Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi → The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B.
My story takes place some years past the current day. Remember the pope is a guy named Peter. Although the missile sounds cool from a thriller perspective, all danger in the Holy Land comes from whoever is attacking Connor. Can't imagine who that would be. 
A missile, then, would come across as gratuitous in my mind (ie something irrelevant to the overall plot).
How about this? A missile comes in and the Israeli Iron Dome system hits it. The wounded missile veers off course and crashes into the Dome of the Rock and annihilates it. This paves the way for Israel to rebuild their temple on the original site. The AC then will go into the temple as predicted by 2 Thess. 2:4. This interpretation, of course, is arguable but it sounds cool.
Destroying the Dome would fit with a literal interpretation of Revelation, not a Catholic one. Catholics believe rebuilding the temple is all figurative wording. From Wikipedia:
Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that the Eucharist, which they hold to be one in substance with the one self-sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, is a far superior offering when compared with the merely preparatory temple sacrifices, as explained in the Epistle to the Hebrews. They also believe that Christ Himself is the New Temple, as spoken of in the Book of Revelation and that Revelation can best be understood as the Eucharist, heaven on earth. Their church buildings are meant to model Solomon's Temple, with the Tabernacle, containing the Eucharist, being considered the new "Holy of Holies." Therefore, they do not attach any significance to a possible future rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple.
Although I will borrow some elements from a Protestant belief of a final battle at Armageddon (Satan and his armies will gather there in preparation for war), that's merely for show. Christ and Satan both know that the "battle" will come down to Connor's choice of who (whom?) to kill. I may include a skirmish between the angels and demons, which halts when Christ returns, in preparation for Connor's decision.
Also, I don't plan to incur the wrath of Muslim readers by destroying one of their most holy sites, even in fiction. There will be some effort by Connor in book two to convert them, just as he'll try to convert others, but I'm not likely to go into much detail since it would require studying multiple other religions to figure out how best to squeeze Connor into their existing beliefs. TBD.
Hmm. Good point on the literal vs. figurative language. I'm not a pro at end times stuff.
And good point on the Muslim concerns if you don't want to lose readers.
On second thought, I'll probably do some preliminary research on other religions/spiritual beliefs. With any luck, I can go deep on a couple and then give lip service to the rest. Perhaps Buddhism, Judaism, and the psychic realm. I'll probably do a lot on the last of these since it's an area I've developed a strong interest in recently.
There will be some effort by Connor in book two to convert them
Muslim would be a tough convert because they don't believe Christ is the Son of God.
It would be like trying to convert a Christian from worshipping Christ to worshipping Moses. (What? Why do want me to start praying to this dude? He's just a prophet!)
Absolutely. If I remember correctly, Muslims consider Jesus a prophet but nothing more. Although, technically, Connor could try to convince them their beliefs are simply incorrect, that woud be something he'd be unlikely to be able to sell to most Muslims. However, his performance at St. Peter's Basilica would certainly help. Or, if I wanted to go nuts, I could have many non-Christian holy places "collapse" without explanation around the world as acts of God. Ditto for any places non-Catholic Christians revere but Catholics do not. Those are much more convincing events than mere attempts at persuasion. And, after all, these aren't actual acts of God since any reader of book one will know he's the Antichrist.
K and George, I'm wondering what you think of the hunt for the Antichrist. I personally think it reads like just a bunch of "episodes" that don't build on each other sufficiently. I think it's missing ever-increasing tension and "thrill" as the detectives get ever closer to identifying the AC. There is continuity between those chapters, but nothing particularly important ties them together.
That's going to be a bitch to fix.
Absolutely. If I remember correctly, Muslims consider Jesus a prophet but nothing more. Although, technically, Connor could try to convince them their beliefs are simply incorrect, that woud be something he'd be unlikely to be able to sell to most Muslims. However, his performance at St. Peter's Basilica would certainly help. Or, if I wanted to go nuts, I could have many non-Christian holy places "collapse" without explanation around the world as acts of God. Ditto for any places non-Catholic Christians revere but Catholics do not. Those are much more convincing events than mere attempts at persuasion. And, after all, these aren't actual acts of God since any reader of book one will know he's the Antichrist.
Let me revisit something. Yes, Muslims believe Jesus is a prophet, and that He did miracles and healings which is interesting. And apparently, they believe that He can still heal today. Also, he will come back on the day of judgement with someone else. I wouldn't be surprised if you already knew all this but here it is again if you need.
K and George, I'm wondering what you think of the hunt for the Antichrist. I personally think it reads like just a bunch of "episodes" that don't build on each other sufficiently. I think it's missing ever-increasing tension and "thrill" as the detectives get ever closer to identifying the AC. There is continuity between those chapters, but nothing particularly important ties them together.
That's going to be a bitch to fix.
Comment:
1. Really? Even with the Zombie Nuns and floating Conner? You manage to weave the history, geography, and story quite well. I remember commenting to you that it was not really a vacation of any sort! There was so much stuff going on. I'd have to reread it again but at this point I might respectfully disagree with you.
2. If you mean that the final revelation is about 100% and not a slow build, then you might be right. Conner lying was a flag that bothered me, but I told you about it and now I understand why you never anything with it. Perhaps a couple more things like that might be useful. Just some stuff that would cause increasing large question marks. Maybe he burns his fingers when it picks up the element when the monstrance is knocked over. The near 100% really caught me off guard. But which is better? And of course, Darth's statement "I am your father." caught the world off guard by 100%. It was great.
Thanks, George. I'll probably go with Connor/Satan destroying holy sites in book two as part of turning everyone toward Connor as God. I came up with a scene for book two, where Connor is pissed off at a delegation of Protestant ministers who had come to the Vatican asking to see him perform miracles in person. They want to be sure that what they saw on TV at the end of book one was real (eg Connor's halo, the holes in his wrists, his otherworldly voice, his able to rebuke the storm and make it go away, etc.). Connor teaches them a frightening lesson (don't test the Lord!) and tells them they need to convert to Catholicism. He then tells them to go back to their parishes and preach to as many people who will listen that the Lord is a goddamn Catholic! :-)
As I noted above, though, I think the hunt for the Antichrist in Rome is too much like distinct episodes that don't build tension/urgency. I was curious if you noticed that while reading it and if you see it now that I've pointed it out.
EDIT: I wrote this post in response to your original reply to me, not in reply to your most recent post.
I'm only referring to the lack of a build of the tension/urgency related to the hunt for the AC in Rome. It's too episodic in my mind. They investigate, they think of a plan to take out the AC, their plan fails. Lather, rinse, repeat until the end.
I'm sorry. I thought you were talking about being in Israel! Oops.
By the way, in the scene above and many like it in book two, he's decided to push Satan's buttons by doing/saying outrageous things. If you remember, he's pissed off at his father and God for bringing him into the world solely to settle the bet between them. Love never had anything to do with it, in spite of what his father told him repeatedly while he was growing up in the orphanage. In the last chapter of the first draft, Conner thinks the price for his services will be high indeed. Angering his father is part of that. At one point, in front of the aforementioned Protestant ministers, his father (still in the form of De Rosa) keeps interrupting, trying to prevent Connor from doing and saying stupid things that would give away that he's not really Christ, so Connor tells a Swiss Guard that if De Rosa interrupts the "Lord" again, then the guard should throw De Rosa out of the building. Should be lots of fun.
I'm trying to remember how much de Rosa did. Should he jump in a little more with a slip here and there that causes people to wonder? Maybe have him and Connor lock eyes at some point and Connor turns nastily away. De Rosa always goes with the flow. Maybe he should swim against the flow. Or at least go in a different direction than Campagna sometime.
I might be stating things that you've already done but I have a great excuse in that I was on brain fog meds for a while :-)
K and George, I'm wondering what you think of the hunt for the Antichrist. I personally think it reads like just a bunch of "episodes" that don't build on each other sufficiently. I think it's missing ever-increasing tension and "thrill" as the detectives get ever closer to identifying the AC. There is continuity between those chapters, but nothing particularly important ties them together.
That's going to be a bitch to fix.
I've considered it from several angles and not sure it is fixable.
Fear not, I'm facing the same issue with [K @ j o]'s tale. Ok, so he's fighting the ninja twins. He can blow them into smithereens because he doesn't want to destroy large swaths of his city. But little in them is inherently dangerous. Then later he's fighting together with his mom and blowing up enemies left and right. And the only thing connecting the twins to this is the presence of the main character. There's been no chain of events, no upping up the stakes.
Ah but how to up the stakes. Obviously have his loved ones targetted. Problem is he doesn't really love anyone. I mean there's his school friend... but there's no villain with enough personal investment to want to do so, and even if one did (perform the killing), my MC would be sad but not struck to his soul.
Compare this to J who starts off her story with fixed assets (remember her burying her gold in the desert to protect it?) and slowly dwindles through her resources. As she chases bottom zero, she's forced to depend on others for help and this increasing dependence forces a mental shift of paradigms... an awakening as it were. But it's only a seed, and the pressure is mounting and she has little time because the two groups of enemies are tightening the noose. This very chase forces mistakes out of her plus her drastic attempts to cover.
Ah, but no one forces [K @ j o]'s hands. He sets his own timelines and he has infinite resources. He claims he needs to finish his studies, but no, he doesn't need to. His world won't come to an end if he waits until next year. The only threat to his timeline are the randos... and even his timeline is flexible.
Back to the detectives in Connor...
We don't know the enemy's timeline. I imagine they're guessing "soon" but the villain can't exactly say how much time they have (if there is even a clock).
What are Campanella's stakes?
a) Getting demoted was something she didn't like, but it also didn't hurt.
b) Her search for her son ties into the last 5% of the story but it's just a would-like for the previous 95%
My challenge for her is what decision does she make around the mid-point that sets her on an irreversible course that she either struggles against and runs with until it's too late for her? What does her transformative journey look like? If you can find her turning point, you will understand how to shape the key that will turn her trip into a rollercoaster.
Romano's much easier because he hits his point of no-return in chapter 7.
My question to Romano is what are the ultimate payments his conscience will demand on him and what does he have to do to avoid it? I don't mean karma / eternal damnation. Saving his lover's soul is sufficient to earn Romano a place in heaven, and provides a nice time-limit, but it's not a character study. Romano's made a mistake. He's taking the steps toward penance, but it's hard to chain increasing stakes, since he's more-or-less waiting for Benvolio to get a lucky break. The process is taking place around him, and so he needn't face any soul-searching to navigate it. Or think of it this way: If Batman saves Catwoman from a fall, that fact alone does not make Batman more interesting. What will fascinate readers is if Catwoman was mean to him before she fell and he still saved her (inner journey of forgiveness). Or if saving her meant not being there for someone else (start of journey of guilt). Or a million other angles.
I forgot that you often read my posted chapters before anyone else. Minor changes first: Campagna is no longer demoted. She's awaiting trial and says she will fight the charges. However, she knows she'll lose, but they can't fire her yet, so normally she would be on desk duty. However, she's a chief inspector in the next draft in charge of a critical investigation, and the director general doesn't want to replace her. That's because he's a demon under orders from Satan to keep her on the case.
I'm not sure if you knew, but I changed the ending so that Romano doesn't die when Satan throws him out a high window.
I don't know if Campagna has a turning point in book one, at least as currently written. Obviously, all the protagonists are defeated in that first round. She has some incredible scenes at the end of book two, but even though she kicks demon butt there, that's not really a turning point either, at least not for her as a character. Obviously, Connor matters more to her than anything. And she matters more to him than anything in spite of De Rosa's attempts to break their bond.
In book two, she's part of the resistance, led by Cardinal Nnamani, but I don't see her taking a lead role in that. She'll be involved, but her focus is Connor. Nnamani will be the major decision maker for retaking the Vatican, and he says he received a vision that God would cleanse the Vatican with no need for any violence on the resistance's part. So the resistance forces march on the Vatican, armed with crosses and holy water and whatever else. At some point in book two, she will receive a vision of her own, either right before the climax or perhaps earlier if I see a need for it. Her visions tell her what to do when the time comes, which takes place at the climax of book two. FYI, those visions are from the Holy Spirit.
Another scene I have in mind is when Campagna brings Connor home to meet her family, which is also his family. It'll be an emotional scene for Connor, but again I don't see her changing as part of that. Perhaps I can figure out a way for her to prepare to sacrifice herself to save Connor.
Her role at the climax does change her, but it's not driven internally. I'm thinking of leaving her with some supernatural powers.
I don't know if Campagna has a turning point in book one
She doesn't need one. I mention it as I try to resolve how to chain the stakes together.
I'm trying to flesh out the final few scenes of book 3 of Connor because it helps to know where I'm going before I write the second draft of book 1. I've already identified a few changes needed to book 1 to set up books 2 & 3.
Near the end of book 3, I want a battle between Connor's human followers and De Rosa's corporeal demons at Mount Megiddo (Armageddon), right before Christ returns. Part of the reason for this is that Catholics generally don't believe Revelation is to be read literally, so there will be no battle between Christ's angels and the demons. However, there's nothing stopping me from having Connor and De Rosa oppose each other, at least for a time. (I may have the archangels Michael and Gabriel show up to fight alongside Connor when it becomes clear that his forces are losing.)
Of course, De Rosa is playing with fire since a pissed off Connor may decide to destroy him instead of Christ when Satan's challenge to God is decided at Megiddo. FYI, the demonic dagger from book 1 is actually not demonic. It was forged by God the Father to decide the outcome of the challenge. It's intended to be wielded by Connor, hence the word Antichristus inscribed on it. Connor returns to the Holy Land at some point to retrieve it from the lake.
One obvious issue is that God cannot be destroyed, something I don't intend to change for the story, otherwise I think Christian readers would be unable or unwilling to suspend disbelief. So, instead, the dagger can destroy Christ's human form, not his spirit. That, too, is probably impossible, but it seems less egregious than completely destroying one third of an indivisible God outright. But God the Father, in accepting Satan's challenge, agreed that, if Connor chooses in favor of Satan, then the Holy Trinity will withdraw from Earth forever, leaving it to Satan and Connor to rule.
A related issue is that, although the dagger can only destroy Christ's human form, the dagger will definitely be able to destroy all of De Rosa, including Satan's spirit. Doesn't seem fair. Of course, Satan's alternative is the Lake of Fire, so perhaps he'd agree to the terms to avoid eternal suffering. Not sure if there's a better way to explain the uneven terms.
One huge factor in all this is that, before Connor throws the dagger, he already knows, if he kills his father, then Connor is himself still destined for an eternity of suffering as the Antichrist.
After Connor makes his decision and throws the dagger at the loser, he (and several other major characters) will be escorted to meet God the Father on a nearby mountain, a place where the Father resides whenever he assumes physical form and descends to Earth. I had hoped that could be Megiddo. No such luck. Megiddo is an archeological mound (only 20 meters high), not a mountain.
Mount Sinai is probably the closest major mountain from the Bible, but definitely too far away to walk from Megiddo. I'd prefer not to have Connor and the others simply whisked there on a magic carpet. I prefer him to have to climb a very long way. After all, he's going to meet God, who should reside up high. Ideally, I'd like it to be a huge series of carved stone steps leading straight up (no winding steps or jagged rocks to climb over), although the higher the climb, the longer the mountain would need to be to accommodate a straight "staircase". One option is to have the mountain hidden in plain sight, outside of our ordinary ability to see or touch it until God summons you. I think that's my best option. Also, since it's a "magical" mountain, it doesn't have to have proportions as we understand them, so a tall series of steps up need not be long, horizontally speaking. Or maybe I do make it a winding staircase of sorts, though still carved into rock. Another option is to make the mountain tall, but for some unexplained reason, it doesn't take too many steps to reach the summit.
Thoughts?
In Matthew 4, Satan is able to whisk himself and clearly passengers wherever he needs to be. You'll need to do some legwork to understand why this Satan cannot
before Connor throws the dagger, he already knows, if he kills his father, then Connor is himself still destined for an eternity of suffering
Is this a catholic teaching?
In Matthew 4, Satan is able to whisk himself and clearly passengers wherever he needs to be. You'll need to do some legwork to understand why this Satan cannot
before Connor throws the dagger, he already knows, if he kills his father, then Connor is himself still destined for an eternity of suffering
Is this a catholic teaching?
Wouldn't it be premeditated murder? I have a feeling that that is hellish behavior.
Wouldn't it be premeditated murder? I have a feeling that that is hellish behavior.
I can buy that. If the target market can pick it out. all's good
Kdot, don't forget the Christian cross around De Rosa's neck. As he admitted to Romano at the end of book 1, Michael the Archangel slipped it around De Rosa's neck while he was distracted. It's essentially a chain around De Rosa that limits his powers, causes his excruciating stigmata when he kills clergy, and prevents Satan from leaving De Rosa's body. Thus, no whisking. I based my story's "chain" on the one used to chain up the dragon in Revelation.
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Some Spoilers Ahead:
Connor didn't kill the pope because he found he couldn't go through with it. That was to have been the culmination of everything his father had been working toward for two thousand years (i.e., for Connor to "become" Christ). If you remember, Connor lied to Romano and his father about having done it, although he later tells his mother the truth. Something about Connor prevented him from committing the assassination, although he doesn't know what.
That same "something" feeds his conscience, causing him to really question what he's doing. As Connor is shown real love by his mother and his mother's family (i.e., Connor's family), he begins to wish he could get out of the conspiracy, but he's in so deep, he doesn't know how. His grandfather has a heart-to-heart with him, telling him how the family had tried for years to get his mother to quit drinking, but they ultimately concluded she had to want it too, so they told her they would always be there for her, and that all she had to do was ask for help, which she finally did after she found Connor.
His grandfather then tells him the family would always be there for Connor too, until he was ready to ask for help. Connor decides he wants to try, so his grandfather takes him to church, telling him God has been waiting a long time for Connor to set foot on holy ground with righteous motives. Connor goes to confession (with Romano!), then truly prays to God at the altar for the first time in his life. He's told by God everything he has to do if he really wants out of the conspiracy, yet he's also told he will still end up in the Lake of Fire. Yikes! Of course, now Connor is even more conflicted. Among other things, he's supposed to destroy his father, a being he loves dearly, and yet, apparently, Connor is still doomed. Tough call. :-)
On a separate note, Connor is, of course, still pissed off at his father and God for creating him in the first place just to, in Connor's mind, simply settle the bet. He'll be quite a badass in the first half of book two, intentionally trying to piss off his father by *not* acting Christlike in front of important witnesses. It's going to be fun to write those parts.
Whatever it is that prevented Connor from killing the pope will continue to influence him until he learns the truth in book 3: God is unfolding a plan far greater than a simple bet with Satan. That plan was actually developed by someone else in Heaven looking to change the course of history.
As for whether it's murder for Connor to actually kill, not in this case, regardless of what he decides. First, God and Satan both agreed to let Connor make the life or death choice as to whom to kill. And, since it's the End Times, the Holy Trinity and the Unholy Trinity are now at war. Would it be murder for Connor to kill the leader of enemy forces during war? Would it have been murder for Connor to kill Churchill and Roosevelt during WW2? If yes, then would it also be murder for Connor to kill Hitler?
I'm dying to start writing this.
Michael the Archangel slipped it around De Rosa's neck while he was distracted. It's essentially a chain around De Rosa that limits his powers
Fine... but does that mean Michael is stronger than Lucifer? Or does that mean the chain was made by God (essentially a cheat in the wager)?
Something about Connor prevented him from committing the assassination, although he doesn't know what.
Something == the third party. No problem. Only inconvenience: it takes away Connor's agency. In the end of section three, when he has to decide who to kill and he asks himself how he arrived to this point, he'll need to avow that some third party set him up to be here.
ofc, that's not a bad thing. I flirted with the concept for J3nna, often having her actions directed by the collar.
Whatever it is that prevented Connor from killing the pope will continue to influence him until he learns the truth in book 3
Here's where the interesting pain-points will begin, as we'll have learned that the previous two books actually were irrelevant. Connor was created to solve a bet between two infinitely powerful entities. He solves the bet by going his own way only to learn his own way was someone else's intent. Everything he has done until this point has been moot. Ah, but how can he solve this? Does hw truly have free will or is he but a puppet?
LAST UPDATED 2/20 at 6:45 PM.
From what I've read, I believe Michael is more powerful, although it's always possible that Michael never faced him one-on-one. There's a mosaic at St. Peter's Basilica of a victorious Michael standing with a raised sword and his foot on the head of Satan. But that's imagery and not necessarily based on anything biblical.
Assume the chain is made by God since it has supernatural powers (otherwise, how would you chain a spiritual being?). But then, so what? The wager involves Connor choosing whom to kill using the dagger from book one. Does it matter if Lucifer is stronger than Michael or not? Strength isn't gonna decide that contest. Love might, though. De Rosa has been whispering "I love you, son" and "The world is against us" to Connor since he was an infant. Since he took Connor away from his family (his mother and her relatives), Connor had no other bonds. God only required that Connor be raised a Catholic. It was De Rosa who chose an orphanage, trying to further minimize any chance of a strong bond between Connor and others, although he develops somewhat of a bond with Romano. So, the question is, can the people who really love Connor develop a strong enough bond with him to overcome De Rosa's inertia.
Connor's Soul
Without revealing the 3rd party, I'll say that for the wager to go ahead, Satan needed an ovum and a uterus, supernaturally enhanced sperm, and a human soul. The reason it has to be a human soul is that Connor is genetically almost completely human (with DNA from his mother, DNA from the zombie known as De Rosa, and some adjustments made by Satan to the DNA in the zombie sperm to give Connor his supernatural powers). Naturally, only God can provide the soul. But why would he? Because Revelation prophecy says Christ doesn't return until after the AC appears.
Here's the catch (I think I mentioned this before): Satan asked for "a human soul." And that's exactly what he got. But Satan didn't think to insist on a "new" soul. So Connor is what we might call an "old soul". :-) But, as with Christ, who didn't know the full details of who he was and why he was on Earth until he was baptized as an adult, the soul within Connor hasn't yet fully reawakened to realize who it is, why it came, and what it's supposed to do. That soul awakens slowly over the years. In the meantime, it is heavily influenced by events in Connor's life, including the lies Connor's father told him, including Satan's manipulations to make Connor love him unconditionally. Just to be clear, that soul is Connor since Connor has no existence or will of his own without a soul. But that soul, though not fully awake and heavily influenced by current events, has instincts from it's past life, among them instincts about right and wrong, which play a role in the failed attempt to kill the pope.
So, the third party you mention, although it is Connor, isn't yet fully aware of its past. As Connor grows, his soul grows with him and changes based on Connor's experiences, since they're inextricably linked. Connor will eventually learn who he is, probably in a series of reveals, at which point he develops full awareness of true right and wrong, although there are no easy decisions (e.g., he still loves his father). But ... the soul within Connor doesn't want to burn in the Lake of Fire either (can you blame it?). So, one would think, it would be driven toward destroying Christ. That soul is, however, so traumatized by an evil it unwittingly unleashed on Earth long ago, that it planned an extraordinary rescue mission, which can only happen just before the end of Revelation. But the soul learns from God in book 2, that, for the rescue to succeed, it will need to sacrifice itself in the Lake of Fire, which it didn't expect and terrifies it. Damned if it does, damned if it doesn't. The only obvious way it can save itself is to remain allied with Satan, kill Christ, and abandon those it came to Earth to rescue.
It's at that point, when all of Connor's life experiences and relationships become critical. They will ultimately determine whether his soul has the courage to proceed with the rescue mission and sacrifice itself to an eternity of agony.
As noted, Connor is inseparable from his soul in all of this, although it becomes necessary to distinguish the two at times when writing about them. Fundamentally, there's just one soul and one body, with old experiences (from the soul's former life), which return to its awareness slowly, and new experiences (from Connor's life), which change the soul until it becomes as much Connor as not.
Inerrancy of the Bible
This is going to be complex, made more so by the need to not invalidate the Bible, which is inerrant. To understand what follows, you have to think of all of us as living in the same timeline as Connor and the wager. In other words, make believe we are on his timeline (this is fiction after all, which is supposed to take us to a universe that doesn't actually exist, so pretend it does, and we're in it). I refer to Connor's timeline as the new timeline, which began when Satan read the original prophecies, didn't like the ending, and issued his challenge to God. Our real-world timeline, where there is no Connor or wager, I refer to as the old timeline, a path we left when everything shifted to the new timeline.
Somehow (still trying to figure this out), when we shifted to the new timeline, we were left with a Bible intended for the old timeline, perhaps because a holy document originally written for one timeline won't change just because we shifted timelines. Perhaps there is only one Bible across all realities, and it cannot change, including St. John's original prophecies. So, we're on the new timeline, but our Bible was written for the old timeline. Things will happen that don't match the Bible, but the Bible remains inerrant (for its timeline).
Still with me?
Now, someone in our timeline (a saint?) in the past experienced visions (from the Holy Spirit) that our timeline doesn't match the Bible, so he wrote a new interpretation of Revelation that did match our timeline, including mention of Connor as the Antichrist and the wager. Satan got his hands on it, and made a few critical changes, one of which being that Christ will return as a boy named Connor. Satan then put it in a monastery in the 8th century, where he would later ensure that it was found. However, it wasn't taken seriously by the Church. But because the author is a saint, it also wasn't declared to be heresy. It was placed in the Vatican archives, and Cardinal Song (the False Prophet) declares it to be valid after he supposedly sees Connor (aka Jesus) in the council meeting in chapter 15. Then, as the story continues to unfold, the Council of Cardinals discovers that things are unfolding as prophesied in the ancient manuscript. Those events were inserted into the manuscript by Satan, who subsequently makes sure that the events he wrote about actually happen (e.g., Connor (Jesus) gets stabbed at the Vatican and dies, only to come back to life).
If you're able to follow that, then there is hope that I can write about it and make it work for the story. 
Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi → The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B.
