can you not fly? I have seen a magician do precisely that.
Put a fair face on the spell caster and to an ignorant native, would he
not appear to be an angel? When in fact he is a demon."


"Check your translations there Helmut. Dragon in that context isn't
literal; it's meant to describe a horrible monster, not a real dragon.
The Bible is rife with mistranslations."


"Are you really so sure Stranger? If my interpretation is incorrect,
what makes you so certain that your's isn't flawed? Can you deny that
Dragons exist today? No, because one was elected President, another
sits in control of one of the largest corporations in the world, another
sits at the right hand of the Council in Tairngire. Who knows what else
these manipulative creatures are up to. To deny the existence of a
dragon in the scriptures is to deny their existence today. To deny the
existence of that which has been seen by millions is to deny reality.
Who is the deluded one looking to the wrong end of reality Stranger?"


The Dark Stranger snorts, a derisive sound. "Why is the statement that
the word dragon is a mistranslation in the Scriptures a denial of
Dunkelzahn, Lofwyr, Hestaby, Masaru, or any of the others? I once spoke
with Dunkelzahn; I cannot deny the reality of the existence of dragons
or unicorns or trolls."


The Dark Stranger pauses for a moment. "Did you know that I am even
named in his will? He had use for my talents. Those same talents that
make me a demon, a thing to be hated by some. But I am little more than
a man. Perhaps I am an overman, in the mold of Neitzsche. But a man
none the less. Just as you are."


"A man to some, a demon to others, a wizard to more, and to some in this
world you would be worshipped as a god. You contradict what I say, and
point out that I am simply using words to my own ends. Yet is it not
evident to yourself, when you look around at the modern world, that
there is something to the ancient writings that must be considered? Not
just that of the Christian Bible, though that is by far the most
popular. Other ancient texts also follow much of the same. Not all of
these were written at the same time. Not all were influenced by the
others." Abaddon's face shifts regularly during his speech, from lucid
to blank, as if something within his mind switched on and off as he
spoke. "Demons and dragons were cast into the earth. The dragons arose
at the time foretold by the Mayans. From WITHIN the earth. Elves, orks
and trolls followed. You include Dwarves in your description of
metahumans, yet they are not an object of CoT attention. Do you know
why Stranger? Because Dwarves are of the earth and stone. They are
part of the very foundations of the Earth. This planet belongs to the
Dwarves. We, mankind are the invader here. Metahumanity, humans,
dragons, all the other creatures that exist at the behest of the time
are invaders on the world of the Dwarves. That is why we do not
persecute them, that is why we do not kill them. That is why we do not
oppose them. This is their world. Dwarves are one of the few amongst
the millions who inhabit this earth who can see things for what they
are. Do they serve the elves? Or Dragons? No. They serve themselves,
as they have always done. In all the myths and legends, texts, writings
and prophecies, Dwarves are always spoken of in a favourable light.
From the Sidhe of Scotland, to the Leprechauns of Ireland. In every
race, every culture, there are ancient texts that speak of the service,
kindness and strength of the dwarves. Do you perhaps understand now?"


"Understand? Yes. I understand that you are little more than a
religious zealot Helmut. I had hoped for so much more from you. But in
the end, you are a little man. Your beliefs have a kernel of truth to
them, but that kernel has grown into something twisted and dark,
resembling nothing like the truth the kernel was spawned from."


"Is it not? Are you so convinced in your own intellect that what I say
is so wrong? Do you not even consider for a moment that there is more
truth to the ancient writings than even you may understand. Or did you
stand there when they were written, and know the truth for what it was?
I have twisted nothing to reveal darkness and ill, it is already there.
Many before me have attempted to open the eyes of the blind, and have
been condemned for it in the same way that you now condemn me. How can
you doubt such evidence? That the doom of the earth is upon us is
indisputable. Dragons and elves scheme against mankind, and our
saviour. Those who battled them in the heavens are gone, somewhere.
Perhaps to return in the time of the Visitor, perhaps not at all. The
Visitor has always heralded great conflict and change. Dragons walk the
earth, elves serve them. Orks and trolls; lesser demons, parade around
the streets of mankind, sowing dissent and ill ease."


"The elves don't serve the dragons. What rock have you been living
under? The elves and the dragons hate each other; their schemes are more
often against each other than against us. Perhaps if you had paid more
attention to current events than your vendetta against Lynch, you might
have caught that little error.


"Do they not Stranger? Can you seriously, in the deepest portion of
your soul deny the evidence of your own eyes? That a dragon sits on the
Tairngire council is an indication that they serve the dragons. That
they serve willingly is evident in that they maintain a council rather
than a dictatorship. Is Saeder Krupp a peace loving corporation led by
a luvvy dovey dragon, or one of the most aggressive and feared companies
around? How could a dragon, a creature that has only been present in
our world for 50 years be elected to the Presidency, without
considerable manipulation. Is this not an example of the power of a
dragon to mislead and misdirect. Why do you find it so hard to see what
is in front of your nose?"



"I begin to tire of your rambling Helmut. There /is/ a doom that does
weigh heavy upon the earth, in that you are right Helmut. But even the
elves and dragons put aside their petty bickering to unite against that
common threat. Who do you think I fight? I need not the shadows for
money. I am a recruiter Helmut, a spy sent back into the shadows to
determine who among the shadows can stand at the side of my master when
those battles are to be fought. But that war is not imminent. And you
serve those that which I combat, though you don't seem to realize this."


"The war is closer than you suspect Stranger. Much closer. Things move
within the ether that previously were not present. Several prophecies
have come to pass, and several more approach the time of their fruition.
Yet you claim that the time is not soon. Stranger, it may do you well
to spend more time on your subject and less time hanging around insane
Shamans." Abbadon gasps briefly, pain crossing his forehead. Slowly
the formless shape holding him shifts slightly and Abbadon hauls in a
lungful of air.


A glitter crosses Strangers eyes, and his face hardens at the reference.
"You would do well to caution your tongue Helmut. There are some things
I will not tolerate."



"I see you are still doubtful. Very well. Many have pondered our
hatred of Shapeshifters. Again, servants of evil. Throughout the myths
and religious texts of Asia, Christianity and other faiths there are
words of animals who appeared as man. Who walked amongst men, to learn
their ways and sow their seeds of hatred and discord. Animals who
appear as man. Traditionally within the Christian religion demons take
the form of animals. The Devil is said to appear to those who hold
council in his name in the form of a goat or a cat, or a great horned
creature. In the Celtic myths of England a creature of power who was
feared for his evil, and admired for his strength and kindness was
present in the form of Herne, the horned god. A creature part animal,
part man, who hunted the forests and woodlands of the old country. There
are many other examples of such creatures, and always they are portrayed
as evil, feeding upon the flesh and souls of man."


"Helmut, get a grip on reality, please. Legends. Myths. Stories told
to scare small children and disobedient vassals into submission. Not
every story has a kernel of truth Helmut. Humanity as a whole is a
stupid fearful mass, telling stories to each by the flickering flames by
the campfire. You and your Cabal simply look at the dancing shadows on
the walls of the cave and tell stories about the shadows Helmut. You
claim to see what is real but you are like the rest of the human sheep;
all you see are flickering shadows and you fear them."


"Not every story contains truth, that I will not dispute. But are you
denying the existence of Shapeshifters? Or denying the legends
surrounding them? Think Stranger. The legends existed before the
Shifters were revealed to us in the Awakening. Yet here they are,
predatory animals. Creatures who resemble those that are now extinct,
creatures that once hunted live fresh meat. The evidence is before you.
One or two shapers may not feed on mankind, but that does not mean they
are all the same. The majority must feed on raw flesh or suffer
cravings that if not answered will cause them to attack anything in
sight that is easy prey. Why do you so vehemently deny the evidence of
this world. The legends, myths, fairy tales and horror stories of ages
past must have had some shred of truth within them, they so closely
describe those creatures that walk the world now."


"I will admit I have my own questions about the motives of the Shifters.
I trust them as little as I trust the elven cabals of the Tirs. But I
hasten to remind you Helmut, that not every story contains truth. You
talk of myth and legend as if they were inviolate truth, but they are
not. There is a truth to them, but it is not what you seemingly have
found."


"If I and the Cabal are so wrong Stranger. Why is it that so many
texts, religious texts, prophecies, writings that have for generations
been followed and read by millions, all in an attempt to interpret the
writings. Why is it that they all speak of such creatures towards the
end of time. A precursor to the battle that will be the destruction of
the earth. Armageddon."


"Did you know that Armageddon is not a thing or an event, ignorant
little man? It's a place, a hill top in central Israel. It would make
a fine place for an old bronze-age style battle. Yet another of the
transalational errors of the Bible that created so much misery later on.
Catholic celibacy is a product of mis-translations Helmut; the modern
Bible is rife with them. And we won't even approach the Gnostic Gospels
rejected my the Council of Nicea."


"Armageddon may be a hill in Israel, Stranger but it is also a word used
to describe the ending of an age, the ending of mankind if you will.
Translations and interpretations can be taken to mean many things, but
when the existence of comparisons litter the world around you, there is
little doubt that much truth can be extracted from the writings. I have
been using Christianity as an example, because that is something that
has been a major influence in the construction of the western world, but
there are others. Others that match the indications laid out in the
Bible. So much in comparison across the world, in writing that predate
and postdate each other, from cultures that had little or no contact.
Many of whom would not have known of the exodus of the Palestinians,
Egyptians, Babylonians or any other such people. China, Japan, Korea,
Aborigine, Mayan, Inca, Native American. ALL of them have their legends
and myths. Look at those myths, cross reference them with other
writings, and drawn your own comparisons. It would be impossible for so
many widely spread and diverse cultures to share the information of a
few and repeat it through the ages. Yet there are very easily defined
and identified comparisons. And above all, every one of these
religions, beliefs, cultures considers the creatures that now inhabit
our world as evil. Creatures that manipulate minds and twist beliefs to
their own ends, to create a world that is their own, that is anathemic
to human kind."


"Humanity speaks of impending doom not because humanity has eyes that
can pierce the darkness, but because of their fear of their own
impending death. It's an overpowering sense of mortality Helmut.
Humans lead such petty, meaningless lives that they look to religion and
to fools like you to give them meaning."


"There is great knowledge within you Stranger, yet you embrace the
closed attitude of a bigot. Your thoughts are walled into compartments
where they fit neatly into niches that suit how you see the world
through your eyes, and anything that contradicts that ordered attitude
is the raving of a zealot and despot. Religion is a belief that is used
by many to explain that which cannot be understood, a way to find
comfort when something stalks the night that logic says could not exist.
It is a buffer against the evil in people's hearts and the evil that
lives across the borders of night. It doesn't take fools like me to
give the words meaning, Stranger. In that you are wrong. It takes
events, occurrences and incidents to give the words meaning, to reveal
the power in the rituals within the ancient texts, to show people that
they /have/ been forewarned of that which now occurs around them.
People in the past saw the future as their present. Now people of this
present begin to see that the prophecies of the ancients ones were more
than just the ravings of a deranged mind, they were diary entries, tomes
of knowledge and learning such as you would find in any modern library.
Alexandria. The single most powerful city on the earth. Haven to
knowledge, science and magic. How many tomes of knowledge and learning
came from the Great Library within that city, tomes that even today are
sought after by people such as yourself, because they reveal secrets of
that which you now employ so casually. Look to the past to understand
the future, for in the past are the secrets of the future. A time that
will govern the future of mankind, whether he exist in torment and
slavery to the demons, or whether he will be victorious and live in
glory amid the heavens is not foretold. But it will be a final battle,
and that time is almost upon us. Too many people do not understand
this. As such it is down to the few who do understand to fight for
mankind, to carry the battle to the demons, before they strike against
man. That I am but a pawn in this is not of any concern to me. I am a
weapon wielded by the Cabal, in the defence of the few true souls who
remain upon this earth in ignorance. Only a very few understand. We
believe that those of power, who have foreseen the battle and understand
the threat are the descendants of some of those who cast the dragons and
elves from the heavens and into this planet. We are here to battle them
at their appearance, prior to the arrival of those who will once again
wage war upon the evil that resides within this planet."


"I am a closed minded bigot? I must say, I haven't heard that in quite
a while. And this coming from a zealot, the very definition of bigotry.
Please, Helmut, that is, as they say, the pot calling the kettle black.


The future is for us to make it Helmut. The future belongs not to the
sheep, though they will live in it. It belongs to people like you and
I, people like Neitzsche's overmen. But your place in this future is at
an end. The place of your Cabal in shaping the future is at an end."


"There is a time of war approaching Stranger, a war so terrible that
only those prepared to meet it will have a chance of surviving, and even
they will be scarred for eternity by the evil they will face."


"A war is already being waged. A more terrible war is yet to come, one
that if humanity fails will be the destruction of us all. But that war
is to be fought by a thousand generations hence. We merely lay the
groundwork so that they can win that fight."


"A thousand generations? Hah! Oh how little you truly understand of
the situation you claim to have knowledge of. I see you have faced your
own evils. There is a mark, a sign in your eyes that you yourself have
fought things beyond the ken of normal people. We have more in common
than you may suspect Stranger. Curiosity perhaps, vengeance for having
disturbed your evening meal and your suit. I do not know, nor do I very
much care. You have revealed yourself to me Stranger and I begin to
understand you a little. You call me a pathetic little man, and a
zealot. You question everything I have to say out of hand. It must be
wrong because it conflicts with your view of the world, with your
ordered and compartmentalised life. Do you push everything into it's
own niche within your mind Stranger? Is there nothing in there that
even once doubts that what I say may have a shred of truth within it.
And now you speak of a war generations away. I firmly believe that you
say that with all the conviction of your heart. But you are so terribly
wrong. It is not generations away Stranger, it is almost upon us.
There is little enough time to prepare now, and if you and others
believe that the battle is a millenia in the future, then mankind is
already doomed. No, I believe now that you came out of curiousity about
the creature known as Abbadon rather than out of any curiosity about my
beliefs. But I can see that you are not here as a gesture of kinship or
friendship."


"You guess correctly Helmut. Perhaps the reason why I am having this
discussion with you is to understand just how similar we really are. We
both fight against a darkness. But our aims are at crosspaths, our
definitions of darkness differ. I came here to understand both you, and
more importantly, the masters that you serve. We are similar in many
ways, perhaps more than either of us would care to admit."


"Are they really so difference Stranger? Maybe they are, maybe they
aren't. We will never know will we? You have perhaps come to kill me.
Very well then. I do not have the power to oppose you, get it done with
and begone. But remember what I have said to you. Because when it
comes to pass, you can sit back and wonder at the words of Abbadon, and
mayhaps, regret what it is you are about to do."


"Kill you? Honestly, I haven't yet decided. There are many that lust
for your death, but I am not one of them. If I were to kill you it
would be merely to hinder the efforts of the Cabal that you serve.
Nothing personal, as it were. But regret killing you? I think not.
The Cabal you serve must be destroyed. Even if it weren't for my own
thoughts and opinions in the matter, you would have to be eliminated."


"There will be an end Stranger, what that end is to be, can only be
decided by those who believe and those who doubt. You as a doubter must
make up your own mind. If it is to serve the demons and kill me then so
be it, such is to be my fate. If it is to believe then leave now in
peace, and prepare for the battle to come."


Stranger stops speaking and stares at Abbadon for a while. Abbadon in
return stares straight back at him. The fear and confusion has left his
face, and now he waits in acceptance of his fate.


"My mind is never truly set. Such is the lot of the gnostic. An end
there shall be. But what is an end but also a beginning? The "Visitor"
as you call the comet may well be the end of life as we know it, but it
does not mean a destruction of life as we know it, merely a change. A
difference. The Awakening was an apocalypse. But we are still here,
life still goes on.


"Make your peace with whatever gods you believe in. Soon you shall be
joining them. The dragon that I serve has commanded it and so it shall
be. By my hand or another's, your time upon this plane of existence is
coming nigh."


Abbadon's eyes widen momentarily, then a great sadness spreads across
his face. He looks at the Dark Stranger with something akin to pity.
"You /serve/ a Dragon? That explains much about you, and much about
your attitude and the way you view life. Now I begin to understand why
your mind is such a closed book, and so reticent of accepting
possibilities beyond it's own oredered view. Very well, there is little
point in continuing our conversation if you serve one of the creatures
of darkness yourself. If that is how my fate has been lain out then I
accept it. At least I have had the opportunity of meeting one of the
servants of that which we oppose. If my time is at an end, I have
obviously served my purpose. Get it done with Stranger, let this be an
end to it."


"Are you truly so ready to meet your maker Helmut? Are you prepared for
that which awaits you across death's door?"


"I have been prepared for this moment since I first joined the Cabal,
when I learned of that which hovers over the horizon, and that which
approaches us. I serve the darkness you oppose Stranger? How ironic,
that you should serve the very creatures that are bringing that darkness
closer every day with their manipulation and tinkering. You have my
pity Stranger, for I suspect that beneath that shell of yours you are an
admirable man, but an unfortunately misguided one."


Stranger walks up closer to Abbadon. His eyes flickering with an inner
light. "It is not I who is misguided Helmut, and I neither want, nor
need your pity."


He reaches up to Abbadon's face with a hand dripping black fire, the
flames licking the edges of his coat, streaks of silver shooting through
the ebony fire. An expression of great sorrow crosses Abbadon's face,
and then Strangers hand touches him. Stroking gently, as one would with
a lover. Abbadon screams, the tortured sound ripping from the depths of
his soul, tearing his voice box apart in the effort to articulate the
agony tearing through his mind. Strangers eyes momentarily turn black
in opposition to the whiteness of Abbadon's eyes. Strain bunches the
muscles in his face, his jaw muscles flexing, crawling beneath the flesh
of his cheek. Sweat beads his forehead and a heavy bleed begins from
his nose.


Slowly, muscles begin to tear and rip as Abbadon's rigid body attempts
desperately to escape from the source of it's torment. Stranger's eyes
clear, and the ebony flames momentarily lace through with red webbing.
The flames and web transfer across to Abbdon, dancing across his body.
His eyes explode, and blood begins to exit from every pore in his body
as the mouth widens beyond it's natural arc, desperately trying to force
the sound of it's owners torment through the destroyed throat.


The Dark Stranger steps back to avoid the rush of fluids. A blank
expression on his face, though there is a hint of sorrow, and more than
a little pain around his eyes. Sweat beads his forehead, and soaks the
shirt beneath his coat. He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and
presses it to his bleeding nose. Within a few seconds, Abbadon's body
is still.


Stranger turns slowly, dismissing the elemental holding Abbadon's body,
as he exits the room there is a sickening thump from the body hitting
the blood soaked carpet. His tread is not as sure as when he entered
the room, and the body is not as straight. A slight limp manifests
itself as he heads down the corridor to the elevator.


+++++End mincam.vid


I inspected the remains. I do not know what spell was used, but
Abbadons body was completely drained. From the fluid leaking from his
ears and nose, I would suggest that when an autopsy is held they will
only find jello in there.


This Stranger is something else. It would be wise to warn Cas and her
consort of this person. There may be a chance, that if, as he says he
serves a dragon, we will cross swords with him. I will return in 48
hours, I shall await the arrival of Abbadon's contact. There may be
something to learn from him.]<<<<<
-- Sha'i'talis <01:13:22/05-13-59>
Red Square, Moscow.
Message no. 2
From: Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Zealot's Ahoy
Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 02:58:50 +0100
*****INTERNAL: CoT Board, Emergency Meeting
>>>>>[

+++++Begin Audio Log


S: Shaitan
B: Beelzebub
E: Eblis
C: Charon
A: Ahriman
D: Diernoth


S: "You may all be wondering why I have called you into this meeting,
so soon after our last one. There has been a development with Abbadon.
Somebody killed him in Moscow. I received a message from our contact
there that he didn't show at the meet, on checking, it was discovered
that somebody had trapped Abbadon in his room; the body was covered with
bruising, though whether from confinement or beating I do not know. He
had also been virtually drained of blood, no it wasn't some
nightstalker, it was soaking the carpet. There's a strong suspicion
that some magician caught up with him. I do not at this time know
whether it was somebody in opposition within Moscow, or an outside
interference.


"At this time we must assume that this operation is now compromised.
Abbadon knew of our new location, and it would be unsafe to ignore that
fact. I have made arrangements for the Cabal to relocate. You will all
be taken to the new location, but I must make arrangements to secure it,
which means none of you may know where it is going. The cabal will
continue with the research into the ritual, and we will make
arrangements to make sure whoever this stranger is does not find us
easily or without adversity. If he/she or they are going to pursue us,
and I must assume they are, I will do everything possible to ensure they
regret it."


C: "So your pet failed, Shaitan. What are you going to do about that?
Without him, your dreams of Russian and Chinese investment is somewhat,
fucked. Wouldn't you say?"


S: "Not at all. Ahriman here is more than qualified to replace
Abbadon, and he'll be leaving at the end of the week. You should know
by now Charon, I never do anything without a contingency plan. The
Russians will be sending a representative here to us. He will be met
and brought to me. Ahriman will fly directly to Tokyo, and from there
to Peking and the interior. A secure satellite link will be set up so
that he can keep us informed as to developments. I don't believe that a
single link in the entirety of the matrix will constitute too great a
risk, that is your job Charon, to make sure it's secure. Piggy back on
something particularly noisy, some porn channel or similar. Nobody will
notice amongst the static."


D: "You are still going ahead with it then? Even though some person or
persons may have more knowledge about us than any other living being,
you are still going to go ahead with it?"


S: "Yes. I see no need to cease operations. So there is someone who
is aware of our existence, purpose and some of our plans. That does not
mean they will be able to intercept anything we do. This is a very big
world Diernoth, and more complex than one might imagine. It would take
an organisation of incredible size and complexity to even have a chance
of intercepting us. I do not believe that anyone poses a significant
threat provided we are careful and remain out of hte public eye."


E: "If the one who killed Abbadon now knows us, and where we are, we
are no longer safe. Even a city the size of this one is limited in
opportunities for concealment."


S: "Agreed. However, if you look through the files you have been
given, you will see what I have proposed to guarantee that we disappear.
I will make arrangements for some news to leak that the Cabal is on the
move and an approximate idea of where too. Meanwhile we will go in the
opposite direction. I believe that I have found a place that not only
secures our secrecy, but will assist us in any attack that may be made
should we be discovered. I have also contacted our representative in
South and Central America. We will not be defenceless for long. The
proposals and potential successes to be gained from Chinese investment
and interest has swayed those that be that we are still a viable
prospect, funding, equipment and personnel will be arriving at our new
location within the next 10 days. I intend to have a fortress ready to
greet any would be hero's."


C: "Oh, and of course nobody will notice the army of personnel moving
around the UCAS."


S: "I grow tired of your sarcasm Charon. An outline is included in the
proposal before you. Read that before you make smart remarks. Also, it
will not be an army of personnel. The ones who are being sent to us are
skilled in deception and subterfuge, they will not be seen, nor will
they be discovered. I do not believe that anyone except this board will
be aware of their existence. Aztlan has not survived for this long by
being unsubtle."


C: "Aztlanners? Why do I get the feeling that you have taken steps
that we would not have authorised without this crisis? I get the
feeling Shaitan, that Abbadon's death may be a little too convenient.
It would not be the first time you have sacrificed someone to meet your
own aims."


S: "Why would I sacrifice Abbadon when his mission was so important. I
consider it fortunate that our contacts have been so understanding and
are prepared to make alternative arrangements. It is also fortunate
that rather than dismiss us, they saw fit to inform us of developments.
We have, I may add, an invitation to set up operations within the
Russian Federation. An offer, that I am seriously considering. They
have the personnel, the opportunities and sufficiently corrupt officials
that we would be able to operate quite openly without any worries.
However, it would be impractical for us to move that far until August.
Once Chronos has been finalised I may again consider the offer of the
Russians."


B: "Russia? Move there? Good grief. Do you have any idea how much it
would cost to move this operation to that country?"


S: "It would in fact only cost the price of transportation for the
essential personnel. All equipment could be replaced, there are
considerable and lucrative supply lines through Russian and China,
moving some of the best Asian and American equipment through onto the
black market. What we can't obtain from normal suppliers could be
duplicated by the Chinese. I have never seen a country so proficient in
reverse engineering. Initial cost would be absorbed by the sale of
Chronos to our Middle East and European concerns. The costs of
installation in Russia would be negligible, there are a large number of
perfect sites that are more than adequate for our purposes, all of them
deserted by the military and government, many of them forgotten about.
I suggest you all seriously consider this option. We were already aware
that after we had released Chronos we would need to move again. Such an
article would reveal too much about it's country and point of origin for
us to remain here. So, why not Russia. We could permanently disappear
within the continent. In fact, I do not believe that we would be
required to move again. With sufficient time we would be able to secure
military protection. I cannot think of anything better than having an
armoured brigade sitting outside the door keeping unwanted visitors out.
Revenue from sales and research would fund their presence. I believe
that sales of bespoke BTLs and certain of the designer drugs would be
extremely lucrative in a depressed economy such as Russia. But by far
the most attractive part of the whole prospect is that we would be out
of reach of all of these murderous vigilante organisations that appear
to think we are the world's greatest threat. Is that such a bad
thing?"


<mutters of agreement>


S: "Very well then. All essential operations within this building must
be wrapped up by tonight, they will be shipped out gradually over the
next 8 hours. Personnel will make their own way to the new location.
You will all have to be sedated I'm afraid, as I mentioned before, none
except the Cabal may know where the new site is. This board will be
treated with the utmost care and courtesy of course. Are there likely
to be any problems with packing up within the allocated time?"


All: No.


C: "It will take a while to set up the satellite link, especially if
you want it secure. It may be that for the initial part of the journey
there will be no possibility of communications from Ahriman. It will
all be in place by the time he enters China however."


S: "That will be acceptable. Right. There is much work to be done. I
suggest you all return to your departments and begin preparations. I do
not wish to delay this any longer than necessary."


+++++End audio log.


]<<<<<
-- CoT <05:57:43/05-15-59>
Message no. 3
From: Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Zealot's Ahoy
Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 21:26:57 +0100
*****INTERNAL: CoT Board, Emergency Meeting
>>>>>[

+++++Begin Audio Log


S: Shaitan
B: Beelzebub
E: Eblis
C: Charon
A: Ahriman
D: Diernoth


S: "You may all be wondering why I have called you into this meeting,
so soon after our last one. There has been a development with Abbadon.
Somebody killed him in Moscow. I received a message from our contact
there that he didn't show at the meet, on checking, it was discovered
that somebody had trapped Abbadon in his room; the body was covered with
bruising, though whether from confinement or beating I do not know. He
had also been virtually drained of blood, no it wasn't some
nightstalker, it was soaking the carpet. There's a strong suspicion
that some magician caught up with him. I do not at this time know
whether it was somebody in opposition within Moscow, or an outside
interference.


"At this time we must assume that this operation is now compromised.
Abbadon knew of our new location, and it would be unsafe to ignore that
fact. I have made arrangements for the Cabal to relocate. You will all
be taken to the new location, but I must make arrangements to secure it,
which means none of you may know where it is going. The cabal will
continue with the research into the ritual, and we will make
arrangements to make sure whoever this stranger is does not find us
easily or without adversity. If he/she or they are going to pursue us,
and I must assume they are, I will do everything possible to ensure they
regret it."


C: "So your pet failed, Shaitan. What are you going to do about that?
Without him, your dreams of Russian and Chinese investment is somewhat,
fucked. Wouldn't you say?"


S: "Not at all. Ahriman here is more than qualified to replace
Abbadon, and he'll be leaving at the end of the week. You should know
by now Charon, I never do anything without a contingency plan. The
Russians will be sending a representative here to us. He will be met
and brought to me. Ahriman will fly directly to Tokyo, and from there
to Peking and the interior. A secure satellite link will be set up so
that he can keep us informed as to developments. I don't believe that a
single link in the entirety of the matrix will constitute too great a
risk, that is your job Charon, to make sure it's secure. Piggy back on
something particularly noisy, some porn channel or similar. Nobody will
notice amonst the static."


D: "You are still going ahead with it then? Even though some person or
persons may have more knowledge about us than any other living being,
you are still going to go ahead with it?"


S: "Yes. I see no need to cease operations. So there is someone who
is aware of our existence, purpose and some of our plans. That does not
mean they will be able to intercept anything we do. This is a very big
world Diernoth, and more complex than one might imagine. It would take
an organisation of incredible size and complexity to even have a chance
of intercepting us. I do not believe that anyone poses a significant
threat provided we are careful and remain out of hte public eye."


E: "If the one who killed Abbadon now knows us, and where we are, we
are no longer safe. Even a city the size of this one is limited in
opportunities for concealment."


S: "Agreed. However, if you look through the files you have been
given, you will see what I have proposed to guarantee that we disappear.
I will make arrangements for some news to leak that the Cabal is on the
move and an approximate idea of where too. Meanwhile we will go in the
opposite direction. I believe that I have found a place that not only
secures our secrecy, but will assist us in any attack that may be made
should we be discovered. I have also contacted our representative in
South and Central America. We will not be defenceless for long. The
proposals and potential successes to be gained from Chinese investment
and interest has swayed those that be that we are still a viable
prospect, funding, equipment and personnel will be arriving at our new
location within the next 10 days. I intend to have a fortress ready to
greet any would be hero's."


C: "Oh, and of course nobody will notice the army of personnel moving
around the UCAS."


S: "I grow tired of your sarcasm Charon. An outline is included in the
proposal before you. Read that before you make smart remarks. Also, it
will not be an army of personnel. The ones who are being sent to us are
skilled in deception and subterfuge, they will not be seen, nor will
they be discovered. I do not believe that anyone except this board will
be aware of their existence. Aztlan has not survived for this long by
being unsubtle."


C: "Aztlanners? Why do I get the feeling that you have taken steps
that we would not have authorised without this crisis? I get the
feeling Shaitan, that Abbadon's death may be a little too convenient.
It would not be the first time you have sacrificed someone to meet your
own aims."


S: "Why would I sacrifice Abbadon when his mission was so important. I
consider it fortunate that our contacts have been so understanding and
are prepared to make alternative arrangements. It is also fortunate
that rather than dismiss us, they saw fit to inform us of developments.
We have, I may add, an invitation to set up operations within the
Russian Federation. An offer, that I am seriously considering. They
have the personnel, the opportunities and sufficiently corrupt officials
that we would be able to operate quite openly without any worries.
However, it would be impractical for us to move that far until August.
Once Chronos has been finalised I may again consider the offer of the
Russians."


B: "Russia? Move there? Good grief. Do you have any idea how much it
would cost to move this operation to that country?"


S: "It would in fact only cost the price of transportation for the
essential personnel. All equipment could be replaced, there are
considerable and lucrative supply lines through Russian and China,
moving some of the best Asian and American equipment through onto the
black market. What we can't obtain from normal suppliers could be
duplicated by the Chinese. I have never seen a country so proficient in
reverse engineering. Initial cost would be absorbed by the sale of
Chronos to our Middle East and European concerns. The costs of
installation in Russia would be negligible, there are a large number of
perfect sites that are more than adequate for our purposes, all of them
deserted by the military and government, many of them forgotten about.
I suggest you all seriously consider this option. We were already aware
that after we had released Chronos we would need to move again. Such an
article would reveal too much about it's country and point of origin for
us to remain here. So, why not Russia. We could permanently disappear
within the continent. In fact, I do not believe that we would be
required to move again. With sufficient time we would be able to secure
military protection. I cannot think of anything better than having an
armoured brigade sitting outside the door keeping unwanted visitors out.
Revenue from sales and research would fund their presence. I believe
that sales of bespoke BTLs and certain of the designer drugs would be
extremely lucrative in a depressed economy such as Russia. But by far
the most attractive part of the whole prospect is that we would be out
of reach of all of these murderous vigilante organisations that appear
to think we are the world's greatest threat. Is that such a bad
thing?"


<mutters of agreement>


S: "Very well then. All essential operations within this building must
be wrapped up by tonight, they will be shipped out gradually over the
next 8 hours. Personnel will make their own way to the new location.
You will all have to be sedated I'm afraid, as I mentioned before, none
except the Cabal may know where the new site is. This board will be
treated with the utmost care and courtesy of course. Are there likely
to be any problems with packing up within the allocated time?"


All: No.


C: "It will take a while to set up the satellite link, especially if
you want it secure. It may be that for the initial part of the journey
there will be no possibility of communications from Ahriman. It will
all be in place by the time he enters China however."


S: "That will be acceptable. Right. There is much work to be done. I
suggest you all return to your departments and begin preparations. I do
not wish to delay this any longer than necessary."


+++++End audio log.


]<<<<<
--CoT <21:26:43/05-15-59>

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.