From the introduction: During the earliest recorded days of human history, a group of Egyptians, led by a man named Imhotep, fought back a Brood invasion. Spurred by this, the survivors formed two secret organizations - the Brotherhood of the Shield and the Brotherhood of the Spear. The Brotherhood of the Spear spread out, ingraining itself into all facets of human society - science, magic, politics - like a multi-headed beast, aparently destroyed around the time of the French Revolution. And although it went by many names - the Cathari sect, the Thule Society and all its antecedents - it is under the name of the many-headed Hydra that it is most well-known. User summary: This item includes illustrations that probably are copyright infringing.