Legion of Hate

The self-styled Knights-Templar of Purity are a secret society and criminal organization which can be found throughout the Union, but most common in the South and rural areas of the Steel League. The knights engage in a campaign of terror and intimidation, aimed primarily at racial and ethnic minorities. There goal is the cleansing of the New World of these “undesirables” and its return to of the land to its “rightful” owners.

The true origins of the group is unknown, but they came to public prominence perhaps a hundred years ago, and have waxed and waned in influence throughout the intervening years. Their traditions hold that the white man of Ealderde is actually descendant of the true master race of now-sunken Meropis, who was eventually overwhelmed by their giant servitors--the people mainstream New World history calls the Ancients. This master race was being “perfected” by higher, angelic beings from a planet which is unseen today, and possibly destroyed. Their overthrow by the Ancients is held to have thwarted the process of the spiritual evolution of the human species.

This supposed revelation came to a penniless, drifter (known in the Knight's lore as "The Great Man") from a strange “artifact” found atop a granite monadnock in the South. He began to preach that the granite mount was to be the site of the Temple of Purity, from whence the paradise-on-earth to come would be ruled. But first, the descendants of the peoples holding humanity back would have to be purged.  This included the Natives of the New World, the Black Folk, the giantish hill people, and the Yianese.

Tragically, hard economic times caused more people than might have otherwise to be swayed by the man’s poison pronouncements. Soon, white-robed and hooded Knights-Templar circles were springing up across the South, and brought violence wherever they appeared.

The typical Knights-Templar is not a particularly skilled fighter, though the most fanatical members may sometimes be of the gifted. They view thaumaturgical magic as tainted, and view practioners of those arts as debased and degenerate.  Generally, the knights-templar prefer to let force of numbers and surprise work to their advantage. They seldom attack police or even adventuring groups directly, unless they feel they have the upper hand. They also use their anonymity when outside their hoods and robes to their advantage. Some small towns are virtually controlled by the group, though this is seldom apparent on the surface.

There is some speculation about the mysterious artifact which seems to have led to the group's formation. Self-proclaimed defectors have told authorities that the founding circle has a wizened, severed head, which whispers (sometimes shrilly yells) glossolalic proclamations, which are then interpreted by the High Panjandrum of the Temple as yet more venomous hate.

The Moral Stages of an AD&D Player

My brother was in town last week, and our reflections on our AD&D days of yore led me to think about how the ethical/moral assumptions of our gaming group changed over time--at least, in regard to how what sort of characters we chose to play in AD&D.

Starting out with a background of comic book superheroes, sanitized versions of Arthurian legends, and Tolkien, we tended to play Good characters (except for the odd Druid), because in our mind that’s how heroes were suppose to be. True, the actions demanded of characters can (from some perspectives) create a certain moral disconnect, but we were blissfully on troubled by that.  This era featured a large number of paladins and bards in our group.

Moving into high school, our characters spent more and more time bathed in moral shades of gray. Some of this was getting older and more “sophisticated”--in the sense that high school kids conceive the term. Another part was our influences changed: Conan, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser, and modern movie heroes were the touchstones we drew upon. This was an era where there were few paladins played, but many thieves and barbarians, and the not uncommon assassin. Fairly antisocial acts were common, and downright infamous acts might be committed on occasion.

My assumptions on the next stage rests on less evidence, as my high school group is long disbanded and scattered, so I don’t know how they would have evolved in their character preferences as they moved into adulthood. However, I can say that the late twenty- to forty-somethings I game with now seem to have synthesized both of the previous styles. Characters don’t tend to be paragon’s of virtue--though this is “realistic” given the career paths they tend to follow--but there is little of the outrageous villainy or gleeful antisocial behavior that sometimes showed up in our late teens.

Anybody else see these similar sorts of shifts with time in their gaming? Or maybe different ones?

Warlord Wednesday: The Challenge

Let's re-enter the lost world with another installment of my issue by issue examination of DC Comic's Warlord, the earlier installments of which can be found here...

"The Challenge"

Warlord (vol. 1) #26 (October 1979)

Written and Pencilled by Mike Grell; Inked by Vince Colletta

Synopsis: In the snow-shrouded Mountains of the Sun, a man literally drags himself along with single-minded purpose. It is Chakal, wounded--his right arm nearly amputated by Morgan’s bullet--who pursues the Warlord with a burning hatred and desire for revenge. A crimson-cloaked figure appears in the mists before him and offers him just that. The devil-priest Deimos offers to make Chakal the instrument of his vengeance, in exchange for his oath of allegiance. Chakal quickly swears his oath, and Deimos rewards him by ripping off his useless arm--and applying his magics to the stump...

A dozen leagues away, Morgan and Ashir ride along in their quest for the Eye of Truth. Ashir concedes that he may have exaggerated the ease of obtaining the jewel--the legends say the it will only be acquired after a great test is passed within the temple. Morgan wonders if someone else has already gotten the Eye, but Ashir assures him that’s not possible. He has stolen the medallion, dating from the time of the Sorcerer-Kings, which is said to hold the secret of the Eye.

The two rise higher in the mountains until they sight the Temple of the Sun on a rocky crag. Impulsive Ashir races ahead to claim the prize, but is attacked by a three-headed dragon as soon as he enters the temple’s outer gates. Morgan rides to the rescue and takes out two of the creature’s heads with some fancy shooting, while Ashir dispatches the third with his sword.

The two enter the temple and approach the central altar--and they find it empty! Morgan suggests that somebody beat them to it, but then a large parrot flies down and bids them welcome as “keeper of the key.” Ashir thinks its a demon, but Morgan brushes it off as pet of one the priests just repeating phrases it’s heard.

The parrot’s talk of a key gives Morgan and idea. He realizes the center of the medallion will fit a niche on the altar. He’s able to separate the soft metal piece easily and place it in the niche. Instantly, a glow emanates from the altar, and an image forms within the light.

Morgan is surprised as an eidolon of Tara emerges, accuses him of betrayal, and tells him there is blood on his hands. After the image dissipates, Ashir asks who she was.  Morgan, shaken, doesn’t reply, but instead points out that a new niche is now visible on the altar.

Another fragment of the medallion will fit it, but this time Morgan let’s Ashir place it in. Now it's Ashir who's assailed by phantoms of people of Kaambuka--including his father--who chastize him for abandoning his kingdom and leaving his people leaderless.

A new niche opens, and it's again Morgan’s turn to be tormented by the images--this time of Deimos and the death of Joshua. There are then two pieces left, and Ashir's resolve begins to falter, but a reminder from the parrot of “the great treasure” goads him into again placing a piece, and again been reproved by his father.

To Morgan falls the last fragment, and the last niche. This time Machiste, Mariah, and Tara appear. They all accuse him of one betrayal or another: to the cause he preached, to his friends, and to his mate. They taunt him that the path he walks leads to destruction, and he will face it alone.

When the cruel phantoms fade, the Eye of Truth is finally revealed. It’s not a jewel, but ball of magical energy. The parrot again repeats that one may “step forward into the Eye of Truth” to gain one’s heart’s desire. Morgan decides what his heart desires is a second chance; a chance to start over at the beginning and do it right.

He bids Ashir good-bye. Ashir urges caution: “A fool cannot change destiny and a wise man never tries.” Morgan is determined, though, and steps into the eye...and vanishes.

Ashir has little time to contemplate this as an energy blast whizzes past him. He turns to see Chakal, who now has a energy weapon for a right arm. He announces he’s here to kill Travis Morgan in the name of Deimos.

Morgan, however, is very far away. The Morgan who emerges from Eye of Truth in a primeval forest is a shaggy-haired primitive, armed with a club, and menaced by a likely surprised sabre-tooth tiger.

He did say he wanted to go back to the beginning...

Things to Notice:

• Morgan seems completely unfazed by the cold winds as he travels through snow-covered mountains despite his skimpy outfit.
• Deimos looks more nonhuman/demonic than in his last appearance.  All these deaths must be taking there toll.

Where It Comes From:
Kaambuka, Ashir's home city, likely derives its name from Kambuka (or Kambu) silver, a famous trade product of the Iron Age kingdom of Kamboja, located in what is now Afghanistan.

One wonders if Chakal's gun arm was inspired by the 1978 low-budget science fiction film Laserblast, but there may be more pertinent inspirations in comic books.

Audie Murphy (1925-1971), mentioned by Morgan in this issue when he does he trick riding/shooting, was the most decorated American soldier in World War II, and appeared in 44 feature films after the war, 33 of them Westerns.