Thinking of a new shadowy organization for my game

[JediDresden]

I was thinking of introducing a new organization into my game and I need a sounding board from this group. The idea is vague and nebulous at this time, but I was toying with the idea of racial purity. What about a group who believes in the purity of mortals and fights against anything not pure mortal? Scions, changelings and anything supernatural (including wizards) would be fair game for them to hunt. And not just hunt- pure human bloodlines would be tracked and reinforced through the centuries of influence that this organization has had.

What would it look like? What about its goals and agendas? Any help at this time would be appreciated.

[Rougarou]

Sounds like a good idea. What it looks like is entirely up to you. It could be anything from a well funded and highly placed conspiracy of the elite to little more than a glorified backwoods lynch mob. I would also suggest that, organizations founded on hate being what they are, the group may well have racially divided cliques within it. Something like a sect of white supremacists that plot to take down their non-white allies once they use them to take care of this problem with the supernaturals, and vice versa.

For an idea of how to model leaders and members of the organization, find real world examples of racial superiority motivated organizations that fit the model you have in mind and read some of the writings and speeches of their members. For instance, the "higher level" might parallel the Nazi Party at the height of its power. The backwoods lynch mob might parallel the Klu Klux Klan. If you do decide to read such texts, might I also suggest that you take the time to appreciate the fact that we live in a world that generally recognizes such ignorance for what it is and mourn the fact that there are still those who have failed to evolve and still harbor that kind of hate.

[JediDresden]

Thanks.  Yeah I was thinking something higher end. They would have been tracking and manipulating pure mortal bloodlines for at least 600 years. And definitely shadowy and secretive to stay around that long.  Maybe founded on some Medeval order or something.  There are lots of skeletons in the closets of European nobility. Plus thay are are all interrelated through marriage and alliances.

[Sanctaphrax]

I'd give the leaders some magic.

Maybe just items of power. But definitely magic of some kind, because hypocrisy is fun.

And because Wizard's Constitution is kind of a big deal when you're running a conspiracy like this one.

[JediDresden]

Yeah, already thinking about that. Hypocrisy is fun. Delving into some old world Medeval orders I came across one that was founded by some nobility in the 1400's. It was a society of kings and rulers called The Order of the Dragon.  And one of the later members (not founder) was none other than Vlad Drakul.  How is that for hypocrisy?

[admiralducksauce]

Yeah, already thinking about that. Hypocrisy is fun. Delving into some old world Medeval orders I came across one that was founded by some nobility in the 1400's. It was a society of kings and rulers called The Order of the Dragon.  And one of the later members (not founder) was none other than Vlad Drakul.  How is that for hypocrisy?

Maybe that's what set them on their current path?

"So, old chap, turns out old Vlad was a vampire."
"No! Oh my stars and garters!"
"Sure enough! Makes you think, dunnit? Who else could be some terrifying beastie dressed up in sunday clothes, as it were."
"But our Vladdie was always such fun at wine tastings!"

[Lanir]

Couple ideas popped into my head while reading this.

- Why only have the high-end organization? If these guys are nobles give them their peasants, pawns, serfs in the form of the less evolved organizations like the backwoods lynch mob.
- Do you want there to be any ambiguity about these guys at all or are they pure evil? If you want a sympathetic angle I'd go for them forming initially as a victim's club of sorts, a place for nobility who have been abused/manipulated by fae or wizards or vampires for example. You could add occasional incidents later on to crank up the sympathy value or leave it off for a sort of "You were right once, but now you're just as much a problem as they are." The latter option plays more easily into the hypocrisy element but
- In the real world these sorts of groups are NOT victims. They are ignorant thugs. May be a good idea to consider how the rest of your group will approach the topic and make sure they're comfortable with it.

[Praxidicae]

Maybe that's what set them on their current path?

"So, old chap, turns out old Vlad was a vampire."
"No! Oh my stars and garters!"
"Sure enough! Makes you think, dunnit? Who else could be some terrifying beastie dressed up in sunday clothes, as it were."
"But our Vladdie was always such fun at wine tastings!"

I'd go for a "most dangerous game" society, who started of hunting man, only to move onto more deadly prey when the thrill wore off, perhaps a couple of hundred years ago they organised a hunt and most of the participants were slaughtered, their bodies partially eaten. It turns out that one of the vagrants they snatched up for the 'festivities' was a lycanthrope, and, due to an unfortunate scheduling choice, the hunt was on the full moon... Rather than being shocked straight, they leapt upon the chance to pursue a prey more deadly than themselves, and have over the course of time modernised their means, attempting to cover for their opponents superior abilities, with technology and what hedge-magics they can scavenge.

Another well worn but decent choice would be to use the Illuminati, usually they are depicted as an esoteric order with ties to the arcane, but you could easily portray them as a society dedicated to protecting mankind from the supernatural, at any cost. Tap into all the various conspiracy theories surrounding them and their government thralls and you have a sinister cabal who will do horrendous things 'for the greater good'. They could even have 'tame' magic users, implanted with micro-explosives in their skulls (micro-explosive + uncontrolled hexing = BOOM! "we lose more mages that way"), or snatched at a young age and trained like attack dogs, along with the obligatory army of black-suit wearing 'agents'.

[JediDresden]

I like these ideas. It is definately helping with the creative juices... Please continue, I am taking good notes.

[Kristine]

Why just humans?  Why can't there be a faction of beings from the NeverNever who want to close all the doorways and keep humans out and the Fae in?  Someone who finds fickle, emotionally complicated, free-willed humans a distraction to the drive and consistent purposes of the supernatural beings. 

It would, of course be dangerously ironic if the leader of this group was originally human...and finds the consistent nature of the Fae to be somehow comforting after a personal tragedy or betrayal...

[Malivotti]

There are all kinds of organizations that may or may not exist, that have existed in the passage you use. The Knights Templar come to mind immediately. Add to that the Knights of Malta, the Teutonic Knights, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and you got the beginning of an interesting conspiracy. What about the Assassins, throw in some Freemasons with their connection to various government officials and agencies in the past, what about J Edgar Hoover? That individual I can easily see being part of an anti-supernatural agenda, and what about scientists.
Science, considering how it acts around magic, could easily be used as a rallying cry for rationality versus magic. Maybe Tesla was this organizations weapons designer and greatest martyr. In fact from this organization's point of view the actions of Kemmler were an attack by the magical community versus the non-magical community. From this organization's point of view Kemmler might be how they view all wizards to be. Also may be the wizards and other supernaturals have corrupted the various governments, controlling the human politicians to further the supernatural creatures goals.
There is all kinds of ways this organization could play out, how do you see it? Racial purity, ideological purity, scientific/rational purity all these or one of these could easily make a starting point for this group.

[Richard_Chilton]

There's a game from White Wolf called Hunter: the Vigil that has about a score of hunter groups.  The page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter:_The_Vigil lists most of them, and there are various fan pages out there that give details.  Some of them just don't fit what you are looking for (for example, there's a government backed group and another that's the arm of a corporation) but others are closer to what you want - and you can pick elements from any of them.

The closest one to what you've mentioned is:

The Ashwood Abbey – Thrill seekers who want to experience everything involving the supernatural from the most benign to the most psychotic (torture, mutilation, and worse).

They are a group of rich, bored people who started off as a Victorian Hellfire club (drinking, drugs, and sex) then discovered the supernatural.  They'll have sex with a werewolf, then hunt it down, then have a drunken orgy to celebrate.

Back in the DV, there are hints that the Church might be connected with a hunter group.  Then there's the Venatori Umbrorum.  To quote:

The Venatori Umbrorum are literally “hunters of the shadows.” Often characterized as “Masons with machine guns” or “Masons with flamethrowers,” they are an ancient secret brotherhood of people with extensive knowledge of academic (especially history and folklore), commercial, intelligence and counter-intelligence, financial, legal, and military issues. They possess an understanding of basic occult countermeasures. They are a larger organization than the Fellowship of St. Giles (possibly even larger than the White Council realizes). Unfortunately, they seem to lack powerful magical practitioners.

As allies of the White Council, they usually provide intel and analysis to the wizards. Since the start of the Vampire War, they have also participated in combat operations against the Red Court.
----

They are listed as allies as of the White Council, but that could be a marriage of convenience.  The Venatori Umbrorum might be a bit anti-wizard as well, but working with the White Council to hurt the Red Court.

Hope this helps.

Richard

[ways and means]

There's a game from White Wolf called Hunter: the Vigil that has about a score of hunter groups.  The page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter:_The_Vigil lists most of them, and there are various fan pages out there that give details.  Some of them just don't fit what you are looking for (for example, there's a government backed group and another that's the arm of a corporation) but others are closer to what you want - and you can pick elements from any of them.

The closest one to what you've mentioned is:
They are a group of rich, bored people who started off as a Victorian Hellfire club (drinking, drugs, and sex) then discovered the supernatural.  They'll have sex with a werewolf, then hunt it down, then have a drunken orgy to celebrate.

Back in the DV, there are hints that the Church might be connected with a hunter group.  Then there's the Venatori Umbrorum.  To quote:

The Venatori Umbrorum are literally “hunters of the shadows.” Often characterized as “Masons with machine guns” or “Masons with flamethrowers,” they are an ancient secret brotherhood of people with extensive knowledge of academic (especially history and folklore), commercial, intelligence and counter-intelligence, financial, legal, and military issues. They possess an understanding of basic occult countermeasures. They are a larger organization than the Fellowship of St. Giles (possibly even larger than the White Council realizes). Unfortunately, they seem to lack powerful magical practitioners.

As allies of the White Council, they usually provide intel and analysis to the wizards. Since the start of the Vampire War, they have also participated in combat operations against the Red Court.
----

They are listed as allies as of the White Council, but that could be a marriage of convenience.  The Venatori Umbrorum might be a bit anti-wizard as well, but working with the White Council to hurt the Red Court.

Hope this helps.

Richard

We see the veantors they aren't anti-supernatural just anti-outsiders and old ones.

[UmbraLux]

Please continue, I am taking good notes.

Have you considered using real world* secret societies expanded or twisted to a supernatural agenda?

Something like Fraternitas Saturni, Order of Nine Angles, Ordo Novi Templi, and the Theosophical Society if they're magic users or Improved Order of Red Men, the Bruders Schweigen, Lega Nera, the John Birch Society and the Fabian Society if most are not magic users.  Could even use the Bilderberg Group or Club of Rome if it's run by those in high finance.  For an ancient organization which may have lasted try the Pythagorean Brotherhood and for religious organizations Opus Dei or even the Jesuits could work.  For government sponsored organizations check out the American Protective League or the Council on Foreign Relations.

There are a lot out there...and I've avoided many of the better known groups. 

*Real world including legend and myth.

[crusher_bob]

I think one of the things you have to consider is how the group keeps itself from being squashed or subverted by one of the bigger groups, especially if the group has been around for a while.

Consider the fellowship of St. Giles.  If we take Martin and Susan as rather typical members, notice how much of their brain power is devoted to security, not being a  target, being ready for violence at all times, etc.  And notice that that major power they were opposing wipes 90+% of them out in a few days when it decides they aren't a useful tool anymore.