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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 4739188" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><u><strong>Chapter Fifteen, “The Real Story” September 1st, 1882, 7:30 P.M.</strong></u></p><p></p><p>Once people are settled in James says, “Welcome. By now you have all had an opportunity to become acquainted with one another. I will still need some more time to conduct further research with items and information that Lawrence, Roy and Thomas have provided, but I can tell you some of what this is about now. What I have to share with you will need to be in the strictest confidence. Upon the conclusion of this discussion now I will ask each of you if you wish to joint the AGELESS Corporation as a paid employee, just as I will ask you again tomorrow after you have even more details. You are under no obligation to agree to this. </p><p></p><p>However, should you decline the offer I will ask that you consume some of this beverage,” as he raises the decanter. “It contains an Elixir of Forgetfulness. For each ounce consumed you will have no memories of the preceding hour. I will then make you an alternative employment offer. This would be to not join our group but to instead work as an occasional consultant with the Timucuan Conservancy with emphasis on the Native American aspects of this project only. If those terms are agreeable to each of you we will continue.” Abigail heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I was already getting a bit tired of tip-toeing around one of my talents."</p><p></p><p>Ruby asks, "Being this.... paid employee... is that a full time job?" Ruby's eyes went to George, knowing he would not want to abandon his photography business completely. If that was the case, they would need to discuss whether she would join without him, or not. James replies, "Probably not, except for the five of us who are the corporate officers. We five will need to be involved in both the commercial and scholarly exploration elements of the corporation. The remainder of you will just be needed for the scholarly side, which I envision to be occasional missions that not all of you would be needed for each time." </p><p></p><p>"I can't imagine turning down anything having to do with Atlantis, but I assure you I understand the terms. And the need for secrecy. You are quite open about the use of a magical elixir among this group," Abigail finished. James says, "Each of you have no qualms about the use of wizard magics, that is part of why each of you were selected for this invitation. So, if any of you have objections to consuming the Elixir of Forgetfulness should you decline the offer now it the time to express that." </p><p></p><p>"I can't imagine passing up any opportunity for knowledge and truth," Thomas replies, "and I assure you I would not be here if I did not trust you implicitly, Parker, with both my life and my soul. You have my bona fides without reservation." Roy exclaims, "After all the shi-er-stuff we've been through together Mr. Parker, you should know I'm in whatever the mission is." </p><p></p><p>Hearing no objections from anybody, James continues. “I have always believed in ‘hiding in plain sight’, with the best way to keep something secretive is to appear to make it public. Thus, we are set up here as a historical archaeological site with a corporate sponsor as our financial benefactor and affiliated with an institution of higher learning. However, that is just our cover story, albeit a variation on the truth. In reality, we are here for a very different archaeological mission, with a different corporate sponsor and a different educational affiliation." Ruby prompts, "And that mission is...?" </p><p></p><p>Lawrence leans forward in his chair and says, "Do tell, James. A bit more of the cloak-and-dagger game? It makes sense, what with you asking me here." James continues, “Most of you know me. I am a patriotic American, as were my relatives. Captain John Parker, who led the American Militia at the first Revolutionary War battle of Lexington Green, was my cousin. My father worked with George Washington and the founding fathers to establish the Continental Navy during the American Revolution. And when I was a young man I enlisted in the United States Navy and served as an officer aboard a warship during a key battle earlier in this century. </p><p></p><p>During the American Civil War I was again called into service. I was put in charge of forming and leading a team of undercover operatives for the United States. Our primary mission was to keep wizard magic from the Confederacy. We did this by infiltrating the south and doing whatever it took to prevent wizard magic from falling into Confederate hands. Due to the fact that we ourselves used illegal wizard magic to accomplish this my tean reported to the more expendable Postmaster General Montgomery Blair. That gave Secretary of War Stanton and President Lincoln plausible deniability in the event that we were caught. </p><p></p><p>The Civil War team was a group of fourteen, comprised of ten men and four women. We were mostly successful in our efforts and twelve of us survived the war. Six of us assembled here today, myself, Lawrence, Roy, Sol, Thomas and Wilamina were participants in that endeavor. Well, I am sorry to have to say this, but the world is at war again. This one, however, has been for the most part a secret war, the key governments involved not wanting to bring it to the attention of nations not already directly involved or highlight the fact that it re-ignites the conflict between wizard and clerical magics. This war is being fought on the world stage, with the prize being the very secrets of Atlantis itself. The players to date have been England, France, Spain, Portugal and the United States. </p><p></p><p>Doctor Chernoviz and I have decided to actively engage in this conflict, and I realized that another large team would be needed. The team make-up of fourteen worked well last time, so I thought to duplicate that configuration this time. That is why you have each been asked to come here. The United States government’s role in this conflict has been defensive in nature, and they are in no way sponsoring our group’s efforts, nor do they have any actual knowledge of what we have in mind." </p><p></p><p>Abigail interjects, "There was a story in the Times Picayune, last March I think. Does this have anything to do with that island that appeared and the British ship that found it?" Feeling somewhat left out of all this yammering about magic and geopolitics, Fish offers rather quietly, "I'm pretty good at 'finding' things..." "I have every faith in your ability to find whatever it is you're looking for," Abby teased.</p><p></p><p>Luiz says, "Yes, that is this article. As James indicated, this is about the Lost Continent of Atlantis. According to two of the three volumes written by Homer, Atlantis sank into the sea as a result of a shifting of the continental plates, which changed the entire landscape of the Atlantic Ocean. By the best scholarly accounts, this occurred approximately 2,735 years ago, plus or minus twenty years." James adds, "And that was where the sunken island remained until half-a-year ago." </p><p></p><p>Luiz states, "This newspaper story was printed on Monday, March 13, 1882 in the New Orleans Times Picayune newspaper under the heading “Mystery at Sea”. It reads as follows:</p><p></p><p><em>The British merchant ship, the S.S. Jesmond, made an unscheduled stop in its journey on its way to our city. It had departed from Messina, Sicily with a cargo of dried fruits on February 26th. When the ship reached an area 200 miles west of Madeira and 200 miles south of the Azores they noted that the ocean had become unusually muddy and that the vessel was passing through enormous shoals of dead fish. The ship's Captain David Robson then saw smoke on the horizon, which he presumed, came from another ship. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>The next day the fish shoals were even thicker and the smoke on the horizon seemed to be coming from the mountains on an island directly to the west, where, according to the charts, there was no land for thousands of miles. Captain Robson anchored offshore, worried that reefs surrounded this uncharted island. Even though the charts indicated an area depth of several thousand fathoms, the anchor hit bottom at only seven fathoms.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Robson went ashore with a landing party and found a large island with no vegetation, no trees, no sandy beaches, bare of all life. The shore they landed on was covered with volcanic debris. With no trees they could easily see a plateau beginning several miles away and smoking mountains beyond that. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>They headed toward the interior in direction of the mountains but found that progress was interrupted by a series of deep chasms. To get to the interior would have taken days. They returned to their landing point and examined a broken cliff, part of which seemed to have been split into a mass of loose gravel as if it had recently been subjected to great force. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>The sailors then found an arrowhead in the broken rock, and Captain Robson send for picks and shovels form the ship so that the crew could dig into the gravel. He and his crew soon uncovered crumbling remains of massive walls. They continued to dig near the walls for better part of two days, finding bronze swords, rings, mallets, carvings of head figures of birds and animals, and two vases or jars with fragments of bone, and one cranium.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Then they found what appeared to be a mummy enclosed in a stone case, encrusted with volcanic deposit so as to be scarcely distinguished form the rock itself. The rock sarcophagus aboard the Jesmond as dark clouds began to roll in off of the horizon, and Robson resumed his course. This reporter has examined the artifacts and they appear to be authentic. Robson's plans to donate the artifacts to the British Museum upon his return to England."</em></p><p></p><p>James says, “Not only do we believe that all or part of Atlantis rose to the surface, but the leaders of the wizard-magic nations of France and Spain both believed it as well, to the point that they were willing to risk war against both England and the United States in order to obtain those artifacts." Abigail comments, "They've taken some kind of action? It must have been incredibly circumspect." Roy says, "We're talking about France and Spain, here. Neither country is exactly known for its patience." </p><p></p><p>James says, "No, the actions were just not publicized. There were four attacks on American soil and one in American waters. Upon receiving telegrams of the newspaper story the Spanish King Alfonso XII ordered Spanish warships to New Orleans to capture the British ship S.S. Jesmond. At dawn on Thursday, March 16th, in what was clearly an act of war, two squadrons Spanish soldiers boarded the docked ship, killing its crew and several New Orleans policemen. They stole the vessel and reached the Gulf of Mexico where two other Spanish warships joined them. </p><p></p><p>On Saturday, March 18th, fifty miles south of Key West, Florida a small armada of British and United States vessels attempted to recapture the Jesmond and a battle followed. The Jesmond was sunk, as were both Spanish ships and the USS Radcliff, an American frigate. Over one hundred Spaniards drown and another sixty were taken prisoner. The combined American and British casualties were light, four dead and fifteen wounded. All three governments have kept the conflict a secret, lest the seas be filled with treasure seekers. Navy divers on the Jesmond have found no evidence of the artifacts, nor are they about the Spanish ships. The Spanish prisoners claim that there were no artifacts on board the Jesmond. </p><p></p><p>As to where the artifacts have gone, the French Government believed them to have been removed from the Jesmond the night before the Spanish attack. They believed that the artifacts were being transported westward by train, and also committed acts of war on United States soil to try to obtain them. "Ah ha!" thinks Fish to himself, "I am good at finding things!" Should anyone glance Ben's direction at that moment, they see his grin broaden into a wide, self-satisfied smile. "Now it's all beginning to make sense!" he thinks. "I have reason to believe that not all the artifacts left the port of New Orleans..." says Fish out loud. </p><p></p><p>Lawrence asks, "Fish, how do you know that?" Thomas looks up, surprised, and then smiles as he considers how Fish might know. "Oh ho, Fish! By all means, do tell!" Fish replies, "It just so happens that I'm acquainted with a coin collector in The Big Easy. He's a very curious fellow -- and by that, I mean both that I find him very curious (personally and professionally), and that he himself dabbles in many a different endeavor, collecting exotic art and rare precious stones and antique coins and obscure manuscripts. I couldn't begin to tell you how many intellectual pursuits that man chases!" Fish blushes (although you'd have to be awful perceptive to see through the false modesty!). </p><p></p><p>"I've actually worked for the fellow. I've been in his home. Last I was there, I overheard him dictating a message to a courier -- something about meeting with a 'Captain Robson.' I doubt very much that he knew I'd heard him. I had cause to stop by his manor early the next morning. I can tell you with complete confidence that he took delivery of something from this Captain Robson!" </p><p></p><p>Lawrence asks, "How big was the package? Where is this collector's home?" Fish replies, "Perhaps I should qualify my remarks, Mr. Cantrell: I don't know the whereabouts of all the swag that was sitting in the Jesmond's hold, but I can tell you that something of apparently great value to Sir Guilleault was delivered to his manor from Captain Robson shortly before his ship left port."</p><p></p><p>"The courier arrived with a satchel slung over his shoulder. His gait told me that the package had some heft, but he certainly wasn't limping from its weight. Guilleault's manor sits on St. Charles Avenue, overlooking Tulane and Loyola Universities to the north and Audubon Park to the south. There's a great little pub just around the corner called The Coraline. Why do you ask?"</p><p></p><p>James says, "What Benjamin is refering to is an exiled French Arch Mage Andre Marc Guilleault, who now resides here in the United States, in New Orleans. It is rumored that Guilleault was the one that was responsible for secretly removing the Atlantean artifacts from the S.S. Jesmond last March and placing them upon a westbound train. We believe that he no longer has any contact with those objects, although where they are now remains a mystery. </p><p></p><p>Since March, Guilleault has been investigating leads regarding the Atlantians. He was the first one to began looking into the Timucuan people as a possible link. Establishing this Conservancy should keep him from investigating that avenue any further.” Glancing in Fish’s direction James then adds, “And as of now any Timucuan-related objects that were in Guilleault’s possession have since been commandeered......and are now available again for our review.” </p><p></p><p>Now continuing with the tale. On Friday, March 17th a motorized cigar-shaped hot air balloon carrying a dozen soldiers of the French Foreign Legion crossed the Mexican border in to Texas and attacked the moving train as it neared El Paso. It was only due to the quick actions of United States Army at El Paso that the train was defended. </p><p></p><p>Then on Sunday, March 19th another battle took place on United States soil, in Hidalgo County of the New Mexico Territory. Approximately three-dozen soldiers of the French Foreign Legion fought against United States Army troops. The Army defeated them without taking any casualties, and captured both of the French officers including the commanding General. The General claimed he was after stolen French artifacts that were being transported across the desert. And finally in mid-June there was a conflict of some sort at a the border town of Naco in the Arizona Territory, where some French wizards were killed on the United States side of the border and their bodies and possessions were confiscated by the Army at Fort Hucucuca. No further details of that incident are known." </p><p></p><p>"I am shocked, completely shocked by this," Thomas says. "For France or Spain to act so brazenly, so overtly, they must truly believe that there is some incredible power to be had in the obtaining of these artifacts. For them to risk all-out war with the United States or Great Britain, I can only assume that they believe that whatever secrets of Atlantis these items hold or can lead to will alter the balance of power worldwide." Thomas pauses, looking down at the table in contemplation. "This is grim stuff, Parker, grim stuff indeed." </p><p></p><p>James says, "Oh, there's more. We haven't even gotten to Portugal's involvement yet. Shortly after this newspaper story appeared King Louis I of Portugal had dispatched his entire Navy to the location mentioned in the newspaper article. When they reached that point they found muddy water and dead fish but no evidence of an island. Depth measures were taken, indicating the ocean floor was thousands of fathoms below. </p><p></p><p>The French and Spanish navies arrived shortly thereafter, and the only reason that a great battle didn’t follow was because there was nothing physically there to fight over. The French and Spanish eventually retreated, as the closest land was the Azore Islands, which are owned by Portugal, so the Portuguese have the strongest claim to those waters. Half of the Portuguese fleet returned to Europe, with the remaining still investigating the waters where the island was reported to have appeared </p><p></p><p>And King Louis himself has now personally been overseeing the situation. This is not altogether surprising, as King Louis has always had a passion for Oceanography, with the disturbance of the waters of that area leading to the discovery of several new aquatic specimens that had not been part of his collection. King Louis is also a friend of mine and actually invited me to join him in exploring these oceans. While I have presently declined his invitation, that is an avenue potentially left open to us in the future. </p><p></p><p>So Portugal’s efforts are centered on that one section of Ocean. Spain appears to have temporarily withdrawn from this conflict. England officially has as well, although they are still seeking reparations through diplomatic channels from Spain for the Jesmond. </p><p></p><p>France’s government however continues to be a problem. France’s government has been in a state of confusion and disarray all year. Their previous Government fell in a bloodless coup last January led by the druidic high priestess Louise Michael. A committee comprised of political rivals now rules the country. </p><p></p><p>The situation among these people has been so precarious that they have created more chaos than order. Several of these politicians each hoped to get their hands upon the Atlantian artifacts in order to strengthen their own control and rise to individual leadership of the government. The most aggressive of these individuals is General Jacquet LaFlame, who controls the forces of the French Foreign Legion. And he's already proven that territorial boundries mean nothing to him." </p><p></p><p>"So are we going after these artifacts or the Island of Atlantis or both?" Ruby asks casually. Lawrence says, "My dear, I suspect we're going to rescue Atlantis's treasures from our European friends. Our talents would be wasted in claiming the island for the US. By the way James, did the English claim the island for Victoria?" James replies, “There is no record of them having done so.”</p><p></p><p>Abigail states, "This question might be before its time but I'm going to ask anyway. Mr. Parker, what is our ultimate goal here? Beside the desire to know... the connections between the Timucan and Atlantis, what happened to these artifacts... I share the desire to know. But what are we going to do with that knowledge? Much as I would love to learn and advance my skills from the knowledge of Atlantis that knowledge set loose on the world would cause chaos." </p><p></p><p>James says, "It is exactly because of the return of Atlantis and potential of Atlantian objects being around that we must act, to prevent the world from going to war. </p><p></p><p>Our real problem isn’t from the governments, but from powerful individauls who are now actively seeking the Atlantians independent of their governments. I’ve already mentioned the French wizard Guillieult. Another group searching is an English faction known as the Hellfire Club, who deal with both arcane magic and the supernatural. They are headed by Alister Crowley, an evil wizard and megalomanic who seeks to find and use the Atlantian artifacts to control those around him. </p><p></p><p>However, our greatest potential competitors and rivals are a independent team of French adventurers. I found out about this group quite by accident, as my son overheared a stray comment made by his best friend, whose nephew has apparently joined this team. Through survelience on that nephew, we have been able to learn the specific identities of three other team members. Interestingly enough, all four of them are members of a very exclusive association of French wizards."</p><p></p><p>Luiz states, “We presume that the this private wizard’s club is the sponsor of this rival team and that all of the other members of that team also belong to this wizarding group. They are informally known in mage circles as the ‘Weekly Wizards’, as they possess a powerful artifact that prolongs age and confers good health. To gain this benefit the artifact each wizard must remain in sole possession of the artifact for at least one week a year, thus this group limits itself to fifty-two members.</p><p></p><p>Luiz takes out a sheet of paper from his suit jacket pocket. He says, "I have here a current roster of all fifty-two members of the wizard society. They are a formidable group, comprising France’s top inventors, engineers, mathematicians, scientists, artists and writers. Given the abilities and resources available to them, if they have dedicated themselves to discovering the secrets of Atlantis, then is it only a matter of time until that they accomplish that.” </p><p></p><p>James states, “So that is the primary reason that why Luiz and I have founded this Adventurer’s Guild of Exemplary and Legendary Explorers, Scientists and Scholars. We are in a race, a world-wide scavenger hunt, to unearth the lost and hidden knowledge and keep the world at peace. My friends, this is a contest that I intend to win! So, my question is, will you join us?"</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 4739188, member: 8530"] [U][B]Chapter Fifteen, “The Real Story” September 1st, 1882, 7:30 P.M.[/B][/U] Once people are settled in James says, “Welcome. By now you have all had an opportunity to become acquainted with one another. I will still need some more time to conduct further research with items and information that Lawrence, Roy and Thomas have provided, but I can tell you some of what this is about now. What I have to share with you will need to be in the strictest confidence. Upon the conclusion of this discussion now I will ask each of you if you wish to joint the AGELESS Corporation as a paid employee, just as I will ask you again tomorrow after you have even more details. You are under no obligation to agree to this. However, should you decline the offer I will ask that you consume some of this beverage,” as he raises the decanter. “It contains an Elixir of Forgetfulness. For each ounce consumed you will have no memories of the preceding hour. I will then make you an alternative employment offer. This would be to not join our group but to instead work as an occasional consultant with the Timucuan Conservancy with emphasis on the Native American aspects of this project only. If those terms are agreeable to each of you we will continue.” Abigail heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I was already getting a bit tired of tip-toeing around one of my talents." Ruby asks, "Being this.... paid employee... is that a full time job?" Ruby's eyes went to George, knowing he would not want to abandon his photography business completely. If that was the case, they would need to discuss whether she would join without him, or not. James replies, "Probably not, except for the five of us who are the corporate officers. We five will need to be involved in both the commercial and scholarly exploration elements of the corporation. The remainder of you will just be needed for the scholarly side, which I envision to be occasional missions that not all of you would be needed for each time." "I can't imagine turning down anything having to do with Atlantis, but I assure you I understand the terms. And the need for secrecy. You are quite open about the use of a magical elixir among this group," Abigail finished. James says, "Each of you have no qualms about the use of wizard magics, that is part of why each of you were selected for this invitation. So, if any of you have objections to consuming the Elixir of Forgetfulness should you decline the offer now it the time to express that." "I can't imagine passing up any opportunity for knowledge and truth," Thomas replies, "and I assure you I would not be here if I did not trust you implicitly, Parker, with both my life and my soul. You have my bona fides without reservation." Roy exclaims, "After all the shi-er-stuff we've been through together Mr. Parker, you should know I'm in whatever the mission is." Hearing no objections from anybody, James continues. “I have always believed in ‘hiding in plain sight’, with the best way to keep something secretive is to appear to make it public. Thus, we are set up here as a historical archaeological site with a corporate sponsor as our financial benefactor and affiliated with an institution of higher learning. However, that is just our cover story, albeit a variation on the truth. In reality, we are here for a very different archaeological mission, with a different corporate sponsor and a different educational affiliation." Ruby prompts, "And that mission is...?" Lawrence leans forward in his chair and says, "Do tell, James. A bit more of the cloak-and-dagger game? It makes sense, what with you asking me here." James continues, “Most of you know me. I am a patriotic American, as were my relatives. Captain John Parker, who led the American Militia at the first Revolutionary War battle of Lexington Green, was my cousin. My father worked with George Washington and the founding fathers to establish the Continental Navy during the American Revolution. And when I was a young man I enlisted in the United States Navy and served as an officer aboard a warship during a key battle earlier in this century. During the American Civil War I was again called into service. I was put in charge of forming and leading a team of undercover operatives for the United States. Our primary mission was to keep wizard magic from the Confederacy. We did this by infiltrating the south and doing whatever it took to prevent wizard magic from falling into Confederate hands. Due to the fact that we ourselves used illegal wizard magic to accomplish this my tean reported to the more expendable Postmaster General Montgomery Blair. That gave Secretary of War Stanton and President Lincoln plausible deniability in the event that we were caught. The Civil War team was a group of fourteen, comprised of ten men and four women. We were mostly successful in our efforts and twelve of us survived the war. Six of us assembled here today, myself, Lawrence, Roy, Sol, Thomas and Wilamina were participants in that endeavor. Well, I am sorry to have to say this, but the world is at war again. This one, however, has been for the most part a secret war, the key governments involved not wanting to bring it to the attention of nations not already directly involved or highlight the fact that it re-ignites the conflict between wizard and clerical magics. This war is being fought on the world stage, with the prize being the very secrets of Atlantis itself. The players to date have been England, France, Spain, Portugal and the United States. Doctor Chernoviz and I have decided to actively engage in this conflict, and I realized that another large team would be needed. The team make-up of fourteen worked well last time, so I thought to duplicate that configuration this time. That is why you have each been asked to come here. The United States government’s role in this conflict has been defensive in nature, and they are in no way sponsoring our group’s efforts, nor do they have any actual knowledge of what we have in mind." Abigail interjects, "There was a story in the Times Picayune, last March I think. Does this have anything to do with that island that appeared and the British ship that found it?" Feeling somewhat left out of all this yammering about magic and geopolitics, Fish offers rather quietly, "I'm pretty good at 'finding' things..." "I have every faith in your ability to find whatever it is you're looking for," Abby teased. Luiz says, "Yes, that is this article. As James indicated, this is about the Lost Continent of Atlantis. According to two of the three volumes written by Homer, Atlantis sank into the sea as a result of a shifting of the continental plates, which changed the entire landscape of the Atlantic Ocean. By the best scholarly accounts, this occurred approximately 2,735 years ago, plus or minus twenty years." James adds, "And that was where the sunken island remained until half-a-year ago." Luiz states, "This newspaper story was printed on Monday, March 13, 1882 in the New Orleans Times Picayune newspaper under the heading “Mystery at Sea”. It reads as follows: [I]The British merchant ship, the S.S. Jesmond, made an unscheduled stop in its journey on its way to our city. It had departed from Messina, Sicily with a cargo of dried fruits on February 26th. When the ship reached an area 200 miles west of Madeira and 200 miles south of the Azores they noted that the ocean had become unusually muddy and that the vessel was passing through enormous shoals of dead fish. The ship's Captain David Robson then saw smoke on the horizon, which he presumed, came from another ship. The next day the fish shoals were even thicker and the smoke on the horizon seemed to be coming from the mountains on an island directly to the west, where, according to the charts, there was no land for thousands of miles. Captain Robson anchored offshore, worried that reefs surrounded this uncharted island. Even though the charts indicated an area depth of several thousand fathoms, the anchor hit bottom at only seven fathoms. Robson went ashore with a landing party and found a large island with no vegetation, no trees, no sandy beaches, bare of all life. The shore they landed on was covered with volcanic debris. With no trees they could easily see a plateau beginning several miles away and smoking mountains beyond that. They headed toward the interior in direction of the mountains but found that progress was interrupted by a series of deep chasms. To get to the interior would have taken days. They returned to their landing point and examined a broken cliff, part of which seemed to have been split into a mass of loose gravel as if it had recently been subjected to great force. The sailors then found an arrowhead in the broken rock, and Captain Robson send for picks and shovels form the ship so that the crew could dig into the gravel. He and his crew soon uncovered crumbling remains of massive walls. They continued to dig near the walls for better part of two days, finding bronze swords, rings, mallets, carvings of head figures of birds and animals, and two vases or jars with fragments of bone, and one cranium. Then they found what appeared to be a mummy enclosed in a stone case, encrusted with volcanic deposit so as to be scarcely distinguished form the rock itself. The rock sarcophagus aboard the Jesmond as dark clouds began to roll in off of the horizon, and Robson resumed his course. This reporter has examined the artifacts and they appear to be authentic. Robson's plans to donate the artifacts to the British Museum upon his return to England."[/I] James says, “Not only do we believe that all or part of Atlantis rose to the surface, but the leaders of the wizard-magic nations of France and Spain both believed it as well, to the point that they were willing to risk war against both England and the United States in order to obtain those artifacts." Abigail comments, "They've taken some kind of action? It must have been incredibly circumspect." Roy says, "We're talking about France and Spain, here. Neither country is exactly known for its patience." James says, "No, the actions were just not publicized. There were four attacks on American soil and one in American waters. Upon receiving telegrams of the newspaper story the Spanish King Alfonso XII ordered Spanish warships to New Orleans to capture the British ship S.S. Jesmond. At dawn on Thursday, March 16th, in what was clearly an act of war, two squadrons Spanish soldiers boarded the docked ship, killing its crew and several New Orleans policemen. They stole the vessel and reached the Gulf of Mexico where two other Spanish warships joined them. On Saturday, March 18th, fifty miles south of Key West, Florida a small armada of British and United States vessels attempted to recapture the Jesmond and a battle followed. The Jesmond was sunk, as were both Spanish ships and the USS Radcliff, an American frigate. Over one hundred Spaniards drown and another sixty were taken prisoner. The combined American and British casualties were light, four dead and fifteen wounded. All three governments have kept the conflict a secret, lest the seas be filled with treasure seekers. Navy divers on the Jesmond have found no evidence of the artifacts, nor are they about the Spanish ships. The Spanish prisoners claim that there were no artifacts on board the Jesmond. As to where the artifacts have gone, the French Government believed them to have been removed from the Jesmond the night before the Spanish attack. They believed that the artifacts were being transported westward by train, and also committed acts of war on United States soil to try to obtain them. "Ah ha!" thinks Fish to himself, "I am good at finding things!" Should anyone glance Ben's direction at that moment, they see his grin broaden into a wide, self-satisfied smile. "Now it's all beginning to make sense!" he thinks. "I have reason to believe that not all the artifacts left the port of New Orleans..." says Fish out loud. Lawrence asks, "Fish, how do you know that?" Thomas looks up, surprised, and then smiles as he considers how Fish might know. "Oh ho, Fish! By all means, do tell!" Fish replies, "It just so happens that I'm acquainted with a coin collector in The Big Easy. He's a very curious fellow -- and by that, I mean both that I find him very curious (personally and professionally), and that he himself dabbles in many a different endeavor, collecting exotic art and rare precious stones and antique coins and obscure manuscripts. I couldn't begin to tell you how many intellectual pursuits that man chases!" Fish blushes (although you'd have to be awful perceptive to see through the false modesty!). "I've actually worked for the fellow. I've been in his home. Last I was there, I overheard him dictating a message to a courier -- something about meeting with a 'Captain Robson.' I doubt very much that he knew I'd heard him. I had cause to stop by his manor early the next morning. I can tell you with complete confidence that he took delivery of something from this Captain Robson!" Lawrence asks, "How big was the package? Where is this collector's home?" Fish replies, "Perhaps I should qualify my remarks, Mr. Cantrell: I don't know the whereabouts of all the swag that was sitting in the Jesmond's hold, but I can tell you that something of apparently great value to Sir Guilleault was delivered to his manor from Captain Robson shortly before his ship left port." "The courier arrived with a satchel slung over his shoulder. His gait told me that the package had some heft, but he certainly wasn't limping from its weight. Guilleault's manor sits on St. Charles Avenue, overlooking Tulane and Loyola Universities to the north and Audubon Park to the south. There's a great little pub just around the corner called The Coraline. Why do you ask?" James says, "What Benjamin is refering to is an exiled French Arch Mage Andre Marc Guilleault, who now resides here in the United States, in New Orleans. It is rumored that Guilleault was the one that was responsible for secretly removing the Atlantean artifacts from the S.S. Jesmond last March and placing them upon a westbound train. We believe that he no longer has any contact with those objects, although where they are now remains a mystery. Since March, Guilleault has been investigating leads regarding the Atlantians. He was the first one to began looking into the Timucuan people as a possible link. Establishing this Conservancy should keep him from investigating that avenue any further.” Glancing in Fish’s direction James then adds, “And as of now any Timucuan-related objects that were in Guilleault’s possession have since been commandeered......and are now available again for our review.” Now continuing with the tale. On Friday, March 17th a motorized cigar-shaped hot air balloon carrying a dozen soldiers of the French Foreign Legion crossed the Mexican border in to Texas and attacked the moving train as it neared El Paso. It was only due to the quick actions of United States Army at El Paso that the train was defended. Then on Sunday, March 19th another battle took place on United States soil, in Hidalgo County of the New Mexico Territory. Approximately three-dozen soldiers of the French Foreign Legion fought against United States Army troops. The Army defeated them without taking any casualties, and captured both of the French officers including the commanding General. The General claimed he was after stolen French artifacts that were being transported across the desert. And finally in mid-June there was a conflict of some sort at a the border town of Naco in the Arizona Territory, where some French wizards were killed on the United States side of the border and their bodies and possessions were confiscated by the Army at Fort Hucucuca. No further details of that incident are known." "I am shocked, completely shocked by this," Thomas says. "For France or Spain to act so brazenly, so overtly, they must truly believe that there is some incredible power to be had in the obtaining of these artifacts. For them to risk all-out war with the United States or Great Britain, I can only assume that they believe that whatever secrets of Atlantis these items hold or can lead to will alter the balance of power worldwide." Thomas pauses, looking down at the table in contemplation. "This is grim stuff, Parker, grim stuff indeed." James says, "Oh, there's more. We haven't even gotten to Portugal's involvement yet. Shortly after this newspaper story appeared King Louis I of Portugal had dispatched his entire Navy to the location mentioned in the newspaper article. When they reached that point they found muddy water and dead fish but no evidence of an island. Depth measures were taken, indicating the ocean floor was thousands of fathoms below. The French and Spanish navies arrived shortly thereafter, and the only reason that a great battle didn’t follow was because there was nothing physically there to fight over. The French and Spanish eventually retreated, as the closest land was the Azore Islands, which are owned by Portugal, so the Portuguese have the strongest claim to those waters. Half of the Portuguese fleet returned to Europe, with the remaining still investigating the waters where the island was reported to have appeared And King Louis himself has now personally been overseeing the situation. This is not altogether surprising, as King Louis has always had a passion for Oceanography, with the disturbance of the waters of that area leading to the discovery of several new aquatic specimens that had not been part of his collection. King Louis is also a friend of mine and actually invited me to join him in exploring these oceans. While I have presently declined his invitation, that is an avenue potentially left open to us in the future. So Portugal’s efforts are centered on that one section of Ocean. Spain appears to have temporarily withdrawn from this conflict. England officially has as well, although they are still seeking reparations through diplomatic channels from Spain for the Jesmond. France’s government however continues to be a problem. France’s government has been in a state of confusion and disarray all year. Their previous Government fell in a bloodless coup last January led by the druidic high priestess Louise Michael. A committee comprised of political rivals now rules the country. The situation among these people has been so precarious that they have created more chaos than order. Several of these politicians each hoped to get their hands upon the Atlantian artifacts in order to strengthen their own control and rise to individual leadership of the government. The most aggressive of these individuals is General Jacquet LaFlame, who controls the forces of the French Foreign Legion. And he's already proven that territorial boundries mean nothing to him." "So are we going after these artifacts or the Island of Atlantis or both?" Ruby asks casually. Lawrence says, "My dear, I suspect we're going to rescue Atlantis's treasures from our European friends. Our talents would be wasted in claiming the island for the US. By the way James, did the English claim the island for Victoria?" James replies, “There is no record of them having done so.” Abigail states, "This question might be before its time but I'm going to ask anyway. Mr. Parker, what is our ultimate goal here? Beside the desire to know... the connections between the Timucan and Atlantis, what happened to these artifacts... I share the desire to know. But what are we going to do with that knowledge? Much as I would love to learn and advance my skills from the knowledge of Atlantis that knowledge set loose on the world would cause chaos." James says, "It is exactly because of the return of Atlantis and potential of Atlantian objects being around that we must act, to prevent the world from going to war. Our real problem isn’t from the governments, but from powerful individauls who are now actively seeking the Atlantians independent of their governments. I’ve already mentioned the French wizard Guillieult. Another group searching is an English faction known as the Hellfire Club, who deal with both arcane magic and the supernatural. They are headed by Alister Crowley, an evil wizard and megalomanic who seeks to find and use the Atlantian artifacts to control those around him. However, our greatest potential competitors and rivals are a independent team of French adventurers. I found out about this group quite by accident, as my son overheared a stray comment made by his best friend, whose nephew has apparently joined this team. Through survelience on that nephew, we have been able to learn the specific identities of three other team members. Interestingly enough, all four of them are members of a very exclusive association of French wizards." Luiz states, “We presume that the this private wizard’s club is the sponsor of this rival team and that all of the other members of that team also belong to this wizarding group. They are informally known in mage circles as the ‘Weekly Wizards’, as they possess a powerful artifact that prolongs age and confers good health. To gain this benefit the artifact each wizard must remain in sole possession of the artifact for at least one week a year, thus this group limits itself to fifty-two members. Luiz takes out a sheet of paper from his suit jacket pocket. He says, "I have here a current roster of all fifty-two members of the wizard society. They are a formidable group, comprising France’s top inventors, engineers, mathematicians, scientists, artists and writers. Given the abilities and resources available to them, if they have dedicated themselves to discovering the secrets of Atlantis, then is it only a matter of time until that they accomplish that.” James states, “So that is the primary reason that why Luiz and I have founded this Adventurer’s Guild of Exemplary and Legendary Explorers, Scientists and Scholars. We are in a race, a world-wide scavenger hunt, to unearth the lost and hidden knowledge and keep the world at peace. My friends, this is a contest that I intend to win! So, my question is, will you join us?" [/QUOTE]
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