The meeting with the Aresian Priest, Ross, has gone spectacularly well. The vase which he wished me to examine is one in a set of three, depicting (though I knew it not at the time) one of Vich Gor'Teerech's many children during the battles of the Third Conquest, when the Conqueror descended from the frozen expanses of the northern pole, sailing with his armies down the Styx on chthonic ships. Ugyone and Vichin alike fought in that war, battling the Gods of Asgard, driving them south for a time, reaching as far as the Mediterranean! Were it not for Mars, who is now called Ares, having been released from the Prison of Aijorluk, and the inauspicious reawakening of Dread Cthulhu, Earth would be ruled by the Outer Gods!
But, I digress again. The History of the War, fascinating as it may be, is only a minor footnote to today's discovery - one of the Vichin, the daughters of Vich Gor'Teerech, is here, slumbering still on earth! It seems that some foul sorcery of the Chaos Circle wounded this daughter of conquest, forcing her into hibernation. The worshipers of Mars, perhaps unaware of the significance of their find, had kept the vessel in which the Vichin rested within their very Temple, where she rested and grew strong once more.
I am familiar with the proper rites to awaken the spirit, but I am not yet prepared to perform them. An altar must be made, and research must be conducted into the status of the various Realms in order to discern the most auspicious mixture for the altar's mystic flame. A staff and a robe are both required, of course, and the proper sacrifices and reagents obtained. But, perhaps the greatest obstacle will be the Gods themselves - Aijorluk will not look well on His priest invoking the name of Minerva, even if to revive his own half-Olympian grandchild...
There is also the matter of the twin vases still outside my grasp. The one held by Ross is of little consequence - it is held by a fellow priest, if a heretical one, and I have no doubt that he can be... compelled to surrender it once I obtain the other two. It is those other two which concern me rather, for they are held by the Chaos Circle in Cambridge, hidden away. I will have to make a day of scouting the place out. Discover where the vase is being held, what guards it, their hours and strength. Perhaps I can convince my new associates to lend aid? Though I doubt Fredric or Thorton would be interested without a bounty that I can ill afford being placed, but perhaps Vortanna could be convinced? It is clear to me from her visions and inexplicable powers that she has some manner of divine blessing or heritage, and her spells of invisibility may be of some use. But she had been bitten by that snake... Perhaps only for the mission itself, once she is recovered. The preparations will take at least that long.
I must pray for guidance, and carefully consider the Will of Heaven. How shall I obtain the other two vases? What can be done to avert Aijorluk's wrath, or else to strengthen myself that I might survive His punishment with my sanity intact? But first, I must rest, for tomorrow, there will be battle, the screaming of my enemies and the spilling of their blood.
FRONT COVER:
[[See attached picture. Should be an elephant-man standing on a globe. Text goes below.]]
The Conqueror Comes! Are you ready to face him? The Dreaming Master in Heaven, Vich Gor'Teerech, even now prepares for his Fourth Conquest of Earth. When he arrives, those that bow down before him will be exalted with life eternal and power beyond their wildest dreams, while those that resist shall be struck down or enslaved. Now is the time to prepare for His arrival!
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FIRST INSIDE PAGE:
A Brief History of War
Thrice before has the Conqueror come to Earth. From the accounts of these invasions, we may know what to expect of Him and His armies when they arrive.
The First Conquest
It was in the Neolithic age when the Conqueror first arrived on Earth, descending from the heavens in what is now the Paropamisus Mountains in Northern India. There He established a great fortress beneath the Earth and prepared Himself for war. As the tiger-like Ugyone bred and welcomed local humans into their numbers, Vich Gor'Teerech reached out in His dreams to find a terrestrial ally, one willing to aid Him in His designs for Earth. A willing mind was found - the Olympian Athena, most well known in modern times as being a Goddess of the Greek and Roman Pantheons. Together They marched on the West, taking much of Europe and Asia before the power of Zeus turned their armies aside and convinced Athena to forsake the Conqueror's cause. Vich Gor'Teerech was forced to retreat to his fortress on the Indian continent, and regather his forces.
From this we discern three facts of great importance:
-Firstly, that Vich Gor'Teerech reaches out to His followers and allies through their dreams, and that to refuse to dream is to forsake the Conqueror. Only through regular sleep and nightly prayer can commandments from Vich Gor'Teerech be heard and obeyed.
-Secondly, that the Conqueror is willing to accept earthly allies in His Conquest, so long as they are loyal. Such allies, if sufficiently faithful, may be rewarded by receiving a position of power within His armies, or by being transformed into an immortal being of great power.
-Finally, that the might of the Conqueror is great enough that, only by the combined powers of the Olympians, their mortal servants and the might Zeus Himself, could He be turned aside. In our current, Godless age, there is no hope that Vich Gor'Teerech will be turned away yet again.
The Second Conquest
Some three hundred years before the founding of Rome, just after the conclusion of the Trojan War, the Second Conquest of Earth began in earnest. After His defeat at the hand of Zeus, Vich Gor'Teerech set to work in creating new spells and weapons which would allow Him to best the Olympians. Such dark and terrible things will not be spoken of here, save that their creation drew the attention of Father Aijorluk, that dread cosmic entity which spawned Vich Gor'Teerech. As the Conqueror's armies marched westward once more to meet the forces of Athena, the Jealous One watched on with disgust as fully half of the Conqueror's children by the Olympian Goddess turned against their Father and Master. So it is that, on the very verge of final victory on Earth, Vich Gor'Teerech was diverted from Conquest by His rage, not against His foes, but against Father Aijorluk, who took it upon Himself to attack the Olympians, including the beautiful Athena, for whom the Conqueror still held great desire, and attempt to imprison Them within a dreadful prison of burning ice. In the subsequent war between Aijorluk and Vich Gor'Teerech, the forces required to take Earth were diverted to fight in Heaven, rather than on Earth, and the majority of the Conqueror's earthly supplies and possessions were hidden away, in preparation for His triumphant return.
(Continued on page 2)
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SECOND INSIDE PAGE:
(Continued from page 1)
From this we learn a further two facts regarding the Conqueror:
-That to Vich Gor'Teerech, a fierce foe is a thing to be savored, not shunned. In their inevitable defeat, the foes of the Conqueror should be given one final chance to surrender and bow down before their betters. Such mercy will be shown on Earth, when the Fourth Conquest arrives.
-That the Conqueror knows well the value of preparation, of strategy and hidden reserves. One may honor Him by making caches with which to survive the upcoming conflict, and to offer up to His legions when they march upon your homeland.
The Third Conquest
At the turn of the 11th Century, the Third Conquest of Earth began, not in India, but in the North. It is thought that the Great Glass Citadel, built by the Conqueror during the First Conquest, was destroyed during the Glass Rebellion, or otherwise rendered unfit a route for Him to enter this world through. Thus, a group of faithful servants of the Conqueror, guided by Him in their dreams, made their way across to sea to the polar expanses North America continent. There they conducted a great ritual to breach a cavern leading to one of the most northerly banks of the River Styx, thus allowing for a small army of Ugyone to return swiftly to Earth. From there, the forces of the Conqueror sailed around the world in chthonic ships, seizing towns and cities all across the northern hemisphere. The Sons of Asgard were driven south in Europe, while the Dragons and sorcerers of the Song Dynasty were defeated on the Asiatic front. If not for the reawakening of Dread Cthulhu in the Southern Seas, and a simultaneous attack on the Prison of Ares in Sparta by the Asgardians, it is certain that Vich Gor'Teerech would have taken the whole world as His domain.
From this we learn but a single vital truth:
-With each conquest, the fraction of the world taken, the strength of the Conqueror's hold and improbability of the circumstances leading to the Conqueror's defeat grows ever greater, while the time until the next Conquest grows ever shorter. By the Fourth or Fifth conquest, nothing shall remain that is able to stand against the might of the Eternal Master, Vich Gor'Teerech.
How to Convert
At this point, you will undoubtedly be asking yourself: "If there is no hope of defeating Vich Gor'Teerech, and only suffering and death in resistance, how can I convert to His worship? What should I pray and where should I attend His church?"
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to convert, as there is with other religions - in realms, there is no temple on the corner where you can speak with a priest, no public worship to partake it, no holy text to read. On Earth, by ancient decree, His temples are to be hidden away from unenlightened eyes and His priests are to live among the people in obscurity, never revealing the greater secrets of the cosmos to those yet unknowing. Only the Elect, who are fated to be elevated above their fellow man and to see that which others do not, and those fortunate enough to witness one of the Conquests within their lifetime will have the opportunity to convert. For them, the process of conversion is simplicity itself - one need only kneel before Vich Gor'Teerech, or any of His earthly representatives, hold your hands behind your head and proclaim your surrender to the Conqueror. A weapon will be held to your throat, for conversion comes only by the sword, and you will be instructed to recite the Oath of Conversion, which is as follows:
"I am defeated, and beg the Conqueror to have mercy upon me.
I am dying, and beg that the Conqueror restore me to life.
I am unready, and beg that the Conqueror prepare me for battle.
I am impious, and beg that the Conqueror allow me to repent."
If your words ring true, your oath will be accepted and your piety welcomed, else, you will be put to death, for the crime of lying before the Gods. The one who took your oath will be responsible for your instruction and command - heed their orders as you would those of the Conqueror Himself.
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BACK COVER:
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