London Harrowing

The *London Harrowing, sometimes referred to as the Ahmunite Cataclysm*, was a sudden and devastating supernatural event that struck London on October 17, 2028. Officially explained away as an unprecedented atmospheric disturbance, evidence pieced together from leaked intelligence reports, eyewitness testimonies, and independent investigations points to a far more arcane origin: the catastrophic release of an ancient Egyptian entity and the breaching of millennia-old containment measures. The Harrowing resulted in widespread destruction, a significant loss of life, and a profound psychological impact on the city's inhabitants, leaving a lasting scar on the global geopolitical landscape and ushering in a new era of clandestine operations focused on esoteric threats.

Genesis of the Harrowing: Echoes from Ancient Egypt

The roots of the London Harrowing can be traced back to the early dynastic period of ancient Egypt, specifically to the reign of King Menehptre. While largely absent from mainstream historical accounts, Menehptre was a ruler of regional importance during a formative era of Egyptian civilization. Archaeological fragments and obscure inscriptions hint at a complex and turbulent period, one that witnessed dynastic rivalries and the burgeoning of esoteric practices. Within this shadowy epoch emerges the figure of Princess Ahmanet, Menehptre’s eldest child and initially, his designated heir.

!Princess Ahmanet Pact with Set Depiction of Princess Ahmanet entering into a dark covenant.

In 2001, during excavations near Nagada, a discovery was made that would ultimately illuminate the forgotten history of Ahmanet and set the stage for the London Harrowing. Archaeologists unearthed a dark, igneous stele bearing archaic hieroglyphic inscriptions. Initially overlooked, the stele's true significance was gradually revealed through painstaking linguistic analysis. The inscription recounted a tale of royal ambition, dynastic upheaval, and forbidden sorcery centered on Princess Ahmanet. It depicted her early life as one of privilege and preparation for rule, immersed in courtly life and priestly teachings, highlighting her keen intellect and ambition.

The narrative takes a dramatic turn with the unexpected birth of a male heir to Menehptre. In the patriarchal society of ancient Egypt, the arrival of a son irrevocably altered the line of succession. Despite Ahmanet's prior designation, the male heir became the presumptive successor. The stele suggests that this dynastic shift inflicted a deep wound upon Ahmanet, fueling a sense of betrayal and resentment. The inscription poignantly describes her plight: "The scepter slipped from her grasp, the birthright stolen by fate's cruel hand, leaving the princess adrift in a sea of shadows, her heart consumed by the embers of injustice."

Driven by ambition and embittered by her dispossession, Ahmanet turned to forbidden practices. The stele alludes to a pact she forged with Set, the ancient Egyptian deity embodying chaos, the desert, and storms. While later dynasties demonized Set, his role in earlier Egyptian belief systems was more nuanced, representing untamed power and the disruptive forces of nature. Ahmanet, seeking to reclaim her birthright and perhaps driven by a thirst for power that extended beyond mere kingship, appears to have seen Set as a conduit for achieving her desires.

The inscription details a clandestine blood ritual in which Ahmanet invoked Set. The specifics remain obscure, but the stele chillingly recounts the murders of King Menehptre and his infant son. While employing euphemistic language, referring to "the crimson offering" and "the silencing of the royal bloodline," the implication is clear: Ahmanet committed patricide and infanticide, acts of unspeakable transgression intended to clear her path to the throne and solidify her Pact with Set. The stele claims that this act of fratricide and regicide imbued Ahmanet with "unholy might" and cemented her bond with the chaotic deity. In exchange for this power, Ahmanet pledged to provide Set with a mortal vessel, a strong male body, to facilitate his dominion over the earthly realm, ushering in an age of divine rule and worldly pandemonium.

Ahmanet selected her own lover, a nobleman whose name is lost to time due to damage to the stele, as the intended host for Set. However, her machinations were discovered. Temple priests, guardians of religious orthodoxy and deeply entrenched in the dynastic power structure, uncovered Ahmanet's sacrilege. The stele hints at a period of secret investigations and hushed consultations within the priestly order before they acted. Ahmanet’s lover was swiftly apprehended and executed, preventing the completion of the ritual and the potential ascension of Set. Ahmanet herself faced a fate far more terrifying than mere death: she was subjected to mummification alive. This brutal practice, reserved for the most heinous criminals and threats to cosmic order, was not just punishment but a means of spiritual containment, trapping the transgressor's soul within their physical remains, preventing their malevolent influence from extending beyond the grave.

To ensure the complete erasure of Ahmanet’s legacy and suppress the dangerous knowledge she had wielded, the temple priests orchestrated a systematic damnatio memoriae. All records of Ahmanet’s existence, her brief reign, and the events surrounding her downfall were meticulously expunged from official inscriptions, temple archives, and public memory. The Nagada Stele, a less formal and perhaps fortuitously overlooked record, stands as a rare surviving testament to this historical revisionism, offering a fragmented yet compelling glimpse into a suppressed chapter of ancient Egyptian history.

The Glastonbury Repository: A Templar Vigil

Millennia after Ahmanet's entombment, the narrative shifts to 2027, in the seemingly unrelated setting of rural western England. Near Glastonbury, a town steeped in Arthurian legend and esoteric lore, a routine archaeological survey preceding infrastructure development unearthed a startling anomaly. Beneath an unremarkable field, excavators discovered a subterranean chamber of anomalous construction.

!Templar Cache Dirge Coffer Illustration depicting Templars concealing the Dirge Coffer within the Glastonbury complex.

Accessed via a concealed shaft, the chamber contained a sarcophagus crafted from an unknown, obsidian-like material, adorned with intricate carvings bearing no resemblance to known regional artistic styles like Celtic, Roman, or Anglo-Saxon. Initial analysis of the symbols tentatively linked them to archaic Egyptian hieroglyphs, albeit with notable deviations and anomalies. The discovery's unusual nature triggered immediate alerts, escalating through interagency channels and drawing the attention of British and American intelligence services.

The extraordinary interest stemmed from the realization that the chamber was not isolated but part of a vast, deliberately hidden network of tunnels and chambers extending beneath the landscape. Further investigation revealed the site to be a highly sophisticated Knights Templar burial complex, unlike any previously documented. The Templars, a medieval religious-military order shrouded in secrecy and conspiracy theories, held extensive lands in England, including near Glastonbury, a region already imbued with esoteric significance.

This Templar site was characterized by unprecedented secrecy, advanced construction techniques for the era, and an almost obsessive focus on containment. The sarcophagus was not merely buried; it was encased in layers of protective materials, surrounded by intricate mechanisms and esoteric symbols indicative of a purpose far beyond simple interment. Initial investigators reported a palpable sense of oppression within the chamber, a feeling of ancient dread.

The find prompted a top-secret joint operation by British and American authorities to secure the site. An official veil of silence descended, the archaeological survey was halted under a pretext of logistical issues, and the true nature of the discovery was concealed from the public, fueling local rumors of government cover-ups.

Despite the secrecy, fragments of information leaked, primarily through classified intelligence channels. A declassified CIA memorandum, addressed to the Department of Defense and dated shortly after the discovery, surfaced years later, cryptically titled "OOP Retrieval". "OOP," speculated to mean "Out-Of-Place Phenomenon" or "Out-Of-Place Power," hinted at the Templar cache's true nature.

The redacted memorandum confirmed the obsidian sarcophagus and its anomalous markings, explicitly linking it to Princess Ahmanet and the Nagada stele. It stated with chilling brevity, "Templar objective: Containment of Ahmunite Entity. Retrieval priority: OOP artifact – designated ‘Dirge Coffer’."

The memo suggested the Knights Templar were not merely warriors and financiers but deeply involved in suppressing esoteric threats. The Glastonbury site was not a typical burial ground, but a specially built repository to house and neutralize a dangerous artifact related to Ahmanet – the "Dirge Coffer". The Templars, acquiring knowledge during their Crusades-era presence in the Near East, had apparently learned of Ahmanet's history and potential danger, undertaking a clandestine mission to secure her remains and constructing the Glastonbury facility as a containment measure against her resurgence. This location became known in esoteric circles as the Glastonbury Containment Site.

The "OOP Retrieval" memo concluded with a stark warning: "Artifact integrity potentially compromised. Ahmunite entity dormancy status uncertain. Recommend immediate and discreet relocation of Dirge Coffer to secure facility for reassessment of containment protocols." This foreshadowed the London Harrowing, suggesting the Templar containment, however sophisticated, was failing, and the ancient dirges of betrayal were about to resurface.

Operation Desert Dirge: Exhumation in Iraq

The CIA memorandum's urgency triggered a highly classified and politically sensitive operation in post-invasion Iraq in early 2028. Intelligence from Glastonbury, combined with historical and esoteric analysis, pinpointed a location in the Iraqi desert near Hatra as Ahmanet’s original tomb site. This archaeologically rich region, historically significant, had become a volatile zone of sectarian conflict and insurgency post-2003 invasion, posing immense challenges to clandestine operations.

Complicating matters was the presence of the "Seekers of the Hidden Imamate," a powerful Shia religious faction suspected of esoteric beliefs and clandestine archaeological activities, potentially motivated by religious zeal and artifact acquisition. Intelligence suggested the Seekers had independently discovered Ahmanet’s tomb and begun excavations, possibly unaware of its true nature and danger.

Faced with the "Dirge Coffer" potentially falling into hostile hands—insurgents or the unpredictable Seekers—the US government authorized a high-risk, deniable operation to locate and secure Ahmanet’s tomb and retrieve significant artifacts, especially the obsidian sarcophagus, now termed "Dirge Coffer."

Operation "Desert Dirge" was launched under the guise of a joint US-Iraqi archaeological expedition, using a cover story of investigating pre-Islamic Mesopotamian sites. In reality, it was a heavily militarized, intelligence-driven mission involving special operations forces, archaeological experts, and covert operatives. The operation faced immediate challenges navigating the treacherous political and security landscape and contending with insurgents and the Seekers.

Ahmanet’s tomb, located deep beneath a remote desert plateau, was heavily defended, not by conventional forces, but by "organized resistance of an unorthodox nature," as after-action reports euphemistically described. This hinted at the Seekers' security apparatus, rumored to include armed guards and individuals with esoteric knowledge, possibly even supernatural abilities.

The ensuing confrontation lasted nearly two weeks, shrouded in secrecy and a near-total media blackout. Local rumors circulated about strange desert occurrences, whispers of unnatural storms and phenomena, dismissed as folklore or exaggerated military accounts. "Desert Dirge" became a brutal, protracted struggle, involving conventional combat, psychological warfare, and esoteric countermeasures.

Despite superior firepower and technology, US forces faced unexpectedly stiff resistance and significant casualties. The Seekers, fighting on their terrain, fueled by religious fervor and defending their heritage, proved formidable adversaries. Reports mentioned unsettling experiences for US personnel: disorientation, hallucinations, and pervasive dread, suggesting unconventional tactics, possibly esoteric practices and energies emanating from the tomb.

Ultimately, after a costly struggle, US forces breached the tomb and secured the "Dirge Coffer." However, the retrieval was not clean. The Seekers, though outmatched, inflicted losses and sabotaged parts of the tomb, hindering complete artifact extraction. The operation was a qualified success but at a high cost, both human and geopolitical. It inflamed anti-American sentiment, exacerbated sectarian tensions, and contributed to regional instability.

The "Dirge Coffer," along with tablets and canopic jars, was airlifted out of Iraq under heavy security, destined for a secure US research facility for analysis and containment protocol development. However, fate, or perhaps ancient curses, intervened catastrophically. The transport aircraft, a modified C-130 Hercules, en route to the US via a London refueling stop, suffered catastrophic mechanical failure over the British capital.

The Unleashing: London Engulfed

The C-130 crash over London on October 17, 2028, initially appeared a tragic accident. The official narrative, swiftly disseminated, blamed sudden structural failure exacerbated by localized turbulence. The crash site, in densely populated East London, caused immediate devastation, killing over 900 and injuring thousands.

!London Harrowing Cataclysm Unleashed London descends into chaos as the Ahmunite entity is unleashed.

However, within hours, anomalous phenomena emerged across London, defying conventional explanation and causing widespread panic. Eyewitness accounts, initially dismissed as trauma or hysteria, coalesced into a disturbing pattern. Reports flooded emergency services and social media of spontaneous explosions, localized violent weather—sudden gusts and torrential rain in clear skies—and pervasive unease and dread.

Londoners reported vivid, disturbing visions, from fleeting shadowy figures to monstrous entities and ancient Egyptian rituals. Strange, dissonant noises—whispers, screams, guttural utterances—echoed through streets, seemingly without source. Mysterious figures, gaunt, shrouded, pale, with piercing eyes, were sighted flitting through crowds, vanishing. Unexplained animal behavior was also widespread: pets agitated, aggressive, terrified.

These initially sporadic phenomena rapidly escalated in intensity and scope. By nightfall, London was in near-total chaos. Emergency services were overwhelmed, communications faltered, and looting and civil unrest erupted. The government, initially attempting control and rational explanations, lost credibility as events escalated, defying conventional mitigation.

The true nature of the London disaster—the Ahmunite Cataclysm, or London Harrowing—became clear as leaked intelligence and eyewitness accounts surfaced. The C-130 crash was not just accident; it was a supernatural unleashing linked to the "Dirge Coffer" and its occupant. The structural failure was, later investigations revealed, triggered by an inexplicable energy surge from the cargo hold, specifically the container housing the obsidian sarcophagus.

The crash impact, combined with energies within the "Dirge Coffer," breached ancient seals and containment protocols that had held Ahmanet's malevolent essence dormant for millennia. The cataclysmic energy release manifested as the anomalous phenomena engulfing London, echoing the wrath of a betrayed princess and Set's chaotic power.

Spontaneous explosions were attributed to localized uncontrolled energy surges, possibly linked to Set. Unnatural weather patterns were interpreted as manifestations of Ahmanet’s disrupted spiritual state, her fury contorting natural order. Visions and hallucinations were psychic bleed-throughs, remnants of Ahmanet’s consciousness and ancient rituals, unleashed upon London’s collective psyche. Strange noises and figures were theorized as residual entities, spiritual fragments drawn to the cataclysm epicenter by unleashed ancient power.

The government's official report, released months later, meticulously avoided supernatural factors. It attributed the Harrowing to a "sudden, unprecedented hurricane-force atmospheric disturbance," despite no meteorological support and overwhelming evidence of anomalous phenomena. This obfuscation was likely motivated by preventing mass panic, concealing the Iraq operation, and maintaining a semblance of control in the face of inexplicable events.

Lingering Scars and Esoteric Awakening

The Ahmunite Cataclysm, despite the official cover-up, indelibly scarred London and the world. Immediate devastation claimed thousands of lives, caused billions in damage, and inflicted profound, lasting psychological trauma, fostering fear, suspicion, and unease for years.

Beyond immediate impact, the Harrowing had significant geopolitical ramifications. The partial revelation of the US-led Iraq operation and the London disaster strained US-UK relations, fueling anti-American sentiment and calls for transparency. The incident exacerbated Middle East tensions, further destabilizing the region and providing propaganda for extremist groups.

The Ahmunite Cataclysm also brought the esoteric and supernatural into stark relief, albeit mainly within clandestine circles. Governments and intelligence agencies worldwide confronted the reality of ancient powers and hidden dimensions, prompting a surge in research and development into paranormal phenomena, Esoteric Warfare, and Containment Protocols for Anomalous Entities. London served as a chilling demonstration of tampering with forces beyond human comprehension, highlighting the delicate balance between knowledge-seeking and unleashing unforeseen catastrophes.

The "Dirge Coffer," despite its catastrophic role in the London Harrowing, was recovered from the crash site, though damaged. It is currently held in a highly secure, undisclosed location, under analysis and containment efforts. Artifacts from Ahmanet’s tomb in Iraq are similarly secured, studied by scientists, linguists, and esoteric scholars, seeking to decipher their secrets and understand Ahmanet’s power and her pact with Set.

The London Harrowing remains a heavily guarded secret, officially relegated to conspiracy theories. However, in hidden corridors of power and shadowed esoteric realms, the dirges of dynastic betrayal continue to resonate—a chilling reminder of ancient forces dormant beneath the modern world, awaiting re-awakening.