Defiance of the Great Beast

Jade had waited until the middle of the night to sneak up to The Temple. That was the name given to the converted attic of the old manor house. There occult rituals were performed by the residents of the house, Jade included. She lit some jasmine incense and a black candle. Then she walked over to an ornate cabinet. From this she took a black obsidian mirror. It was one of a number of copies made of the one in the British Museum. Clearing her mind she sought to scry, to see in its polished surface things which were hidden from her. It was dark at first but then images began to form. Jade looked back into the past seeking answers.

Aleister Crowley awoke the moment he felt the ripple in the Astral Plane. Someone or something was trying to manifest itself in the centre of the room. It took Crowley a moment to get his bearings, the room in question being that of a hotel not well known to him. He had come out of necessity to the North African city of Tunis. No doubt this hotel was considered opulent by local standards. It was a poor substitute for the London hotels in which he had spent much of the family fortune. Still, he would not be in the city long.

Crowley had come here with a very specific purpose. He knew that he was not the first occultist to do so and he would not be the last. Tunisia attracted people like him as moths are drawn to a flame. The king of the witches would die here, this Crowley had forseen. For his own part, Crowley had no intention of dying anytime soon. For one thing the world still had need of him. A strange and terrible new aeon was dawning and Crowley knew he had a great part to play in this. When it did come time for him to die, Crowley expected it would come at his own hand. 

It was with this thought in mind that Crowley felt no fear. Through force of will he cast a circle; creating an invisible field of magick surrounding himself. This would serve to protect him from whatever it was that was manifesting. That it dared to do so in his precense told Crowley that it had confidence in its own power. Crowley cared not. He had faced down entites te speaking of whose name alone would cause the dea of lesser men. Crowley had long ago concluded that the devil was a myth. Had he proven to be real, Crowley was confident he could have bested him.

To Crowley’s suprise, it was a woman that was manifesting. She gradually came into focus as if she were approaching him from a great distance. Crowley knew of only one member of the weaker sex with the power to threaten him and this was not her. The manifesting figure lacked her matronly aspect. This was a young woman, slight of build. She was very beautiful in a dark and tragic way. She wore a curious white robe and ha head scarf; both were of heavy white cotton.

“Aleister Crowley?” The woman asked. “The one they call the Great Beast?”

“That is I.” Crowley responded. “You have the advantage on me. Who are you?”

“My name is Katie King ” The woman told him “and my mission is to stop you.”

“I would like to see you try.” Crowley said with a chuckle.

The next think Crowley knew his protective circle was gone. All Katie had done was raise her hand. Now he found himself defensless. Before he could retaliate Katie lowered her hand. Crowley was struck by a force strong enough to knock him off his feet. He struggled to rise so as to mount some kind of an offence. Katie raised her hand and Crowley was slammed into the celing. Then she lowered her hand, sending him crashing back down to the floor.

“Do you submit?” Katie asked.

“Never to anyone.” Crowley hissed. 

“You have plans for a ritual in the desert.” Katie told him. “My master can not permit it to take place.”

“It has not been since I was a boy that I have needed permission.” Crowley spat blood as he spoke then passed out from the pain.

Despite his supreme belief in his own abilities, Crowley was no fool. Hidden behind his bluster was a deep understanding of how the universe worked. For all his power, Crowley knew that he was not omnipotent. There had always existed the possibility of his facing an attack by a power greater than his own. He had prepared for this. Using ancient mental techniques he had built a failsafe into his own mind.

It was triggered the moment Crowley lost conciousness. A burst of pure will erupted put of his mind. The force of it sent Katie screaming back into the Astral Plane. So much of him went into doing this that Crowley barely survived. He reagained conciousness some time later. Far from being detered, his resolve had been strengthened by his encounted with Katie.  If her unnamed master had sent so powerful an agent to stop him then his ritual must be important. It had to go ahead.

Katie watched Crowley in secret as he drove out into the desert, a wry smile on her face. She was satisfied she had achieved her goal. Men like Crowley, for all their power, were like petulant children. To motivate them you had only to forbid them from doing precicely what it was that you wanted them to do. Crowley would perform his ritual. Mankind would be tested. Choronzon would rise.