The Conclave
THEY ARE THE CONSPIRACY GROUP YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF. THE SECRET MASTERS OF HUMANKIND.
The spread and proliferation of the internet has exposed people who would have otherwise been utterly ignorant of the conspiracy sphere, a world of theories and beliefs that range from the mundane to the utterly fantastical.
The Illuminati. The Bilderberg Group. The Tri-Lateral Commission. Hollow Earth. Area 51. The Roswell Crashing Landing. Flat Earth. That one peculiar one that claims mountains are in fact the fossilized remnants of gigantic trees. Men in Black. Shadowy government agencies in league with aliens, pan-dimensional entities, shape shifting reptiloids and Satan. You've likely heard of all these, or maybe just one or two. And you've likely had a little chuckle and dismissed them.
The truth is far more shocking though.
There is a secret organisation running the world from behind the scenes. It has been manipulating humans and guiding us toward a destiny only they are aware of for five centuries now. They control governments, the economy. They have instigated wars and unleashes viruses. They have pushed and prodded society toward furthering their own goals.
They are the Conclave and they have been controlling you your entire life.
Of course you haven't heard of them. What's the point of being an all-powerful conspiracy group controlling the world when everyone knows you exist. They have had centuries to perfect the art of staying secret, of suppressing the truth and ensuring anyone who gets too close to uncovering them disappears. They have kept hidden from you the true history of the world. They control the media and through subliminal messaging have been controlling the worlds populace since the advent of television. They have access to science and technology decades in advance to anything else on the planet available to the public and even the militaries of the superpowers. They have bases in every major city hidden in plain sight and you walk past their agents and military every single day.
They are everywhere.
THE TECHNO-OCCULT ORDER
The origins of the Conclave are deliberately obfuscated, again another way to ensure they maintain their cherished secrecy. Only the highest echelons of its organisation know how and when the Conclave came to be as most of them were alive at the time. The highest members of the Conclave are the Magisters and to call them human is stretching that term nearly to breaking. Most of the Magisters have been alive since the groups inception and are determined to stay that way. Through at first alchemy and occult means the founders of the Conclave extended their lives, then through medical and scientific breakthroughs and finally through a fusion of the technological and magical. Century after century they have transformed themselves into beings less than yet greater than human, the immortal architects of human destiny.
As to why the Conclave was founded at all? The Magisters knew of the secret history of the world, of the Lost Age and of the Elnorian Empire and of the threat of the Shai Nari and their spawn that slumbered in the hidden places of Earth. The Magisters were aware of the worlds beyond Earth, that vast Otherworld. In short, the Conclave were privy to deep, dark and terrible secrets and that one day unless something were done humankind would be lost.
They knew this through the use of Seers; men and women gifted with foresight or precog abilities. Hundreds of such gifted people were abducted and taken to a secret place and forced to use their talents to show the Conclave a limited vision of that which was to come. As time passed the Seer project would be augmented with Occult-Tech to become more accurate and far seeing. With the Seers the Conclave would guide humankind from the shadows, following a plan of their own devising. They would do dark and terrible things for the greater good, knowing that far worse was to come unless they took upon themselves the burden.
THE LONG GAME
So began a long campaign to infiltrate governments and monarchies, institutions and organisations globally. With wealth accrued through their alchemical and occult works the Magisters were able to influence the rulers of nations from Royals on down. Though times change and nations and governments rose and fell the Conclave remained behind the scenes, the puppet masters none could see.
Down through the centuries the Conclave's influence and control grew until they truly were the Secret Masters of humankind. The occult and technological knowledge grew; augmented by the very best of minds and stolen from those who would not become pawns to shadowy manipulators who styled themselves as mankind's saviours.
They were ruthless and merciless. Any threat to their secrecy and long term plans were crushed. Lives were destroyed, potential problems removed before they became problems. Worse, the Conclave's ultimate goal depended upon humanity following a very meticulous plan and for that, society and history had to follow according to that plan. They unleashed plagues and viruses, caused wars, encouraged societal upheaval and economic problems. The Conclave is responsible for untold suffering, misery and death. All to ensure the human race progressed along the path the Conclave knew with an almost fanatical certainty to be only one that would see it survive in the future.
By the turn of the twentieth-century, the Conclave were embedded in every government and powerful institution around the world. Rival groups had been eliminated or absorbed. They were everywhere yet nowhere, their presence like a hand gripping the throat of every world leader and influential individual. All did their bidding even if they did not know who controlled them.
All the while they would be building their own forces in secret; a New Model Army for their New World. Super-soldiers born from a fusion of occult mastery and technological superiority. All in preparation for the day when they would cast aside all secrecy and emerge from the shadows to rule openly as the Masters of humanity; ready to take the world into the next stage of their great work.
THE OTHERWORLD PROJECT
In the mid-nineteenth century the Conclave enacted an ambitious project and that was to conquer the Otherworld; that strange reality beyond our own made from assorted worlds and realms home to strange races and entities. Their techno-sorcery allowed them to open stable gateways into Otherworld; this was the beginning of the Multiversal Gate System and over the next two centuries the Conclave would establish Albion, an outpost in Otherworld that would be the beachhead for its eventual conquest. Their army was made from conscripted prisoners and the families who had long served the Conclave; this would be the foundation of the Otherworld Expeditionary Force.
Alliances were made with the Dwarger people, a pragmatic race who saw the Conclave as better allies rather than enemies even though they were the invaders. Albion became a great city, an example of progress that the Conclave dreamt Earth would one day become.
The Otherworld Expeditionary Forces struggled at first; they were merely human and they fought brutal Orcs, the deadly and graceful Elves, wild and feral Halfings and far stranger, more fantastic things. But the Conclave were relentless. Otherworld was not Earth; here they could unleash the true potential of their techno-sorcerous might, here they could cast aside secrecy and their agents and champions could openly use weapons and magical arts against those who stood in the path of progress. Aided thusly the OEF marched ever onwards and though many losses and victories were suffered, there were far more victories.
The conquest of Otherworld would be ongoing. The Conclave saw potential for the expansion of the human race from Earth across Otherworld instead of the lengthy and costly process of colonising the solar system. With each victory they grew arrogant, complacent. They were confident that in time Otherworld would be claimed in its entirety by them.
Time would prove them very wrong.
THE PRAETORIANS
Praetorians are genetically engineered clones created to be weapons of war and oppression. Human DNA spliced with a multitude of animal DNA along with extensive genetic enhancements the Praetorians of the Conclave are hulking monsters straight out of nightmare./p]
Physically imposing, heavily muscled and fearsome with toughened skeletons a Praetorian can take tremendous damage and keep fighting. They can wield the heaviest of weaponry with little effort and rarely tire. They can lose limbs and use those limbs to beat something to death with. Said limbs can be reattached without much trouble and even the most grievous wounds can heal providing the Praetorian can stay alive long enough. They are intelligent (not too intelligent though) enough to follow orders without question and are utterly devoted to the Magisters and by proxy, their subordinates. They live to serve. In short, they are the perfect soldier They were created to be the soldiers of tomorrow, the army by which the Conclave would crush any and all opposition when they were ready to openly rule the Earth.
There are Praetorian garrisons in every major population center. The garrisons are fortresses well stocked and served with their own power and water supplies to ensure in the effect of any disaster the garrison can function as normal. Each garrison contains vehicles, both land and air, to ensure the Praetorians can rapidly deploy and reach any target as quickly as possible.
There have long been rumours of a breed of Praetorian that guards the Magisters; the elite Praetorian Guard. As the Magisters are never seen by the general public it is nearly impossible to determine if this is true.
THE NEW WORLD ORDER
In the mid-twenty first century the Magisters decided the time had come. Their New World Order must begin. Society globally was on the brink; food shortages, economic downturns, political upheaval, nations at war over dwindling resources and a ravaged eco-system. Were all these things a result of the Conclave's meddling? Most, but not all. In truth the Magisters had felt they would lose control unless they enacted their plan.
People were desperate. Most had given up. Faith in governments was all but gone and the general populace were weary of wars and struggling to make ends meet. The time had finally come.
With technology far in advance to anything available to the rest of the world and in command of their Praetorian super soldier legions, the Conclave emerged from hiding and stepped out of the shadows to blatantly take the reigns of power from governments they had long controlled. No more illusion, no more secrecy. They would usher in a new of scientific and technological progress. They would rule as Masters of the Earth openly and people had to accept that new reality.
Of course, there was dissent. A populace even as beset with problems as humankind was at that time would not meekly lie down. Humankind was too fractious, too contrary for that. In remarkable shows of solidarity and unity people gathered in numbers hitherto never been seen. Petty differences were set aside. Skin colour, faith, nationality, political leanings. In light of this new and mysterious organisation claiming sovereignty over the human race, the human race rose up and said no. Never before in history had humanity been united so.
And as inspiring though it was, ultimately it was a futile gesture. The Conclave had not been preparing for this moment only to be defeated now by a bold display of human spirit.
With brutal force the Conclave showed the people of Earth just what they were capable of and just how serious they were in this endeavour. They were here to lead humanity into a new age and to save it from itself, whether humanity liked that or not.
The death toll was horrific. The message was clear and heard across the world, broadcast in high fidelity that show every detail. Protesters returned to their homes, defeated yet alive. And so it was that a New World Order rose and a New Age did dawn.
THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
It has been a century and the world, and humanity, has greatly changed.
Society has turned into a semi-feudal state with powerful families ruling over regions in the name of the Conclave. The elite rule with impunity and are free to govern as they see fit so long as they follow rules and guidelines as laid down by the Conclave. There is a clear definitive divide between those who rule, and the rest of society. Medical advancements have seen many diseases and genetic disorders eliminated whilst organ and limb replacements are quick and simple procedures. For those wealthy enough there are life-extension treatments. Advancements in robotics and Artificial Intelligence has seen a massive proliferation in drones fulfilling emergency service roles as well as work too hazardous for non-altered humans.
Yet beneath the technological grandeur society is falling apart. Unemployment is at an all time high though most regions provide stipends that, though meagre, provide enough for the basic necessities. Crime is rampant and it is rare the authorities do anything unless the victim is well placed on the social ladder due the sheer number of crimes and the overpopulated cities that the vast majority of people now live in.
Dissent however minor is brutally put down and the Conclave have spies everywhere so people dare not speak out against them. People go missing and no one cares. An all pervasive media network distracts an increasingly despondent populace and blasts subliminal messages into their minds as they watch the latest reality tv show or hyper violent gladiatorial contest. Sudden psychosis episodes are growing increasingly common likely due to the brainwashing and the stress and misery of everyday life. Still, rebels and dissents do exist and though their efforts are futile for now, they refuse to give up.
But worse is that there are cracks forming in the Conclave. A schism is forming between those who would continue as they have done since their groups inception and those would see change. Soon open war could erupt between the Masters of Humankind and when it does the results could be cataclysmic.
And then there are attacks originating from Otherworld and strange and dangerous cults in worship of mysterious entities growing in size and number across the world. Beings wielding mysterious powers and abilities clash with Conclave agents and special forces in the megacities that have consumed huge areas of the globe.
This is a world on the edge.
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