Welcome to the Grey Ghosts website. It is designed to help me promote a series of screenplays that I have been working on by storing them on a web friendly program, so that they can read and critigued. As well as putting them in a program that is not dependent on the continued good health of my old Packard Bell.

Fair warning to would-be plagerists. My work is registered with the Writer's Guild of America...and I have back up copies.

Kurt M. Roberts

THE GREY GHOSTS

General overview of a proposed series of either theatrical features or an hour long TV series

The Author would like thank to the organization he has chosen to call the Ithacan Foundation for it's unparalleled cooperation in allowing him access to it's case files. Naturally, this access has not been without certain conditions concerning the actual name of this organization, and the true names and public identities of the individuals involved . The reader will understand that these conditions exist primarily to preserve the privacy of certain families and to prevent libel actions on the part of certain others. Also, it should be noted that the foundation is still invovled in activities that could be regarded as illegal in some quarters, so a level of secrecy is still appreciated. As for the international brotherhood referred to as the Fraterni Arcanum in this text, it's existence remains unconfirmed by all federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies, in fact, the idea of an international organization of occult subversives has met with an attitude of official denial. However, it should be noted that cetain federal documents dated from the period 1866 to 1880 are still listed under the classifacation "Top Secret," and that, since September 11th, 2001, an increased in interest in occult matters has been noted amongst the nation's security services.

PART 1-THE SECRET WAR

For some the battle against Good and Evil has been more that just a symbolic struggle. It is a real war, waged in secret, and fought with unwavering dedication. The battles by and large go unnoticed by the bulk of mankind. But they are real, and casulties are taken and received. The organizations involved have gone by many names but the by the mid-19th century, they were know resepectively as the Fraterni Arcanum and the Ithacan Foundtation.

The Franterni Arcanum (the Arcane Brotherhood or more simply the "Brotherhood") is a organization who's avowed purpose to bring the world under the domination of Darkness (or Shadow has they refer it). In earlier times it was largely a coaltion of realted cults united loosely by an "emperor" but in 1678 the last emperor was assassinated and was replaced by a ruling council dominated by regional directors. It cannot be said that this was a improvement, since the council has often been dominated by bloody infighting, and factionalism. By the 1860's (the period we are concerned with here) the North American Branch had become the dominant faction under the leadership of Adam Thorne of Boston, so much so that Thorne was considered the de facto leader of the Brotherhood (a position challenged by Skander Khan, head of the South Asian Branch, a descendent of the last emperor).

The Ithacan Foundation was founded to oppose the Fraterni Arcanum, and prevent it from achieving dominion over the world. It is organized with a slightly more centralized structure, six Trustees and a Director who oversee all operations. Despite this, agents in the field operate more or less independently, with the upper strada only providing logistical and intellingence support. Trustees are all former field agents promoted from the ranks, and chosen by their predecessors (although the choice is subject to the approval of the other Trustees and the Director). New Directors are chosen by the vote of the other trustees (although a Director can, indeed usually does, recommend a sucessor, usually a Trustee). Angus Buchanen, the Director from 1858 to 1880, had been a Trustee for six years before that, and a highly sucessful field operative since 1824.

Since the earliest times the battle has been waged with a mixture of material and occult means, especially the use of so called "Black Magic" by the Fraterni Arcanum. In fact, the use of Black Magic and the quest for items of great mystical power and import are intergral to the Trust's strategy. Despite this, the Trust has also made frequent use of more material means to finance it's operations, hence it is also deeply involved with more convential criminal actovities such as smuggling and the like.

The Ithacan Foundation has been more reluctant to make use of Magic (although several of its members ,including Angus Buchanen, are said to be trained in the use of Magic), relying on operatives who use "wit and skill" instead of spells to achieve their ends. This has kept the war between the Foundation and the Trust from escalating into a duel of magicks that could (if kept unchecked) bring about Apocolypse.

PART II-THE GREY GHOSTS

In the aftermath of the War Between The States, Angus Buchanen recruited three operatives from the defeated Confederates. Colonel John Kenyon, formerly commander of the Texas Mounted Volunteers, a justly respected regiment of light cavalry feared by the Northern Army for it's skillful raider tactics, Ben McShane, the Texas Mounted Volunteers' Sergeant Major, and Antoinette "Frenchy" Le Clerc, a highly sucessful spy for the Confederate cause. Buchanen soon dubbed the team, the Grey Ghosts (A tribute to John Singleton Moseby, the legendary Confederate cavalry raider, and an impish reference to the team's occult battling activities). Through the late 1860's and early 1870's the Grey Ghosts became a preeminet team of operatives for the Ithacan Foundation, thwarting a number of the Brotherhood's activities.

PART 3-THE TEAM

JOHN ALEXANDER KENYON--Date Of Birth: January 28th, 1835

The eldest of the five children of Thomas and Martha Kenyon, (nee Gordon), (the other children being David, born 1838, Elizabeth, born 1841, Mark, born 1846. and Annie, born 1848) John grew up on the Texas frontier, experiancing his first taste of combat at the age of 9 during a Comanche raid on the family ranch. John's father, Tom was a founding member of the Texas Rangers, and a greatly respected indian fighter and lawman. At age sixteen John was allowed to accompany his father on a punative expedition against the Comanches (this expedition was a vertitable who's who of famous Rangers, including Woodrow Call, Augustus Cray, Jake Cutter, and Tom's longtime friends Deacon "Pepper" Morris and Ransom P. "Ranse " McCoy). At this time, John had already decided on his life's ambition to be a soldier, and was studying for an appointment to West Point. An appointment he recieved, and in 1853 John was admitted into West Point.

His career there was marked by excellent grades, and occassional friction with instructers when they discovered that John had more practical experiance in actual combat than they did. Still, John managed to graduate with honors, and few demerits. Under the system of the time. John's grades entitled him to an appointment in the Engineers, but he lobbyed for, and got a commission in the cavalry. He was assigned to a post in the "Dakota" territory (modern day Montana) under Captain John Carter of Virginia. For the next three and a half years Lieutenant Kenyon learned his trade fighting against "the Best Light Cavalry In The World," the plains tribes.

In 1861 the nation was split asunder when the Southern States suceeded. Like many Southerners, John detested slavery, but also felt passionately in favor of the principles of State's Rights. So upon Texas' sucession, John resigned his commssion, and returned home. Upon his return, John found that old family friend Ranse McCoy was forming a regiment. McCoy, had definate ideas on the use of light cavalry as a fighting force using tactics learned from years of fighting Indians, ideas that John agreed with. John was commissioned as a captain in the regiment, known as the Texas Mounted Volunteers, and they were all soon off to fight under General Ben McCullough in Missouri. Over time, John earned rapid promotion for his skill as a cavalry raider, eventually becoming the Regiment's second in command, and gaining command of the TMV when McCoy was killed in action during a raid on a Union supply train in 1863. Under John's leadership the TMV earned a reputation for daring, and tatical flair, becoming one of the most feared bands of cavalry raiders on the Confederate side. During this period the TMV also moved its operations into western Tennessee. In particular the TMV became famous for it's actions protecting Southern civilians from the deprevations of the Union "liberators." In 1864, General Sherman's army began it's infamous "March to the Sea," and found itself dogged every step of the way by the Texas Mounted Volunteers, who kept up constant harrassment with a series of gallant raids throughout Tennesee, Alabama, and Georgia. However, no amount of gallantry can overcome superior numbers and resources, and the war came to it's inevitable conclusion. In the bitter spring of 1865, John and the Texas Mounted Volunteers surrendered.

Not long afterward John was approached by Angus Buchanen of the Ithacan Foundation, and recruited as an agent of the Foundation. For the next year and a half John and his top sergeant, Ben McShane (qv) engaged in activities calculated to build a reputation as "Unreconstructed Rebs." it was during this period he earned the nickname "Johnny Reb." In the August of 1866 John and Ben were partnered with Antoinette Le Clerc (aka Frenchy, qv) for their first real assignment for the foundation (case file 011-1A "Curse Of The Jaguar"). It was during this assignment that John and Frenchy became lovers. After this case the team began it's career as highly talented field agents in earnest.

ANTOINETTE LE CLERC-Date Of Birth: Febuary 10th, 1840

Antoniette was born the only child of Paul Le Clerc, a Creole aristocrat and Katherine "Kate" Dillion, an Irish actress, in New Orleans during the 1840 Mardi Gras. The Le Clercs had been one of the preeminent families of New Orleans, but bad investments and a highly impecunious lifestyle on the part of Antoinette's great-grandfather had left the family badly in debt by the time of Paul's young manhood. His talent for playing cards soon led Paul into a highly sucessful career as a gambler, to the annoyance of Paul's father, Etienne, who was very protective of the family name.

Paul was soon able to open (with the aid of partners, including Henri Lafitte, who claimed to be the son of the notorious pirate and smuggler Jean Lafitte) La Musketiere, a high class gambling palace which became the favorite haunt of many New Orleans notables, including the notorious Marie Leveau, "the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans." Not long after the opening of La Musketiere, Kate Dillion, a popular young actress on the New Orleans stage came to the gambling house for a game of high stakes chemin de faire. There she met Paul (who had admired her performances on stage), and the two fell in love. Naturally Kate had many admirers, who were not at all pleased at her interest in Paul, and in New Orleans this could solved in only one way, the field of honor. Fortunately, Paul was an excellent swordsman (as befitted a man who's mother was a member of the celebrated D'artangenen family) thanks to the teaching of the enigmatic Monsiuer Armand, the greatest of New Orlean's famed dueling masters. After several duels the majority of Paul's rivals backed down, and Paul and Kate were soon married. The marriage widened the gap between Paul and his father who disapproved of Paul marrying an actress (and an Irish one at that).

Within a year, Antoinette was born, and Monsiuer Armand and Marie Leveau attended as godparents at her baptism. Ironically, Antoniette's birth brought about partial reconciliation between Paul and Etienne, which was tragically cut short by Etienne's death a year later. For a time the little family was a happy one. Little Antoinette showed a remarkable aptitude for card games as a child (she also proved to have other talents, as her godmother would find out). However, the happiness of the Le Clercs would be destroyed forever in 1848, Kate was performing her signiture role, Katerina from Shakespeare's "Taming Of The Shrew." to her usual accolades. In the audience was Michael Thorne, second son of the notorious Adam Thorne (qv). After the play Thorne sent an invitation to Kate, asking her to attend a late supper with him, Kate turned him down politely. Thorne refused to accept this and began to have Kate followed. Eventually this lead to a confrontation in La Musketiere, and a near challenge from Paul. A few nights later Katherine was shot to death while accompanying her husband home from the theater, literally dying in her husband's arms. No evidence could be uncovered linking Thorne to the crime, but there was little doubt that he had commisioned the deed. Paul challenged Thorne to a duel. Thorne, unwilling to face one of the deadliest swordsmen in New Orleans, opted to face Paul with pistols. Unknown to Thorne, Monsiuer Armand had also trained Paul to be a deadly marksman, and Michael Thorne died there under the famed "Dueling Oaks." For a time it looked like the incident was over and done with, but Paul hadn't counted on the patience on the house of Thorne. In 1855, while trying to placate an apparently angry customer, Paul was stabbed to death.

15 year old Antoinette was forced to sell her father's interest in La Musketiere, and came to live with her godfather, Monsieur Aramand (her uncle Honore' Le Clerc being pressured by his domineering sister, Marguerite not to take her in). When Armand died in 1856 Frenchy left for California and the gold camps to make her living as a gambler and professional dealer. It was a hard life for a young girl in her teens, but Antoinette (now being called Frenchy) perservered, and thrived.

With sucession and war, she migrated to Virginia, but soon found that there was little money to be made off soldiers. However, she was approached by a captain attached to General Lee's staff who asked her if she wouldn't mind plying her trade in the Yankee camps for a week. "Just listen and observe without being obvious about it, and tell me what you find out." He told her. Frenchy did that, and discovered that the Union forces were planning a major offensive. She got the information to the Confederates in time, and the Union advance was stalemated. A few weeks later she was introduced to the Queen of Confederate Spys, Rose Greenhow. For the next four years Frenchy worked as a spy alongside Greenhow, Belle Boyd, Belle Siddons, and her best friend Kelly Graham. She quickly found that she had natural talent as an intelligence agent, using skills honed by years of observing opponents over a card table, as well as her natural charm and beauty coupled with acting talent inherited from her mother. She soon had a string of admirers from the upper strada of Washington society, and military circles. Many of whom would have been shocked to discover that the beautiful courtesan they were bedding was scamming the Union's most precious secrets out of them. Throughout this time Frenchy carried out a personal quest to learn more about Adam Thorne, and perhaps someday use this knowledge to avenge the murders of her parents.

The war ended with defeat for the South. And Frenchy found that Washington was not a convivial place for an ex-spy from the losing side (especially one with a number of ruined reputations and broken marriages amongst the powerful to her credit). Both Frenchy and Kelly Graham had decided to head West and try their luck in the mining camps of Nevada or Montana, when they were approached by Angus Buchnanen. Kelly, signed on at once, eager to continue in a profession she enjoyed. Frenchy signed on when Angus offered her a chance at the one thing she wanted most...vengence. Buchanen filled in many of the blanks for her about Thorne and the Fratrerni Arcanum, and Frenchy became a dedicated operative. A year and half later, she was partnered with John Kenyon (in more ways than one) and became part of the Grey Ghosts.

BEN MCSHANE-Date of Birth, June 7th, 1838

Ben was born the second of the six children of Jedodiah McShane and his full blooded Cherokee wife Eliza (the other children were Bill born in 1836 and killed in 1859, Sam born in 1841, Becky, born in 1844, Ezekial, born in 1846 and died of a rattler bite in 1848, and Debbie born in 1849). Jedodiah was a born in Burke County, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in a place full of legend and a destiny to play in the Secret History (check out Jules Verne's "Master Of the World" for an account of certain events in Burke County around 1900). Yet young Jedodiah knew little of the magic of the foothills, he was a practical youth, third in a family of eight brothers and sisters. When their father died, it fell on 17 year old Jedodiah's shoulders to collect a debt owed the family by "Big Charlie" Chapman, patriarch of a large and wide ranging foothills clan. Jedodiah, knowing that Big Charlie was a rough and violent man, brought along his rifle. It was lucky that he did, for Big Charlie not only refused to pay the 20 dollars he owed the McShanes for two fine breeding sows, but he drew a pistol. Jedodiah calmly shot Big Charlie between the eyes. This brought about a feud between the McShane's and the Chapmans, and forced Jedodiah to flee into the mountains with two of Big Charlies' sons on his heels. Jedodiah killed both in a bloody confrontation that left him wounded. He was found by a Cherokee named Bill Starr, who brought him onto Cherokee land. The Starr family nursed Jedodiah back to health, especially Bill's youngest child Eliza, who fell in love with Jedodiah. With the Cherokee about to forced off their lands, and the McShanes about to be overrun by the more numerous Chapman's Jedodiah convinced Eliza to go West with him and his family. They were married, and Eliza followed Jedodiah and his siblings westward.

The family's first stop was in Missouri. Where two of Jedodiah's brothers, and one of his sisters soon married into two local families, the James and the Youngers. Another sister married a intenierent preacher, and moved further West. For a time it looked like the McShanes had found a new home. However the feud had followed them, and Jedodiah found himself forced to kill two more Chapmans in a saloon shooting. This brought legal problems, and Jedodiah was forced to flee Missouri with his pregnant wife, and his youngest siblings Tobe, Ed, and little Beth. They went on to Texas, which was at this time fighting for it's independence from Mexico. The McShanes joined the struggle with enthusiasm, even though Tobe and Ed were only 16 and 14 respectively. All three served with distinction at the battle of San Jacinto.

The McShane's soon settled into life in the Republic of Texas. Jedodiah found himself with a growing family and a hard scrabble farm in the Texas back country. He and his two brothers soon fell back on an old Carolina tradition to solve their finincial problems, namely moonshining. The trade wasn't really illegal in Texas at the time, as long as one confined it to white setlers, but Tobe and Ed convinced Jedodiah to use his contacts amongst the Cherokees (Eliza's family now being settled in the Indian Territory). The result was that the McShane's became involved with a band of comancheros operating out of the Big Bend country run by a master criminal named Grayle. When the gang's activities turned to trading guns to the Comanches Jedodiah and Ed got out. and just in time too, as the gang was wiped out by the Texas Rangers a few months later. Tobe stayed with the gang, but managed to escape the final confrontation with the Rangers.

Jedodiah and Ed then started dealing with a border smuggler named Ysabel, and found the work more to their liking. Ysabel proved to be a good friend and as honest a partner as a smuggler could be. So the McShanes entered into a profitable relationship with him that lasted many years. Meanwhile, Tobe began a career as a cattle and horse thief. Time passed and Jedodiah and Ed were killed in an ambush on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande in 1851. Tobe chose this time to reacquaint himeself with his family. And he soon recruited his nephews 16 year old Bill and 13 year old Ben into his particular brand of illegal endeavor (at 13 Ben was already 5' 10" and 170 lbs, and had no trouble passing himself as older) . The two boys proved quick studies and swiftly learned the ins and outs of the acquisition of other people's livestock. They also began to exhibet other useful skills, in particular Ben showed himself a talented wrangler (useful in this line of work), field medic, tracker, and a natural linquist. Both he and his older brother were also beginning to show an aptitude for the art of gunfighting. Before long both boys reached their full growth. Ben topping off at 6' 4" and 250 pounds of pure muscle, and Bill, a husky 6' 3'' and 220 pounds.

In 1854, Eliza died, and her two oldest sons became the sole means of support for their siblings with their rustling actvities. However, both of them were becoming increasingly disenchanted with their uncle and his chosen profession. Tobe was more and more inclined to let others take the risks while he spent the gang's profits in a grand style. He also began to have ambitions beyond being ramrodding a band of rustlers. He had long nursed a desire to set up in Grayle's old stronghold, and rebuild it with himself as it's master, and in the Spring of 1855 attempted to do just that, but his dream of an outlaw empire died with him when a young prostitute knifed him when she find out she wasn't included in his grandiose scheme. Tobe's gang soon broke up and Bill and Ben found themselves out of a job. Fortunately, despite 4 years of outlaw activity (and both being notably large young men) nether brother had ever been indentified as members of the gang, and had never spent any time in jail more than 24 hours for drunk and disorderly. Both decided that maybe it was time to go straight. However, that proved easier said than done.

About this time the troubles along the Kansas-Missouri border developed. Upon being sent for by their uncles, Bill and Ben went up to Missouri and joined with the Border Guerillas, and became quickly embroiled in the events of Bleeding Kansas. Both proved to be natural guerilla fighters, and fought hard against the Kansas Jayhawkers in that bitter dress rehearsal for the Civil War. After Bill was gunned down in a Topeka saloon by Jayhawkers. Ben decided to leave Kansas and return to Texas. He drifted in and out of various endeavors some legal, some otherwise, until 1861, when Texas suceded. Still not technically wanted for anything (although suspected for numerous crimes) Ben decided that this was as good a chance to avenge his older brother as any, and decided to join up. He ended joining the Texas Mounted Volunteers, and placed in "A" company under the command of Captain John Kenyon. At first, Kenyon was less than thrilled at having been saddled with a suspected outlaw. But surprisingly it was Colonel Ranse McCoy, a former Texas Ranger, who had chased Ben more than once who stood up for him, telling John to give him a chance. John was soon glad that McCoy did for Ben proved himself invaluable in the months that followed. Kenyon grew to appreciate Ben's skills and great physical strength, and depend on them. When John became Colonel in 1863, he offered to give Ben a battlefield commission as an officer, Ben turned it down, and accepted instead the postion as the TMV's top sergeant. A rank he served at with gusto until the war's end.

After the war, John was recruited into the Ithacan Foundation, and Ben went with him. Ever faithful to the commanding officer who had given him a chance at redemption.