It's been a long enough hiatus – time for new chapters! This one is pretty hot as it will bring you some powerful revelations about our dear Lord Baphomet and his evil plans. You will also receive another dose of Hellish landscapes. Maybe I should draw a map of how I imagine Hell's geography and upload it somewhere. I will consider it.

Well, just two more chapters to go (and a short epilogue). When I started the Lost Memories all those years ago, at some point I thought that I'd never be able to finish it and that it would remain incomplete forever. This site changed everything – I am now very close to the end, and I already have a very good idea what the final two chapters will contain.

This was all made possible by YOU – the readers and writers who come to this place because of your love for fan fiction. Your support has been VERY stimulating, and I am grateful for it.

Now, without further delay...


FRAGMENT XI: REVELATION

It was called "The Gatekeeper's Throne" – a massive rock outcropping, which was the highest point of Mount Erebus. From this vantage point, one could survey the entire continent of Inferno, and even the molten oceans beyond it. It got its name from the simple fact that one Gatekeeper often sat there and admired the view. This Gatekeeper was me.

I was sitting there once more, surrounded by the glorious realm of Hell on all sides; I stared towards the burning seas, one of the territories that I had explored the least. Far to the west, beyond the Barrier Mountains and the other half of the continent's landmass, I beheld the Leviathan Sea, which was named after the titanic skeleton of an ancient creature that rested within the searing waves. No one knew anything about the origins or the fate of the long-dead monstrosity, yet small islands had formed among its remains, populated by various groups of demons – worshippers who sought some kind of favor from the spirit of the creature (as it supposedly lingered within the very fabric of Hell).

To the north were several tall spires of solid rock, rising above the blaze. The largest among them was like a steep mountain and it was dredged with countless tunnels and chambers. It was populated by a peculiar sect of demons who were somewhat independent from Baphomet's will. They were referred to with a peculiar ancient name, which literally meant "without a master" – however, I suspected that their so-called freedom came at a cost, and they were meant to play a role in the Master's plan at some point.

From the east came a blinding light – there were several groups of islands, each of which was marked with burning beacons than shone like stars against the gloom on the horizon. The islands were populated by various demonic sorcerers and warlocks, delving deep into the corruption and secrets of the arcane arts. The greatest of these covens was at the renowned bone monastery, which was literally built of bones collected from various creatures – human and otherwise. They were always very hot, glowing like charcoals, as they bathed in the tremendous power of an unseen source of power beneath the surface.

The ocean to the south was the greatest mystery of all. It was always obscured by great storms of fire, which raged for millennia over its surface. Nothing was supposed to survive in this eternal conflagration, yet there were rumors of a unique breed of Arch Viles, known as the Apollyons*, who dwelled somewhere within this raging blaze. What they did and why they did it was beyond the scope of my imagination, however I was once again vaguely aware of my Master's hand in this matter. I could only speculate how far his plans and schemes went.


Sitting up there on my "throne" and gazing at the lands all around me was one of the things that truly brought me delight, even after centuries of witnessing all kinds of strange things and phenomena across several dimensions. As I looked in all directions, my thoughts invariably drifted towards my latest discoveries and the new questions that they provoked. It appeared that the Master's vision went beyond the simple conquering of a few worlds and the souls that inhabited them – He sought dominion over the entire physical universe. I could sense that this struggle for power was rooted in events so ancient that they preceded the creation of Hell itself. It was a game with high stakes, and I was seemingly destined to be one of the major pieces on the board.

It was just at that moment that I felt a presence approaching me. My mentor had finally arrived. I jumped down from the rock I was sitting on and faced the Hell Knight.

"I knew I'd find you here. Fate always brings you where you are supposed to be." Occisor smiled.

I simply bowed and invited my old friend to sit by me, near the base of the pillar.

"I have been travelling here and there," I began casually, "Seeking more knowledge and new experiences. Even from some more unusual places."

"You have been to the lower layers," Occisor grinned, "I can smell it on you. I suppose you went down to the vault of bones?"

I nodded in confirmation and took out the small crystal that I had been given.

"Ah, so you have met my brother," Occisor added.

Now this was a surprise. But it also explained why my mentor knew so much about the layers. Perhaps he had been down there, maybe even deeper than I had reached.

"We talked about many things," I said, "He told me much about the layer and its purpose as a vault for powerful weapons of war. I even saw some of those great vessels."

"I suppose he showed you the Evilution," Occisor interjected with a wicked smile, "It's an amazing construct, a perfect blend of magic, technology and raw infernal fury. It is designed to carry entire demonic armies and unleash them as a deadly rain upon the unsuspecting enemies below. It's beautiful..."

The Hell Knight's expression made me wonder if he had actually seen this ship in action. If this were true, it must have happened ages before I was born.

"More importantly, though," I continued nonchalantly, "This little expedition gave me an even better understanding of the scope of Hell's power... and the Master's plans for the future. It is almost clear to me now, yet there are still a few details that elude me."

Occisor's smile was gone and I was now staring into the face of the stern mentor that I had known from so long ago. I knew this was the time I would finally receive some answers.


"For all the time you have explored Hell and witnessed its wonders," the Hell Knight said slowly, "What is the one thing you have not seen yet? What is it that never happens?"

I was a little confused by this question and started to think about everything that had happened to me – it was so much that it was hard to think if there was something that never happened. My thoughts drifted towards the Master, as he was the foundation of it all. I thought about all of my encounters with Him, everything He had told us, everything he had done... and then it struck me!

"The Master," I gasped when the realization came over me, "Lord Baphomet never leaves his citadel. He never manifests himself in other worlds! He always maintains the form of the Icon of Sin and never actually ventures anywhere as a physical body."

Occisor smiled once again and thus confirmed my conclusion.

"Precisely," he hissed, "The Master has stayed in his lair for millennia. He left it and ventured outside just once – it was when he created his most powerful agents, the ones who had the power to do the one thing he could not."

"The ones who can travel to other dimensions and fulfill his will," I whispered, "So when he left his citadel, it was to create us, the Gatekeepers. Amazing!"

"You and your brothers are the harbingers of the Lord's will. You carry out his desire for as long as he is unable to," Occisor added.

"But why is it so," I wondered, "I know that Lord Baphomet was (and still is) a being of unfathomable power. Why has he become unable to travel to other dimension? Has he lost his power?"

"No, of course not!" Occisor seemed somewhat outraged by this notion. "Such great power cannot be lost, but it can be transformed. The Master's power was invested into everything you see around you – the entire realm of Hell and all the demons that inhabit it, including the two of us."

It made perfect sense. In order to spawn an entire self-sustaining dimension, especially one with strong bonds to the material plane, its creator would surely have to transfer a great deal of his own power into his creation, in order to breathe life into it and give its inhabitants power beyond the scope of any mortal. The Master's power flowed through everything, including myself, enabling me to open gateways and step into other dimensions as I wished. And this must have been highly taxing on Him – creating the thirteen Gatekeepers probably required a considerable sacrifice of His power.


As I kept thinking about this, another question started to form in my mind.

"If the Master is not able to cross the boundary with the material universe," I started, "Then how will he be able to commence with his plans to gain dominion over all creation? Surely there must be a way for him to circumvent this limitation and cross the boundary."

"Indeed there is," Occisor said quietly, "And the key to this secret lies with the most important undertaking that Hell is about to embark upon in the near future – the invasion and subjugation of the human world, the planet known as Earth."

Again, it made sense – the invasion of Earth was the most important war Hell would ever fight and all demons knew it. It was the culmination of all preparations and schemes.

"The planet itself bathes in several intersecting streams of cosmic energy, which turn it into a potent nexus of raw power," Occisor continued, "Combined with the sacrifice of several billion human souls, it would allow our Master to open a gateway and enter the physical universe once more, after countless millennia of exile. Once there, our Great Father will consolidate the legions of Hell and launch the unholy crusade, which would devour the entire Universe... and, eventually, all of creation itself!"

It was cunning, devious, brutal and decisive. But above all else – it was brilliant. Lord Baphomet's plan was now so clear to me that I started to feel an unusual excitement about the prospect of subjugating the human homeworld. It was going to be the most important part of my life – an epic battle unlike any other. More importantly, though, Hell would finally unleash its full potential and crush all hope.


Just as these thoughts were passing through my mind, I felt a familiar tingle in my heart. Lord Baphomet had established a telepathic link with me!

My most beloved children, the hour of DOOM approaches. Hell's fury will soon be unleashed upon the mortal realm and we must make the necessary preparations for this momentous event. Come to my citadel now and be ready to fulfill the purpose of your existence!

I instantly knew that my twelve brothers had received the same telepathic message and were probably already on their way to the Icon of Sin. I stood up and bowed slightly before my mentor.

"Will I ever see you again?" I asked.

"I believe you will," Occisor said, then he glanced at the band of black cloth around my left wrist, "Make sure you keep it – it will gain you valuable allies when the need is most dire. Now farewell, and do not spare any mortal from your infernal fury, for it is a gift bestowed upon you by the very Lord of Hell himself."

With this, the old Hell Knight turned around and disappeared into the shadows. And I recalled the image of Baphomet's citadel in my mind and prepared to teleport myself there...


*Apollyon – a powerful (red-colored) variant of the classic Arch Vile, encountered in the DOOM RPG. There is also a weaker (blue) variant called Infernis.


Join us next time, when the thirteen brothers and their master make their plans for the greatest catastrophe in Earth's history.

And in Fragment 13 you will get non-stop action and combat – this chapter is planned to feel like you are actually playing DOOM and there is fighting going on all around you. It will be... delicious!