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Compact: The Rhiannon Group
The Guardians of the 13th Hour.
To the corporate world, there does not appear to be much of a distinction between the Rhiannon Group and Vice Enterprises. They provide the same kind of services, manufacture the same equipment, and are about at par in certain areas of the world with regard to political and social influence. The Group’s real function, however, comes to play in the World of Darkness. The Rhiannon Group is a compact designed to deal with a realm that not a lot of Keepers of the Vigil can handle: the Borderlines, particularly the Dark Hour.
The Rhiannon Group has emerged from their dark and bloody history with the British Crown as an independent compact of Sin-Eaters and Cards out to provide particular… services for their counterparts in other organizations. They’re small by merit of the fact that they were only formed a little before the Darkest Vigil, but their numbers are growing at a phenomenal rate.
Rhiannon Group operatives are incredibly easy to pick out in the crowd because they’re always dressed in crimson business suits, even when they happen to be thrust in the thick of battle. This is a reflection of their principles: as long as they’re at work, they need to be in uniform. The insignia of the Group is a stylized symbol that combines the letters ‘R’ and ‘G’, and it’s always visible on their person and on the equipment that they carry.
the rhiannon group
A QUICK HISTORY OF THE RHIANNON GROUP
The original Rhiannon Corporation draws its roots back to the Rhiannon Family, established under the authority of King Henry the VIII’s advisors. The men and women who were closest to the King knew that somebody had to keep a close eye on him and be ready, at all times, to sweep the dust he and his actions generated under the rug. According to the records, the Rhiannons were a minor family with nondescript plots of land to their name and little influence; in actuality, they were often the invisible hands of the British Isles, moving events as they saw fit. They were also specifically geared towards dealing with the, ah, stranger incidents that cropped up as a result of the things that went bump in the night.
The Rhiannon Family continued to serve the British Crown loyally as liaisons, master spies, advisors, and assassins. Their relationship with the royal families was always ambivalent: it was nice to have somebody to handle one’s dirty work in ways that would be impossible for anyone else, and in a fashion that keeps everybody else from finding out. On the other hand, however, there is always a chance that the Group could turn on the Crown, especially if things aren’t Going According to Plan™. As such, with the entrance of King William IV, many of the Rhiannon Family’s benefits were retracted, and they were told that they were not supposed to move in on any situation unless the Lady Herself specifically called for them.
It was during this period that the Rhiannon Family – now Rhiannon Incorporated – involved themselves with the Order of the Grateful Dead, and became increasingly involved with the politics of the World of Darkness. This distinctly changed the way that the group operated. They started to realize that it was unpractical for them to continuously tie themselves to human politics; it just wasn’t right, given how expansive the world beyond the Veil actually was. Furthermore, the family was always business-minded: why stick to one, high-paying client when you could have several?
This marked the beginning of a glorious but terribly short “golden age” for the Rhiannon Group. Things started falling apart after World War I, when many of the corporation’s operatives started obsessing over the mysteries of the Dark Hour, and forgetting the corporation’s purpose. A revival occurred with Quintin Rhiannon and his Japanese wife, Sumiko. The pair was keenly interested in setting the corporation straight, and worked tirelessly to achieve their vision of a revitalized company. It helped, of course, that Elizabeth II approached them, once more, for their “services”.
Quintin and Sumiko disappeared into the Dark Hour in 1999, abandoning their one and only child Ayame. Their work quickly undid itself, as in-fighting tore the group apart: one faction strongly believed in Quintin’s ideals, and the other was being influenced negatively by the Watcher in the Dark. Ayame’s own brush with the Dark Hour and her Second Breath put her on the Methuselah’s radar, and she caught the attention of Inquisitor Jessiah Vice. Jessie took her under his wing, and helped her bring her parents back. Out of deference to him and what the Methuselah did for her, Ayame then focused her attentions on removing “undesirable elements” from the Rhiannon Corporation, and tying the family business in with the Order of the Grateful Dead permanently.
THE RHIANNON GROUP IN TODAY'S VIGIL
With the Breaking of the Veil and the total emergence of the World of Darkness, Ayame felt that it was time for the Grateful Dead to step up and handle their own end of things, if only to alleviate the burden placed upon the shoulders of the Keepers of the Vigil. She militarized the entirety of the Rhiannon Group, converting them into the active disciplinary arm of the Grateful Dead. Somebody had to watch over the Borderlines, handle the Dark Hour, and make sure that the business of the living, the business of the dead, and the business of the been-there-but-now-not-quite-here-nor-there needed to stay as separate as possible. They’ve been in operation ever since.
At present, Rhiannon agents balance their time between handling corporate issues, Dark Hour business, Underworld business, and… well, dead/not-quite-dead things. This makes them seem a bit like the Men in Black of Today’s Vigil, and their uniforms certainly lend to the image. They’re all about providing the best that they can for the Worlds of Light and Darkness, and making a healthy amount of money while they’re at it.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.
The Rhiannon Group is the only other organization in the Vigil that structures itself like a corporation. Unlike the Methuselah, however, every Rhiannon operative is both a businessman and a soldier.
JURISDICTION.
Technically speaking, the Rhiannon Group holds “global jurisdiction” in as much as the Prime Material Plane crosses over to the Underworld and the Dark Hour. They have established “safe zones” within the Dark Hour of every major city in the world, and every Rhiannon Tower in existence in the World of Light is a defacto outpost for their operatives.
The “power bases” of the compact are the Rhiannon Towers in London, the United Kingdom (handled by Ayame Rhiannon herself), Tokyo, Japan (handled by Minato Arisato), San Francisco, the United States of America (handled by Bart Powell), and Taguig, Philippines (handled by Mica Torillo-Young). Ayame and Bart are the twin commanders of the entire compact.
THE DIVISIONS OF THE RHIANNON GROUP.
Generally speaking, Rhiannon agents do not “cross” from department to department. The only exceptions to this rule are senior agents who have displayed a considerable level of skill in both Departments in question, and have been granted explicit permission to do extra work by their superiors. Furthermore, these arrangements are always temporary.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors consists of the CEOs of each Rhiannon Tower, arranged, of course, according to region and later divided according to individual country or city. The Board always determines the direction of the Rhiannon Group by vote, and the weight of the vote is dependent both on the shares possessed by each member, and on an agent’s field experience.
CORPORATE HISTORIES AND ARCHIVAL SERVICES (CHAS)
The department in charge of keeping track of information, recording whatever happens in the board rooms and on the field, and archiving their findings, processing their findings, and disseminating whatever they recover on a Need to Know Basis for everybody else. Agents of CHAS also maintain the Vigil end of ViceNET for Rhiannon Hunters on the Group’s payroll.
HUMAN RESOURCES
The department in charge of salary distribution, negotiating individual rights, handling disputes and making sure that everybody gets along in order to assure the Group’s always at peak maximum efficiency. Rhiannon Agents from this department also handle the Med Bays, and do counseling for distressed Agents.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
The department that handles the media machines of the Rhiannon Group, and serve as the liaisons of the Group to other Keepers of the Vigil, potential business partners, Vice Enterprises, and to the rest of the world. They are the diplomats and the clean-up crew, the negotiators and the socialites of the entire compact. They are also the ones who handle recruitment.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND LOGISTICS
This is the department that handles both research and development of Rhiannon Tech, and logistics for the field agents of the compact. They’re also in charge of maintenance, and the day-to-day administrative matters of each of the compact’s bases.
SECURITY
Where most Security Departments for corporations don’t do much beyond provide round-the-clock guards and escort services for their colleagues, Rhiannon Agents that are a part of this department serve as the Group’s field operatives. They are the “legit” Hunters of the compact, and also double as auditors and standards officers for their own. They’re also the ones who handle training for the new guys, regardless of their department of choice. Everybody needs to be able to hold their own, after all.
RANKS, DESIGNATIONS, AND WHATNOT.
All members of the Rhiannon group are considered agents. They start out as junior agents, and as they advance in their career, they are later promoted to senior agents. However, it is important to note that their advancement as Hunters is not simultaneous with their advancement within the corporate side of the Group. A janitor by day, for example, could be a senior agent on the field in the same way that a CEO could be practically helpless in a bad combat situation.
Agents are always paired together on the get-go. The training program for Rhiannon Agents lasts anywhere between 1-3 years according to one’s aptitude. Only members of the Security Department have “blades”, which consist of a maximum of eight members: four pairs put together in a fashion that best suits their individual skills and how they work as a team.
A HUNTER’S LIFE WITHIN THE RHIANNON GROUP.
On Call 25/8, and Generating Red Tape Every Step of the Way
Being in the Rhiannon Group is exactly like working for a big business and a high-gear Vigil organization at the same time. You’re clocking in the usual 8 AM to 5 PM hours with provisions for overtime, and then you’re going to have to be prepared to drop everything at a moment’s notice to pull some unfortunate fuckers out of the Dark Hour, or smash in the masks of some stray Umbra on the streets. Once you’re done with that, you still have documents, Due Immediately, sitting half-completed (or completely untouched) on your desk.
It is for this reason that the Rhiannon Group pays its agents generously for their services. Beyond the baseline monthly salary (with 13th, 14th, and 15th month paychecks always waiting in the wings) that an agent gets for doing the Rat Run with the Group, agents get bonuses (gracefully called “Hazard Bonuses”) for any field operation they participate in. The Board defines ‘participation’ in an interesting fashion: it could be anything from being on the line while hunters are on the field to having the “misfortune” of being in while an engagement is taking place. This, in a sense, emphasizes the separation between one’s “day” work for the Group from the ever-active “night” work that comes with being the militant arm of the Order of the Grateful Dead, and as Keepers of the Vigil. Every agent is expected to be good at what he does, but the Board understands that some people just aren’t cut-out for constantly pushing pens across desks just as others can’t handle the stress of a constant life of combat.
Being a part of the Rhiannon Group is demanding, even if the benefits are as sweet and as extensive as benefits could possibly get. As such, it is not surprising that the compact’s regular, run-of-the-mill agents have the tendency to retire very early. You get some oddballs that stick it out until the very end, but most of their people would like to live out their Second Lives in comfort after doing their bit for the Vigil.
Notable Rhiannon Group Practices.
Because the Rhiannon Group is intimately tied with the Order of the Grateful Dead, their agents participate in the vibrant night life of their less Vigil-inclined Sin-Eater and Card brothers and sisters. However, they do have some practices that are unique to their people, and are rather reflective of the Group’s corporate nature.
ANNUAL DEPARTMENT OUTING
This usually takes place on a “slow month” for the Department in question. The exact nature of the outing depends on the locale and the power base. Departments from the Rhiannon Tower in London, for example, often tour around Europe during the holiday season.
DARK HOUR DERBY
Held at intermittent periods, and usually when things are particularly stressful all around for the agents of a particular Rhiannon Tower. The Derby is a drag race that takes place in a safer zone of the Dark Hour, and the teams are usually divided according to junior agents and senior agents.
COMMITTEE INTRAMURALS
Every Rhiannon Tower holds a sports fest every year around summer time, where each of the Departments engages in a friendly competition for several sports of choice. The sports that they usually choose vary depending on where the power base is located. The Rhiannon Tower in Japan, for example, plays baseball. The winning Department for the year usually gets a small bonus for a month, or receive an extra vacation leave that they can avail of at any point of their career.
RHIANNON PARTIES
In open defiance of the stereotype of a boring businessman, Rhiannon agents have the tendency to find every excuse to party. The biggest occasions, for them, are promotions. They celebrate in the typical debauched fashion of their Sin-Eater comrades, and it becomes a badge of honor if they can stumble into the office the next day, hungover (or highover) but absolutely ready to do their jobs.
THE RHIANNON GROUP AND EVERYONE ELSE.
AEGIS KAI DORU
Rhiannon Agents are dependent on their technology more than they are dependent on anything else, and don’t often have to cross paths on the field with the Guardians of the Labyrinth. Both organizations tend to respect each other’s boundaries, on call for aid on a case-to-case basis.
THE BROTHERHOOD OF VIOLENCE
It is not odd to meet a Sin-Eater or a Card that is particularly religious, and this is probably the reason why a lot of Rhiannon Agents try to get along with the Brothers and Sisters in Violence that they meet on the job. Many of them, especially the more corporate-inclined operatives, don’t quite get the extremist tendencies of the Brotherhood, but that does not often prevent them from being professional.
THE METHUSELAH
The Methuselah and the Rhiannon Group share a LOT of similarities across the board, especially since they are technically corporations structured towards Keeping the Vigil at all costs. They also highly value efficiency and professionalism.
Things significantly changed between the two conspiracies after Elias Tagabigay took charge of the Wiseman’s Committee. Elias was a Hunter of Netsach, and viewed by many as a natural successor to Aidan. Furthermore, while the reforms changed the fundamental position of the Methuselah within today’s Vigil, many of them appeared to be in the spirit of providing what the Fifth World needed the most. Overall, the compact felt that they could trust this new Methuselah, and – with the events of the Darkest Vigil – it appears as though such trust had not been misplaced.
THE MIDNIGHT RIDERS
Although disposition-wise, the Riders and Rhiannon Agents could not be more different, many Rhiannon Agents view Riders as their comrades-in-arms. They know what it’s like to be in a frightening place with close to no back up, pull ungodly hours, and still be ready to do what they can for complete strangers that might end up entirely ungrateful for their “interference”. Rhiannon Agents make it a point to help Riders out whenever they cross paths, and it’s nice to see that Riders try their best to pay it forward whenever they can.
NETSACH
Rhiannon Agents possess a healthy amount of respect for what Netsach operatives do for the Vigil and the world as a whole. While their jurisdictions may be different, and the work of Netsach more extreme than anything a Rhiannon Agent may find herself facing, that doesn’t really get in the way of how their individual members relate with each other. It helps, of course, that Netsach was incredibly supportive of the Group’s development when they were just starting out.
THE ORDER OF THE MANI DELLO SPIRITO SANTO
Because the Vaizards of the Order tend to be “milder” in disposition than the Brotherhood is, Rhiannon Agents, as a general rule of thumb, find it easier to relate with operatives of the Order. It helps, of course, that the Order’s members are always ready to provide Catholic ministry to anyone, Rhiannon Agents included, at any time.
TASKFORCE VALKYRIE
With the newly reformed Taskforce Valkyrie and Rhiannon's newfound influence within the United States of America, the Rhiannon Group has a decent working relationship with what used to be the thorn in everyone's side in the Vigil. Rhiannon, in fact, provides Taskforce with their gear.
THE THRONES
By merit of the fact that the Thrones and the Group have two very different areas of jurisdiction, it should come as no surprise that the two compacts have a cordial, professional relationship. Both sides are content to leave each other to their business, and help out to the best of their abilities whenever the situation calls for it. Things have only sweetened between them recently, though, with the fact that the Group now finances weapons, gear and equipment for the Thrones.
ZANGYAKU
Hikaru Shinta generously funded the Rhiannon Group’s activities when they were just starting out, and pulled a lot of strings to make it easier for the Group to operate on Zangyaku territory. The oni-tsukai also make it a point to reign in their baser instincts and let the Group take point when Sin-Eater and Card business is afoot in their area. That always helps.
THE BROTHERHOOD OF VIOLENCE -- “I am in complete awe of how those guys do it.”
THE METHUSELAH -- “I think they’re the only ones who really get it.”
THE MIDNIGHT RIDERS -- “Man, these guys know how to drink…”
NETSACH -- “The strongest, not-soldier types that I have ever met.”
THE ORDER OF THE MANI DELLO SPIRITO SANTO -- “Nice guys. Really nice guys. Like, really nice guys.”
TASKFORCE VALKYRIE -- “At least we're making money off of them.”
THE THRONES -- “Can’t say I know much about them, but I definitely don’t get all the heat they get from everybody else.”
ZANGYAKU -- “And I thought my boss was a machine. She’s a bitch, but she’s got nothing on just about any kid from their end.”
GAINING HUNTING LICENSES & CROSS-CONSPIRACY JURISDICTION.
Rhiannon Agents must possess Status 3 or higher with their own compact before they can pursue Hunting Licenses with other organizations. Furthermore, they must be senior agents. Junior agents, no matter how good they are on the corporate end of things, will never get clearance from the Board.
Hunters from other conspiracies are eligible for a Hunting License with the Rhiannon Group if they possess Status 3 or higher within their own conspiracy. They must also be a Sin-Eater or a Card, and possess the Order of the Grateful Dead entitlement. Furthermore, they need to have two dots in a Fighting Style, and have at least two dots in the following Skills: Politics, Academics, Survival, and Socialize.
Once the Hunter in question has received his license with Rhiannon, he immediately becomes a senior agent of the compact. He is then asked to choose the department that he is going to work for: while he can change his mind at any time, he cannot work in more than one area at a time.
PLAYING A RHIANNON HUNTER IN WAKING THE DEAD.
Background.
The most important thing to remember about creating a Rhiannon Agent is the fact that the compact only accepts Cards and Sin-Eaters into their ranks. Furthermore, their members are expected to be educated: they had to have graduated from a Hunter Academy, or from a good college or university. The course doesn’t matter, nor does the preference: they just need to have grades that show a healthy amount of talent balanced by an excellent work ethic. As such, the youngest Rhiannon Agents are already in their twenties. They don’t do special cases, but they will occasionally make provisions for exceptionally talented Sin-Eaters or Cards.
Beyond that, Rhiannon Agents come from all walks of life, and are almost always interested in living well and living big. The Group doesn’t question why you want the money: they only look for how much you’re willing to work to get it. They are also ever ready to reward hard work, and don’t give people a hard time for wanting to retire early. Why should they? There are always other potentials waiting in the wings, and more than capable of serving the Group’s interests.
Stat Building.
The typical Rhiannon Agent will favor Mental or Social Attributes and Skills above all else, and almost always possesses dots in Academics, Politics, Persuasion, and Socialize with Skill Specializations to boot. Physical Attributes are almost always secondary, but it does not necessarily follow the same way for Physical Skills. The rest of the distribution of talent is dependent on their chosen Department.
Given the kind of background that a Rhiannon Agent must possess in order to be eligible for the compact, veterancy bonuses are almost a given. The level, of course, differs on a case-to-case basis.
Temperance and Prudence are Virtues of choice for Rhiannon Group agents; Charity doesn’t tend to come naturally to them. Greed and Gluttony are the Vices of choice, with Pride as a close third; Sloth is near non-existent, as is Wrath.
STARTING BONUSES FOR JUNIOR AGENTS.
A character who is a junior agent of the Rhiannon Group gains one dot in the following Merits.
HENRY’S ABUBOT (• TO •••••)
Where Vice Enterprises provides the tech, Henry’s Abubot provides Relics on call as long as supplies hold. All compacts and conspiracies that have ties with the Abubot can avail of Mr. Lim’s stock.
The number of dots that the character possesses in this Merit corresponds to the kind of equipment that the character can get. Note, however, that he has to “buy” the items individually. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, Relics from Henry’s Abubot cannot be modified.
RESOURCES [RHIANNON GROUP] (• TO •••••)
Because Hunting is a profession, operatives of the different compacts and conspiracies are paid for every successful operation, have a monthly allowance to compensate for living expenses, and gain benefits like health insurance and tax shields.
It is also possible for a Hunter to lose this Merit, either permanently or temporarily. For example, if an operative has been performing poorly for the past month, his conspiracy has every right to freeze his assets.
VICE ARMORY (• TO •••••)
The Vice Conglomerate, in exchange for generous dole-outs from Pax Deorum, is in charge of funding the compacts and conspiracies of today’s Vigil, providing them with cutting edge technology and high-quality weapons. Their research teams aren’t just devoted towards making the best products in the market for the World of Light: they want to make equipment that’s specifically geared towards helping Hunters preserve the Balance.
The number of dots that the character possesses in this Merit corresponds to the kind of equipment that the character can get. Note, however, that he has to “buy” the items individually. Standard rules apply for modifying equipment.
STARTING BONUSES FOR SENIOR AGENTS.
With the exception of Network (which starts at five dots), a character who is a senior agent of the Rhiannon Group gains one dot in the following Merits.
ALLIES [RHIANNON GROUP] (• TO •••••)
EFFECT: Allies are people who are willing to help your character from time to time. They may be associates, friends of convenience or people who owe your character a favor. Each acquisition of this Merit is dedicated to one type of ally within the compact or conspiracy that the character belongs to, or allies who have connections with his compact or conspiracy. Note, of course, that this Merit generally applies to NPCs. The player must purchase the corresponding Allies merit for every group that he is a part of. For example, if his character is dual-licensed between two different conspiracies, he must by the Allies Merit for his second conspiracy in order to gain in-game benefits from it.
Each dot that your character has indicates how deep his influence runs in that group. One dot might mean he can ask for minor favors, such doctoring minor details on a Hunter’s assessment report. Three dots garner considerable favors, such as calling for backup on a mission. Five dots usually pertains to high-quality, near-instantaneous results, like sudden drop-ins from friends that end up spelling the difference between life or death for the Hunter in question. It may also reflect the quality of the NPCs’ response. Someone with one dot may only be able to summon a Hunter of his rank to help him on an operation; somebody with five dots could end up calling an Inquisitor who owes them a favor.
The Storyteller has final say over what is an acceptable request and what is not. If there’s any doubt, the Storyteller could call for a Manipulation + Persuasion roll, with a bonus equal to your character’s Allies dots. Penalties might also apply based on the importance or danger of the request. Asking someone to do something already in the bounds of their role imposes no modifier, while asking them to do something that could get them suspended imposes a -3 penalty, and asking for something that could get them jailed or killed is -5. Frequent favors asked of the same group also imposes a penalty as group members grow tired of being called upon. Similarly, a roll of Manipulation + Persuasion + Allies dots could determine how many Hunters answer your character’s call for help (one per success rolled).
Drawback: Allies are not automatons, waiting for your character to ask for help. They have their own lives and needs. An alliance is a two-way relationship. Calling for favors makes your character indebted to his friends, and they are sure to call such favors in when they need help. The Storyteller can use such debts as inspiration for future stories.
NETWORK [VICENET] (•••••)
EFFECT: Information is the name of the game in the new age, and an informed Hunter is just as good (or, at times, even better) than a Hunter that happens to be armed to the teeth. Being connected to a network also helps Hunters stay on top of things, and get a better feel of what’s going on outside of one’s own area of jurisdiction.
Hunter characters automatically gain the five-dot version of the Network Merit of their home conspiracy. For example, upon initiation, a Seventh Circle Hunter automatically gains Network (GeistNET) •••••. Purchasing the network of another conspiracy, however, requires in-game justification. Is your character, for example, dual-licensed with Zangyaku? Does your character happen to have a friend in the Brotherhood of Violence who’s in charge of monitoring SERAPH?
STATUS [RHIANNON GROUP] (• TO •••••)
A Hunter’s standing with his comrades is always determined by his prowess in his chosen field of expertise, his dedication to the cause, and his solid recognition of his place in this strange, not-so-new world.
A Rhiannon Agent’s advancement within the compact is dependent less on their performance in the corporate side of things, and more on their field work.
- STATUS •: You’ve just finished your training program with the Security Department, and started doing the “real” work of the Group. Gain one dot in the Merit Friend [Partner] provided that your partner is an NPC, and one dot in the Merit Allies [Blade] for any NPCs you may have in your blade.
- STATUS ••: Your feet are barely wet, and you’re already doing some pretty crazy things out on the field. You may now gain a free favor with any Department of choice outside of your own, once per game session.
- STATUS •••: If you aren’t already a senior agent, you will be very, very soon. You are now eligible to pursue licenses with other compacts and conspiracies. Furthermore, gain a +1 bonus to all Social rolls when interacting with other Rhiannon Agents, members of the Order of the Grateful Dead, and Sin-Eaters and Cards who are aware of the Group.
- STATUS ••••: You’re one of the few agents who’s just as good in the board room as you are on the field. You now have a total of two favors that you can pull with any Department of choice outside of your own, per game session.
- STATUS •••••: If you aren’t the head of a department or a part of the Board of Directors, you’re probably in line to be one in the near future. You may now purchase equipment from the Vice Armory at one dot cost less than the written cost in the files. Restrictions for campaign purposes still apply, though, according to the discretion of your ST.
STANDARD ISSUE EQUIPMENT FOR RHIANNON AGENTS.
All Rhiannon Agents receive the same equipment regardless of their seniority (or lack thereof).
It should be noted that Card Agents always get an Evoker, free of charge. If they don’t like the standard-issue Evokers from Rhiannon Tech, the RD&L Department is ever ready to help them make one for themselves.
Ghostmetal Pocketwatch
On the outside, this pocket watch looks like any other antique but incredibly well-maintained pocket watches that gentlemen and grandfathers keep. Inside, however, the pocket watch looks like something that came straight out of a steampunk television series, and a closer inspection will reveal that the silvery metal that the pocket watch is made out of is a material that can’t be found anywhere on Earth. It does not need to be wound up, and will always tell the time accurately, automatically adjusting itself to whatever time zone its wearer finds himself in. Furthermore, its chimes sound eerily similar to miniaturized versions of the clock tower chimes that one hears in the Dark Hour.
By expending 1 Willpower, all Brawl, Weaponry or Firearms-based attacks of the bearer of the Ghostmetal Pocket Watch will deal aggravated damage against Umbra and ghosts for the duration of a scene. Furthermore, the bearer gains +1 bonus to all derangement rolls, and rolls to resist Apathy, mental compulsions, and Numina.
The Ghostmetal Pocket Watch is unbreakable. If it is somehow separated from its bearer, it will always find its way back.
Rhiannon Clave
A Clave that is designed to look like a keychain shaped in the insignia of the Group, with a bronze-wrought-cum-steampunk key attached to it. Each Rhiannon Group Agent has one of their own, and they’re designed to be unbreakable and never leave their owner’s side.
In addition to their function as a Clave, Rhiannon Claves record the personal information and biometrics of their owners; all of this information is sent back, in real time, to CHAS. The Clave can only be used by the owner that they’ve been bonded to, and will, once per day, teleport the agent to the nearest Rhiannon outpost, Dark Hour or otherwise.
Rhiannon Suit
Stylish, crimson, custom-tailored business suits that automatically conform to the wearer’s size regardless of how much they end up growing (or, in some cases, shrinking). The business suits that Rhiannon Agents are expected to wear on a daily basis double as armor. They are to destroy, and can be modified or enchanted. Its base rating is +3.
Rhiannon Melee Weapon
Agents can choose the weapon that best suits them, and their stats will always follow the normal weapon ratings of their mundane equivalents. Rhiannon Group melee weapons usually have the insignia of the compact somewhere on its frame.
Rhiannon Sidearm
A handgun that bears the insignia of the Rhiannon Group on its handle, and appears to be crafted from mundane materials. It has a weapon rating of 3(L), and a clip of 10+1.
Rhiannon Smartphone
Because Rhiannon tech, like Vice Enterprises tech, is the only equipment that works regardless of the time or location, all Hunters are required to have a smartphone developed by the corporation on their person at all times. Hunters automatically get an upgrade to their smartphones every time the corporation comes up with a new model.
Rhiannon Tablet
A smartphone isn’t always enough to serve a Hunter’s needs on the field. All Hunters are given the latest tablet on the market the moment they complete their initiation rites. Hunters automatically get an upgrade to their machines every time the corporation comes up with a new model.
Universal Credit Card
This card appears to be a credit card with nothing but the Rhiannon Group’s symbol and Hunter’s full name, rank and designation printed on it – the information magically updates itself every year. They work at any establishment, and on any ATM machine.
ENTITLEMENTS EXCLUSIVE TO THE RHIANNON GROUP.
The Midnight Network of the Order of the Grateful Dead
There’s a special sort of kinship in surviving (or cheating) death once: this is something that the Methuselah recognized before anyone else did. Cards – the wielders of the power of Persona – and Sin-Eaters – those brought back from Death’s Door by striking a Bargain with a geist – of the Methuselah have worked together best throughout the history of the order. Now, however, the Grateful Dead has become its own entity separate from the Methuselah and other conspiracies, to provide even better support to their own kind.
While the Midnight Network already has a militant arm of its own in the Rhiannon Group, they’re not about to close their doors on Once-Dead brothers and sisters who can walk the talk.
All Rhiannon Agents automatically gain this Entitlement, ignoring the usual prerequisites that Cards and Sin-Eaters from other compacts and conspiracies need to fulfill.
For more information on the Order of the Grateful Dead, please follow this link!