Factions

Antiquarians

Bundesamt für Okkultes und Übernatürliches (BOU)

The Byfrost Group

The Draculesti

The Order of Assassins

The Orders of Atlantis

The Parliament of Shadows

The Summer Court

The Veil Treaty

Antiquarians

Once known by their old title as the Seekers of Thoth, the Antiquarians are the last survivors of the Egyptian royalty from the age of the Pharaohs. Their leadership is composed of mummies, the hallowed dead brought back to life in a world that no longer respects the traditions of the old ways. Not that the Antiquarians care much for those ways themselves--accustomed to living lives of luxury, they felt no shame in trading off the wealth they were buried with shortly after awakening in return for power and influence. The Antiquarians are now the kingpins of the Egyptian underworld and masters of the antiquities trade. Nothing goes on in the tombs and treasure vaults of old Egypt without their withered hands getting involved.

Bundesamt für Okkultes und Übernatürliches (BOU)

The German occult security service. They're one of the youngest major players, as they were only formed in the 1990s (before then, Germany's occult intelligence was under the control of the US, the UK, and France in the west, and the Soviets in the east). Being so young, they don't have the checkered past that the other agencies do, and thus have a better relationship with their supernatural citizens, meaning it's not uncommon for German fey, jinn, or horrors to join as members of the BOU.

The Byfrost Group

The darling of Wall Street, the Byfrost Group rose from the ashes of the Great Recession as one of the most powerful corporate conglomerations in the world. Though originally started as a Silicon Valley investment firm, Byfrost now controls interests in weapons manufacturing, petrochemicals, agricultural science, robots, new media, and finance. Led by CEO Chad Richards, the Byfrost Group has quickly grown in influence both within the mundane and supernatural worlds, with their interests in the occult rising considerable concern among the other secret societies.

The Draculesti

Vlad Dracula founded this lineage of vampires shortly after his death and subsequent resurrection as the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness. The Sons of the Dragon are the most influential vampire coven active in the world today, with their claws embedded in black markets and criminal operations from Central Asia to Latin America. The strigoi of the Draculesti are rather proud of their undead states, and see themselves as the rightful rulers of mankind, temporarily inconvenienced by the Veil, the shadowspawn, and the quaint secret societies of their cattle.

The Green Dragon

The Order of the Green Dragon was formed in Nêdong, Tibet in 1285, originally as an insurgency against the Mongols who had recently conquered the region. They focused largely on preserving Tibet's traditions against outside influence, and that include mystical and occult arts. They were instrumental in Phagmodrupa dynasty, but that family's fractious politics lead to the entire order being exiled from the nation in 1434, when they were blamed for a civil war. They wandered for a while across China, until they were invited by a powerful noble to come to Japan--which was incidentally in the midst of the Sengoku period. The Green Dragon relocated to Japan, and their mystical traditions helped fuel the stories of strange powers of shinobi assassins and mercenaries. Indeed, the monks and warriors of the Green Dragon were seen to be tengu, our shape-shifting mountain demons who were masters of strange magics and swordsmanship.

Though the Green Dragons' official motto is a quote from the Tao Te Ching "Those who know speak not, those who speak know not" (知者不言，言者不知。) However, they are better known for their unofficial motto of "From Chaos Comes Order". This speaks to their history of supporting rebel movements and insurgent groups to undermine governments and create opportunities for the Green Dragons to move in and exert their influence from behind the scenes--establishing their own order within the chaos of war. Even today, the Green Dragon has their hands in dozens of insurgencies across the globe.

The Illuminati

The All-Seeing Eye, the Illuminati is perhaps the most brazen of the secret societies, hiding the clues to their existence in plain sight, just waiting for those smart enough--illuminated enough--to come and find them. And why shouldn't they be? Though originally founded in Bavaria, they helped to create America, the world's sole remaining superpower, and today, the American government remains rife with Illuminati agents and loyalists... or those who they can bribe and blackmail into becoming agents and loyalists. Masters of information and politics, the Illuminati extends their influence through mass media, reaching every corner of the globe.

Invisible College

Established in London during the 17th century, the Invisible College continues to push the boundaries of science, culture, art, and politics. They buck against constraints, and seek to unshackle human potential from the limits they believe we have placed on ourselves. Responsible for the creation of Amnesty International as well as Greenpeace, many of the other secret societies view the Invisible College as a dangerous collection of anarchists, mad scientists, and mages, standing against governments and traditional authority in their quest for human liberation.

Majestic-12

The most powerful of the world's many occult intelligence organizations, Majestic-12 is a branch of the American Department of Defence that is responsible for handling threats to the United States. Founded in the wake of the Roswell crash in 1947, Majestic-12 operates out of Area 51 in Nevada, conducting experiments on alien technology and occult relics. No other secret society is as well-funded, or as well-equipped, as Majestic-12, and M12 has a greater access to alien technology than any of their rivals. They use this advantage to expand American influence throughout the supernatural world and ensure American hegemony over all known realms.

MI18

Her Majesty's Occult Security Services, better known as the OSS or MI18, was created during the Second World War to defend the United Kingdom against the numerous occult threats levelled against it by Nazi Germany. After the war, MI18's mandate expanded to include any supernatural or occult threat to the people of the UK, and so they have spent the past six decades hunting down demonic cults, securing away ancient artifacts, exploring ancient ruins, and monitoring Britain's significant supernatural population for any threat they may pose. This last aspect is especially important because London is also home to the Veil Treaty--the supernatural United Nations--and is thus absolutely teeming with supes from all over the Earth and the other realms. MI18 has often butted heads with the Veil Treaty's agents, the Blackcloaks--also called the Men in Black--whose mission it is to protect the supernatural world from discovery by humanity. While the two may work together occasionally, MI18 and the MiB are more often rivals than allies.

The Knights Templar

Though the world may have turned on the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, the Knights Templar has not turned on the world. Persecuted, viewed as heretics and demonologists, the order was nearly wiped off the face of the Earth, but they persevered, maintaining both their traditions and their many vaults of occult lore and relics of ages long past. Though forced underground, the Knights Templar have maintained their watch against the monsters who hunt humanity, remaining unflinching in the face of demons, outsiders, vampire lords and dark mages who consort with powers beyond mortal ken.

Lycan Nation

The sons and daughters of Romulus and Remus, the Lycan Nation traces to the packs of Latin versipellis packs who founded the Eternal City. Though long displaced from the city they call home, they still cling to the ancient traditions of the Roman Republic. The Lycan Nation remains one of the most powerful and influential alliances of lycanthropes in the world, and numerous packs continue to pledge allegiance to the patricians in Oslo.

The Order of Assassins

Founded in 1090 by Sheik-al-Jebal (the Old Man in the Mountain), the Hashshashin were originally a brotherhood of Ismaili Muslims who used assassination, terrorism, and even open warfare in their attempts to carve out an Ismaili State in the Middle East. Though apparently wiped out during the Mongol Invasions, the Hashshashin instead went underground, hiding in the shadows of the Islamic World as it endured centuries of conflict and war. They became a trusted neutral party of governments, serving as hired blades, viziers, occult researchers, messengers, and guardians. It was during this time that they perfected the art of assassination, a talent for death that remains unparalleled, even today.

The Orders of Atlantis

Established after the great Flood that sank Atlantis and ended the Mythic Age, the Orders of Atlantis were established to preserve the magical traditions of the Earth in this strange new era humanity found itself in. To this end, the Orders built the Tower of Babel, a symbol to unite the world... as well as serving as inspiration for countless mage towers throughout history. Indeed, the Orders are perhaps the most archetypal mages in the world, scholar-adventures who sequester themselves away in laboratories and sanctums, only to emerge when they need to travel to the forgotten corners of the world for some obscure piece of knowledge that has been buried for millennia.

The Parliament of Shadows

The government of horror-kind, the Parliament claims dominion over the Realm of Terror, and the countless creatures who lurk in your closet, beneath your bed, or go in the dark of the night. The oldest continuing democracy and one of the largest parliaments in the world, the Parliament of Shadows is a bureaucratic mess defined by centuries-old coalitions, decades-old feuds, and schemes that reach back to the Cold War. And yet they remain a formidable power, with agents or members spread throughout the mortal world, in government, business, media, and other secret societies--very little happens without the Parliament's knowledge.

The Summer Court

Led by Queen Titania and King Oberon, the Summer Court is the most powerful of the fairy courts, and the most active in the mortal realm. The Summer Court welcomes fey who embody stories of courage, heroism, and nobility, and this colours both the court's view and interactions with the mortal world. After all, its members are champions of justice--valorous knights, wise magi, noble unicorns, kindly princesses, and numerous other fey who view themselves as protectors of the best of humanity.

The Veil Treaty

Established in 812 AD in the aftermath of the Veil War, the Veil Treaty maintains the Veil that separates the mundane and magical worlds. The Veil Treaty functions as something of a supernatural United Nations, serving as a meeting ground for the various factions of the hidden world, as well as serving as intermediaries between mundane governments and their supernatural citizens.

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