Order
The Order is the paramilitary arm of the Consortium. It is composed of 24 individuals, both male and female, all enhanced through a substance referred to as Compound 36. Individual members of the Order are referred to by their corresponding Greek letter, the number of the corresponding Greek letter, or generically as Ranks or Agents. Each member of the Order is associated with a Handler that provides direction or assignments.
Screening Process
To be considered a candidate for the Order, there is a rigorous screening process. First, candidates must pass a genetic compatibility test. The genetic compatibility test is a statistical probability matrix that indicates the likelihood that an individual will not reject or suffer adverse side effects from Compound 36. The genetic compatibility test is given at all Consortium health care institutions worldwide. In fact, it is the only requisite condition for receiving free health care.
The genetic compatibility test can be failed one of two ways: Exceedingly high compatibility and exceedingly low compatibility.
If a candidate's compatibility is too high, then it's the individual is too susceptible to overexertion of abilities and losing control of them. The highest acceptable end of compatibility is 80%. On the other hand, if compatibility is too low, then the individual will not gain any (or enough) of the enhanced trait outcomes required of inducted Order members. The lowest acceptable end of compatibility is 40%. Exceptions can be made for compatibilities considered traditionally outside of control limits, typically on the high end, although this requires authorization at the senior leadership level of the Consortium to do so.
If genetic compatibility is passed, the second requirement is a psychological stability test. As Compound 36 has extensive and permanent effects on the body, psychological stability is a key component to ensuring the longevity and sustainability of individual Order members as well as the Order as a whole. Activating inert Compound 36 in an agent requires willpower and focus. Using baseline abilities and pushing them further can be mentally taxing, with many Order members suffering psychological and pathological side-effects from the creation process.
The psychological stability test is handled in three parts: A written test, an in-person interview, and a scenario exercise. The written test gauges reactions of the candidate to specific situations and what the best course of action would be. The in-person interview seeks to confirm what the candidate has described, with deviations of character or willful deception being noted further. Finally, the scenario exercise places the candidate in a high-stress situation without the candidate's knowledge that the scenario is an actual test. It gauges the real-time reaction of the candidate and, if successful, the candidate is offered placement as an Initiate.
Initiation
Before a candidate can become an Initiate, he or she must pass the Screening Process. All members of the Order undergo training prior to being considered a candidate for the Order. During this time, they are known as Initiates. The training period varies by Initiate and depends largely on mental aptitude. Prior to becoming an Initiate but after the Screening Process has been passed, the candidate must sign an agreement during they effectively surrender themselves as property of the Consortium. In certain cases, there are financial incentives for doing so, but most do it out of obligation to the Consortium's ideals. Contract language can vary, but effectively indicates that the candidate can only be released from employment with the Consortium under its own term; the contract's life is for an indefinite period of time, this is due to the varied period of training an Initiate must undergo combined with the fact that Compound 36 freezes the aging process. Regarding training, the Initiate must train for at least one year, but in some cases training can last up to twenty years or more.
Initiates are trained in numerous areas, including diplomacy, armed and unarmed combat, marksmanship, problem solving, and various other disciplines, including espionage and information technology. Options also exist for primarily academic pursuits, such as chemistry, physics, literature, and history. Critical thinking and practical application of knowledge areas is always considered the top priority during instruction.
Initiates are kept in segregated dormitories. There are several training facilities, the most notable of which are located in upstate New York, United States and Rome, Italy, near the Consortium headquarters there. Initiates are barred from contact with any family, friends, or relatives while in training and even afterward until released from their contract. This is done to keep their sole focus on supporting and protecting the Consortium and its allies.
Once an Initiate has begun combat training, the first injection of Compound 36 is given. This immediately grants the full complement of enhanced abilities. Initiates are monitored very carefully after the first dose has been given, as side effects can be devastating at this time. While genetic compatibility provides a reasonable expectation of Compound 36's performance, it is not 100% accurate and detrimental, debilitating side effects can occur. Halfway through training a second injection of Compound 36 is given, which stabilizes the first dose. This is similar to a multi-shot vaccination, which requires time for the requisite biological processes to take place.
During training, Initiates are often pitted against each other in combative and non-combative exercises. Competition is always individual, even when teams are assigned, as all Initiates are told that only the best among them can ever be considered for induction into the Order, and even then only when a position or Rank becomes available. Some Initiates may train for years before a Rank opens up, so Initiates are continuously training, developing, and refining their skills.
Initiates also have the option of dropping from the training after a minimum time period of one year, but still belong to the Consortium as per the contract terms. The Consortium can choose to either terminate a contract, or keep the individual in the employment of the organization. This is done especially if an Initiate shows significant promise in other areas, such as leadership, game theory, cost-benefit calculation, or assessment.
Induction to the Order
Consortium leadership meets often to discuss the progress of Initiates. An informal ranking system for all Initiates is available on demand at any time for both Handlers and other administrative professionals. The system is informal because it can segment Initiate populations by any specific ability or category: Combat skill, genetic compatibility, and marksmanship to name a few.
When a Rank opens up within the Order, Handlers are immediately notified, largely because Handlers have some input on which Initiates are nominated for open slots. Rankings work both ways with Handlers, as the best Handlers get first selection of a pool of selected Initiates. Highly favored Handlers typically handle Ranks in the single digits.
When an Initiate has been selected he or she will meet with his Handler and the Handler will explain the rules of the Order.
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After the rules have been explained, the final injection of Compound 36 is given thereby forcing its effects to become permanent. At this time, the Agent is also presented with their Rank and their primary melee weapon and sidearm are selected. Weapons provided by the Consortium are, for all intents and purposes, virtually indestructible.
Melee weapons are generally bladed in some capacity. General selections include variants of swords (katana, broadsword, rapiers. etc.,) but also include bo staffs, polearms (including lances and glaives), as well as axes (single-bladed, double-bladed), and more geographic or cultural variants (kama, sai, nunchaku, etc.) Dual-weaponry (two of the same kind) is also permitted for selection.
Sidearm selections typically include semi-automatic or fully automatic handguns. A few more exotic options have also been selected over time, such as throwing knives, shurikens, taser guns, miniature crossbows, and grappling hook guns.
Order members only meet each other as needed or as assignments require it. It is not uncommon for Order members to never meet each other prior to their separation from the Consortium, be it through death or excommunication. Additionally, the Ranks of the Order are not known outside of the Consortium. If a country or sovereign body requests the aid of the Consortium and an Agent is sent, they only know they get a member of the Order. To the outside world, they are seen as equals.
The Order by Generations
There are always 24 members of the Order at any given time. Once one-third (8) of the roster changes, either through death or excommunication, the generation number is incremented by one. Earlier generations cycled through much more quickly than later generations as the limits of Compound 36 as well as its side effects became fully tested and understood. To date there have been 15 generations of the Order.
The 9th Generation
Also referred to as the Great Catastrophe by the Sapientia, references and documentation relative to the 9th Generation of the Order are classified at the highest level. The only fact commonly circulated about it is that no Agents from the 9th Generation are currently part of the Order. A lesser known fact also states that the entire 10th Generation was freshly drafted from a pool of high-performing Initiates for Ranks Alpha through Omega; logic then dictates that the entire 9th Generation had to be replaced in its entirety.
Current Generation of the Order
The following table provides information on the current, 15th generation of the Order.
| Rank | Number | Agent | Handler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | 1 | Nika Petrovich | Abigail Charmichael |
| Beta | 2 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Gamma | 3 | Dietrich Falkenrath | Antares Castiglione |
| Delta | 4 | Jaeger Falkenrath | Antares Castiglione |
| Epsilon | 5 | Asuka Oda | Kasumi Shin |
| Zeta | 6 | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Eta | 7 | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Theta | 8 | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Iota | 9 | Petrov Sloane | Fyodor Spartak |
| Kappa | 10 | Carly Morris | Simone Noble |
| Lambda | 11 | Roman Dragovic | Seth Masri |
| Mu | 12 | Seraphine Marchand | Natalia Soldati |
| Nu | 13 | Harper Vale | Scarlett Erickson |
| Xi | 14 | Mia Renner | Elise Gerhardt |
| Omicron | 15 | Aras Devirm | Cyril Baptiste |
| Pi | 16 | Demetria Bergsen | Aurelia Pasquale |
| Rho | 17 | Raphael Scordato | Sohrab Kianoush |
| Sigma | 18 | Parish Kent | Conrad Quinn |
| Tau | 19 | Rinat Hassan | Eden Yates |
| Upsilon | 20 | Pavel Dushenko | Aleksandr Orlov |
| Phi | 21 | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Chi | 22 | Darien Lord | Olivia Duquesne |
| Psi | 23 | Cassius Stolarz | Mercer Lord |
| Omega | 24 | Octavia Maddox | Corrine Viceroy |
* denotes a Former holder of a position or status. |
Former Agents of the Order
The following table provides information about former Agents of the 15th Generation of the Order.
| Generation | Rank | Number | Agent | Handler | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Beta | 2 | Gavin Prescott | Corbin Graves | Abducted; presumed dead |
| 15 | Epsilon | 5 | Leocadia Rey | Elle Ainsworth | Died from off-world virus |
| 15 | Theta | 8 | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | Murdered by Cadence Malloy |
| 15 | Omicron | 15 | Annaliese Kessler | Astrid Windsor | Turned Aberration; killed by Hunting Party |
| 15 | Pi | 16 | Bridger Brooks | Matthias Lang | Excommunicated; killed by Demetria Bergsen |
Powers and Abilities
All members of the Order are enhanced beyond normal human standards. The following abilities are all common to the Order due to Compound 36.
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Typically, Agents on the higher end of one spectrum tend to be lower in others, forming a balance between overall enhancements. Inert Compound 36 can be used independently to augment any of the above.