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Date: 2 Oct 1998 09:10:20 BST
From: "Jacob Busby Bsc."
Of course this links well with the
ideas from Mar and others about a Vatican monster-hunting task force.
There may well be some truth in this. The following item has recently been received from a DG friendly working in the Vatican.
FYI: Actual Data Removed for Security Reasons. The Document in Question has Been placed into Containment.
From: "Crossingham, Adam"
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 17:51:37 -0000
«< The following item The Visions of Ede the Pious has recently been received from a DG friendly working in the Vatican. »>
There's no such thing as a DG-friendly in the Vatican, that's THE stomping ground of The Last Dawn.
Don't you remember your basic DG indoctrination - leave the mumbo-jumbo mojo to the messed-up muthas who think they can handle it.
The Lasts think by telling everyone about the Mythos, they can save us from it. Yeah, right. That's our job. Newbies. Strewth!
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1998 23:58:01 -0400
From: Daniel Harms
stomping ground of The Last Dawn.
Seeing as the only other option is sending cleaning crews for you, Adam, and everyone else on this list, I guess this can be made public knowledge.
Waaaaaayyy back in TUO 7, there was an article on an organization called the Last Dawn. This was a splinter group from the Catholic Church which was devoted to bringing about the horrors of the Mythos upon humanity, so that they would have reason to return to God. To further their goals, they sought out a mysterious work called the de'Medici Manoscritto, a work which gave non-Sanity-draining equivalents to Mythos spells.
The Last Dawn was originally conceived of as a foe of the Randolph Pierce Foundation, a stalwart band of Mythos investigators. At the time, though, no one seemed to care particularly for either the LD or the RPF, so nothing more was done with either. Of course, maybe I should post my unfinished re-write of a Last Dawn-like organization…
From: "David Farnell"
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1998 22:16:02 +0900
Actually, while I never actually used the RPF, I did encourage my players to start creating something like it. Please post whatever you've got - something like the LD would fit quite well with my unfolding multi-conspiracy campaign. The idea of an insane fringe group in the Church helping to create Carcosa-on-Earth…mmmmmm.
Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 21:06:57 -0400
From: Daniel Harms
Its problem, IMO, was that, like Chaosium's Theron Marks Society before it, there was little character there. The usual problem with these groups seems to be that they're rather two-dimensional, and you can rarely get past the realization that they exist just to give the characters an excuse to adventure. Delta Green is much more rich in detail and is in itself a great hook.
The Last Dawn was much more intriguing, but (once again IMO) it never took off because it didn't fit together well. It was more of a grab bag of interesting ideas than an integrated whole.
Please post whatever you've got - something
I can't make any promises with my current work-load, but I'll drag out my notes and see what I can do.
From: "David Farnell"
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 09:04:54 +0900
I agree. That's why, instead of presenting my players with something like that, I tried to get them to form their own after they survived the first 2 adventures. The purpose was to have a sort of "investigation society" that could be contacted by those in need. The thing got taken over by DG Agent LAURA, however, who now acts as their "agent," finding them jobs. Of course she only tells them about the ones that will further her own ends. The advantage of this is that the group gets paid by their clients, so they don't need as much in the way of resources from DG. Their first job (and quite possibly their last, at the rate they're going) is a much-modified version of At Your Door.
But back to forming their own society: unless there's something as rich as DG out there to use, they're better off making their own. We had something like this for a little while back in a 20s game. Because we made it ourself, we bought the HQ, we developed the common meeting places (Alberto's Italian Restaurant, near Central Park), we developed the "library" of tomes through our own adventures - well, we really made it our own from the beginning. As such, it became SO much richer in stories and memories. There was the time we got banned from Alberto's for a while for a big drunken brawl, and the time one of our guys went to 0 SAN, decided to join the winning side, and stole most of our books (he's still out there, the evil bastard). It just added greatly to the game, while I think an artificially-imposed society would prevent that kind of personalization.
Date: 5 Oct 1998 12:28:23 BST
From: "Jacob Busby Bsc."
The document will shortly be sent to the Ice Cave for containment.
Your information may have arrived a little too late. Father Thompson, my Vatican contact, has recently "disappeared" A brief sortie of computer hacking reveals that all details on file about Thompson have been erased from the Vatican database and their Web site.
Another associate of mine is the head of a well-respected charity. Up until now she has been able to gain access to certain non-public sections of the Vatican with her cover. She has recently asked a few questions on my behalf about Father Thompson. The official line is that he has gone to perform missionary work in Uganda. Computer records show tickets bought in the name of Thompson for Dan Air, although Dan Air computer system shows that no such customer turned up for the flight!! My charity contact also reports that two Swiss Guards have been posted outside Father Thompson's private study…
Before his disappearance Thompson told me that he was working for an "allied group sympathetic to your viewpoint" within the Vatican. He also stated that another group was also operating out of the Catholic church which he regarded as highly dangerous. Thompson said he was compiling a list of "suspicious characters" and he would pass it on to me in due course. This was the last message I received from Thompson.
Following my discoveries I did a little further research. In the past four weeks two cases, very similar to that of Thompson, have arisen. In one instance a priest was recalled to the Vatican from the UK, following tabloid headlines of "Frolicking Father Frank is Father of six" The headline goes on to say that priest Frank Beaufort has fathered six illegitmate children. Medical reports (from when Frank served in the RAF) show that Frank is sterile, from a rare heridatary disease. In a second suspicious instance Father Jacques Depuis, a French Priest, who worked in Paris, has been fished out of the Seine. The autopsy report (which I was able to acquire from an Interpol contact) states that Jacques' bloodstream was full of alcohol, a fact which does not tie up local parishioners, who claim that Jacques has been a staunch tee-totaller ever since his brother died in a drink-driving accident. Jacques apparently denounced all alcohol (other than communion wine) vocally in many of his sermons. Both priests have had their details removed from the Vatican database.
As far as I am aware these cases may well be evidence of isolated incidents with only a coincidental linking, or they may be evidence of secret societies within the Catholic Church - one which may be working against the forces of the Mythos and one which may be working with Mythos forces or may represent some sort of "internal security" within the Church.
-—-
Of more immediate interest to DG is the startling case of Father Benjamin Bradshaw, who recently survived an assassination attempt when he touched down in New York for a Human Rights conference where he was due to speak and lead catholic worshippers in a prayer vigil. A lone gun-man fired two shots at the priest but missed on both occasions, striking the walkway and wing respectively. (1) Phillip Petersen, the would-be assassin was arrested by airport security and handed over to the NYPD. Petersen was a half-Danish, American truck driver with a Catholic schooling which he followed up into active worship. He later hung himself whilst in police custody. A short suicide note said only that he had acted for the greater good - Jesus would forgive him.
(1) Curiously the ballistics report states that the bullets could not have been fired from the position where Petersen unless they bounced off of something. This anomaly has been written off by the police as lack of data and panicked witness reports.
Father Bradshaw was staying at the High-View Hotel, until an outbreak of Salmonella occurred and the hotel was shut down by public health officials. I have checked the computer records at the local hospitals and Bradshaw was not amongst the patients who have been admitted. Alas I have lost track of his movements since then and request A-cell immediately authorises a cell in the area to recover and question Bradshaw before his enemies eliminate him. Depending upon results Bradshaw may be adjudged to be friendly, in which case a safe-house will be required whilst DG tries to find out to ascertain the precise Mythos/political set-up of the Church, or Bradshaw may be adjudged to be a danger, in which case the cell is required to "remove" Bradshaw.
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 22:14:54 -0700
From: Phil A Posehn
Don't forget to watch out for the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem too!
Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 20:54:37 -0400
From: Daniel Harms
A very good job, Agent Busby. I, too, have been investigating these rumors, and while my information is incomplete, I feel that I should express two important points which I am not at liberty to expand upon at this time:
1) The recent deaths are unlikely to be the result of a war between two opposing groups within the church. Rather, they represent a different sort of conflict entirely.
2) Any material gained from operatives within charitable institutions should be double- and triple-checked for accuracy.
(Damn, now I am going to have to write it up…)
From: "Crossingham, Adam"
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 17:30:13 -0000
Here come some spoiler type discussion material. Better skip this if you are a player, or hold strong POVs about what can and cannot be used as gaming material.
This is not an attempt to restart a religious debate either - just an exploration of an already published resource. This isn't a denial of the Holocaust either. It happened, and the Nazis did it, not the mythos.
Given the fact the DG source book has named Hitler, Himmler and the Nazis as mythos worshipping occultists from Hell, there is now no reason not to ascribe a Mythos rationale for their occurrence to other unpleasant events of WW2, as and when required by keepers for dramatic purposes.
The one I have in mind is the supposed acquiescence (and becoming therefore an accomplice of the fascists) of the Vatican in the persecution of the Jews. The commonly accepted reason is anti-Semitism within the Church of the period, as well as fear of retribution. This is probably true in the real world. At this point it should be remembered that many individual members of the Church did help minorities persecuted by the fascists during WW2.
However in the DG world, what if the Last Dawn had survived the 1920s/1930s into the 1940s?
The Last Dawn should have seen the Nazis coming before they came to power as statements made by several prominent Nazis were definitely unchristian. They may well have aided their path to power, using their world-wide chapter structure to influence people into supporting the Nazis. A study of their rise to power seems to show that more than a modicum of very good luck, excellent networking skills and the assistance of people with other causes helped the Nazis into government. The actions of the Nazis in power should have removed any Last Dawn doubts about what they believed.
By actively assisting the Nazis, the Last Dawn would be helping to fulfil it's own mission. Prejudice would probably come into play into the game world as well; the rationale being that it would be good that Jews and heathens (fascists) were helping to bring about the end of the world, and not 'good Christians'.
Having the Last Dawn in the driving seat in Vatican relations with fascists would make for an interesting environment to play in. In a Resistance/Maquis/Jedburg team based WW2 DG game, the Church could no longer be relied upon as a refuge, and any contacts or services supplied by priests would have to be tested by P4/Pisces operatives before being relied on. This could be exceptionally potent, if used during 1945 as the remnants of the Karotechia are hunted down.
However this is as far as I've got with my thoughts and have hit a sort of dead-end, and I'm not sure where to take it.
Has anyone got any views on the Last Dawn involvement in the Secret War of WW2?
Finally, does anyone know how to get in contact with Kim Englund, the author of the original Last Dawn article? I'd be very interested in hearing the views of the person who created the Last Dawn, and what happened to them during the war.
From: "Crossingham, Adam"
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 16:26:23 -0000
David Farnell writes «<. The idea of an insane fringe group in the Church helping to create Carcosa-on-Earth…mmmmmm. »>
My thoughts exactly. I always been intrigued by the Last Dawn, and thought them one of the better cults ever published. Introduce them as good guys, then as bad guys, then as misguided good guys. Wonderful.
Daniel Harms promises in regard to his Last Dawn rewrite«< I'll drag out my notes and see what I can do. »>
I'd like to second those requests that you post the rewrite.
Phil A Posehn «< Don't forget to watch out for the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem too! »>
I forgot about them. To be found in the 'Keeper's Companion' I believe. However I've always viewed them as rather crude operators with an MO out of the Middle Ages. Compared to the machinations of the Lasts the KOSJ are just children. A head-to-head between the Lasts and KOSJ would be fun though - a battle of sorts between a 'James Bond' and a 'T-800'.
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 23:39:41 -0700
From: Phil A Posehn
Don't be too sure! Check out "Every thing Is Under Control" by Robert Anton Wilson!
Among the members were/are; General Reinhard Gehlen, Hitler's chief of intelligence, General Alexander Haig, adviser to Nixon and Regan, William Casey, head of the CIA during Iran-Contra, & Lucio Gelli, Roberto Calvi & Michele Sindona of the P2 conspiracy in Italy in the '70s & 80's according to that source.
As near as I can tell, this is one of the ones he is serious about.
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1998 16:29:31 -0400
From: Daniel Harms
Whoa, everybody! I think that we're getting two things confused here. The first and third comments seem to be about the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, better known to the uninitiated as the Hospitallers. The Order of the Sword of Saint Jerome was referred to in the second comment, and as far as I know, it's a CoC creation.
Of course, neither is to be confused with the Order of the Knights of Saint Lazarus, which is not to be confused with the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus or the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, and which pursues its own agenda distinct of all the groups above…
All right. Point that gun somewhere else. I'm going to write it up right now.