The Department
"Mr Callan is being retired, see to the arrangements No.27"
Created by A. Bigwood
updated 23.4.98 / 4.23.98
The Vault (ancient artifacts page)
Primary Operations: International espionage and Paranormal activities
Primary Competitors: All other Spy Organizations, particularly MI5, MI6
(These are possible complications/contacts members of The Departent may take because of their affiliation with The Department)
MI6 - The Secret Intelligence Service views The Department as a rival for government funding
The Department - watches it's members closely and Retires those who are......difficult.
AXIS - The Lethal Enmity between AXIS and The Department is a hang over from the origins
of both organizations.
The organization that would one day be The Department was created by General Cumberland in early 1940 to defeat the Nazi threat by any and all means. The General believed that the Existing S.I.S. and S.O.E. organizations relied to heavily on recruits from the Universities and instead recruited from the dregs of society, Wormwood Scrubbs prison was soon emptied within the period of a few months, as Murderers, Extortionists, and Forgers were given offers they couldn't refuse.
From the first the organization, had to maintain extreme discipline to keep it's reluctant volunteers in line, gradually the casual brutality ate away at the morality of that organization's commanders until finally in 1944, General Cumberland was murdered by his second in command the original Mr Hunter.
It was under the command of Mr Hunter during the cold war period that The Department received it's name and it's new purpose, namely to ensure that Mr Hunter and his group of supporters should become and remain the power behind the British Government. The techniques originally devised for use against the Nazis were turned against Hunter's internal opponents and he soon had a significant power base within the civil service.
By the early 1970's The Department had evolved even further, The original Hunter was dead, at the hands of John Steed. The shadowy figures that had overseen Hunter's rise now used the name as a cipher, the Person in charge of operations was from then on always known as "Mr Hunter" whatever his true name.
In 1975 the Department suffered it's first real setback when it's best "Danger Man" John Drake resigned unexpectedly. Drake was kidnapped and taken to The Village - a sophisticated interrogation facility designed to brainwash key personnel. Drake survived for three years under the constant torments of the base commander "No.2". Finally in 1978 Drake succeeded in destroying The Village but lost his mind in the process, The Department heaved a collective sigh of relief and business returned to normal with the early demise of yet another inappropriate Prime Minister.
In 1979 the 5th Mr Hunter employed the services of a murderer named Callan as part of the campaign against political opponents, this turned out too be a mistake. Callan resented being blackmailed and began acting as a vigilante only picking targets from the "Red Files" that actually deserved death. Eventually after years of walking a tightrope, Callan was ordered to kill an innocent young girl and rebelled. By 1981 Callan had killed 5th and 6th Mr Hunters and fled the country.
For the next fifteen years The Department's nominees controlled the UK government to varying degrees and when it became apparent that the people were going to demand a new party of government set out to control the opposition parties as well.
A constant threat during this time were a number of Paranormals known collectively as The London Watch and The New Knights of the Round Table, attacks were made using dupes and dummy organizations such as the ReDirection Cartel without much success but also without revealing The Department as an enemy. Behind the scenes the Department acquired control of the Parliamentary Paranormal Oversight Commitee and began planning a series of laws that would gradually restrict unauthorized paranormal activity.
The Proprietor War came as a godsend for The Department, just when the New Knights were getting close to the power behind the ReDirection Cartel they all got killed. Never one to pass up an opportunity the 9th Mr Hunter arranged for the reformation of the New Knights under Departmental control.
The Department has several levels of activity:-
On the surface The Department appears to be a bunch of stodgy civil servants over concerned with procedure. The most likely point of contact with PCs are the representatives of the Paranormal Oversight Committee sent to find weaknesses and create red tape to restrict activities.
The New Knights headed by the replacement Clansman are Mr Hunter's shocktroops, officially they are the UK National team, in reality they have been carefully selected for their loyalty to The Department.
Universal Exports ltd runs The Department's agent branch, murder, blackmail, extortion, brainwashing and kidnapping are their stock in trade.Current assignments of note are:-
A watch being kept on Drake currently at a mental hospital in Cumbria,
Ten agents are currently hunting Callan on Guernsey,
Three agents are researching blackmail material on the parents of Warspite.
The Villages are The Department's brainwashing centres designed to resemble small towns, victims are gradually turned into loyal slaves over a number of months. Each Village is identical with identical residents. Inmates are sometimes swapped between Villages to increase their detachment from reality. The Village residents and inmates are refered to by number, "No.2" is the base commander (Drake was No.6). All Village facilities are monitored at all times, security is very tight with Laser armed Greek statues (12RKA, combat10, sdp20) set at the perimeter and mobile Guardian globes to capture escapees.
The Vault: This is where The Department stores the artifacts it has aquired over the years, The Department does not actively investigate the artifacts it has found it just locks them away in a nuke proof bunker. The Vault is protected by Guardian Globes(see below) There are no Humans present. Goto Ancient Artifacts to see some of the things stored down there it including most of Sheath's collection (see Viper sourcebook)
The Vault is located under Box Hill, Wiltshire UK. It was constructed in the 1940's to house the government and was extensively reinforced and nuke proofed in the '50s. Officially abandoned during the '60s. The Vault can be accessed from an elevator hidden in an abandoned barracks block or via a secret railway siding hidden within the Box Railway Tunnel on the Great Western line from Bristol to London. Passenger Trains run through every 10 minutes and cannot be observed approaching. - This is a Real secret military base - I don't no what's really down there honest!
The Vault section are always looking for new technology to study and are currently enjoying a lucrative deal Venom, who is supplying them with Alien technology. Plans supplied by Venom were used as the basis of the Black Moriah and Matilda Mechs.
The Cage is where the department puts the villains
that the New Knights capture, It is located on the Island of Lundy in the
Severn Estuary between the coasts of Wales and England. The Cage is a standard
Stronghold (tm) Facility, accessible only by helicopter, as well as the standard
security robots supplied with the facility, the waters around the The Cage
are infested with Guardian globes, The Three untracable Black Moriahs are
also based here. A hidden function of The Cage is to evaluate the inmates
potential for recruitment by blackmailing or brainwashing.
Agents
No two Departmental agents are the same, some are paranormal, most are not, they are all specialists in their chosen field. There are no trainees, the preferred method is to recruit a competent criminal and either blackmail or brainwash him. Agents are left with no doubt exactly how disposable they are and fear nothing more than being Retired
Village Guards (No.20 to No.145) - Identical to PanStar Security personnel, with access to electric golf carts and a helicopter for transport.
The All Blacks - Three
Matilda class mechs have been assigned as a backup
to the New Knights, the press has nicknamed these "Faith", "Hope" &
"Charity". The pilots are 100% loyal to the Department and when the ocassion
arises use three untracable grey matildas for
wetwork
Guardian Globes
| Mental | 2 | Physical | 7 | Skill | 0 |
| Combat | 9 | Move | 10 | Speed | 5 |
Attack: Suffocation 7d6NND not vs life support - No Range, 0e
Defense: 40KD/20EKD
Complications:Obeys Fomori Infreq Total, vuln x2 hits vs AP attacks (globes deflate when punctured)
The Guardian globes appear to be spheres of a strange
yellowish rubbery material that attack by entangling and suffocating their
victims. The Guardians are in fact a remnant of Fomori Technology discovered
by Dr Quatermass in 1955. The Department impounded the Doctor's discovery
and found a way to exert limited control over the strange substance which
is stored in a giant vat under The Village.
Mr Hunter
(9th)
| Mental | 9 | Physical | 3 | Skills | 5 |
| Combat | 3 | Move | 3 | speed | 3 |
Attack: 30pts VPP inobvious gadgets changeable at HQ, use gadgets 12
Defense: 20 KD/EKD Forcefield 1charge 1 turn duration
Skills: Profession (spymaster), Expert (political intrigue), Business, Interogate
Complications: Hunted Callan less Power, UK, lethal, Mastervillain
The Current managing director of Universal Exports is a white haired man in his mid sixties with piercing blue eyes and hawklike mannerisms. Like all Hunters he is a strict disciplinarian and tolerates no backchat from agents. Hunter knows he is no match for a paranormal and will use hidden gadgets to effect an escape if threatened.
| Mental | 5 | Physical | 5 | Skill | 7 |
| Combat | 10 | Move | 4 | Speed | 4 |
Attack: Sniper Rifle: 10d6 RKA, +4Ref(sniper sight), 12c (one variable advantage- ammo) Acc. Focus. Martial Art:Commando training.
Defence: Disguised Kevlar 18 KD/EKD InAcc.Focus
Skills: Weaponsmith (Slugthrowers), Shadow, Stealth, Profession(Assassin), Expert (Department operatives/procedures), Lockpick, Deduction. Lightsleep, Contact "Smelly" the grass
Complications: Hunted "The Department" More Power, World, Lethal, DNPC "John Drake" Hunted "Police" less power, UK, capture
A Murderer blackmailed by the 5th Mr Hunter, Callan acted as an Assassin for The Department until he could no longer avoid killing innocents. When Callan finally broke free he went on a rampage killing several agents and the 5th and 6th Hunters. Callan has been on the run since then, changing his identity every few weeks. People seeking Callan's services as a vigilante can contact him through his rather unsavory sidekick "Smelly" at the Queen Victoria pub in London's Eastend.
| Mental | 2(8) | Physical | 2 | Skill | 1 |
| Combat | 2 | Move | 2 | Speed | 3 |
Attacks: Martial Arts: Dirty Infighting
Defense: None
Skills: as Callan above
Conplications: Delusional - Re-living his experiences in The Village, Freq,Ext,Total
In the late sixties Agent Drake was one of Britain's top agents on a par with MI6's 00# section, His downfall came when he resigned from The Department. Alarmed that an Agent could even contemplate resignation The Department had Drake kidnapped and interogated, convinced he had been "turned" by the AXIS. After 3 years of torture at The Village Drake escaped destroying the facility. Unfortunately for Drake, his escape triggered a complete mental breakdown.
Today Drake is an inmate at a secure mental hospital in Cumbria, his mind and health gone, mumbling to himself "I am a name not a number", "who is number one?","You(pointing at the PC) are number 6"(laughs insanely). Drake frequently tries to escape at such times he seems exhibit a much greater intellect almost at it's 1960 level. For Drake at the height of his abilities use the Callan Stats.
Callan is aware of Drake's existence and checks on
him from time to time.
Red Files - Agents records are kept on paper (to avoid hacking) in yellow jacketed files, an agent that is to be retired gets his records transferred to a Red File. Assassination agents are allowed to pick their targets from among the Red files, (this is how Callan tried to keep a clean conscience - by only picking victims he believed were guilty of crime).
Retirement - The only way out of The Department is death, usually "accidental", this is colloquially known as retirement
Penny Farthing - The symbol of The Village is
the Penny Farthing Bicycle, Drake draws them all the time.
Author's Note: Names and places in this page are an
amalgum of several spy series shown on UK television during the 60's and
70's. It is not my intention to infringe on those copyrights with this work.