The First Interbellum (1918-1939)

Johnny1A.2 · 02-19-2012, 08:18 PM

LATER.

Still, the reactions of the Rhaemyi were complex. Though they most certainly did
remember, as an organization, what the Unity was, that remembrance was
in the form of ancient records handed down through many thousands of years and
close to one hundred generations, even with the long lifespan some Rhaemyi
managed to achieve (those who did not die violently, that is). To discover that
this ancient legend, this threat spoken of in history lessons and old stories, was an
extant reality in the modern world, came as a profound shock to many of the order.

For Zadatharion and Aradel (and a few of their compatriots), the Unity was an old
enemy unexpectedly returned. The Avatars could remember the Unity, from
the Antediluvian Age. Though that time was long passed, the fear and horror that
the return of the Unity produced in the Avatars was based on personal experience.
For the later generations of the Rhaemyi, it was the fear of an old legend suddenly
made real and immediate. This was a different kind of fear and a different horror.

Still, the Rhaemyi, by the fifteenth century A.D. had come to see themselves as the
guardians of the human race, rose to the challenge as best they could, and as time
passed that ‘best’ became quite impressive. Old records were removed from their
ancient libraries and closely studied for clues about their returned enemy. They
compared notes with Zadatharion and Aradel. Their agents around the world were
warned to be on the watch, and information began to accumulate in the hidden
bases and safe houses from which the Invisible Order operated. [1]

Ironically, because the Unity had forgotten much of what it had once known, due
to the nature of its survival of the Downfall, the Rhaemyi retained some knowledge
about the ancient Unity that the Unity itself no longer possessed. The Rhaemyi
libraries contained texts and records that were carefully preserved down the ages,
and now they were exhumed and studied again.

Over the course of the passing centuries, the Rhaemyi became a problem for the
Unity, ranging in severity from serious nuisance to major threat as time passed.
The Unity fought back, of course, on ongoing secret war in which neither side
was able to pin down and destroy the other. Like two men fighting in total
darkness, each side was forced to strike without clear knowledge of what they
struck against or where the enemy was even to be found.

By the time of the Great War, the Rhaemyi had generations of experience in the
fight against the modern incarnation of the Unity. The Rhaemyi worked behind
the scenes during the Great War to hinder the Unity as they could, which meant
that they were usually working toward the same general interests as the Entente
powers. Usually meant just that, there were exceptions, just as the Unity itself
did not always act in the interest of the Central Powers within which it primarily
hid itself. Neither side dominated the Great War, however, the shadow war did
determine the open war, it remained in the shadow.

One person the Rhaemyi were always especially interested in capturing (ideally)
or killing (if they could manage it) was Karl Jurgensen. They did not know that
this was his name until decades after he became the chief of the agents of the
Unity, but even once they had his name, cornering him was quite another matter.
Rhaemyi operatives came close to killing him on several occasions, but in each
case Jurgensen succeeded in either escaping or turning the tables. He had proven
to be a particularly troublesome enemy. [2]

By the time the events in Chicago in 1925 began to come to a head, the Rhaemyi
were already aware that Jurgensen was in Chicago. Their own intelligence
sources were good enough that they had been able to track their enemy that far,
though belatedly. Jurgensen had already been in Chicago for over six weeks by
the time the Rhaemyi worked out that he was there. Still, once they tracked him
there, they activated their assets stationed in the Windy City and sent in others,
and quickly began to realize that whatever Jurgensen was doing, it was complex.

They found that Jurgensen had brought in many more people of his own than they
initially expected, including some they knew to be high level operatives. As their
own personnel probed and observed, they realized that Jurgensen was also now
spending money at a high rate, making purchases that seemed rather strange, such
as a cabin cruiser, a very expensive Chris-Kraft runabout, hundreds of meters of
pipe, and numerous other items that seemed strange.

The priority this entire business was assigned by the Rhaemyi rose further when
they learned that Zadatharion had taken a personal interest as well.

MORE LATER.

[1] The Rhaemyi were known by many names and monikers to those who
were aware of their existence over the millennia. They sometimes referred to
themselves as the Invisible Order after the Fifteenth Century A.D.

[2] The preference for capture was not because the Rhaemyi were averse
to killing as such. They were quite ruthless when they felt it necessary, but they
were also aware that live prisoners tended to provide better information when
interrogated, and Jurgensen would have been an intelligence ‘gold mine’.

02-19-2012, 08:18 PM	#34
Johnny1A.2 Join Date: Feb 2007	Re: The First Interbellum (1918-1939) LATER. Still, the reactions of the Rhaemyi were complex. Though they most certainly did remember, as an organization, what the Unity was, that remembrance was in the form of ancient records handed down through many thousands of years and close to one hundred generations, even with the long lifespan some Rhaemyi managed to achieve (those who did not die violently, that is). To discover that this ancient legend, this threat spoken of in history lessons and old stories, was an extant reality in the modern world, came as a profound shock to many of the order. For Zadatharion and Aradel (and a few of their compatriots), the Unity was an old enemy unexpectedly returned. The Avatars could remember the Unity, from the Antediluvian Age. Though that time was long passed, the fear and horror that the return of the Unity produced in the Avatars was based on personal experience. For the later generations of the Rhaemyi, it was the fear of an old legend suddenly made real and immediate. This was a different kind of fear and a different horror. Still, the Rhaemyi, by the fifteenth century A.D. had come to see themselves as the guardians of the human race, rose to the challenge as best they could, and as time passed that ‘best’ became quite impressive. Old records were removed from their ancient libraries and closely studied for clues about their returned enemy. They compared notes with Zadatharion and Aradel. Their agents around the world were warned to be on the watch, and information began to accumulate in the hidden bases and safe houses from which the Invisible Order operated. [1] Ironically, because the Unity had forgotten much of what it had once known, due to the nature of its survival of the Downfall, the Rhaemyi retained some knowledge about the ancient Unity that the Unity itself no longer possessed. The Rhaemyi libraries contained texts and records that were carefully preserved down the ages, and now they were exhumed and studied again. Over the course of the passing centuries, the Rhaemyi became a problem for the Unity, ranging in severity from serious nuisance to major threat as time passed. The Unity fought back, of course, on ongoing secret war in which neither side was able to pin down and destroy the other. Like two men fighting in total darkness, each side was forced to strike without clear knowledge of what they struck against or where the enemy was even to be found. By the time of the Great War, the Rhaemyi had generations of experience in the fight against the modern incarnation of the Unity. The Rhaemyi worked behind the scenes during the Great War to hinder the Unity as they could, which meant that they were usually working toward the same general interests as the Entente powers. Usually meant just that, there were exceptions, just as the Unity itself did not always act in the interest of the Central Powers within which it primarily hid itself. Neither side dominated the Great War, however, the shadow war did determine the open war, it remained in the shadow. One person the Rhaemyi were always especially interested in capturing (ideally) or killing (if they could manage it) was Karl Jurgensen. They did not know that this was his name until decades after he became the chief of the agents of the Unity, but even once they had his name, cornering him was quite another matter. Rhaemyi operatives came close to killing him on several occasions, but in each case Jurgensen succeeded in either escaping or turning the tables. He had proven to be a particularly troublesome enemy. [2] By the time the events in Chicago in 1925 began to come to a head, the Rhaemyi were already aware that Jurgensen was in Chicago. Their own intelligence sources were good enough that they had been able to track their enemy that far, though belatedly. Jurgensen had already been in Chicago for over six weeks by the time the Rhaemyi worked out that he was there. Still, once they tracked him there, they activated their assets stationed in the Windy City and sent in others, and quickly began to realize that whatever Jurgensen was doing, it was complex. They found that Jurgensen had brought in many more people of his own than they initially expected, including some they knew to be high level operatives. As their own personnel probed and observed, they realized that Jurgensen was also now spending money at a high rate, making purchases that seemed rather strange, such as a cabin cruiser, a very expensive Chris-Kraft runabout, hundreds of meters of pipe, and numerous other items that seemed strange. The priority this entire business was assigned by the Rhaemyi rose further when they learned that Zadatharion had taken a personal interest as well. MORE LATER. [1] The Rhaemyi were known by many names and monikers to those who were aware of their existence over the millennia. They sometimes referred to themselves as the Invisible Order after the Fifteenth Century A.D. [2] The preference for capture was not because the Rhaemyi were averse to killing as such. They were quite ruthless when they felt it necessary, but they were also aware that live prisoners tended to provide better information when interrogated, and Jurgensen would have been an intelligence ‘gold mine’.