Ivan Witherpool

The Lomken legacy goes way back. For the longest time, their ancestors guarded the most damning proofs for creation from anyone who would seek to rewrite history for personal gain. They kept the church as society's central authority on the subject of reality, even at times when church leaders did not honor what that implied. However, the number of such men who were without honor or faith that had nevertheless crept into the church unannounced grew. Bringing back first Gnostic myths and later, outright stories they were making up; they did whatever they could to undermine their church from within.

Time and again, it was the Lomkens who crusaded to keep these men few in number; discredited and incapable of establishing themselves as the authority over any culture that on Mantith did dwell. However, something was about to happen that the Lomken legacy did not expect: Daldonism. Admittedly sketchy in the reliability of its own interpretations of evidence, its naturalist-exclusive worldview sought to explain a world that didn't need Minshus. Even with the problem of Stationeries existing, proponents of this view charged ahead boldly.

In the nation of Braldon, treacherous and backstabbing theologians very quickly forged an alliance with this newfound excuse for Atheism, even as their counterparts in the scientific realm exercised caution. They soon realized they would need political clout if they were to tip the scales; and forever banish the church from being culturally relevant in Braldon. It took only a few decades, but they got what they had worked so hard for and sought out: political allies willing to do whatever it took to silence all religious opposition.

Along came the Scalpen Ape Trial, where Erik Lomken tried desperately to aid Warren Jenkins Brennon in making a solid case against his opponents. Erik's efforts ended in dismal failure. Before he could deliver his package, he was assassinated and a few of his books were stolen and later burned. Brennon, clueless on apologetics, made a poor case for his side. The defendant in that trial was nevertheless convicted, at the Antian Civil License Union's request. But the damage had been done. The Church of Minshus, within Antia, had proven that it did not trust its own foundations as an authority on the matter of human origin. This was exactly the victory that the Braldonian Daldonists had wanted. The age of Secular Humanism had arrived; and Minshans were quickly dwindling in influence even as some of their own foolishly tried to create a "balance" between the opposing worldviews.

Erik's murder led to the lifelong quest of Gordon Lomken to discredit his father's murderers; though the spirit of apathy inspired in his era by his spiritual enemies made it difficult for him to find anyone willing to listen. Even so, Gordon became the single-most-effective Creation apologist on Mantith. So much so, that even after his enemies began to occupy the House of Lords, they perceived him as their single greatest threat. He was the one and only that they could not in any way soil or discredit to the public. They finally decided that the only way they could stop Cal Bacon in Austrania from succeeding with his plans to start a Creation Ministry in Antia was to murder Gordon before he could pass on his materials.

Enter Ivan Witherpool. The meanest, coldest, most calculating and bigoted assassin that the House of Lords could get its hands on. It was a very happy and successful day for Gordon, one day approximately 1,976 years after the birth of Minshus. He and his wife Anita Lomken were getting back from Gordon delivering one of many awe-and-faith-inspiring speeches to Minshans in Braldon, extending their hands to the whole world. They were with Gordon's happy children John, Abigail, and Mark. Ivan thought the whole Lomken family was present in the limo; but he and his fellow assassins made only three mistakes.

The first was shooting the shocked and injured passengers through their heads, each one, to make sure. The news had to cover up this evidence in order to tell the world that the limo driver was drunk. The second mistake was that Gordon's butler, Eliot Brownside, was not there. The third was that Gordon had an unfavorite son, Mitchell; who was only recently showing any interest in the family trade due to an nagging feeling that his life had become void of purpose.

Eliot quickly observed that the House of Lords was not about to let the job go unfinished, so he informed Mitchell of their sinister plans; and the two of them hatched an escape plan to become refugees in the Antian state of Kentalky. All seemed well; and the House of Lords decided that Mitchell was not worth the effort after their first attempt to kill him on Antian soil failed. They did, however, destroy most of Gordon's possessions and most of his life's work.

Not so with Ivan. Little is known about this man; but what is certain is that the only man he hates more than Mitchell is Minshus Almighty. Also high on his hitlist is Cal Bacon, an Austranian vowing to establish a creation science museum on Antian ground, if only he can find the proper location. Ivan eventually learns that the Stationery Voyagers share Cal and Mitchell's views; and he vows to set hell loose on all of them—with or without blessing from the House of Lords.

As a villain, Ivan is cold and determined. He is also loathed by his peers for being willing to sink to lows not even they would ever dare. They'd kill a preacher for the right price. He'd find that preacher's best friend's missionary brother's children, and burn them alive. For his own peace of mind.