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The Callahanian Army of Light is a group of Patrons of Callahan's Place engaged in an ongoing "collaborative fiction" story, currently playing on an e-mail list. We have an interesting mix of fictions represented, from superheroes to dragons to techno-mages, and our opponents have included Time Lords and Shadows (think Babylon 5).

The story started as a thread in the newsgroup alt.callahans, which is one of several virtual versions of the Place featured in the Callahan's novels by Spider Robinson. To learn more about the Place (and its Patrons), visit the Semi-Official All-Callahanian Web Page.

Links to the text archives of our posts are on the Chapters Archive page.

UPDATE: For the current 2014 semi-reboot of the team, archives are at the Action, Adventure, Excitement Archives (auto-posted to LiveJournal so that no one had to be responsible for webbing them, later moved to this domain so LiveJournal isn't the only copy).

Also, check out "All I ever needed to know, I learned from science fiction"; humor by our own Xander (latest additions 31 Aug 2004).

Part IX: Dark Storm Rising

In AAE IV, the Gaunt Man learned of the Callahanian Army of Light. In AAE VI, Thratchen tried to steal a cosmic artifact of unimaginable power. In AAE VII, the Demon Prince struck again, attempting to divine the secrets of the TARDIS.

For years, the Gaunt Man has let his demonic rival do the work. Meanwhile, he has watched. Waited. Planned. Prepared.

And now, his plans have borne their monstrous fruit.

Earth-9 is the richest prize the Gaunt Man has ever found, replete with Possibilities and defended by vast forces. In one fell stroke, his rivals and his enemies alike will fall. When they do, he will become the Torg: immortal, indestructible, invincible. The terror and agony are merely sweet frosting on a hellish cake. Indeed, the resistance of the Callahanians will only serve his purposes... read on >>

There's also more background on Earth 9 on Roland's web site.

Part VIII: Stay Tooned

They've defeated galactic armadas, cosmic entities, super-demons, Things That Should Not Be, and even an avatar of Evil Incarnate.

But this time, it looks like the CAoL has met its match....in two innocent toddlers and some talking animals. The twin children of the Freelance Immortals have blithely flown in where angels fear to tread -- the Tooniversal Continuum. Let the 'toons beware... read on >>

Part VII: Tense Times

They've been his mortal enemy since before the Callahanian Army of Light first knew him. Now Rassilon, the First, Last and most Powerful of the Time Lords, is trying to strike a fatal blow to not only Michael Seven but everyone he's ever known by wiping the ex-Time Lord agent from the pages of history. Can the Callahanian Army of Light stop him? And if they do, will it be only to discover something worse awaiting them? read on >>

After the party in the Place to celebrate Fuzzy's return, Morgan and Roland were blessed with some "New Arrivals."

Part VI: Fuzzy Quest

Like the man said, "For the impossible we need 24 hours notice." The phrase could have referred to the Callahanian Army of Light.

One of the team's most powerful members had given his life to prevent the embodiment of evil from gaining power over countless realities. But having been "constructed" from nine versions of himself in the first place, killing him didn't have the usual effect. Instead, he was transformed into nine artifacts of enormous power, each able to alter some (or all!) aspects of reality. They resided in a self-contained multiverse, which is home to vast and powerful forces. Many of these forces aren't nice, and some of them controlled the artifacts. A dangerous challenge, even to Callahan's resident team of cosmic adventurers.

Of course they went in. read on >>

Part V: Marvel Quest

What do you do after you've saved the multiverse?

To the Callahanian Army of Light, the answer is simple: keep doing what they're meant to do. All of creation or a single lost friend, when the power and skill of the CAoL is needed, they rise to the challenge.

After a brief prolog, we made our way through a series of adventures in various supers universes, trying to rescue one little girl. read on >>

After AAE4 wrapped up, some of us had some outside adventures (hey, even IC we have lives outside the CAoL! ;-). The Freelance Immortals miniseries is online! Plans to web other interlude stories are uncertain at this time. If you want to see more, drop the web mistress a line!

Part IV: The Gathering of Nightmares

There's a "bug" in the fabric of Reality.

It's 15 billion years old, it has mastered ancient science and faerie magick, wields cosmic power, and has armies of incredible creatures led by some of the most infamous villains in creation.

Only one force can stop it: the handful of heroes known as the Callahanian Army of Light.

And the "bug" is ready for them.... read on >>

(Part 4 played out in four segments, each with a different GM.)

Interlude: Love in Arcadia

Our saga has even resulted in a wedding! During the course of Part 3, the players for Roland and Morgan fell in love in RL, he moved across country to be with her, and they got married on Valentine's Day 1998. Isn't it romantic? ;-).

Morgan and Roland's Arcadian wedding has its own web page, prettied-up with some graphics. Come join us for this happy occasion! Also, this file has posts to alt.callahans and the list about the wedding and reception.

The CAoL also sends best wishes to others of our members who have tied the knot. The players for Xzerrion and Crow were married in June of 1999. The players for Mike and Flarn, who like Roland and Morgan met on-line, were wed on August 12, 2000. Caprice's player was wed on January 19, 2002, to a former patron of alt.callahans. Congratulations to all!

Part III: A Game of Revenge

If a God of Chaos and Thieves hired you for a mission of mercy, what would you do? Well, the Callahanian Army of Light (fresh from its victory in Arcadia and sporting a nifty new name) decides to help.

But they have accumulated many enemies by this time, and the strange, fantastic world of Quaren might be the perfect death trap! read on >>

Part II: War in Arcadia

Once again, Stranger is missing -- but that is the least of the Patrons' troubles, as they are embroiled in a war against imagination in the Heart of Arcadia. read on >>

Part I: The Forge of Light

It starts in a bar, when a Stranger is attacked by a horde of blaster-wielding aliens. Seeing a potential good time, several Patrons -- many of whom are more than they seem -- jump in to help. Little do they realize that three universes hang in the balance.... read on >>

(The image formerly linked to the Green Lantern Net Corp site at glcorps.org. This site appears to be the successor of that site.)

For a while, our adventures were posted to alt.callahans, but that is no longer the case. We moved to the ModusVarious List, which is no longer available.