As a collection of agents and administrators, Spec Ops does not know anything unless it is documented or known by one or more persons in Spec Ops. If you encounter something that you think Spec Ops needs to know, please report it.
The list of things that Spec Ops is aware of not being fully informed about includes, but is not limited to: the specific working of many powers, as they’re generally used and as they’re used by masters; the
internal politics of most realms; the family relations of most groups of immortals; the metaphysical basis of magic; the origins and charters of most creatures with supernatural abilities; the full meaning of the term “soul”; the underlying reasons behind, and patterns of, variability in what tech and magic works in what universe, how the Inside was created, why the Inside revealed itself to the outside, the contents and inhabitants of most Shadows, the true shape of the multiverses, why some beings are born with souls and others are not,…
Which of our allies do we trust?
Trust is tricky. Allies can be trusted to remain true to their natures and to pursue their own interests. Alliances happen because those natures are compatible with our nature and their interests are compatible with our interests. Since alliances can shift consult Spec Ops for information about current relationships and alliances.
Do we get paid for this?
You can. Every member of Spec Ops is an agent of the Department of Defense of the United States of America and as such may receive a military salary in American dollars. Agent pay is calculated on a par with army officers pay – Probationary Agent at equivalence to Lieutenants, Agent at equivalence with Captain, and Special Agents at equivalence with Major. Spec Ops friendlies who assist on a mission may receive a consulting fee. Contact Spec Ops for current rates.
Do we get health care? What about mental health care?
Yes. Spec Ops provides in house access to extremely competent traditional medical care as well as some more advanced techniques. Several agents have competencies in healing magic or shape shift based healing. Spec Ops also keeps therapists on staff and maintains access to secure psychiatric facilities. Due to the exceptional nature of Spec Ops agents, in house treatment is to be used preferentially when possible to avoid compromising secrecy. Enlightened off world treatment may also be considered acceptable, but is not typically provided by Spec Ops.
How can I get training?
Spec Ops can arrange training needed for basic familiarity with mission critical skills such as marksmanship or cart driving. This can usually be done in less than a day when an active mission requires it. Personal funds, especially Empire Gold, may suffice to hire tutors or pay for admission to learning institutions. More advanced training may require a personal apprenticeship to an expert or the expenditure of a favour. Also consider networking within Spec Ops as agents have a wide array of
skills and abilities so one may be able to teach what you wish to learn.
What is interesting here, other than the hilarious section on what Spec Ops Doesn’t Know…which is mind bendingly funny to me, is that there is no discussion of mission, standards, or a code of conduct but there is an assurance you will be paid.
It is telling as a self description.
This is a devastating defect for an organization to be without any reference to cultural values or norms and has had serious consequences for the group as a past. This deficit remains a concern in how Spec Ops is viewed by off-world organizations and other aware powers.
My suggestion is that some consensus reference be developed in terms of group norms that go beyond loose personal interpretations of infra-group loyalty.
Some questions to maybe stimulate discussion:
By what authority do we operate?
What are the limits of our jurisdiction?
What rules govern our interactions with other aware governments?
When, if ever, is it acceptable to receive a tasking from an agent of a foreign government?
What ethical guidelines apply to agents receiving money, goods, favors, power, titles, or other remuneration from non St James powers?
What guidelines apply to materials captured or retrieved while on mission?
How should multiple allegiances and dual citizenship be regarded in terms of Spec Ops agents?
Under what circumstances can an agent commit St. James to an agreement with a foreign power, what are the limits of their negotiating authority?
How should agents be dealt with who violate group standards? What are appropriate sanctions and penalties? What rights of redress do agents have?
What standards apply to group members tolerating criminal conduct on the part of other agents?
Not a comprehensive list but it might get the discussion started.
Perhaps I can throw in a question that would be best answered by a list of reasonable options from the various people here and the discussion of their various merits.
Who should Spec Ops Teams look to contact for independent help and information, if a matter relates to a specific area outside of St James, or deals with a Power or a matter beyond the scope of Spec Ops?
The answer to you, about this must be a diplomatic one. I am not a diplomat, so I must decline to answer.
I am certainly not wearing my Ambassador hat here. I’m definitely not a diplomat by trade and only Ambassador thanks to circumstances. Do not try to be diplomatic because of me.
Short Answer then. Those I trust or know.
Who to contact for help or information? I see that as something really hard to answer in a vacuum. You have a lot of competing interests. It depends on a lot of factors.
How badly do you need the help or information? How quickly do you need it?
What gets put at risk if you don’t get it?
How dangerous is the info you are giving up?
Does anyone who can help have a vested interest in the situation?
Do you or a teammate have a personal relationship that might help?
Will you be bringing someone dangerous to St. James?
What will you give up to get the help or information?
As a general rule I try to avoid bringing outsiders into Spec Ops business or onto St. James when possible. I prefer to approach Spec Ops agents or known friendlies before complete outsiders and personal contacts before strangers. Broyles may know who to talk to if no one on the team has a contact.
I think that Spec Ops agents in general have been way too casual about bringing uncontrolled outsiders to St. James.
If you have to approach a stranger, I find that appealing to their self interest usually works best. If you have no better option offering a favor will almost always get you what you need, but expect to pay far more than you get in the long run.
As a general rule I try to avoid bringing outsiders into Spec Ops business or onto St. James when possible. I prefer to approach Spec Ops agents or known friendlies before complete outsiders and personal contacts before strangers. Broyles may know who to talk to if no one on the team has a contact.
That is exactly the point I was making. I was trying to define who might be acceptable options at that point because Spec Ops seems to have made some bad choices in the past and also indicating who might be acceptable options within the Allies and members of Spec Ops for those new agents who may not know everyone linked to Spec Ops.
Then perhaps a different tact. Perhaps we should name those that we regard as the experts in matters relating to the various Powers and then let others determine who should and should not be contacted based on that list.
I’ll throw in a few to start with…..
Pattern:
(High Experts )
Fiona (Amber) [Ex-Mistress of the Arcane of Amber]
Sand (Amber) [Due to Position as ‘Mistress of the Arcane of Amber’]
Robert (Sable)
(Experts)
Logrus:
(High Experts )
Keeper of the Logrus (I believe it may be Jurt at present)
Ronald (Empire)
(Experts)
Trump:
(High Experts )
Rupert (Reich) [Empire God of Communications]
Ghostwheel (apparently)
Luke (Amber)
(Experts)
Shape Shifting:
(High Experts )
Michael (Sable/Amber)
Roland (Empire)
Rupert (Reich)
[People in Chaos – I’m not sure who but it is their thing]
(Experts)
[People in Chaos – I’m not sure who but it is their thing]
Piloting:
(High Experts )
The Divine Alystyr (Empire) [Head of the Guild of Pilots]
(Experts)
Sergi Koskov (Grand Pilot in the Outside Fleet for the Imperial Guild of Pilots’ Spec Ops Ally)
Are different Patterns Different? Logri?
Question for all: How does a Power, (the Aurellis Logrus) affect another (Trump) by its Nature. Should not Trump be alone and unaffected by Logrus Godhood?
How is it Spec Ops does such a wonderful job of finding us? Do they have statistical models which factor education, sports, career success? Is there genetic testing being done on a massive scale? Do they actually know who has visited Earth and when?
I think they find us because most of us are not that well hidden. Anybody about to reveal the truth about reality will probably get spotted because Spec Ops works hard to keep those secrets. As for the rest most of us either showed enough exceptional ability to warrent a closer look or happened to cross the path of someone who could see some of what makes us special. I see no evidence of any conspiracy beyond the known one to keep stuff secret and the planet intact.
It’s like oil and water. If you put it together, the oil will rise to the top. Spec Ops recruits highly skilled people and they now tend to know what they are looking for, thus they have a chance to get things right (even if it’s by putting recruits through rigourous training and seeing who comes out on top).
Hell, I only came to light because I happened to get close to or beat some of the records at Quantico. Mind you, that was early on in the development of the division.
Now, I suspect they target individuals who come to their notice. For instance, people with multiple areas of expertise that might be useful, perhaps like yourself, experts in a specific field that would be crucial like linguistics or computing or individuals from the military, police or other organisations that tend to produce disciplined and highly organised individuals.
To be fair, I believe that might have been where things went wrong in recent years, when they started recruiting people who didn’t have the US or St James’s best interests at heart, and hadn’t made a choice to do so but simply had their own interests at heart, and where thus less likely to play things straight down the line.
But getting back to the discussion at hand, there are definitely others out there on St James who come from off Shadow (or who’s parents were from Off-shadow) who we never meet because they never draw attention to themselves.
As to who has visited, as Amber Ambassador, it feels something like it might be easier to ask who hasn’t.