2002-07-19 - 9:38 a.m.
Secret Societies and Organizations
The Amaranth
Founded: April 10, 1756
Affiliation: Vasloi and their Onjina allies
Current Leader: Peter Alexander Stone (London, England)
Membership: Approximately 160, world-wide
The Amaranth was first formed as a society of scholars and mystics, in response to the 1755 earthquake, in Lisbon, that was triggered by a fanatical group of Sheloth-allied cultists. Although is was founded by Sir William Duncan Hurst, there can be little doubt, at this point, that at least one of the Onjina encouraged its creation and growth. While Hurst was known for his headstrong, independent nature, it has been said that, in his final days, he claimed to have been advised by an "angel of light". In later years, the Onjina began to move more openly, and, through this organization, they were eventually able to revive some of the Vasloi sahtri (souls). Ever since that time, some members of the Amaranth have traditionally acted as hosts for these symbiotic spirits, with the leader adopting the mentality of one of the Vasloi, through possession.
At one point, the Amaranth was a relatively open organization; however, after their disastrous confrontation with the Twilight Covenant, in 1892, most of the members became much more secretive. Once they had regained some of their strength and numbers, they were able to strike back at the Twilight Covenant, killing many of its highest-ranking members in the bombing of 1927 (which catalyzed the formation of the Brotherhood of the Unveiled Eye). Since that time, the two groups have been at each other's throats, although, these days, the battle is more subtle, and the tacticians are more patient.
The Amaranth's greatest strength is its tie to the Vasloi and Onjina, of course; however, this is closely followed by the society's broad distribution and loose organization. Numerous scholars and mystics, throughout the world, owe their allegiance to the Amaranth and feed its constant hunger for information without ever knowing about the alien connection.
The current leader of the Amaranth is Peter Alexander Stone, although it might be more accurate to say that the true power behind the throne is Orthien, the Vasloi spirit that possessed Stone, in 1943, and has completely merged with him, by now. Stone/Orthien is somewhat cautious and conservative; however, he is prepared to act swiftly and decisively, should the need arise. Although not even many of his followers know it, he has set in motion the first steps of a plan to destroy mankind, should the Sheloth plot become impossible to thwart in any other manner.
The Brotherhood of the Unveiled Eye
Founded: October 23, 1927
Affiliation: Humanity
Current Leader: Michael Edward West (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.)
Membership: 37, mostly in Europe and North America
The Brotherhood of the Unveiled Eye was formed, in 1927, by Sebastian Christopher Crane and a handful of other disillusioned members of the Amaranth. Crane held a prominent position in the latter organization and knew about the Vasloi connection. After an attack on the Twilight Covenant resulted in the deaths of several innocents, Crane became convinced that the alien agenda was not in the best interests of humanity. Thus, he broke ties with his former colleagues and founded an independent society of like-minded scientific and mystical researchers. Although they had intended to remain neutral, in the beginning, they soon found themselves at odds with practically everyone and, thus, have had to keep a very low profile, over the years.
One of the key philosophies of the Brotherhood is that knowledge should be shared, for the good of all. Their unofficial motto is magna est veritas, et prevalebit (truth is mighty and will prevail). Thus, all members know as much about the true history of the world as their leader and, on the average, tend to be better informed than low- or middle-ranking members of the Amaranth and the Twilight Covenant. Although the society is a small one, each member tends to be a highly skilled, competent individual, who brings unique qualities to the table. There are no "expendable" members, and the loss of even one is felt by all. Most fall into one of two categories: scientists and seekers of mystical lore (including some genuine sorcerers). Although the two sides do not always see eye-to-eye, they have agreed to respect each other's views and draw strength from the strange union. Indeed, the Brotherhood's willingness to use both cutting-edge technology and ancient wizardry to deal with problems may be its greatest strength.
The current leader of the Brotherhood is Michael Edward West, a theoretical physicist who is beginning to delve into the world of the occult. He is, quite frankly, a genius; however, some feel that his casual style of leadership may not be appropriate for dealing with the trials that lie ahead of the organization. Some feel that the time to act against both the Sheloth and the Vasloi is at hand, whereas others (including West) believe that such as course could only lead to the destruction of the Brotherhood, despite their noble intentions.
Project Prometheus
Founded: June 17, 1940
Affiliation: U.S.A. (Humanity)
Current Leader: William Gregory Butler (Washington D.C., U.S.A.)
Membership: 63, mostly in the U.S.
Project Prometheus was created by the U.S. military, during World War II, with the intention of classifying, discovering, and recruiting individuals with paranormal powers. The National Security Act, of 1947, ultimately brought it under the wing of the Central Intelligence Agency, but it nearly dissolved, thereafter, when it became clear that there were very few American superhumans left to study. Only toward the end of the century, when paranormals began to appear in noticeable numbers again, did the organization finally come into its own and escape the looming threat of budget cuts.
In recent years, certain members of the government who are "in the know" have become somewhat alarmed at the sudden increase in the "genab" (genetically aberrant) population. As uncertainty increases, the power of Project Prometheus also waxes, and its mandate grows broader. Although the organization is not especially large, it has the option of drawing upon manpower from other branches of the CIA and even the military, when the need arises. "Borrowed" individuals are usually only given the minimum knowledge required to do their jobs; however, a few prove to be so valuable that they are recruited on a more permanent basis. In recent years, this has become virtually the only way to enter the organization - unless, of course, one possesses paranormal powers.
The day-to-day operations for the project are handled by the Department of Paranormal Investigations. DPI agents spend most of their time monitoring newspapers, television broadcasts, and so forth, watching for signs of an "awakened" superhuman (a truly tedious chore, by all accounts, rarely alleviated by meaningful discoveries). When one is discovered, a team is dispatched to locate and detain the individual in question. Depending on his abilities and nature, that person may be recruited or simply brought in for study. Unfortunately, over the last few years, a disturbing trend has arisen, in that the latter sort are being held for prolonged periods - which stretch out indefinitely, as it becomes more problematic to release them without compromising security. On the other hand, paranormal recruits are given advanced training. Some are then turned over to the military for special ops, while others become part of the DPI's own growing superhuman investigations team, code-named Vigil. The latter group currently has seven members, all of whom are very competent and very loyal.
In recent years, the DPI has stumbled across a perplexing problem, during some of its investigations. On several occasions, agents have encountered humans and other creatures utilizing what appear to be magical powers. For decades, the "party line", regarding magic, was that it did not exist - or, rather, than it simply represented a poorly understood form of psionic power. Modern analysts are beginning to question this conventional wisdom, however, and this may, ultimately, lead them to even more bizarre discoveries.
The current chief administrator for the project is William Gregory Butler. Bill Butler, as he is commonly known, is a no-nonsense, tough-as-nails workaholic with a tendency to obsess over details and terrify his underlings. He is ex-Navy and still tends to think in military terms. He was hand-picked for the project, only three years ago, when "the powers that be" began to realize that something truly cataclysmic might be looming on the horizon and that they might require someone who would not hesitate to make the tough decisions for them, when the time came. Some members of Vigil dislike Butler and believe that he is a bigot; however, since he seems to treat everyone with the same level of cold indifference, bordering on veiled hostility, this might be difficult to prove.
The Twilight Covenant
Founded: October 31, 1854
Affiliation: Sheloth and Surd allies
Current Leader: Maurice Armand Desrochers (Paris, France)
Membership: Approximately 240, world-wide
Given that the Twilight Covenant is one of the most dangerous organizations in existence, its origin was surprisingly prosaic. In 1854, three bored English playboys with a vague interest in spiritualism and mesmerism - Thomas Frost, Bertrand ("Bertie") Marsh, and Jason Northrop - decided to form their own "hellfire club". While Marsh and Northrop were mostly interested in how they could use their elite and mysterious society to seduce women, Frost began to develop a genuine curiosity about the occult, especially after one of their mesmerism experiments triggered minor psionic powers in a female acquaintance (who later joined the Amaranth). He was eventually able to acquire a partial copy of The Book of Lost Truths, and this manuscript opened his eyes to a strange world, beyond his wildest imaginings. He later stole the notes of a 15th century Hermetic sorcerer from a book collector and was soon well on his way to mastering the dark arts. For a while, he tried to involve his allies in the project, but he quickly surpassed them, both in skill and ruthlessness. By 1858, Marsh was dead (stabbed in a drunken brawl) and Northrop had simply vanished. They were replaced by a much larger number of members, who were very devoted to Frost and his plans for the organization.
Eventually, the Twilight Covenant came to the attention of a small group of Sheloth-allied Surd, and they recognized potential pawns that could be used to further their own plans. They underestimated Frost, however, and ended up revealing more information than they had originally intended. In the end, this was not a great problem, since Frost was intrigued by the Sheloth and decided to help them, anyway, hoping to gain paranormal powers of his own, in the process.
Frost never actually met any of the Sheloth and never gained the full power that he sought. In 1892, at the age of 63, he assisted the Surd in an attempt to destroy the Amaranth, thereby ensuring future animosity between the two groups. Although the attack was successful, Frost was cursed by a rival sorcerer and developed a horrible wasting disease. Rumors persist that he made one final deal with the Surd, convincing them to place him in suspension so that he could arise at some later time. There is no proof of this, however, and most scholars believe that the Twilight Covenant simply concocted the tale in an attempt to turn Frost into a sort of bogeyman.
During the decades that followed, the Twilight Covenant grew in size and strengthened its ties with the Surd and their cause. The organization became somewhat scattered and unfocused, and, today, there are members all over the world, many of whom do not even really understand the apocalyptic nature of their cult. Members of the inner circle, most of whom live in France, Spain, and England, know the truth, however, and work toward the ascension of their Sheloth patrons. Most believe that they will benefit from the cause, and the Surd have convinced them that this is the surest route to gaining paranormal power. A few are simply mad or psychopathic, and they require no urging to plot the doom of mankind.
The current leader - or "Archmagus" - of the Twilight Covenant is Maurice Armand Desrochers. He falls very firmly into the "assisting with expectation of reward" camp. In recent years, he has begun to distrust his Surd associates and suspects the dire nature of their true goal; thus, he is trying to gain every advantage he can over them and is prepared to strike at them, should the need arise. Unfortunately for him, he is not as bright as he thinks he is, and he has grossly underestimated them. First of all, he does not really believe in the Sheloth and assumes that the Surd are working toward an invasion of their own - a blatant error. Furthermore, he believes that his own "top people" are completely loyal to him - an even more dangerous mistake. His second, the "Mistress of Keys", Dominique Noelle Charbonneau, is a fanatical follower of the Sheloth. She has actually been in telepathic contact with one of the slumbering giants, and that experience has gradually eroded her sanity. She is ready to strike down Desrochers, when the time is right, and take his place, with the full support of the Surd.
As a matter of interest, the "official" motto of the Twilight Covenant has always been: Nous n'avons pas peur de la vérité (we have no fear of the truth). However, in recent years, the "unofficial" motto of the inner circle (sometimes used as a code phrase) has become: væ victis (woe to the vanquished).
Other Organizations of Note (in Brief)
Circle of Seven
Founded: August 6, 1378
Affiliation: Humanity
Current Leader: None (egalitarian), although Joachim Tsaum is sometimes treated as such
Membership: 7, world-wide
This is a secret society of powerful mystics, most of whom have Jewish roots (although this is not, invariably, the case). They base their beliefs on the writings of Aviram of Toulouse, a 12th century Jewish prophet, and lean toward a religious interpretation of modern events. Strangely enough, the group is always composed of seven members, since, when one dies, another always appears to replace him or her. The Circle only meets when the situation warrants it; otherwise, the members remain scattered, to protect their secrecy. They are actively opposed to the Sheloth and the Surd, believing that they are demons, and do not put much faith in the Vasloi and Onjina, either, believing them to be "fallen angels" or lesser spirits of some sort.
Fellowship of the Sacred Light
Founded: March 20, 1996
Affiliation: None (Humanity)
Current Leader: Starsong (and Lumiel)
Membership: 12 (and growing), Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.A.
This vaguely neo-Christian group has grown up around Starsong (originally, Susan Patricia Howe), a charismatic woman of saintly demeanor, who seems to have an endless supply of New Age nuggets of wisdom. She is, frankly, a bit off plumb, but she has some genuine insights, mostly provided by her "guardian angel, Lumiel". The few people outside of her little group that know about her assume that she is a crackpot and would be astonished to discover that Lumiel is quite real. This being is actually one of the Onjina, which, for reasons of its own, has decided to adopt and spiritually nurture a select group of humans. It is genuinely protective of its "children" and will react violently to anyone who tries to harm them. Despite its best intentions, it does not understand them as well as it would like, and the members of the Fellowship are growing more and more distant and weird (although very calm and pleasant-natured), as they adopt the alien's way of thinking.
First Contact Society
Founded: May 24, 1993
Affiliation: None (Humanity)
Current Leader: Janet Irene Fraser
Membership: 73, mostly in North America and England
This club is composed of people who are interested in UFOs, aliens, crop circles, and so forth. Some of them are simply imaginative people with a peculiar obsession, whereas others are really a bit unbalanced. A lot of them are big science fiction and/or fantasy fans, as well. Most serious scientists, DPI agents, and so forth would write them off as misguided but harmless; however, a few people who are "in the know" are less certain about this. The problem is that one of the members, Graham Norman Taylor, recently wrote a series of articles, on the internet (as "Norm!"), about being abducted by aliens that sound suspiciously like the Gunda. These stories have catalyzed other people to write about similar incidents, and the whole thing has mushroomed. In fact, Graham really did see two Gunda scouts, from a fair distance, but all the rest of his story is a clever and somewhat serendipitous fabrication. The stories that other people added to the myth do not even contain this small grain of truth. Graham and his fellow members know nothing of any real importance, and the whole situation could turn into one big red herring for curious investigators.
Order of the Amber Moon
Founded: September 18, 1196
Affiliation: None (Humanity)
Current Leader: Dr. Benjamin Peter Dorian Wayne (a.k.a. Leonidas)
Membership: 52, world-wide
This society of sorcerers arose during the early part of the millennium and learned, through its unpleasant dealings with church inquisitors, to hide its activities well. The Order is very loosely organized and only rarely calls together any large portion of its membership. Most of the time, the members pursue their own agendas and meet only in pairs and small groups, often over drinks, to discuss mystic lore and trade arcane formulae. The Order has not changed much in centuries, possibly because most members assume that they have the real "inside knowledge" about how the universe works, and all of mankind's innovations over the last few decades are simply clever toys. While the sorcerers know a fair amount about all five alien races, they consider these creatures to be demons, spirits, and the like. Since their spells are effective in dealing with the interlopers, regardless of their origin, there has never been any reason to revise this theory. Individual members of the Order make good contacts for Player Characters, since they are knowledgeable, generally non-judgmental, and not tied to any inhuman faction. Of course, their narrow world-view makes them less effective in certain situations.
Sisterhood of Hecate
Founded: June 3, 1986
Affiliation: Humanity
Current Leader: Elspeth Janel O'Connor
Membership: 13, Berkeley, California, U.S.A.
Until recently, this group was a typical Wiccan coven, with little to make it stand out from the hundreds of others like it. In 1994, however, a new member, Elspeth Janel O'Connor, joined, and things have not been the same since. Elspeth is a powerful sorceress, and she quickly set to work training her new allies and turning the Sisterhood into a force to be reckoned with. Now that two more of the members have begun to develop genuine sorcery, and all of the others have learned how to assist their more gifted friends, the coven is capable of conjuring some rather impressive magic. Elspeth has recently begun to focus their talents on a particular goal: locating and training a champion who will stand with them to turn back the tide of darkness, when the time comes. She has hinted that vast and terrible enemies (presumably the Sheloth) are coming and that the Sisterhood must be ready to stands against them. As an intriguing footnote, one of the other new witches, Vivian Ash, has recently discovered that Elspeth is much older than she appears and is beginning to wonder if she is none other than Morgan le Fay, of Arthurian fame.
The 666 Club
Founded: October 31, 1981
Affiliation: None (Humanity)
Current Leader: Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence Dobbs ("Dr. Jeff", a popular science writer and amateur stage magician)
Membership: 13, mostly in North America and Europe
This small club is composed of like-minded stage magicians, scientists, journalists, and such, who make a hobby of debunking superstitions, hoaxes, and urban myths of all sorts. They are scattered all over North America and England and keep in contact over the internet, meeting once a year, on Halloween. Recently, one of the original founders of the club, Stephen Henry Baxter (a popular science writer), made an astonishing discovery, while poking around a shop in China: the partial fossilized remains of a Vasloi, embedded with part of a crystalline object that is clearly some sort of tool. He has not told anyone about his find, yet, because he is still afraid that it might be some sort of amazing hoax. He has begun digging around, though, working with ancient legends that the shopkeeper passed on to him, and it is only a matter of time before he begins to make even more astonishing discoveries.
Vancouver Entrepreneurial Business Association (VEBA)
Founded: February 7, 1993
Affiliation: Gunda (but only as business partners)
Current Leader: Alan Joseph Chambers
Membership: 6, in and near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
In its own way, this is one of the strangest organizations in existence. In 1992, Alan Joseph Chambers, a Vancouver businessman, was rescued by a Gundahk scout, after his car went off the road and into a ravine. After speaking with his rescuer for a while and sensing a kindred spirit, Chambers suggested that they might both be able to profit from the encounter. He did not have the resources he needed to make his plan come together, so he was forced to bring a few other business contacts into the arrangement. His alien partner was in the same position and did the same thing. Within a few months, a secret trade organization had been formed, passing goods back and forth between the two races. Both sides benefited from the arrangement and from the secrecy of it, since neither one had any intention of sharing its profits with the rest of its species. Since that time, the humans involved in the contract have formed a cover organization, VEBA, to explain their meetings, pass information around, provide solidarity when problems arise, and so forth. All of the people involved are getting rich, and the only problem on the horizon is the fact that the Canadian government has begun to wonder how members of one particular club seem to keep coming up with so many new patents. Perhaps the most astonishing thing about the whole endeavor is how quickly a group of businessmen have turned modern man's greatest discovery into a mundane commercial enterprise…
Witness Omega
Founded: August 24, 1989
Affiliation: Humanity (but only in the broadest sense)
Current Leader: Teresa Helen Marra
Membership: 23 (and growing), mostly in the U.S.
This is a doomsday cult, founded by Teresa Helen Marra, one of Daniel Yates' original followers. Marra left Yates' group before his death, because she felt that they were not making proper use of the knowledge they had been given "from on high". After doing a lot of research of her own and studying parts of The Book of Lost Truths, she formed her own theories and her own cult. Her group has vowed to stop the Sheloth, at any cost - even the extinction of the human race. This sort of fatalistic fanaticism may someday allow for an alliance between Witness Omega and the Vasloi, should the latter ultimately decide to destroy mankind. In the meantime, the more violent members of the cult have begun systemically tracking down and killing paranormal humans, in hopes of stalling the Sheloth resurrection in that manner, and it is in this context that Player Characters are likely to encounter them.
Note: I have included a reasonably large number of groups to give myself and anyone else using these notes a wide variety of options and to encourage a rich and full background (for name-dropping, if nothing else) -- not with the intent of using them all at once. To maintain the flavor of the campaign, it is important to have the weirdness remain relatively uncommon, at least at first. The strange occurrences (and people) will be all the more striking, if they exist in an otherwise mundane context. Thus, it is best to introduce these groups slowly, one at a time, and focus only on those that will actually enhance the campaign.
Examining all of these groups in one place, like this, may generate a somewhat skewed view of what the world is supposed to be like. A better way to put them into perspective is to look at their total numbers and divide that by the population of North America and Europe (the primary areas represented here). Doing so, one can see that the number of people "in the know" is actually very, very small.
P.S. If you are diving into this in the middle and feeling puzzled, make sure that you click on the Older button to check out the very first introductory post. The Paragon rules and Vancouver: 2020 primer can be found at RPG Hoard. If you want to comment on this page, just click here, or press the Contact Cwylric button, to the left, to send me an email. Remember that the kermode.net address listed in older versions of Paragon and Vancouver: 2020 is no longer active, so please use one of these two methods to get in touch with me, instead.
