>HERMES QUERY: MEDIA REPORTS, BURNING CHURCHES
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//Knight-Ridder / Tribune News Service, June 7, 1996, Church Fires in South Carolina Still Unsolved, Henry Eichel.//
"COLUMBIA, SC -- While federal and North Carolina authorities Friday poked through the ruins of the old Matthews Murkland Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, law enforcement officials continued to seek leads on 11 unsolved church fires in South Carolina.
Since 1991, according to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division records, 23 churches and one mosque have burned - 10 mostly white congregations, 13 black and one Hispanic.
During that time, 58 churches across the South have been burned or vandalized, with the greatest number in South Carolina and Tennessee, and nearly half attended by black people. * * *"
A Basement View
For more than thirty years, August Cato labored as a clerk at the Vatican library in Rome. Starting as a librarian's assistant in the early sixties, he slowly worked through the ranks until 1987 when he was appointed to the coveted position of head archivist. Cato was a hard-working, pious man, with no desire in life outside serving the church faithfully. He was proud of the position he had achieved, but had little imagination, and seemed destined to remain a clerk amongst the dusty stacks for the rest of his dull, yet contented life. All that would change one momentous evening in 1994.
It was December twenty-fourth, Christmas eve, and Cato was closing up the archives and preparing to attend evening mass. During his rounds, he discovered a group of men and women in a small, dark room in a seldom-used section of the archive's basement. While final preparations for Christmas Eve Mass were being made throughout the city above, this small cabal was performing a covert black mass in this secluded corner of the nearly deserted library. Even living as sheltered and cloistered a life as he had, Cato had no difficulty recognizing the candles, robes and bloody glyphs on the floor as trappings of an unholy rite. Disastrously for both himself and the initiates, however, Cato stumbled into the ceremony at a crucial moment. He panicked and cried out, accidentally overturning a smoldering brazier and shattering the master's concentration. The distraction could not have been timed worse, as the ritual was nearly complete and the threshold had already been crossed. As all eyes turned to the terrified clerk, the candles flared and the room was flooded with occult energy.
Cato can remember only fleeting fragments of what followed. When he tries, and he seldom does, he recalls the smell of burning flesh, the desperate screams and, worst of all, the shapes ill-suited for human eyes forming in the braziers' thick smoke. Cato's next clear memories are of kneeling in the snow outside the walls of Saint Peter's Basilica. As his vision cleared, he remembers seeing large sections of his clothing charred, and flecks of blood tainting the snow when he coughed. In his hands, he clutched a few ancient leaves from a book written in Greek.
After stumbling through Rome to his apartment, Cato locked the door and threw himself into an exhausted sleep. He would find no rest in slumber, however, as his sleep was filled with nightmarish visions. He awoke often, choked by the overpowering smell of smoke that faded as quickly as the memories of his nocturnal visions. Cato did not leave his apartment for several days.
When he finally returned to work, Cato stayed only long enough to sign out a few books on translating ancient Greek and then hurried back to his apartment. He would never enter the Vatican again. In his dimly lit room, August Cato began to translate the pages of Greek text that were the only physical evidence of his ordeal in the library's cellar. Convinced that the pages held the key to his nightmares and insomnia, Cato began a quick descent to madness.
After little more than a week, Cato started to notice men watching him from doorways and windows during the few occasions that he left the seclusion of his room for food. Cato became convinced that these men were somehow connected to the cultists he surprised on Christmas Eve. Fearing they would kill him, or worse yet, steal the incompletely translated pages, Cato packed quickly and fled the apartment. For the next few weeks, he stayed in thirteen different hotels, occupying each for no more than a few nights. Cato stayed just long enough to translate a few lines and then moved on, before his pursuers could find him. Soon he ran low on money and hotels, and he was certain that his watchers were closing in. In late January of 1995, Cato spent the last of his money on plane fare to the United States. He hoped that he could finally evade his pursuit and finish the translation that would bring him some desparately needed peace.
In the United States, August Cato took up residence in a small church mission in South Carolina. There he found seclusion and relative peace of mind. Comforted by the belief that he was at least temporarily safe from the Devil's agents (for who else would be harrying him so), Cato was able to set himself to the completion of his translation. Despite the incessant curiosity and inquiries of other lodgers, Cato was able to finish his translation in just under two weeks. At long last, the final fragments of the ancient text relinquished their secrets to him, and with them went the last shreds of his sanity. Cato was gifted with a divine vision that revealed the Lord's intentions for the ex-archivist, and the reasons for his suffering.
The vision revealed that the black rite Cato had interrupted on Christmas Eve had succeeded in releasing a demon into the world. To Cato was set the task of banishing the demon back to hell. To accomplish this, God had given Cato a rite of banishment, recorded on the very pages that he had just translated. Guided by divine vision and armed with the knowledge of the rite and his own holy righteousness, Cato was to become the fist of God. The vision also revealed that the evil spirit would strike soon, and close. In just a few days, the very mission that had become Cato's refuge would come under infernal attack.
In preparation for the demon's attack, Cato took a few lodgers and clergy into his confidence and explained the situation. He begged for their help in conducting the banishment rite. A few agreed; the others dismissed Cato as a lunatic and ignored him. In private Cato and his aides prepared themselves for the demon's arrival. The night that Cato's vision foretold arrived to find him and his circle gathered in the chapel's vestry, carefully performing the rite that they hoped would expel the demon.
But all did not go well. As the ritual drew to a close, the demon did indeed manifest, but did not seem at all affected by the rite. Quite the contrary, the demon lashed out with supernatural fury and decimated the ill-prepared group. The church was set aflame and Cato was forced to flee as the demonic spirit rended his allies.
Cato fled the burning church and the broken bodies of his comrades praying for protection and deliverance. He found sanctuary soon after at another church in a neighboring town. Cato took that as a sign that providence was looking after him. Soon his quiet prayer and devotion was interrupted again with another vision. He saw that the demon would return soon, and Cato would once again have the opportunity to send it back to the pit. Only then could he be free of his holy, but burdensome duty.
The Real Story
The events described above are the gospel truth, as far as Cato is concerned. Cato's belief, however strong, sadly has little relation to objective reality. In truth, Cato did stumble upon a black ritual nearing completion on that fateful Christmas Eve. Cato's intrusion caused the ritual to fail, and the subsequent supernatural manifestation that killed most of the occultists also corrupted Cato. Obsessed with the pages that he inadvertently ripped from the cultists' tome, Cato's corruption progressed quickly, driving him inexorably toward madness. The watchers that drove Cato to flee to America may or may not have been figments of his imagination. In any event, there he finished his translation and finally snapped, becoming a Prophet Incarnate.
The evil spirit that Cato's madness compels him to hunt does not actually exist, except as an evil aspect of his corruption. The fragile leaves of the occult tome hold only a fragment of the complete banishment ritual, despite Cato's belief to the contrary. The ritual that he and his unwitting adherents perform, then, is fundamentally flawed and doomed to fail each and every time it is enacted. The divine visions that guide Cato to the site of the "demon's" next attack are in fact precognitions of his own future failed rituals. These visions occur on nights of high supernatural activity, and he awaits another such night to attempt the ritual. The flawed ritual that Cato and his troupe perform actually causes the evil that Cato foresees, usually destroying the site (most often churches) and killing or corrupting the other participants. This scene has played out dozens of times over the past year, burning churches and other buildings and corrupting and killing scores of well-meaning folk drawn into Cato's madness. Those corrupted by the resultant manifestations almost inevitably become Forsaken, emulating Cato's quixotic crusade by burning churches and other structures. These poor souls, lacking any real power are often caught and act as convenient scapegoats for Cato's activities. The captured Forsaken provide a cover that has allowed Cato to remain at large, and active, for so long.
Missions
There are several options for GMs who wish to work Cato into his or her Conspiracy X game. The three outlined below provide a guide to some possibilities. Specifics, of course, depend on the character and idiosyncrasies of a group's particular game.
A Red Herring?
Cato and his followers or others emulating him might be active in a particular Cell's area but do not immediately come to the group's attention. A conniving GM might work clues about the church fires into an ongoing mission which otherwise has nothing to do with church burning. These false or misdirection clues within the ongoing mission would lead to an investigation into the church burning, and the revelation of a group of Forsaken, or of Cato himself. The party would get little accomplished with respect to the ongoing mission, and what they do find out about the Forsaken or Cato winds up taking them on a potentially lethal tangent from their original mission.
The Disease or Merely Symptoms
A series of media reports (such as the one quoted above) on sudden and inexplicable church fires should be enough to pique the curiosity of a Cell in the area, particularly if the Cell has little else pressing. The investigation could reveal a copy-cat arsonist with no connection to Cato and his disciples. Alternatively, the operatives could come face to face with a group of Forsaken zealots purging buildings and people tainted by the demon's touch. Either of these in turn might lead to the Incarnate himself, providing a dangerous, perhaps lethal, climax. Defeat of Cato and recovery of the pages that are so precious to him may lead to an even bigger conspiracy (see below).
The Missing Pages
If a Cell with strong Occult skills or connections manages to come into possession of the book from which Cato's pages were torn, they may decide to attempt to track down the missing pages to complete the banishment ritual presented. Alternatively, a Cell in possession of the original tome, perhaps ignorant to its significance, may be sought out by the Incarnate himself, in an attempt to expand his holy arsenal.
The Larger Picture
A Cell might come across evidence of MIB (Men In Black) activity in their area, and may investigate, expecting to find evidence of Black Book activity. The MIB turn out to be agents of a powerful occult organization hunting for Cato and the vital pages missing pages in his possession. Whether they assist the occult agents or attempt to beat them to the loot (perhaps to use as a bargaining chip to convince them to aid Aegis) depends on the individual group. If the Cell is already in possession of the original tome, they may find themselves both hunter and hunted. The exact identity of the masters of these enigmatic agents is left to the GM, but interesting possibilities include the Illuminati, a secret mystic society, Atlanteans, or perhaps the Vatican itself, eager to return the tome to its Secret Library and erase any residual evidence of the rite that Cato discovered.
Incarnate Powers
Incarnate may use ambient Seepage Points to power their supernatural abilities. Thus, they are partially reliant upon the supernatural power of the surroundings and vulnerable to the ebb and flow of the area's pool of Seepage Points. Incarnate, however, always carry with them a reservoir of SP equal to their Willpower. These points are spent whenever the SP of the area are exhausted and regenerate at the same rate, 1 per hour. Therefore an Incarnate with a Willpower of three will never have less than 3 SP available to him, regardless of the power of the area where he finds himself.
Dimitra Raymond All attributes 3 Luck 2/10 Skills Autofire 2 Brawling (Mil. Training) 2 Computer Use 2 Cryptology 2 Demolitions 2 Disguise 2 Drive 2 First Aid 2 Heavy Weapons 2 Lockpick 2 Martial Arts (Aikido) 3 Meditation 2 Photography 1 Melee Weapon (Knife) 2 Shadow 2 Stealth 2 Small Arms:Pistol 2 Small Arms:Rifle 3 UFOlogy 1 Video 1 Training Communication Surveillance Awareness: Setup Traits Grey-Human Hybrid (Drug Intolerance, Supernatural Sensitivity) Combat Experience New Identity Watched Psychic Abilities Greater Bio-PK Lesser Telepathy Lesser Precognition Background: Dimitra Raymond is a meta-human in search of other meta-humans. Raised in a Black Book orphanage/school to be a trained killer and deep cover operative, Dimitra infiltrated the Air Force to spy out Aegis operations. There she learned of her heritage and lost the first person she truly loved. Dimitra is now loyal to no one but herself and has gathered extensive contacts in both Aegis and the Black Book. Profile: Dimitra is a shallow individual. She had little time to be a child during her childhood. While most kids her age where playing hide-and-go-seek and selling lemonade, she was learning to field strip a sniper rifle in the dark. She dislikes crowds, and prefers to read fantasy when she is not working. She particularly likes children's books and fairy tales. Roleplaying: Dimitra likes to keep her contacts as much in the dark about herself and her interests as possible. She approaches them in situations where they will be unable to follow her. She has a dominant attitude because she knows she possesses powers beyond the ken of normal humans. When contacting the players she tends to use riddles derived from children's fairy tales to leave clues on how to contact her, where to find evidence and information on Black Book activity. Quote: "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty will not fall. Humpty Dumpty knows where all the King's horses and all the King's men are hiding."
The Real Story
Dimitra is a Beta meta-human. Her mother, a normal human, was seduced by
an Alpha hybrid, and when she told him she was pregnant, he urged her to
carry the child to term and promised to marry her. He kept his promise
but as soon as the child was born, he disappeared taking Dimitra with
him. Dimitra was taken to the Davon Institute, a special orphanage and
school run by the Black Book. This orphanage raises and trains elite
Black Book operatives, indoctrinating them from early childhood in the
Book's cause.
The Alpha, acting on orders from his Grey masters, did not inform the Book
about Dimitra's special abilities. The Greys were content to let the Book
mold their future tool, knowing that when needed, Domination could be
employed to force Dimitra to do their bidding. The Greys did subject
Dimitra to Domination to plant in her consciousness a fear of revealing
her "special gifts."
Dimitra's training was extensive. She became an efficient and stealthy
killer, and highly skilled in field operations. Naturally bright, her
talents and "special gift" lead her to become one of the best agents the
Davon Institute ever produced. Dimitra received as complete a briefing on
Aegis as possible and was told she would spend her life infiltrating that
organization. All for the greater good of the Book.
Provided with a nearly uncrackable cover, Dimitra was inserted as a clerk
in the office of the Secretary of the Air Force. The Book is well aware
that Aegis' primary military connections are in the Air Force. Dimitra
was assigned deep cover status, and told to report monthly on Air Force
operations in general, and Aegis activities in particular.
Shortly after joining the Air Force, Dimitra met Captain William Adam,
a man who would change her life. She bonded with Adam immediately;
unbeknownst to her, he was a fellow meta-human. As she became close to
Adam, Dimitra discovered that others were interested in the Captain.
When she reported this to the Book, she was ordered to terminate Adam
rather than allow him to be suborned by Aegis. Years of Book
indoctrination began to war with her meta-human instincts. In the end,
genes prevailed.
Dimitra broke cover and told Adam everything. He explained what they
were and how everyone -- Aegis, the Book and the Greys -- was out to
use them. Adam was part of a cabal of meta-humans attempting to become
masters of their own destiny. He began to train her in the use of her
psychic abilities. At his urging, she agreed to start working as a
double agent, feeding Book secrets and disinformation to Aegis and vice
verse. Together they devised a plot to maintain her good standing with
the Black Book while keeping Adam alive. They almost pulled it off.
Dimitra's position with the Book remained secure, but Adam died keeping
her safe. To this day, Dimitra is not certain whether Aegis, the Black
Book or simple bad luck caused their plan to fail.
Faced with the loss of the first person she truly loved, Dimitra closed
off her feelings and reverted to programming. She went on about her
business, and continued to pass on information to the Book and conduct
special operations, but she was no longer a loyal Black Book tool. Using
her former connection to Adam, she has developed extensive Aegis
contacts. She now plays both sides against each other in service of her
new agenda -- the discovery of, and alliance with other meta-humans. She
is desperate to reestablish contact with Adam's group. That group in
turn is very wary of her because of her role in Adam's death.
Mission Hooks
Dimitra may be worked into a on-going campaign in any number of ways.
The most likely is as a deep cover source of information. She could be
used in any type of investigation. She has contacts everywhere and
barters information freely. Dimitra will appear at an opportune time
with an offer of information needed by the Cell to complete whatever
task is at hand. She will grant the needed information in exchange for
some information in return. She is particularly interested in
information about meta-humans and Grey activities.
Once she is part of a Cell's regular resources, a Game Master may bring
the Cell into Dimitra's intrigues. Dimitra might use the Cell for some
purpose, or turn to the Cell if things start to heat up in her life.
Sooner or later, Aegis and/or the Black Book is going to catch on to
Dimitra's activities. At that point, she could remain a viable force in
the game if she finally convinces Adam's meta-human cabal to take her
in. She may even try to recruit the Aegis Cell to their cause.
Remember, the Greys know who and what Dimitra is. They will act to
ensure Dimitra's survival. They may also implant her with a Domination
suggestion from time to time to do their bidding. Dimitra may become
aware of this looming threat to her independence and turn to the Aegis
Cell to aid her.