The Brute Squad

[groinkick]

Were they destroyed when Archangel was attacked? 

The definition I found from urban dictionary:

1. A group of the most challenging guys around, merciless conscienceless heavies just who beat people up into the service of a boss or king

Sounds like a group that I'd like to see Harry meet up with.  They were involved with taking down Kemmler.  I wonder if they were the ones who helped Eb in Changes?

[Mr. Death]

Yes, they were. Everyone at Archangel was killed when it was attacked.

[Cruness]

Yes, they were. Everyone at Archangel was killed when it was attacked.

In universe, its been over 10 years since the battle of Archangel. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a new brute squad running around, and we just haven't heard of them because Harry wasn't invited to join.

[Quantus]

In universe, its been over 10 years since the battle of Archangel. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a new brute squad running around, and we just haven't heard of them because Harry wasn't invited to join.

They call them Wardens these days.  I have a feeling the distinction was more prevalent in Peacetime when the Wardens are theoretically more of a Law Enforcement and Investigative Force as opposed to a focused Military bruiser unit. 

[Mr. Death]

Also, "Brute Squad" doesn't appear to be a formal title for a specifically-made group. When Bob uses the term, it's lowercase. The guys at Archangel might have been tougher than the average wizard, but it's not like a SWAT unit that has to be refilled and reestablished.

If there's still an analogue, it's probably the old guard Wardens that you usually see with Ancient Mai and the Senior Council (Warden Scandinavian-Name-Harry-Keeps-Making-Up, for instance).

[Quantus]

Also, "Brute Squad" doesn't appear to be a formal title for a specifically-made group. When Bob uses the term, it's lowercase. The guys at Archangel might have been tougher than the average wizard, but it's not like a SWAT unit that has to be refilled and reestablished.

If there's still an analogue, it's probably the old guard Wardens that you usually see with Ancient Mai and the Senior Council (Warden Scandinavian-Name-Harry-Keeps-Making-Up, for instance).

Good points.  It could also simply be a group of protoge's that Simon had collected, something informal that died with him.  If a senior council member wanted a more active/formidable group that acted outside established Warden Chain of Command, I could easily see that happening (to one degree of Openness or another, mostly due to the current politics of the SC).

Arguably Eb has done the same thing...

[kazimmoinuddin]

If the brut squad was an official part of the wardens, the lore they used in the combat magics would most likely be preserved. Depending on how desperate the council becomes, they might share it more widely.

[Quantus]

If the brut squad was an official part of the wardens, the lore they used in the combat magics would most likely be preserved. Depending on how desperate the council becomes, they might share it more widely.

I doubt that is the case, based on how they were lamenting the loss of their "Vampire Expert".  If the knowledge were preserved it wouldnt have been a concern, no?

[Zaphodess]

I know that not everybody has read the Paranet Papers (book 3 of the RPG) or considers them canon, but if you're interested in Simon, it's really worth reading.

From that source, I got the impression that the "brute-squad" was sort of an assembly of Simon's apprentices. Simon was a harsh teacher and demanded a lot of personal loyalty and obedience from his apprentices. It would be more akin to a private magic school (a very strict one, hence the brute thing maybe) than a military unit or an official institution of the WC.

[Quantus]

I know that not everybody has read the Paranet Papers (book 3 of the RPG) or considers them canon, but if you're interested in Simon, it's really worth reading.

From that source, I got the impression that the "brute-squad" was sort of an assembly of Simon's apprentices. Simon was a harsh teacher and demanded a lot of personal loyalty and obedience from his apprentices. It would be more akin to a private magic school (a very strict one, hence the brute thing maybe) than a military unit or an official institution of the WC.

Fwiw, everythign Ive heard about the Paranet papers is that the pure story elements (like the Simon stuff you mention) was supposedly straight from Jim.  So despite the RPG being classified as a similar but alternate universe (because it had to hard-quantify some things before major reveals in the novels informed on them, and because Billy doesnt /actually/ know every single secret) I personally feel comfortable accepting a lot of it (including the Simon info) as valid cannon.  Which I suppose means I should read it at some point

[peregrine]

My thought was that it was a group of Wardens that was more or less like Special Forces compared to the regular army.  A bunch of them, very powerful or skilled, that take the field en masse, rather than one at a time.  The ones they send out when they really need to do some damage.

[Quantus]

My thought was that it was a group of Wardens that was more or less like Special Forces compared to the regular army.  A bunch of them, very powerful or skilled, that take the field en masse, rather than one at a time.  The ones they send out when they really need to do some damage.

That was my guess as well.  Also doing less of the Warden peacetime work: the investigation, the showing up to intimidate new practitioners regarding the Laws.  I think there was mention of regular inspections at places like Bock Ordered Books. 

[Rasins]

Wasn't Dumorne an apprentice of Petrovitch's?

[kazimmoinuddin]

I always wondered if those that attacked, stole away with his gathered research. That or if Simon was a bad guy, he hid it away. As the council expert on the vampire courts, his magics would be a threat or a boon against them.
Simon lore was his personal research, while the brute squad lore is the co operative attemp between multiple magic users. So more likely to be shared amongst others more free ly.

[Rasins]

You would think, that as part of the investigation into what happened, they'd have gathered all the "magical" stuff so it wouldn't fall into the hands of mortal authorities.