Ha ha, Xaltotun first encounter with 'modern' weaponry was rough indeed. He deserved it, the arrogant prick. 
Another first rate update, my friend.
Another first rate update, my friend.
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hmm. all that is to say, has been said. Hate to repeat, but an artist deserves a post to see that his work is appreciated.
Splendid work. I loved the twist in the end. Submachineguns...
Splendid work. I loved the twist in the end. Submachineguns...
Excellent update. Not surprised that X acted the way he did, although I think Durhn and co could have handled that better considering he was grateful, although that may not be worth much. I'm a bit surprised they are trying again so soon. Surely he would first try to find that gem X spoke of.
Pity about there not being a useful graveyard in the palace. Thanks.
Pity about there not being a useful graveyard in the palace. Thanks.
heh heh Xaltotun sure didnt expect that maybe this time he'll be more....compliant
maybe this time he'll be more....compliant 
Thank you, and you're right but there’s a quite high personnel turnover at Sonderkommando Hexen.Korppi said:Heh Xaltotun didnt expect 4 men with submachine guns
Great update Yogi.
I would have thought that soldiers of Sonderkommando Hexen would have used to screams and fumes.
These men were a bit green yet.To judge from his powers in “The Hour of the Dragon” by REH, Xaltotun is far from invincible, even though he is a very powerful wizard. Basicly, a man with a gun is deadlier at ten metres range than Xaltotun ever was, even if he can do other amazing things. He’d be hard pressed to prevent the small army at Duhrn’s disposal from getting in a good shot at some time. In his own time, he had an easier time defending against armed men.Morpheus506 said:
Also, Stalin’s USSR stand in the way of Hitler’s dream, Lebensraum for the German people and now just as importantly, his revenge against Fu Manchu and Pan-Asia.yourworstnightm said:
I love when you guys get confused about who to root for. Duhrn and Skorzeny serve Hitler and the III Reich, ie Evil Incarnate. So perhaps Xaltotun deserves some sympathy, when they try to enslave him? Maybe Fu Manchu is infact the lesser evil?Jape said:
I find the contrast between what “magic” of old tales and modern technology can do slightly amusing. In a sense, we’re wielding magic to make our ancestors pale every day. And thank you!cthulhu said:Ha ha, Xaltotun first encounter with 'modern' weaponry was rough indeed. He deserved it, the arrogant prick.
Another first rate update, my friend.
Rather, I think it’s Xaltotun who will live and learn…Darks63 said:
That’s the attitude!Deus said:
I was rather happy with the twist too, I’m happy you liked it too.Yes, Duhrn was a bit too direct perhaps, but then again, knowing how powerful and important Xaltotun had been in life, he needed to be brought down to earth. Finding the Heart of Ahriman might not be feasible at all since it was last seen at the time of Xaltotun's 2nd death . Still, he wants it back, and now that he knows about it, it might also wet Duhrn’s appetite…discovery1 said:
lifeless said:heh heh Xaltotun sure didnt expect that
He's even more intelligent than he is arrogant, so probably he did learn from the experience. Not that that will stop him from plotting for his freedom and ultimate mastery over everyone and everything... but he'll thread more carefully, is my guess.
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Wevelsburg SS-Order Castle
Wesphalia, Greater German Reich
March 4th, 1940
‘Are we agreed then on the terms, Günther Duhrn? I will take you on as my apprentice, I will open a portal to the Dreamland so your Emperor…’
Duhrn was speaking alone with Xaltotun in his laboratory. After the second resurrection of the revenant, Duhrn had sent away Skorzeny to take command of the Wevelsburg guards and personally make sure that there was no escape possible for the former High Priest of Set. The reason given, which was true in itself, was that only Duhrn was reasonably safe with Xaltotun since he would not dare killing the only person who could resurrect him should his inevitable further attempts of escaping end in his death. The second, more potent reason was that Duhrn needed freedom to negoitate with Xaltotun, even on terms that could never be known about by any other man, not even and especially not Skorzeny.
So after long scenes of impotent fury, threats, violent magic displays and two further attempts by Xaltotun to fight his way to freedom, which had both ended with his rather messy death, an agreement had finally been reached.
‘My Führer!’ Duhrn corrected.
Xaltotun, now dressed in the black shirt and trousers of the standard SS-uniform, although without the uniform jacket, sighed wearily. ‘…so your Führer can attack his enemies in Khitai. And in return, you will tutor me on these strange times and their customs and machines, you and the warrior Skorzeny will do everything within your power to help me retrieve the Heart of Ahriman, and when your apprenticeship is complete and the opportunity presents itself, we will kill Hitler and claim the throne of the German Empire for ourselves as a base for conquering the world in the name of Great Set, the Old Serpent.’
Duhrn nodded. ‘And until then, you will be the Master and I the Apprentice, and I will defer to you as is the place of an apprentice, but you will serve the Reich and the Führer in accordance to my instructions. After we seize the Reich, however, we will rule as equals.’
‘Yes. We are agreed then?’
‘We are agreed.’ Duhrn extended a hand, and Xaltotun grabbed it by the wrist in the same fashion that the Romans had.
‘Very well,’ Xaltotun said. ‘I swear in the Name of Immortal Set to uphold these terms, may he devour my soul if I lie.’ The oath was not one lightly given.
‘I swear in the Name of Immortal Set to uphold these terms, may he devour my soul if I lie.’ Duhrn repeated and let go of Xaltotun’s arm.
‘And so our pact is sealed under the auspices of the Great Serpent!’, Xaltotun said with a cold smile playing on his lips. ‘Know that it would have been better for you never to have been born than to break it. We will begin your training in due time, and I will need to travel outside and see for myself how the world has changed. But before that, we need to discuss the Heart of Ahriman.’
‘Very well… Master.’
Xaltotun’s smile broadened, and dark amusement painted a frightful parody of humour on the handsome but cold face. ‘Very good, apprentice. Now, how familiar are you with the circumstances around my second death?’
‘I have only the vaguest notions, Master.’
‘You do not nead to know everything. I was defeated during the Battle of the Valley of the Lions by Hadratus, a priest of Asura whom King Conan of Aquilonia had given the Heart of Ahriman, which had previously been stolen from me. In any case, Orastes, the Nemedian mage who used the Heart to bring me back to life told me that HE had had it stolen from the haunted Crypts under the Great Temple of Mitra in Tarantia, the capital of Aquilonia. Apparently the Heart had some great symbolic significance for that Kingdom, probably stemming from the fact that their unwashed barbarian ancestors were only able to overcome ME using it. My guess is that the Heart was returned to those Crypts, and remained there after the apocalypse you told me about that destroyed the Hyborian world.’
‘We have a problem then,’ Durhn said.
‘How so?’ Xaltotun wondered. ‘According to the map of the continent of Thuria you showed me – or Eurasia, as you call it now - the regions of Aquilonia where Tarantia was located were not among those that had sunk into the sea. It would be a matter of travelling to that general area and use our spells to find the underground crypt. It shouldn’t be too hard, given the resources you’ve got at your disposal.’
‘On the contrary. You see, the German Reich is located roughly were Nemedia was, while the former Kingdom of Aquilonia was divided by the seas. The northwestern part now forms part of the mighty British Empire, while the southeastern parts are now know as the Republic of France. Germany recently fought a war with these two countries and while we were victorious against France, in the end we had to sign a negotiated peace with Britain, in which the strict neutrality of France was a fundamental clause. And Tarantia, as far as I can tell by surviving maps, was on the spot now occupied by the capital of France, Paris.’
Wesphalia, Greater German Reich
March 4th, 1940
‘Are we agreed then on the terms, Günther Duhrn? I will take you on as my apprentice, I will open a portal to the Dreamland so your Emperor…’
Duhrn was speaking alone with Xaltotun in his laboratory. After the second resurrection of the revenant, Duhrn had sent away Skorzeny to take command of the Wevelsburg guards and personally make sure that there was no escape possible for the former High Priest of Set. The reason given, which was true in itself, was that only Duhrn was reasonably safe with Xaltotun since he would not dare killing the only person who could resurrect him should his inevitable further attempts of escaping end in his death. The second, more potent reason was that Duhrn needed freedom to negoitate with Xaltotun, even on terms that could never be known about by any other man, not even and especially not Skorzeny.
So after long scenes of impotent fury, threats, violent magic displays and two further attempts by Xaltotun to fight his way to freedom, which had both ended with his rather messy death, an agreement had finally been reached.
‘My Führer!’ Duhrn corrected.
Xaltotun, now dressed in the black shirt and trousers of the standard SS-uniform, although without the uniform jacket, sighed wearily. ‘…so your Führer can attack his enemies in Khitai. And in return, you will tutor me on these strange times and their customs and machines, you and the warrior Skorzeny will do everything within your power to help me retrieve the Heart of Ahriman, and when your apprenticeship is complete and the opportunity presents itself, we will kill Hitler and claim the throne of the German Empire for ourselves as a base for conquering the world in the name of Great Set, the Old Serpent.’
Duhrn nodded. ‘And until then, you will be the Master and I the Apprentice, and I will defer to you as is the place of an apprentice, but you will serve the Reich and the Führer in accordance to my instructions. After we seize the Reich, however, we will rule as equals.’
‘Yes. We are agreed then?’
‘We are agreed.’ Duhrn extended a hand, and Xaltotun grabbed it by the wrist in the same fashion that the Romans had.
‘Very well,’ Xaltotun said. ‘I swear in the Name of Immortal Set to uphold these terms, may he devour my soul if I lie.’ The oath was not one lightly given.
‘I swear in the Name of Immortal Set to uphold these terms, may he devour my soul if I lie.’ Duhrn repeated and let go of Xaltotun’s arm.
‘And so our pact is sealed under the auspices of the Great Serpent!’, Xaltotun said with a cold smile playing on his lips. ‘Know that it would have been better for you never to have been born than to break it. We will begin your training in due time, and I will need to travel outside and see for myself how the world has changed. But before that, we need to discuss the Heart of Ahriman.’
‘Very well… Master.’
Xaltotun’s smile broadened, and dark amusement painted a frightful parody of humour on the handsome but cold face. ‘Very good, apprentice. Now, how familiar are you with the circumstances around my second death?’
‘I have only the vaguest notions, Master.’
‘You do not nead to know everything. I was defeated during the Battle of the Valley of the Lions by Hadratus, a priest of Asura whom King Conan of Aquilonia had given the Heart of Ahriman, which had previously been stolen from me. In any case, Orastes, the Nemedian mage who used the Heart to bring me back to life told me that HE had had it stolen from the haunted Crypts under the Great Temple of Mitra in Tarantia, the capital of Aquilonia. Apparently the Heart had some great symbolic significance for that Kingdom, probably stemming from the fact that their unwashed barbarian ancestors were only able to overcome ME using it. My guess is that the Heart was returned to those Crypts, and remained there after the apocalypse you told me about that destroyed the Hyborian world.’
‘We have a problem then,’ Durhn said.
‘How so?’ Xaltotun wondered. ‘According to the map of the continent of Thuria you showed me – or Eurasia, as you call it now - the regions of Aquilonia where Tarantia was located were not among those that had sunk into the sea. It would be a matter of travelling to that general area and use our spells to find the underground crypt. It shouldn’t be too hard, given the resources you’ve got at your disposal.’
‘On the contrary. You see, the German Reich is located roughly were Nemedia was, while the former Kingdom of Aquilonia was divided by the seas. The northwestern part now forms part of the mighty British Empire, while the southeastern parts are now know as the Republic of France. Germany recently fought a war with these two countries and while we were victorious against France, in the end we had to sign a negotiated peace with Britain, in which the strict neutrality of France was a fundamental clause. And Tarantia, as far as I can tell by surviving maps, was on the spot now occupied by the capital of France, Paris.’
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Great update. I don't see what the problem is though. They just dress as civilians and have the Ger gov issue them false passports. Possibly get the help of German intelligence operatives in the city if they need it.
Wonder if Durn plans to uphold his promise and if X will keep his. Either way, if they get their goals Skozerny is toast.
On to Paris!
On to Paris!
The Yogi said:
I didn't know that Duhrn was aiming so high as in replacing Hitler with himself? Is this a ruse just to get Xaltotun to help? If so then Duhrn is risking a great deal with the Great Serpent. (Shutter) My my, we have the Japanese invading the US. Germany helping the US while building up its forces along the Russian border. Russia losing in the winter war while sweating about Germany and our hypnotically enhanced beloved Fu Manchu does paper work in Asia. So many things heading toward a collision at the same time, how delightful.
Joe
I must once more command you upon your work, The Yogi. I like it so much that I decided to plunge further in it, and lent the movie "The Shadow" for this evening which, after seing it, seems acceptable yet not as passionating as your stories.
Actually, next back to San Francisco, and thanks!Korppi said:So next to Paris
Nice update.
Oh, Duhrn only meant that there were difficulties caused by the Paris location, not that it was impossible in any way. Anywhere in Germany they could just have called in a battalion from “Organization Todt” to make an excavation. In Paris, they will have to be more discreet.discovery1 said:
Eventually, perhaps. Although the catacombs are many thousand years younger than the haunted crypts of the temple of Mitra.Jape said:
As an officer of the Führer’s bodyguard, he’d have rather strong objections to the plans of X & D. And as said above, eventually, probably but first we’re off to San Fran again!Deus said:
I’m glad that you know how to savour the dish I’m preparing for you.Storey said:I didn't know that Duhrn was aiming so high as in replacing Hitler with himself? Is this a ruse just to get Xaltotun to help? If so then Duhrn is risking a great deal with the Great Serpent. (Shutter) My my, we have the Japanese invading the US. Germany helping the US while building up its forces along the Russian border. Russia losing in the winter war while sweating about Germany and our hypnotically enhanced beloved Fu Manchu does paper work in Asia. So many things heading toward a collision at the same time, how delightful.
Joe
Wait for it… As for the intentions of Duhrn, who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!lifeless said:time to dig up paris?
Thank you very much! Yeah, that film was so so, although I had fun watching it.Bryaxis said:
You do right to shudder at the prospect. The minions of Set have been the nemesis of Mankind since before the dawn of Civilisation. The reign of the Great Serpent would be one of unmitigated terror and rivers of blood.Darks63 said:
Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco
California, United States of America
March 15th, 1940
‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’ Buck Rogers groaned from his sickbed, rolling his eyes at the propaganda poster “Doc” Mitchell was holding up for him. Two days after it’s release, the poster already embellished untold number of pilot barracks all across the country. So many posters had been stolen from their intended place of display that it had had to go into print for a second, and probably not last time.
After making a wet but relatively safe parachute landing in the Pacific, had had been bobbing about in his life jacket for about four hours and had began to fear that he would have to swim all the way to land. Just before sundown he was finally picked up by a coast guard rescue vessel which was already stuffed with other wet and miserable pilots – and not all of them American. A lot of pilots had met a grisly end in the sea after the Battle of San Francisco bay, and the number of sailors from sunk ships to be saved meant that few boats were available to search for downed airmen. Buck had broken several bones in his left hand and cracked a few ribs as he jumped, when the tail stabiliser had dealt him a glancing blow. Fortunately, the doctors thought he would make a full recovery. As for “Doc” Mitchell, he had managed to bring his crate home, holed like a Swiss cheese and propelled more by his fervent prayers than by the smoking and coughing engine. Since Buck was hospitalised, his wingman had been there every day for some humorous banter and to keep him informed of the state of things at the squadron. Only the visits by Sandy were more welcome.
‘No shit, she’s the Jerry air commander?’ he asked again, unable to give credit to his eyes. The German aviatrix in her Luftwaffe Colonel’s uniform looked like something out of a pinup magazine.
‘She’s the one they called the “Queen of Spades” – she’s one of the very top aces of the war in Europe. They say she racked up thirty-five kills all in all!’
‘I never thought she was real,’ Buck sighed. ‘I figured she was just some Nazi propaganda lie.’
‘Real enough it seems!’ Mitchell said, looking admiringly down on the poster he was holding up for Buck to see. ‘I wouldn’t mind meeting her… except in a dogfight, she in her Messerschmitt and I in my P-40. I might not enjoy that nearly as much as a match of wrestling!’ he concluded with a leering smile.
‘So Hitler did put his money where he put his mouth, eh?’ Buck said. ‘A Luftwaffe Legion in America… I never thought I’d see the day. Well’ we can use them, that’s for sure. After the battle, the Navy is not going to stop any invasions, and as far as I can see, neither will the army. We better be doing one hell of a lot of recruiting right now, or we’re toast.’
‘They say they’re going to double the size of the army in the next few weeks,’ Mitchell said, trying to lighten the mood of his captain. ‘Then they begin training the next batch of divisions. I think we hurt them enough to have gained some time – after all we downed a fair number of their birds and that hit on the Akagi looked quite bad… We might not have much of a fleet any more, but by God, soon we will have an army!’
Buck said nothing, but did the math in his head. The Pan-Asians would still outnumber the expanded Army about 10:1, rather than 20:1, but the critical relation was that between the number of divisions they could bring to battle at any one time, and how many the Americans could have waiting for them. He felt slightly more optimistic. Granted, the Pacific Fleet had been all but wiped out, the heavily damaged Enterprise it’s last remaining capital ship while most of the cruisers had been lost in raids deep into the Pacific aimed at sinking Pan-Asian transports. But if they didn’t invade before the second batch of new divisions was ready for action, the Pan-Asians would risk missing the boat. And maybe, just maybe, they too needed to build up their transport force before they could invade. That might well be all the break America needed.
An army nurse in white uniform marched up the row of beds to stand in front of Buck’s bed. He had been flirting slightly with her, all in good fun, as he had thought. Now, however, she stood before his bed, one hand on her hip and arrows shooting from her eyes.
‘Orders for you, Buck!’ she said, holding out a telegram without an envelope which he picked up. ‘You’ve been reassigned!’ Then she saw the poster Mitchell was holding, snorted like an enraged bull and stormed off with her heels clicking angrily against the floor.
‘What was that all about?’ Mitchell wondered.
‘I can’t believe it!’ Buck stammered as he read the telegram. ‘I’ve… They…’ At a loss for words, he held out the telegram to Mitchell, who read it and let out an impressed whistle.
‘Buck, you dog! They’re assigning you the job as liaison officer with the Eagle Legion! You’ll be working, real CLOSE like, I bet, with Colonel Reitsch… wooo-hooo!’
Buck, who didn’t feel like celebrating, thought about Sandy. What would she think? The same as that nurse and Doc? He fell back against the pillow, groaned and covered his eyes with his good hand. Colonel Hannah Reitsch looked perkily down at him from the poster.
“Together for AMERICA!” Mitchell shouted, laughing.
California, United States of America
March 15th, 1940
‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’ Buck Rogers groaned from his sickbed, rolling his eyes at the propaganda poster “Doc” Mitchell was holding up for him. Two days after it’s release, the poster already embellished untold number of pilot barracks all across the country. So many posters had been stolen from their intended place of display that it had had to go into print for a second, and probably not last time.
After making a wet but relatively safe parachute landing in the Pacific, had had been bobbing about in his life jacket for about four hours and had began to fear that he would have to swim all the way to land. Just before sundown he was finally picked up by a coast guard rescue vessel which was already stuffed with other wet and miserable pilots – and not all of them American. A lot of pilots had met a grisly end in the sea after the Battle of San Francisco bay, and the number of sailors from sunk ships to be saved meant that few boats were available to search for downed airmen. Buck had broken several bones in his left hand and cracked a few ribs as he jumped, when the tail stabiliser had dealt him a glancing blow. Fortunately, the doctors thought he would make a full recovery. As for “Doc” Mitchell, he had managed to bring his crate home, holed like a Swiss cheese and propelled more by his fervent prayers than by the smoking and coughing engine. Since Buck was hospitalised, his wingman had been there every day for some humorous banter and to keep him informed of the state of things at the squadron. Only the visits by Sandy were more welcome.
‘No shit, she’s the Jerry air commander?’ he asked again, unable to give credit to his eyes. The German aviatrix in her Luftwaffe Colonel’s uniform looked like something out of a pinup magazine.
‘She’s the one they called the “Queen of Spades” – she’s one of the very top aces of the war in Europe. They say she racked up thirty-five kills all in all!’
‘I never thought she was real,’ Buck sighed. ‘I figured she was just some Nazi propaganda lie.’
‘Real enough it seems!’ Mitchell said, looking admiringly down on the poster he was holding up for Buck to see. ‘I wouldn’t mind meeting her… except in a dogfight, she in her Messerschmitt and I in my P-40. I might not enjoy that nearly as much as a match of wrestling!’ he concluded with a leering smile.
‘So Hitler did put his money where he put his mouth, eh?’ Buck said. ‘A Luftwaffe Legion in America… I never thought I’d see the day. Well’ we can use them, that’s for sure. After the battle, the Navy is not going to stop any invasions, and as far as I can see, neither will the army. We better be doing one hell of a lot of recruiting right now, or we’re toast.’
‘They say they’re going to double the size of the army in the next few weeks,’ Mitchell said, trying to lighten the mood of his captain. ‘Then they begin training the next batch of divisions. I think we hurt them enough to have gained some time – after all we downed a fair number of their birds and that hit on the Akagi looked quite bad… We might not have much of a fleet any more, but by God, soon we will have an army!’
Buck said nothing, but did the math in his head. The Pan-Asians would still outnumber the expanded Army about 10:1, rather than 20:1, but the critical relation was that between the number of divisions they could bring to battle at any one time, and how many the Americans could have waiting for them. He felt slightly more optimistic. Granted, the Pacific Fleet had been all but wiped out, the heavily damaged Enterprise it’s last remaining capital ship while most of the cruisers had been lost in raids deep into the Pacific aimed at sinking Pan-Asian transports. But if they didn’t invade before the second batch of new divisions was ready for action, the Pan-Asians would risk missing the boat. And maybe, just maybe, they too needed to build up their transport force before they could invade. That might well be all the break America needed.
An army nurse in white uniform marched up the row of beds to stand in front of Buck’s bed. He had been flirting slightly with her, all in good fun, as he had thought. Now, however, she stood before his bed, one hand on her hip and arrows shooting from her eyes.
‘Orders for you, Buck!’ she said, holding out a telegram without an envelope which he picked up. ‘You’ve been reassigned!’ Then she saw the poster Mitchell was holding, snorted like an enraged bull and stormed off with her heels clicking angrily against the floor.
‘What was that all about?’ Mitchell wondered.
‘I can’t believe it!’ Buck stammered as he read the telegram. ‘I’ve… They…’ At a loss for words, he held out the telegram to Mitchell, who read it and let out an impressed whistle.
‘Buck, you dog! They’re assigning you the job as liaison officer with the Eagle Legion! You’ll be working, real CLOSE like, I bet, with Colonel Reitsch… wooo-hooo!’
Buck, who didn’t feel like celebrating, thought about Sandy. What would she think? The same as that nurse and Doc? He fell back against the pillow, groaned and covered his eyes with his good hand. Colonel Hannah Reitsch looked perkily down at him from the poster.
“Together for AMERICA!” Mitchell shouted, laughing.
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He he, nice editing, Yog. She looks really smart in that uniform. I'm sure Buck will have a great time at his new post.
I'm sure Buck will have a great time at his new post.
heh heh great update! together for america! reitsch seems to have this dead look in my eyes..
All I have to say is Hard Rock .
Buck is in a stew. I bet that a part of him would really like to work with Hannah, but another part draws him back home.
.Buck is in a stew. I bet that a part of him would really like to work with Hannah, but another part draws him back home.