geistnet | General Entitlement: Stormwatch

WHAT IS STORMWATCH?

Everyone is familiar with the official function of the MIGs – the “men in gray coats”, affectionately dubbed by government workers and Keepers of the Vigil alike – as members of the Astronomy and Meteorology Wing of Pax Deorum’s Bureau of Science and Technology. It makes sense that a group like Stormwatch should exist, in a world where technology has reached such advanced heights that weather regulation should be a simple matter. Hence, the appearance of adverse weather needs to be handled carefully.

What not a lot of people knew about, at least until the official unveiling of their actual purpose on the 13th of June in 2064, is the fact that Stormwatch’s actual function is to be the Men in Black of the Fifth World. Aliens actually exist, and the ones that come down to the Fifth World are usually harmless and in need of a place to hide or a place to start a new life for themselves without bothering the locals (the harmful ones are almost immediately handled by the Voidseeker himself).

It is Stormwatch’s job to educate the denizens of the Fifth World on the alien life that exists beyond Earth, protect the aliens that have chosen to make the Fifth World and some other planets within the Sol System a home, be the diplomats and guardians of these extraterrestrial creatures, and to spearhead research and exploration projects geared towards understanding the Universe.

PREREQUISITES.

Characters must fulfill the following prerequisites in order to be eligible for this entitlement.

Must be a Keeper of the Vigil licensed with a Pax Deorum-recognized compact or conspiracy, with Status 3 or higher in their primary group.
Science 4 or higher, with a Specialization in Meteorology.
The Aliens Specialization in the following Skills: Academics, Medicine, and Occult.
The Alien Technology Specialization in the following Skills: Crafts and Science.
If they do not belong to a Research & Development Division within their compact or conspiracy, or an equivalent division, the operative must have the personal endorsement of at least two other members of Stormwatch.

MEMBERSHIP & INITIATION.

These days, since Stormwatch is official, an interested operative only needs to submit his dossier to any one of Stormwatch's Wing Commanders. If the Wing Commander approve of their application, they're in.

Stormwatch is still ordered into Wings that are managed by one Commander, and all members of the Wing take on code names that reflect a singular body of science fiction that deals with alien life or space travel. There is always an outpost of Stormwatch in every capital city, connected to Pax Deorum's Science and Technology Bureau. Members of all the local Wings report there at least once a month.

RULES.

Seriously: they come in peace. As previously stated, Aidan personally handles hostile entities from other planets, or he leaves some of the more super-powered members of Stormwatch to do it in his stead. As such, regular operatives of Stormwatch are to always assume that any alien entity they encounter is innocent and harmless until proven otherwise. Establishing friendly contact is top priority.

Put Your Backs Into Our Cause. Stormwatch operatives are expected to devote at least 720 hours in a year to doing work for the organization. This often involves participating in Stormwatch's activities beyond Earth, such as accompanying space ships, helping out in any one of Stormwatch's Towers within the Sol System, or manning one of Stormwatch's space stations.

You still have the Vigil to attend to. Aliens are out there, yes, but your true calling is to the Vigil. Vigil-related activities and engagements will always take priority over Stormwatch business.

BENEFITS.

The newly initiated character may now purchase this Merit.

STATUS [STORMWATCH] (• to •••••)
Your character has become an operative of Stormwatch. Advancing within the ranks of the group confers a considerable level of respect upon him, and also gives him access to knowledge that he would not be able to discover on his own and some interesting equipment.

The effects of each dot of Status have been listed below. Note that the only way to purchase dots above one for Status in Stormwatch is to successfully complete engagements that involve aliens, move beyond the mandatory hours stipulated by the entitlement's rules, and so on.

REFERENCE TABLE

• You are now a part of the grand Stormwatch conspiracy. Gain the five-dot version of the Merit Network [Stormwatch]. Gain the Stormwatch Coat and the Sandman.

•• It’s been rather interesting in Stormwatch for you so far, and you’re doing good work within your Wing. Benefit from a +1 to all Social rolls when dealing with other members of Stormwatch. Gain the one-dot version of the Merit Allies [Stormwatch]. Furthermore, once per game session, your character can make a Presence + Politics roll geared towards pulling favors with Pax Deorum-controlled media or scientific research groups.

••• You’ve become incredibly adept at balancing Stormwatch duties and your calling as a Keeper of the Vigil, so much so that the top dogs of the group have taken notice. Your character can pull favors twice in a game session.

•••• You are definitely one of Stormwatch’s finest agents. Your character can now pull favors thrice in a game session. Furthermore, your character can now treat his Vice Enterprises Armory and Henry’s Abubot Merits as one dot higher than it actually is. He may also treat his Status and Resources within his primary conspiracy as one dot higher than they actually are when he is attempting to buy equipment from Vice or from the Abubot.

••••• If you aren’t already the head of your own Wing within Stormwatch, you might be the next time a new wave of recruits comes in. Your character can now treat his Vice Enterprises Armory and Henry’s Abubot Merit as two dots higher than they actually are. He may also treat his Status and Resources within his primary conspiracy as two dots higher than they actually are when he is attempting to buy equipment from Vice or from the Abubot.

EQUIPMENT

Here are the descriptions and mechanics of the equipment described in the list above.

THE STORMWATCH COAT.

The light grey coat that visually differentiates Stormwatch members from the rest of the Bureau of Science and Technology. It has the same design as the coats of operatives of Netsach, the Methuselah, and the Midnight Riders, and it comes with an armband that bears the symbol of the group.

By expending 1 Willpower, the Stormwatch operative can activate the enchantments woven into their coat, all of which are designed to render the operative unmemorable and help him blend in with the crowd. For the duration of one scene, the operative gains a bonus to all Stealth and Subterfuge rolls equal to his Conviction (for mortals) or Supernatural Advantage (for supernatural) geared towards escaping an area, or covering up an incident. Furthermore, the coat in itself has an armor rating of +3, and automatically regulates itself to suit any climate that its wearer might find itself in.

THE SANDMAN.

A tiny rod that, at first glance, looks like a silver pen – until a small button on its side pops out its glowing blue head. Some Stormwatch operatives have said that it looks suspiciously like the Neuralizer from that one alien movie released in the nineties.

A Stormwatch operative can, as an instant action, activate the Sandman. Anyone within twenty yards who makes eye contact with the Sandman has to make a reflexive Wits + Resolve + Conviction/Supernatural Advantage roll, penalized by -10. Anyone who fails the roll will lapse into a hypnotic state, and the Stormwatch operative, upon a successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll, can implant a new memory of the past three hours into the subjects. Anyone who succeeds in the resistance roll, however, will be unaffected.