Part 3/10:
In 1924, Ron embarked on his first expedition to southern France where the remnants of the Cathar strongholds lay. Though he returned without the Grail, the detailed account of his quest caught the attention of Heinrich Himmler, the SS leader with his own obsession for the artifact. Despite his opposition to Nazi ideology, Ron felt drawn to the SS’s promise of funding and academic support.
However, subsequent searches funded by the Nazis ended in failure, leading to Ron’s demotion to a grueling post as a concentration camp guard. Ultimately, his life took a tragic turn as he was discovered dead in the Alps in 1939, rumored to be self-inflicted, marking a concerning end for a man who sought the divine amidst a regime of horror.