DUNGEONS, DRAGONS, & ALTAIR IV - by - James Lewis Grand Master of the Order of Leviathan, an Order of the Temple of Set A recent radio newscast devoted a bit of its time to the allegations of the anti-Dungeons and Dragons crowd. Everyone knows D&D players use the services of wizards and demons, right? My, my, not ANOTHER one... On the other hand there have been any number of murders and suicides by D&D players, so exactly what is taking place? Although it is somehow difficult to accept that Set [or whatever name he is known by] may have been pulling a fast one on us, that seems to be one of the popular hysterical notions. Another possibility is that of human error. Religious leaders over the centuries have found putting words in the mouths of their gods all too easy Ñ Christian evangelists continue to do so to this day. The adverse D&D publicity is another example of the bandwagon opportunity. I seriously doubt if a great percentage of the most outspoken care one whit whether any damage comes to children or not. The outrage seems to come from the money going to the D&D companies instead of being directed into the pockets of those doing all the raving. We have seen the pattern before. Back in the days when THE EXORCIST hit the theatres the rash of possessions came to the attention of everyone not a hermit. I think then-Magister Michael Aquino summed up the whole thing best when he wrote, "What is the REAL reason behind the popularity of THE EXORCIST? Is it only that people are morbid and like to see a little girl subjected to various sorts of abuse? No doubt this is a factor. But I rather suspect a certain wishful thinking on their part Ñ that they too could indulge in, rather than abstain from their hidden compulsions." [01/22/IX, Exorcism Fact Sheet for the Priesthood and Regional Agents, Michael Aquino IV*] With that we get somewhere. It is much easier to blame the supernatural for socially and morally unacceptable behavior than to admit to one's self and others that the urge was self-originated. People who take seriously the Devil Made Me Do It philosophy are not saying very much for themselves. I do not deny the vast power at Set's disposal, but neither do I believe he dedicates all his time and energy to making life difficult for humanity. If the Devil Made Me Do It doctrine is correct, we have no freedom of Will and find ourselves mere pawns in the hands of Good and Evil. The truth of the matter is that any nasties people do come from within themselves, not outside. There is no Ministry of Lust demon forcing you to take a second look at that knockout piece of flesh walking down the street. Admit it Ñ that specimen of humanity is pleasing to the eye and just as your superego can appreciate the finer points of the view, the id can make any number of recommendations of its own. For those of you who may not immediately place Altair IV, it is the home sphere of the Krel from the movie FORBIDDEN PLANET. It is a film Setians should watch a minimum of one time. Not only are the special effects good ones and the overall show interesting, there are a number of Magical implications in the Krel's doom that are worth considering. The main problem facing the Krel was that of overlooking the inner forces while concentrating on accentuating the powers of creation. That doomed race stood at the height of their powers and forgot that the baser parts of their beings could and also did have access to their ultimate machines. Thus the Krel died, victims of their own id monsters. Morbius suffered the same fate at the film's end and the audience is left to ponder if it will what can happen from within. And from that within is the home of the Dungeons and Dragons demons. Players of the game are not of the Krel race, but it is somewhat sad to see minds so delude themselves as to think such awakened powers as manifest themselves come from elsewhere. The id monsters from D&D are simply and straightforwardly that: facets of the personality and one can describe the entire situation in the same way the FORBIDDEN PLANET script speaks of the late inhabitants of Altair IV. "After a million years of shining sanity, the Krel could hardly understand the power which was destroying them." Setian Magicians have the jump on those who get carried away with D&D because we know where the demons come from and just as importantly how to deal with them. So enjoy your D&D games, dust off the OUIJA board, and have yourself some fun. Any demons you meet are of your own creation. Probably. Published March, XX AS (1985 ce), Vol. II, No. 3 of THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT, a publication of the Order of Leviathan, an Order of the Temple of Set. Uploaded with the permission of the author, who can be contacted through James Joyner's IllumiNet account and through MCI Mail 336-6615. Surface mail can be addressed to Post Office Box 723, Baxley, GA 31513 U.S.A.