Monster Hunting - An Advisor's Quest (Fantasy X-COM; CK2ish; Original) [Dead]

[ChaosCircle]

As the clock ticked over to a new century, the monsters that have lurked in the shadows for too long were thrown into a frenzy. Always a problem, always ignored except by the few who knew, they slaughtered and rampaged among the revelers that night. These unnatural monsters slaughtered humanity unchecked aand unstopped for one bloody night, one night that all of humanity has engraved in their consciousness. It was a bloody night that slaughtered poor and rich with equal vigor.

The gas-lights went out across the world, from glorious London to Timbuktu. Darkness reigned.

As the New Year's Bloodletting drew to a close, a new dawn rose to reveal a terrified humanity and one desperate for protection by any means available. The wealthy, all of whom knew someone from their social circle that died, petitioned their Kings and Prime Ministers for immediate and effective action against the Enemy. Against the monsters that stalked the night.

For a moment, the Great Game of Thrones ground to a halt as the leaders of Man turned their attentions inward, to their own infestations of evil. The Churches called the Faithful to do battle against the Darkness and demanded men not raise their hand against men. And for a time, all would be peaceful as the terror that had grasped the hearts of men was an out of context problem that was now their greatest fear. And what man feared, man killed with extreme prejudice and massive amounts of munitions. Twice. Just to be certain. Thrice. Just because they were that afraid of what went bump in the night.

You are one of a select few chosen to help lead a new organization designed to combat this threat. While you are not the organization's leader, you are one of his advisers. A man chosen as much for his skills as to satisfy the political horse trading that goes on when one needs to create a new institution out of whole cloth and find the cash to pay for its operation. This organization, known only as MI9, was to be the front line in the War against the supernatural.

What position have you been appointed to?

[ ] The Diplomat: Like any organization, they needed someone to grease palms and negotiate with the rest of the Government. You speak with the voice of MI9 and are responsible for maintaining connections and smoothing over incidents that got out of hand. ( Your primary focuses are Diplomacy and Intrigue. )

[ ] The Colonel: You are the strong right-hand of the Director, responsible for training the soldiers that would fight this War. And leading them to victory. Can't forget that part. ( Your primary focuses are Martial and Intrigue. )

[ ] The Administrator: You were chosen to keep the books and manage the finances of this shiny new institution. A critical position and one that would give you plenty of chances to line your pockets, but also one that would attracts alot of blame with everyone trying to deflect blame to budgets being insufficient for the mission scope. ( Your primary focuses are Stewardship and Intrigue. )

[ ] The Spymaster: The War cannot be won without intelligence. The soldiers needed targets and by god you would provide them. You have the most flexibility in this position but you are also expected to be omniscient and there will be variables that are simply beyond your control that you will ultimately take the blame for. Such is the nature of the world of espionage. Even the best intelligence network has blindspots. (Intrigue and Learning are your primary focuses.)

[ ] The Exorcist: The Church's chosen representative, you are responsible both for hunting supernatural infiltrators and researching the supernatural. Dual mandates that will often create conflict in your day-to-day but are ultimately necessary as you are the best equipped to identify the possessed and other forms of supernatural infiltration. (Learning and Intrigue are your primary focuses. You are required to choose Exorcist as your starting package.)

-------

Exceptional talent alone was not enough to achieve your position in this new organization. Your appointment was part of a larger scheme, one bought and paid for by political favors from those pulling your strings.

Who are the people behind your appointment and what do they want from you?

[ ] Avarice: Your family is poor by the standards of British nobility and growing poorer by the day. Your father has traded the last of his political power to position you so that you can embezzle funds to sustain the family's fortunes. A devil's bargain but one you are party to due to love of your family and your own avarice.
( Bonuses to embezzlement attempts and other profitable ventures; you will have to generate a regular income beyond your salary to keep your family's creditors at bay. )

[ ] Nepotism: You have a large, wealthy family that has a virtually unlimited appetite for prestigious and well-paying jobs. You do this for them because you love them, of course. It has nothing to do with the fact your career and political power will be completely destroyed if you refuse these "favors".
( Reliable source of very loyal but otherwise mediocre candidates for key roles; penalty to all rolls if these positions are not found frequently enough to satisfy your family. A very prestigious position might even buy you a few years of peace but it is more likely you will place them in middle management where they can do minimal harm.)

[ ] Zealotry: The Church of England wears you like a glove. You know your faith is the only true faith in which a proper Englishman should believe and you will eliminate all heresy in your path.
( Bonuses to furthering the cause of your Church superiors; penalties to working with people who fail to follow the proper faith )

[ ] Sleeper Agent: You were ambitious, too ambitious for your own good and you got the position but only because a mysterious benefactor pulled strings beyond your reach.
( You are only required to pass along information although sometimes acquiring that information will come at some risk to yourself. Special circumstances may force you to intervene directly and possibly at great risk to yourself. However, your benefactor seems largely benign and it feels more like politician keeping tabs on a new project than a serious threat to MI9 security. )

[ ] Corruption: Loyalty to the powers that rule the night has great costs but even greater rewards. Or is the other way around, given you are the one shouldering all the risk?

( Choice of the Sidhe, the Vampires, or the Fiends. You will be granted great boons to aid you but the downsides to such domineering overseers should be obvious as well. In addition, you will be embedded in an organization that specializes in eliminating human collaborators such as yourself.)

-------

What was your profession before you joined MI9?

[ ] A Bureaucrat: Pencil pushing may not be a popular profession in the eyes of the general public but it was a very necessary one. If you did not keep the wheels of the Government turning, the general public's whole world would come crashing down in a matter of days. Such was the power of the pen. (+8 Stewardship, +8 Diplomacy, Friends in High Places: You've done a few favors during your time in Government and those favors can be called in. You can use this to
automatically succeed
at any action but only once every other turn.)

[ ] A Diplomat: You spent your years in civil service floating from embassy to embassy and making deal after deal. You were happy to make friends with anyone from a peasant girl tending sheep to a high powered nobleman seeking a better deal. You were just the friendly sort in general you supposed. (+8 Diplomacy, +4 Intrigue, +4 Stewardship, A Network of Contacts: You have made a great many friends over the years and you correspond with them regularly. Sometimes, they even let slip some information you might find useful. You do the same. Its a mutually beneficial relationship really, you just have to be careful not to let go of anything too juicy. )

[ ] Null Assassin: You were trained by MI6 to assassinate England's enemies and by God you were damned good at the job. However, too many foreign intelligence services have identified you as one of England's agents at this point and your usefulness as an assassin has been greatly curtailed as a result. So this was, in part, your "retirement" package to put you out to pasture while still serving King and Country. (+8 Martial, +8 Intrigue, Null: You are mostly immune to the direct application of most supernatural powers. Including magecraft. )

[ ] Grey Wizard: You are a mage who was discovered at an early age and trained by MI6 in the art of espionage. You are superbly equipped for killing human beings and the skulduggery of espionage. The Government wants you to fill the position because they need people who can operate independently without fear of them being taken out by a stray vampire. Of course, if there were two stray vampires you might have a problem. (+8 Magecraft, +8 Intrigue. Grey Wizard: You are skilled with illusion and mental manipulation but you can kill someone if you need to. )

[ ] Battle Mage: You are a mage who was discovered at an early age and trained by the Government to serve as their front line against foreign spellcasters. You are well equipped for the task, even if you are not particularly subtle in how you go about it. Your kind are in high demand since, much like Exorcists, you are the only people with the personal combat power to go to toe-to-toe with the supernatural and walk away unharmed. (+8 Magecraft, +4 Martial, +4 Learning. Battle Mage: His primary magical talent is destroying England's enemies. The rest of magecraft is more a matter of theoretical knowledge. )

[ ] Exorcist: The Church had trained exorcists for generations but they had never really had a plan to use them. Monsters were a myth after all. Or so everyone thought until a few days ago. Well, the situation has certainly changed and you find yourself in high demand as Exorcists are drafted by the score to fill the holes in MI9's ranks. Exorcists are the best equipped to combat the supernatural threat ergo they are basically shanghai'd into doing it. ( +8 Magecraft, +4 Learning, +4 Intrigue. Exorcist: He is talented at destroying Heretics, extracting the possessor from the possessed, and healing those in need. )

QM's Note:
Voting will be by plan since character creation options only real make sense in the context of the other options chosen. You'll notice Intrigue is heavily represented in the various positions. This is intentional as this is a game where human-looking and "normal" infiltration is a serious concern that will likely include assassination attempts. I want to give you a fighting chance of surviving those attempts so I packed it into all of the positions as a secondary focus to increase your personal chance of surviving infiltrators trying to kill you. (i.e. Intrigue is used to detect them before they try to kill you)

The other focus in your position is critically important as it is necessary to
do your job and keep the organization from being overrun.
So don't neglect that. You'll have enough Intrigue by default that you won't be easily killed (well, unless you have no way to stop the infiltrator from killing you once you spot them...).

Learning will be used to determine the strengths and weaknesses of supernatural beings, so its worth keeping that in mind. Magecraft is the spellcasting ability that certain starting packages have.

It should be noted that the use of magic comes with risks of corruption (along with basically anything supernatural) in this setting. Supernatural power only comes at a price. I've weighted the starting options heavily towards magic because corruption is fun and I suspect people were going to pick it anyway based on my last quest.



This post also ends character creation, so be sure what you pick is what you want.

 

[Chaotic Good Elf]

[X] Plan Inquisitor
[X] The Exorcist: The Church's chosen representative, you are responsible both for hunting supernatural infiltrators and researching the supernatural. Dual mandates that will often create conflict in your day-to-day but are ultimately necessary as you are the best equipped to identify the possessed and other forms of supernatural infiltration. (Learning and Intrigue are your primary focuses. You are required to choose Exorcist as your starting package.)
[X] Zealotry: The Church of England wears you like a glove. You know your faith is the only true faith in which a proper Englishman should believe and you will eliminate all heresy in your path.
( Bonuses to furthering the cause of your Church superiors; penalties to working with people who fail to follow the proper faith )
[X] Exorcist: The Church had trained exorcists for generations but they had never really had a plan to use them. Monsters were a myth after all. Or so everyone thought until a few days ago. Well, the situation has certainly changed and you find yourself in high demand as Exorcists are drafted by the score to fill the holes in MI9's ranks. Exorcists are the best equipped to combat the supernatural threat ergo they are basically shanghai'd into doing it. ( +8 Magecraft, +4 Learning, +4 Intrigue. Exorcist: He is talented at destroying Heretics, extracting the possessor from the possessed, and healing those in need. )

 

[Enormodro]

[X] Plan The Grey Spymaster

[X ] The Spymaster: The War cannot be won without intelligence. The soldiers needed targets and by god you would provide them. You have the most flexibility in this position but you are also expected to be omniscient and there will be variables that are simply beyond your control that you will ultimately take the blame for. Such is the nature of the world of espionage. Even the best intelligence network has blindspots. (Intrigue and Learning are your primary focuses.)

[ X] Sleeper Agent: You were ambitious, too ambitious for your own good and you got the position but only because a mysterious benefactor pulled strings beyond your reach.( You are only required to pass along information although sometimes acquiring that information will come at some risk to yourself. Special circumstances may force you to intervene directly and possibly at great risk to yourself. However, your benefactor seems largely benign and it feels more like politician keeping tabs on a new project than a serious threat to MI9 security. )

[X ] Grey Wizard: You are a mage who was discovered at an early age and trained by MI6 in the art of espionage. You are superbly equipped for killing human beings and the skulduggery of espionage. The Government wants you to fill the position because they need people who can operate independently without fear of them being taken out by a stray vampire. Of course, if there weretwo stray vampires you might have a problem. (+8 Magecraft, +8 Intrigue. Grey Wizard: You are skilled with illusion and mental manipulation but you can kill someone if you need to. )

 

[veekie]

[X] Plan Inquisitor

As good a quest to Deus Vult on I suppose

 

[Kanata.EXE]

[X] Plan The Grey Spymaster
-[X] The Spymaster: The War cannot be won without intelligence. The soldiers needed targets and by god you would provide them. You have the most flexibility in this position but you are also expected to be omniscient and there will be variables that are simply beyond your control that you will ultimately take the blame for. Such is the nature of the world of espionage. Even the best intelligence network has blindspots. (Intrigue and Learning are your primary focuses.)
-[X] Sleeper Agent: You were ambitious, too ambitious for your own good and you got the position but only because a mysterious benefactor pulled strings beyond your reach.( You are only required to pass along information although sometimes acquiring that information will come at some risk to yourself. Special circumstances may force you to intervene directly and possibly at great risk to yourself. However, your benefactor seems largely benign and it feels more like politician keeping tabs on a new project than a serious threat to MI9 security. )
-[X] Grey Wizard: You are a mage who was discovered at an early age and trained by MI6 in the art of espionage. You are superbly equipped for killing human beings and the skulduggery of espionage. The Government wants you to fill the position because they need people who can operate independently without fear of them being taken out by a stray vampire. Of course, if there weretwo stray vampires you might have a problem. (+8 Magecraft, +8 Intrigue. Grey Wizard: You are skilled with illusion and mental manipulation but you can kill someone if you need to. )

 

[Random Paul]

[X] Plan My Name is Not Bond
[X] The Spymaster: The War cannot be won without intelligence. The soldiers needed targets and by god you would provide them. You have the most flexibility in this position but you are also expected to be omniscient and there will be variables that are simply beyond your control that you will ultimately take the blame for. Such is the nature of the world of espionage. Even the best intelligence network has blindspots. (Intrigue and Learning are your primary focuses.)
[X] Sleeper Agent: You were ambitious, too ambitious for your own good and you got the position but only because a mysterious benefactor pulled strings beyond your reach.
( You are only required to pass along information although sometimes acquiring that information will come at some risk to yourself. Special circumstances may force you to intervene directly and possibly at great risk to yourself. However, your benefactor seems largely benign and it feels more like politician keeping tabs on a new project than a serious threat to MI9 security. )
[X] A Diplomat: You spent your years in civil service floating from embassy to embassy and making deal after deal. You were happy to make friends with anyone from a peasant girl tending sheep to a high powered nobleman seeking a better deal. You were just the friendly sort in general you supposed. (+8 Diplomacy, +4 Intrigue, +4 Stewardship, A Network of Contacts: You have made a great many friends over the years and you correspond with them regularly. Sometimes, they even let slip some information you might find useful. You do the same. Its a mutually beneficial relationship really, you just have to be careful not to let go of anything too juicy. )

 

[technotemplar]

[X] Plan Inquisitor

 

[Dromeosaur]

[X] Plan The Grey Spymaster

 

[Tempest Warden]

[X] Plan: Exorcist sleeper
[X] The Exorcist: The Church's chosen representative, you are responsible both for hunting supernatural infiltrators and researching the supernatural. Dual mandates that will often create conflict in your day-to-day but are ultimately necessary as you are the best equipped to identify the possessed and other forms of supernatural infiltration. (Learning and Intrigue are your primary focuses. You are required to choose Exorcist as your starting package.)
[X] Sleeper Agent: You were ambitious, too ambitious for your own good and you got the position but only because a mysterious benefactor pulled strings beyond your reach.
( You are only required to pass along information although sometimes acquiring that information will come at some risk to yourself. Special circumstances may force you to intervene directly and possibly at great risk to yourself. However, your benefactor seems largely benign and it feels more like politician keeping tabs on a new project than a serious threat to MI9 security. )
[X] Exorcist: The Church had trained exorcists for generations but they had never really had a plan to use them. Monsters were a myth after all. Or so everyone thought until a few days ago. Well, the situation has certainly changed and you find yourself in high demand as Exorcists are drafted by the score to fill the holes in MI9's ranks. Exorcists are the best equipped to combat the supernatural threat ergo they are basically shanghai'd into doing it. ( +8 Magecraft, +4 Learning, +4 Intrigue. Exorcist: He is talented at destroying Heretics, extracting the possessor from the possessed, and healing those in need. )

I like most of plan inquisitor, except the zealot part.

 

[EternalObserver]

[X] Plan Inquisitor

[X] Plan: Exorcist sleeper

Approval voting

 

[Asael]

[X] Plan Inquisitor

This is perfect.

 

[Rebel Rye]

[X] Plan The Grey Spymaster

 

[ChaosCircle]

DEUS VULT WINS!

Vote Tally : Monster Hunting - An Advisor's Quest (Fantasy X-COM; CK2ish; Original) Original | Sufficient Velocity [Posts: 2-12]
##### NetTally 2.2.3

[X] Plan Inquisitor
[X] The Exorcist: The Church's chosen representative, you are responsible both for hunting supernatural infiltrators and researching the supernatural. Dual mandates that will often create conflict in your day-to-day but are ultimately necessary as you are the best equipped to identify the possessed and other forms of supernatural infiltration. (Learning and Intrigue are your primary focuses. You are required to choose Exorcist as your starting package.)
[X] Zealotry: The Church of England wears you like a glove. You know your faith is the only true faith in which a proper Englishman should believe and you will eliminate all heresy in your path.
[X] Exorcist: The Church had trained exorcists for generations but they had never really had a plan to use them. Monsters were a myth after all. Or so everyone thought until a few days ago. Well, the situation has certainly changed and you find yourself in high demand as Exorcists are drafted by the score to fill the holes in MI9's ranks. Exorcists are the best equipped to combat the supernatural threat ergo they are basically shanghai'd into doing it. ( +8 Magecraft, +4 Learning, +4 Intrigue. Exorcist: He is talented at destroying Heretics, extracting the possessor from the possessed, and healing those in need. )
No. of Votes: 5
[◈] Plan: Inquisitor
[X] Asael
[X] Chaotic Good Elf
[X] technotemplar
[X] veekie
[X] EternalObserver

[X] Plan The Grey Spymaster
-[X] The Spymaster: The War cannot be won without intelligence. The soldiers needed targets and by god you would provide them. You have the most flexibility in this position but you are also expected to be omniscient and there will be variables that are simply beyond your control that you will ultimately take the blame for. Such is the nature of the world of espionage. Even the best intelligence network has blindspots. (Intrigue and Learning are your primary focuses.)
-[X] Sleeper Agent: You were ambitious, too ambitious for your own good and you got the position but only because a mysterious benefactor pulled strings beyond your reach.( You are only required to pass along information although sometimes acquiring that information will come at some risk to yourself. Special circumstances may force you to intervene directly and possibly at great risk to yourself. However, your benefactor seems largely benign and it feels more like politician keeping tabs on a new project than a serious threat to MI9 security. )
-[X] Grey Wizard: You are a mage who was discovered at an early age and trained by MI6 in the art of espionage. You are superbly equipped for killing human beings and the skulduggery of espionage. The Government wants you to fill the position because they need people who can operate independently without fear of them being taken out by a stray vampire. Of course, if there weretwo stray vampires you might have a problem. (+8 Magecraft, +8 Intrigue. Grey Wizard: You are skilled with illusion and mental manipulation but you can kill someone if you need to. )
No. of Votes: 4
[◈] Plan: The Grey Spymaster
[X] Dromeosaur
[X] Enarmodro
[X] heavens eye
[X] Kanata.EXE

[X] Plan My Name is Not Bond
[X] The Spymaster: The War cannot be won without intelligence. The soldiers needed targets and by god you would provide them. You have the most flexibility in this position but you are also expected to be omniscient and there will be variables that are simply beyond your control that you will ultimately take the blame for. Such is the nature of the world of espionage. Even the best intelligence network has blindspots. (Intrigue and Learning are your primary focuses.)
[X] Sleeper Agent: You were ambitious, too ambitious for your own good and you got the position but only because a mysterious benefactor pulled strings beyond your reach.
[X] A Diplomat: You spent your years in civil service floating from embassy to embassy and making deal after deal. You were happy to make friends with anyone from a peasant girl tending sheep to a high powered nobleman seeking a better deal. You were just the friendly sort in general you supposed. (+8 Diplomacy, +4 Intrigue, +4 Stewardship, A Network of Contacts: You have made a great many friends over the years and you correspond with them regularly. Sometimes, they even let slip some information you might find useful. You do the same. Its a mutually beneficial relationship really, you just have to be careful not to let go of anything too juicy. )
No. of Votes: 1
[◈] Plan: My Name is Not Bond
[X] Random Paul

[X] Plan: Exorcist sleeper
[X] The Exorcist: The Church's chosen representative, you are responsible both for hunting supernatural infiltrators and researching the supernatural. Dual mandates that will often create conflict in your day-to-day but are ultimately necessary as you are the best equipped to identify the possessed and other forms of supernatural infiltration. (Learning and Intrigue are your primary focuses. You are required to choose Exorcist as your starting package.)
[X] Sleeper Agent: You were ambitious, too ambitious for your own good and you got the position but only because a mysterious benefactor pulled strings beyond your reach.
[X] Exorcist: The Church had trained exorcists for generations but they had never really had a plan to use them. Monsters were a myth after all. Or so everyone thought until a few days ago. Well, the situation has certainly changed and you find yourself in high demand as Exorcists are drafted by the score to fill the holes in MI9's ranks. Exorcists are the best equipped to combat the supernatural threat ergo they are basically shanghai'd into doing it. ( +8 Magecraft, +4 Learning, +4 Intrigue. Exorcist: He is talented at destroying Heretics, extracting the possessor from the possessed, and healing those in need. )
No. of Votes: 1
[◈] Plan: Exorcist sleeper
[X] Tempest Warden


Total No. of Voters: 11

 

[ChaosCircle]

Alexander Constantine (Protagonist)


Wounds: [ ] [ ] [ ]
Will: [ ] [ ] [ ]
Corruption: [ ] [ ] [ ]

Diplomacy: +8 [ Base +8 ]
Martial: +10 [ Base +10 ]
Stewardship: +8 [ Base +8 ]
Intrigue: +18 [ Base +14 Exorcist +4]
Learning: +19 [Base +15 Exorcist +4]
Magecraft: +20 [Base +12 Exorcist +8]

Exorcist: He is talented at destroying Heretics, extracting the possessor from the possessed, and healing those in need. +4 Intrigue, +4 Learning, +8 Magecraft (Variable bonus to killing Heretics, dealing with the possessed, and healing those in need.)

Zealot: You know your faith is the only true faith in which a proper Englishman should believe and you will eliminate all heresy in your path.
( Bonuses to furthering the cause of your Church superiors; penalties to working with people who fail to follow the proper faith )

Research Team 1 (RT-1)

Team Members
Chief Researcher Carl Sagan

Research Team 1 (RT-2)

Team Members
Chief Researcher Sandra Childs

Capture Team 1 (CT-1)
Team Traits:
Shapeshifter/Possession Detection: Supernatural infiltrators no longer automatically succeed at passing as human.
Grant's Experience: Grant is experienced with combat and boosts the effectiveness of his team by 5.
A Spy's bag of Tricks: The team has multiple ex-spies and can perform Intrigue actions instead of regular Capture missions.

Team Members:
Captain William Grant: Military trained Battle Mage, mid-twenties, brown hair/eyes, wears a military uniform. Religious.
Lt Samantha Jaeger: MI6 trained Grey Wizard, mid-twenties, blonde with blue eyes, wears a robe or form fitting black leather. Religious.
Corporal Alex Smith: MI6 trained Null who is good at close quarters combat. Mid-twenties, brown hair/eyes, wears a military uniform. Religious.
Corporal John Carpenter: Ex-military rifleman, mid-twenties, brown hair/eyes, wears a military uniform. Religious. No relation to Councilor Carpenter.
Corporal Carlotta Lopez: Ex-military riflewoman, mid-twenties, brown hair/eyes, wears a military uniform. Religious.

Capture Team 2 (CT-2)
Team Traits:
Shapeshifter/Possession Detection: Supernatural infiltrators no longer automatically succeed at passing as human.
Synchronized Magical Attacks: Rachel and Alicia have been together a long time and are very effective at delivering their firepower where it needs to be . Boosts the team effectiveness by 5.
Breach: This team has a demolition expert and can bypass most conventional or magically reinforced walls.

Team Members:
Captain Rachel Richards: Military trained Battle Mage, early thirties, blonde with blue eyes, wears a black robe. Religious.
Lt Alicia Goodwin: Military trained Battle Mage, mid-twenties, brown hair/eyes, wears a black robe. Religious.
Corporal James Weaver: Ex-military demolitions expert and rifleman. Mid-twenties, brown hair/eyes, wears a military uniform. Religious. No relation to Colonel Weaver.
Corporal Eric Hamilton: Ex-military rifleman. Mid-twenties, brown hair/eyes, wears a military uniform. Religious.
Corporal Richard Potter: Ex-military rifleman. Mid-twenties, brown hair/eyes, wears a military uniform. Religious.

 

[ChaosCircle]

Hounslow Armory / MI9 HQ


Floor 2: Secondary Barracks
Floor 1: Security
Subfloor 1: Main Barracks, Armory, Cafeteria
Subfloor 2: Stewardship and Intelligence Divisions
Subfloor 3: Research Division
Subfloor 4: MI9 Command (Military/Martial Division) and Diplomatic Corps
Subfloor 5: The Council Chamber, Officers Quarters, and Officers Mess
Subfloor 6: The Cells [Escape DC: 80]

Garrison:
100 Soldiers and Hunters (Guards, under the command of the Martial Division)
20 Operatives (Intelligence Division)
12 Kill Teams (Martial Division)
2 Capture Teams (Research Division)
2 Research Teams (Research Division)

Heroes:
Sir Thomas Hunt - Mundane, Head of MI9 [Mid 50s, Brown hair, sharp black suits]
Colonel Adam Weaver - Battle Mage, Martial [Heavyset, Mid Thirties, Brown hair, Beige Uniform]
Councilor James Carpenter - Mundane, Steward [Lithe, Mid Thirties, Brown hair, Gray Suit]
Baroness Alicia Gower - Mundane, Diplomat [Attractive, Mid Thirties, Blonde, Red Dress]
Dame Cassandra Kemmler - Grey Wizard, Spymaster [Attractive, Mid Thirties, Red hair, Grey Robe, Green Eyes]
Councilor Alexander Constantine - Exorcist, Research/Learning

Prisoners:

Traits:

 

[ChaosCircle]

Spoiler: Winning Plan

[X] The Exorcist: The Church's chosen representative, you are responsible both for hunting supernatural infiltrators and researching the supernatural. Dual mandates that will often create conflict in your day-to-day but are ultimately necessary as you are the best equipped to identify the possessed and other forms of supernatural infiltration. (Learning and Intrigue are your primary focuses. You are required to choose Exorcist as your starting package.)
[X] Zealotry: The Church of England wears you like a glove. You know your faith is the only true faith in which a proper Englishman should believe and you will eliminate all heresy in your path.
[X] Exorcist: The Church had trained exorcists for generations but they had never really had a plan to use them. Monsters were a myth after all. Or so everyone thought until a few days ago. Well, the situation has certainly changed and you find yourself in high demand as Exorcists are drafted by the score to fill the holes in MI9's ranks. Exorcists are the best equipped to combat the supernatural threat ergo they are basically shanghai'd into doing it. ( +8 Magecraft, +4 Learning, +4 Intrigue. Exorcist: He is talented at destroying Heretics, extracting the possessor from the possessed, and healing those in need. )

Spoiler: Dice Rolls

Were you the last to arrive? 1D100 => 81
How much sway does the Church have with MI9? 1D100 => 19

In normal times, the gears of Government grind slowly and to mediocre effect. However, these are not normal times and the Government was in quite the rush to assemble an organization to deal with the supernatural infestation that had so recently, and bloodily, come to light. It showed in how shoddily they vetted the people that would lead this organization truly was. They had essentially taken the Archbishop of Canterbury at his word that you were an honest, competent man who could do what need done. Their background check process was filled with holes you could drive a lorry though. This fact alarmed you given the fact the best way to neuter MI9 from the Enemy's perspective would be to insert their own people into leadership positions within the organization. Could you trust anyone but yourself to seek out these traitors and deal with them? Did you dare put your faith in men who had created distance between them and God's love?

Your true orders came straight from the Archbishop of Canterbury himself. You were to see to the spiritual health of MI9 as the leader of the Faith within the Organization. Ideally, you were to establish chaplains within the organization to bolster the Faith's presence within MI9's walls. The simple fact is the Church had already lost the battle for the soul of MI9 and you were its only foothold within the organization besides a handful of fellow exorcists assigned to the martial side's kill teams. There was not a single man of god among the flock you were to shepherd in MI9. It was a shame really.

The secular orders from the Government were straightforward enough. Capture living subjects to research the strengths and weaknesses of various supernatural beings. The responsibility of managing of MI9's Research Division. And, of course, the prevention of the very thing you planned to do. You were to prevent the infiltration of MI9 by supernatural beings and their human allies by any means necessary. That last bit you shared the obligation with the Spymaster on but the truth was, unless they picked another Exorcist, you were the only one who could detect possession let alone stop it. The Church's Exorcists were dedicated to a new Order founded by the Church of England with responsibilities similar to MI9. The elimination of supernatural threats with the British Empire.

You arrived early Monday morning at MI9's headquarters and you were not impressed. The location was obviously a military installation, well protected if push came to shove but the fact it was a military installation meant it was common knowledge that it existed. In their haste, they abandoned any semblance of stealth in favor of speed and strength. It was understandable given their haste but you doubted the soldiers on Hounslow Cavalry Base would provide much protection against vampires or werewolves in the dark of night. They simply lacked the skill and the training to effectively combat the supernatural. When the supernatural decided they had enough of dying at the hands of MI9, they'd hit this base and slaughter those poor souls.

The door to the aged red brick armory creaked open as it revealed a dozen armed men in various uniforms each of whom had their hand on the hilt of their swords. Who used swords in the age of guns? Ah, right, hunters. Decapitation was the most reliable to kill anything, supernatural or otherwise. It seemed the government had managed to find a few of those who had hunted the supernatural creatures before their existence was common knowledge after all.

A buxom brunette stepped forward from their ranks and said, "If you would present your orders, Sir?"

You handed over copies of your orders from the Government and the Archbishop. There were no secrets in those pages.

The brunette took her time reading every inch of those scraps of paper as well as examining the seals and signatures that proved their authenticity. You doubted the lady had any clue as to what the Archbishop of Canterbury's signature looked like but she made a good show of her examination all the same. After a few minutes, she returned the paperwork and waved you through. Free at last.

The path to Subfloor 5 was deserted and you came to realize the armory itself was merely a front for a newly constructed underground base of operations. The elevator was brand new. The shaft it traveled through had rough hewn stone walls that were far from finished. The subfloor you arrived on was in similar shape, nothing but raw stone recently tunneled into by whatever construction crew they had doing the job. You hoped security was not such a rush job but you had the feeling it was in the same shape as everything else. Inadequate.

There were only two guards this time. A tall, muscular brute of a soldier in the uniform of the British Army and a smaller, attractive young woman who wore a black robe. A soldier and a mage, you supposed. An unlikely pair. The young woman was the first to speak and she said, "Orders, please Sir? I know its tiresome but this floor is restricted to Councilors and Officers only."

You hand over your orders and wait patiently as the now familiar ritual of "careful examination" takes up a few minutes of your precious time. The precautions were laughable, all someone had to do was murder someone with the right paperwork, take their shape, and they could mosey right on in. It was a state of affairs you should really address when you had the chance but when could you spare the time? Security was the Colonel's job.

"You are all set, Councilor Constantine. I will escort you to the Council Chamber so you don't get lost, if that is alright?"

You nod and follow the nice magus down the hall. You pass the entrance to what appears to be an Officer's Mess and likely where you will be eating for the foreseeable future. A location you file away for later as you follow your guide through a veritable maze of turns to get to your destination. It seemed whoever built this place wanted the Council Chamber as out of the way as possible, either to remove the temptation for Officers to eavesdrop or to make it harder for spies to locate it. Possibly both.

The doors to the chamber itself were open and you saw two men and a woman engrossed in conversation as they sat around a circular table. It seemed you were not the last to arrive, excellent.

Your lovely escort smiled at you and said, "And here you are, Sir. I should head back to my post. Good luck!"

And with that, she bolted with unnatural speed. It seemed Vampires were not the only ones with supernatural speed around here. Bloody mages.

Well, it was time to introduce yourself. You slipped into the Council Chamber while your new compatriots continued their discussion. It was just small talk so your eyes wandered to the smooth stone of the wall for a few moments as you realized they must have hurried to make the Council Chamber a finished room before other sections of the base. That seemed like a waste given only six people would ever enjoy the room. Better to finish a more heavily trafficked area first and leave this place for later.

A lull in the conversation eventually presented itself and you said, "Hello everyone, I'm the Exorcist Alexander Constantine. I hope everyone is having a pleasant Monday."

The heavyset man in his mid-thirties in a beige uniform replied, "Colonel Weaver. Military liaison, Battle Mage, and the head of MI9 Security."

The other man also was in his mid-thirties and wore a gray suit. He added, "Councilor James Carpenter. Government bureaucrat responsible for procurement and construction."

The lady with a lovely green eyes in a grey robe smiled at you and said, "Dame Cassandra Kemmler. Grey wizard and the head of intelligence for this little operation."

A scowl graced your face at the name. Dame Cassandra Kemmler. Outspoken atheist and widely considered an enemy of the Church. The Government had to pick this scum to run intelligence here? More importantly, how would you get rid of this insufferable woman? An atheist female had no business being here. If nothing else, you needed to set up your own intelligence network within and without MI9 to manage this woman's incompetence. Atheists were neither competent thinkers or trustworthy people. How could those fools give her this kind of authority?

You replied coldly, "A pleasure to meet you all. Hopefully the rest will join us shortly."

The introductions exchanged you took the seat to Colonel Weaver's left. It was better to sit next to a military man than an atheist. That much was certain.

You turned to the Colonel and asked casually, "What goals do you have for your division, Colonel?"

"Kill every one of the fuckers we can find. Expand my kill teams to the limit of my budget so I can kill even more of the fuckers. Keep our little base of operations secure against infiltrators and all out assaults. You?"

"Extermination is a good strategy, in that we are in agreement. My main objective is to augment the capabilities of our teams with knowledge and enchanted equipment so that they might do their jobs more effectively. That is my job description. I wish I could be out there exterminating the vermin but the Church has informed me my place is here so here I am."

The Colonel and you shared a smile as you both realized you were natural allies. You both wanted to kill every last supernatural you could get your hands on. The methods were unimportant when compared to the ends.

You continued, "So, Colonel, how is your Faith?"

He chuckled, "I believe in God and that his Word is spoken by the priests of the Church of England if that is what you are asking. I'm not an atheist like Dame Kemmler, no offense intended lady."

"None taken, Colonel. Myths keep some men warm at night."

You growled at her, "Heresy."

She growled back, "Reality."

Any chance of a thawing of relations was certainly out the window. Of course, she would have had to repent and go to Church like a proper Englishwoman before you would have given her the time of day. Ah well, one natural ally and one natural enemy. Hopefully you would do better with the others.

A buxom blonde woman in a scandalous red dress that accentuated every curve was the next to arrive. She flashed a lovely smile at the lot of you and said, "I'm the Baroness Alicia Gower. Diplomatic liaison. I'm going to be spending alot of time traveling to discuss matters with our counterparts in Europe. Hopefully, we can share usable intelligence with our friends on the Continent."

You did your best to keep your eyes off the whore's assets as she took her seat next to Kemmler. It seemed you had another natural enemy based on the way she dressed. No woman who was right with God would dress so scandalously to a government meeting. Whoring herself might work for a diplomat but it was unacceptable in the eyes of God.

Before you could chastise her for her wantonness, the final member of your group arrived. He was a gentleman in his mid fifties of moderate stature and dressed in a sharp black suit. He smiled at everyone and said, "Welcome everyone, sorry I got held up with a few final details. I'm Sir Thomas Hunt, the Head of MI9 and your new boss. I hope we can build a future for MI9 and England together."

He handed his paperwork over to the Baroness Gower to examine. His eyes roamed a bit more than he should as he did it. So many sinners. The Baroness examined the paperwork and then passed it around so that each of the Councilors could examine the man's orders in turn. They looked authenticate to you. Unfortunate.

The man took his seat in the center of the table as he continued, "I intend to get right to it, folks. Baroness, I know other nations are setting up similar operations. The Americans are friendlier than they've ever been. Start there. The Japanese have a decade old alliance with us, seek them out as well. The French are friendly enough, even if we are not truly allies, and should be a viable resource as well. I wouldn't bother with the Germans or the Russians, their interests are too opposed to ours to be reliable allies in this War. Humanity may have refocused on this new threat but old wounds still ache."

Thomas turned to Kemmler next and stated, "You are to split your agents into two camps. The first will pretend to be human collaborators and seek out the various organized factions in our fair city. Their task is to serve as double agents so that we might gather unfiltered, raw intelligence directly from the most dangerous threats. The second will seek out and establish the location of safe houses used by supernatural beings so that we can begin to capture supernatural targets for interrogation and study. Councilor Constantine will have the first choice of targets so we can get subjects to experiment on while Colonel Weaver will play clean up with his extermination teams."

His gaze fell on the good Colonel next. "My task for you is simple. When Samantha finds a target, I want you to hit them and hit them hard. Until then, train your men and prepare this base to be attacked. Once the fighting starts, I doubt the supernatural beings we target will simply lie there and take it like a whore. Particularly the more powerful, organized factions that are rumored to have resources on par with our own."

You were the next logical target as Thomas's eyes moved around the room. "Exorcist Constantine, we need to expand both our knowledge of these creatures and extract whatever knowledge we can from them before we discard them. The teams assigned to Research are the best equipped to capture our prey with multiple mages on each team. I expect results and I expect them quickly. Every scrap of knowledge we can squeeze from our supernatural prey is vital to the survival of our people in the field and this organization's long term survival."

You nod. That was your plan.

Thomas addressed Carpenter last. "Councilor Carpenter, this base is a mess and I need you to focus on getting it up to snuff. I understand you might have other interests but this is where I want your focus. In particular, I want you to focus on working with Colonel Weaver on making this place defensible. Right now, a score of vampires could probably wipe us out. I suggest traps because, frankly, the average guard will not be able to handle the average vampire."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Each Turn will be a Quarter and in this case it is October to December of 1915. September is taken up by getting settled in. You will have 4 actions you can personally oversee in addition to your general duties as the head of R&D. Choose them wisely. Keep in mind that you are expected to spend a minimum of two actions a turn pursuing the orders you have been given. Four is expected if you fail in a previous turn because failing multiple turns in a row looks really, really bad for someone as highly placed as you are.

You have two research teams. They provide the "tech tree" portion of this game and will be needed to level up the entire MI9 organization. In X-COM parlance, they are research/engineering teams and effectively do the job of both.

You also have missions to assign Capture Teams too. You will need to pick two of those, one per Capture Team. They represent the "major achievement" of your Capture Team that quarter (if they succeed). Capture Teams hitting particular factions repeatedly will advance the quality/quantity of targets available as your knowledge base of that faction grows. Capture Teams are more focused on organizations as their primary role is to bring back intelligence against MI9's serious competition. Not the one-off Necromancer with delusions of grandeur.

This results in you performing 8 actions per Turn. This number will be upgraded as resources permit and may lead to me making multiple posts, some of which have no vote, just to keep my pace.

Actions in multiple categories can be taken once per category. This allows you to double up on researching weaknesses, for instance. Research projects in line with the primary objective you've been given qualify as you "using an action to pursue your orders". So if you want to take more personal actions, shift some of the burden of following your orders onto your Research Teams.

P.S. WW1 was averted.

Actions (Pick 4):

Following Your Orders:
[ ] Embed yourself in a Capture Team. (Specific which Mission)
[ ] Teach your people how to identify possessed and/or shapeshifting folks.
[ ] The interrogation of supernaturals collected by your capture teams. This will get re-voted into another action if all 4 missions fail.
[ ] Experiment on supernaturals collected by your capture teams to discover their weaknesses. This will get re-voted into another action if all 4 missions fail.
[ ] Experiment on supernaturals collected by your capture teams to discover their strengths. This will get re-voted into another action if all 4 missions fail.
[ ] Learning +2: You know there has to be books in London on the supernatural. Find them and separate fact from fiction. It might not be glamorous but there were hunters before the New Year's Bloodletting. Their journals and other works can certainly tell you more than slogging through research directly on your own ever could. Of course, it would only be a start.

Research Division:
[ ] Get to know your Capture Team leaders and find out what they believe to be the strengths and weaknesses of their teams.
[ ] Get to know your Research Team leaders and find out what they believe to be the strengths and weaknesses of their teams.
[ ] Embezzle funds for your own use. Using MI9 to fund its own destruction has a bit of poetry about it doesn't it?

Personal Projects:
[ ] Construct an enchanted object (Write in what you want, I'll tell you if its viable)
[ ] Train an attribute (Write in which attribute you want to focus on)
[ ] Develop informants within MI9. You could not trust anyone but yourself to keep MI9 clean of the Enemy.
[ ] Hire Chaplains to see to those who followed the true faith within MI9. The fact they might whisper in your ear was a bonus.
[ ] Teach MI9's guards how to identify possessed and/or shapeshifting folks.

Research Projects (Pick 2): Please Assign RT-1 or RT-2 to each action. They have different strengths.
[ ] Enchanted Weaponry +2: You know how to enchant weapons and so do the mages on your research teams. This will go to your capture teams first and may be taken multiple times to equip the rest of MI9.
[ ] Enchanted Armor +2: You know how to enchant armor and so do the mages on your research teams. This will go to your capture teams first and may be taken multiple times to equip the rest of MI9.
[ ] Aegis Amulets: You know to enchant things to protect against Corruption and Possession. Your research teams do as well. This will go to your capture teams first and may be taken multiple times to equip the rest of MI9.
[ ] Learning +2: You know there has to be books in London on the supernatural. Find them and separate fact from fiction. It might not be glamorous but there were hunters before the New Year's Bloodletting. Their journals and other works can certainly tell you more than slogging through research directly on your own ever could. Of course, it would only be a start.
[ ] Experiment on supernaturals collected by your capture teams to discover their weaknesses. This will get re-voted into another action if all 4 missions fail.
[ ] Experiment on supernaturals collected by your capture teams to discover their strengths. This will get re-voted into another action if all 4 missions fail.

Capture Teams (Pick 2): Please Assign CT-1 or CT-2 to each action. They have different strengths.
Supernatural Targets (+20 or better modifiers)
[ ] Hit a Summer Court Safe House
[ ] Hit a Winter Court Safe House
[ ] Hit a Red Court Safe House
[ ] Hit a Black Court Safe House
[ ] Hit a Werewolf Safe House (Werewolves, unknown affiliation)
[ ] Hit an Elf Safe House (Unknown affiliation, did not partake in the New Year's Bloodletting by all accounts)
[ ] Hit a Dark Elf Safe House (Unknown affiliation, did not partake in the New Year's Bloodletting by all accounts)

Human Targets (+0 or better modifiers)
[ ] Hit a Cult of Asmodeus Safe House
[ ] Hit a Cult of Baal Safe House
[ ] Hit a Cult of Yog-Sothoth Safe House
[ ] Hit a Cult of Adoketa Safe House
[ ] Hit a Cult of Bast Safe House
[ ] Hit an Iscariot Safe House
[ ] Hit a Witch Coven Safe House (Name unknown)

 

[technotemplar]

Er you put Hit a Black court safe house twice. I'm pretty sure the first one is supposed to be the winter court.

 

[ChaosCircle]

Fixed, thanks

 

[technotemplar]

Fixed, thanks

Click to shrink...

Also is their a moratorium or can we start voting.

 

[Tempest Warden]

Yep, figures we'd get off badly with someone. Though the fact that we only like one of the other advisors though...

Anyways, I suggest these:
[ ] Teach your people how to identify possessed and/or shapeshifting folks.
[ ] Get to know your Capture Team leaders and find out what they believe to be the strengths and weaknesses of their teams.
[ ] Develop informants within MI9. You could not trust anyone but yourself to keep MI9 clean of the Enemy.
[ ] Hire Chaplains to see to those who followed the true faith within MI9. The fact they might whisper in your ear was a bonus.
[ ] Teach MI9's guards how to identify possessed and/or shapeshifting folks.

[ ] Aegis Amulets: You know to enchant things to protect against Corruption and Possession. Your research teams do as well. This will go to your capture teams first and may be taken multiple times to equip the rest of MI9.


Will just have to decide really. Granted chances are I won't get around to making an actual plan until after someone else does and by then what plan I make probably wont have a chance.

 

[Chaotic Good Elf]

[X] Plan Infiltrator Proof
[X] Teach your people how to identify possessed and/or shapeshifting folks.
[X] Experiment on supernaturals collected by your capture teams to discover their weaknesses. This will get re-voted into another action if all 4 missions fail.
[X] Teach MI9's guards how to identify possessed and/or shapeshifting folks.
[X] Hire Chaplains to see to those who followed the true faith within MI9. The fact they might whisper in your ear was a bonus.

[rt1] Aegis Amulets: You know to enchant things to protect against Corruption and Possession. Your research teams do as well. This will go to your capture teams first and may be taken multiple times to equip the rest of MI9.
[rt2] Enchanted Armor +2: You know how to enchant armor and so do the mages on your research teams. This will go to your capture teams first and may be taken multiple times to equip the rest of MI9.

[ct1] Hit a Red Court Safe House
[ct2] Hit a Black Court Safe House

Do it once and be safe for a good bunch of turns?

 

[technotemplar]

[X] Plan Infiltrator Proof
[X] Teach your people how to identify possessed and/or shapeshifting folks.
[X] Experiment on supernaturals collected by your capture teams to discover their weaknesses. This will get re-voted into another action if all 4 missions fail.
[X] Teach MI9's guards how to identify possessed and/or shapeshifting folks.
[X] Hire Chaplains to see to those who followed the true faith within MI9. The fact they might whisper in your ear was a bonus.

[rt1] Aegis Amulets: You know to enchant things to protect against Corruption and Possession. Your research teams do as well. This will go to your capture teams first and may be taken multiple times to equip the rest of MI9.
[rt2] Enchanted Armor +2: You know how to enchant armor and so do the mages on your research teams. This will go to your capture teams first and may be taken multiple times to equip the rest of MI9.

[ct1] Hit a Red Court Safe House
[ct2] Hit a Black Court Safe House

Do it once and be safe for a good bunch of turns?

Click to shrink...

I don't think that our capture teams are quite ready to face off vampire's yet

 

[ChaosCircle]

Also is their a moratorium or can we start voting.

Click to shrink...

There is no moratorium. Sorry about that.

 

[butchock]

I like our PC so far, his thoughts are hilarious!

 

[saganatsu]

[X] Plan Info
-[X] Teach your people how to identify possessed and/or shapeshifting folks.
-[X] Teach MI9's guards how to identify possessed and/or shapeshifting folks.
-[X] Get to know your Capture Team leaders and find out what they believe to be the strengths and weaknesses of their teams.
-[X] Experiment on supernaturals collected by your capture teams to discover their strengths. This will get re-voted into another action if all 4 missions fail.
-[X] [RT-1]Aegis Amulets: You know to enchant things to protect against Corruption and Possession. Your research teams do as well. This will go to your capture teams first and may be taken multiple times to equip the rest of MI9.
-[X] [RT-2] Experiment on supernaturals collected by your capture teams to discover their weaknesses. This will get re-voted into another action if all 4 missions fail.
-[X] [CT-1] Hit a Cult of Asmodeus Safe House
-[X] [CT-2] Hit a Cult of Bast Safe House

Let's
1) cut down on infiltrators before they get started.
2) get to know our teams as soon as practical
3) not get our teams killed without any decent equipment

Note that we between teaching the guards to spot possessed and/or shapeshifting folks, and getting to know the two types of teams, we really can't do all three, as none of them are under "following our orders", and I think dealing with infiltrators is more time sensitive.