Letter from Requiem

Overview

From the Story Arc "Ubelmann the Unknown" given by Ashwin Lannister, or Laurie Pennington.
This Souvenir is restricted to the level range of 25-30.

Souvenir's Text

Letter from Requiem

To the one this world calls 'hero' :

It was fortune alone that began this, a twist of fate that allowed you to be the one to intervene. But that is the nature of fortune, to test those who would be greater than those around them. When you disrupted the strike against the document warehouse, I thought perhaps that fortune was coming into alignment. I did not yet take steps to force fortune's hand, however.

Your further tenacity was overwhelming to me, as you rescued all of the kidnapped historians. It is also, I would guess, at this point that you first head the name of Wolfgang Ubelmann from the men you rescued.

Now having seen a measure of your quality I decided it would be time to employ your ability. A tip was sent to you anonymously on my order, and enabled you to prevent the theft of more documents to be used in Ubelmann's plans.

You needed no help from me to learn of the kidnap of James Bartlett, known to you no doubt by the more colorful name 'Thunderhead.' However, I sent aid to you in the form of his location. From him too, you no doubt heard the name Wolfgang Ubelmann.

Once again, I gave you aid to stop Ubelmann from securing the devices and data he sought. You performed admirably, a true credit to your kind.

Time was growing short, and fortune turned against both of us in ways you did not know. It was a sacrifice, but I revealed Ubelmann's location to you at great cost. Fate is often cruel, however, and Ubelmann escaped. But the clues I left for you were enough to reveal his true nature.

Now that you understood Ubelmann's true point of origin, I am sure his motives were clear to you. A time traveler, he sought to glean knowledge and technology from our present to return to the past and change his future. Using my information, you were able to disrupt his plans by capturing the equipment he depended on.

And so the final stage was set. Upon it you played your part, capturing Ubelmann and ending his threat.

But you may wonder what were my reasons for betraying a man I knew so long ago, for helping you to stop a victory by the Axis powers whom I once served. It is no great surprise. Take but a moment and consider the course of history from my point of view. If the Axis had won, if their rule had extended across the Earth in a thousand year Reich, then consider what place I would have held within it. Perhaps a mere princeling of some minor state, perhaps forced to the periphery by those with more voice in the halls of influence. My 5th Column, my power, would never have existed. Ubelmann's presence was good for morale, but his victory would have destroyed us, destroyed all of us utterly.

I cannot say that you have gained my respect, but I will acknowledge that you fought well. Drink deeply of your success. Bask in the adulation of your peers. Savor this victory. Know that you have saved your world and this moment from the shadow of history. But you have only saved it for now. Do not think that you have saved this world for your future. Know that you have saved this world for my coming Dominion.

- Requiem

Souvenir's Text (Issues 3 to 24)

This section contains information that no longer applies to the current version of City of Heroes/Villains. It is provided for historical purposes.

Editor's Note:

Of all the souvenir's altered after the Council Coup, this one is perhaps the one that makes the least sense as far as plot goes. Not only where any instances of the 5th column replaced with the council, but the end of Requiem's letter also hints of his plans to overthrow those that destroyed the 5th and for a long time, was the only hope players had to their return. Unfortunately the big plot hole with the new version is that Ubelmann would even work with the Council. Not only is the Council an almost completely different organization from the one Ubelmann (who was a World War 2 German) had belonged to, but they are also the organization responsible for the downfall of the last remnants of the military in which he served. To top this of course, the council would have nothing really to gain from Germany winning WW2 since it was mostly formed during the chaos after the war's end.

Letter from Requiem

To the one this world calls 'hero' :

It was fortune alone that began this, a twist of fate that allowed you to be the one to intervene. But that is the nature of fortune, to test those who would be greater than those around them. When you disrupted the strike against the document warehouse, I thought perhaps that fortune was coming into alignment. I did not yet take steps to force fortune's hand, however.

Your further tenacity was overwhelming to me, as you rescued all of the kidnapped historians. It is also, I would guess, at this point that you first heard the name of Wolfgang Ubelmann from the men you rescued.

Now having seen a measure of your quality I decided it would be time to employ your ability. A tip was sent to you anonymously on my order, and enabled you to prevent the theft of more documents to be used in Ubelmann's plans.

You needed no help from me to learn of the kidnap of James Bartlett, known to you no doubt by the more colorful name 'Thunderhead.' However, I sent aid to you in the form of his location. From him too, you no doubt heard the name Wolfgang Ubelmann.

Once again, I gave you aid to stop Ubelmann from securing the devices and data he sought. You performed admirably, a true credit to your kind.

Time was growing short, and fortune turned against both of us in ways you did not know. It was a sacrifice, but I revealed Ubelmann's location to you at great cost. Fate is often cruel, however, and Ubelmann escaped. But the clues I left for you were enough to reveal his true nature.

Now that you understood Ubelmann's true point of origin, I am sure his motives were clear to you. A time traveler, he sought to glean knowledge and technology from our present to return to the past and change his future. Using my information, you were able to disrupt his plans by capturing the equipment he depended on.

And so the final stage was set. Upon it you played your part, capturing Ubelmann and ending his threat.

But you may wonder what were my reasons for betraying a man I knew so long ago, for helping you to stop a victory by the powers whom I once served. It is no great surprise. Take but a moment and consider the course of history from my point of view. If the powers I served had won, if their rule had extended across the Earth, then consider what place I would have held within it. Perhaps a mere princeling of some minor state, perhaps forced to the periphery by those with more voice in the halls of influence. Perhaps dead before my time, for the Center had great plans for the new world order, and I suppose they did not include a rival such as myself.

I could not act against Ubelmann directly; to do so would be to reveal myself to the Center. And so, like so many others, I turned to you for my salvation.

For I do not intend to toil beneath another forever. The seeds of my victory have been carefully sowed, and will one day bear a full harvest.

I cannot say that you will have gained my respect, but I will acknowledge that you fought well. Drink deeply of your success. Bask in the adulation of your peers. Savor this victory. Know that you have saved your world and this moment from the shadow of history. But you have only saved it for now. Do not think that you have saved the world for your future. Know that you have saved this world for my coming Dominion.

- Requiem

See Also

• Souvenirs