ESOG Team X
Expurgati Damnatis
Several Fallen have been destroyed by Squadron Azrael, who are looking for Lucifer
Several Russian-Affiliated Akritai leaders have been assassinated, leaving room for more ecclesiastical members to take leadership
Alexander Cross is actually a Nephilim, and sired by Lucifer himself
History:
The Tip of God's Spear:
The Entity Special Operations Group (ESOG) is the Vatican's main attack arm in the Second Inquisition. The Entity, or La Entitá, is the Vatican's secret service, and as the direct inheritors to the original Inquisition, they're perhaps the most important component of the phenomenon Kindred call the Second Inquisition. It incorporates the re-canonized Society of Leopold, the organization most Kindred considered to be the modern Inquisition. The Entity started comparing notes with other security agencies around the world, and most quickly came to the realization that vampires exist and are a direct threat, so they stepped up their activities and brought the fight to the Kindred in earnest. They destroyed the Vienna Chantry, and decimated the Kindred of London.
But they needed new blood, warriors willing to fight not only vampires, but also every other supernatural in the world. Holy warriors that showed no fear when facing Demons of the night, wielding relics from the Church to vanquish man's adversaries, they needed ESOG Team X. Created as part of the Vatican's arm in the Second Inquisition, the ESOG Teams are all special forces operators, with a zeal and faith in God surpassed only the the Holy Father himself. But Team X is different, better than their peers, they are recruited for their absolute zeal, experience and special abilities.
The warriors of ESOG Team X are all recruited for their zeal, skill or supernatural ability. Team X recruits from both clergy and non-clergy, military and civilian all are welcome, so long as they are able to fight back against the Darkness. True Faith is the most common traits that appear in Team X's members, but not at all the only one, Numina, Theurgy and other forms of powers are desired traits that immediately marks the users for recruitment and induction into the team. While most members are recruited from either military/police careers in Catholic countries, quite a few are actually civilians that were discovered to possess some kind of power that allows them to combat the forces of Darkness.
Squadrons:
The Team is divided between four 16-man squadrons, which are named after one archangel. Each squadron is specialized in one type of supernatural, being composed of both Special Forces Operators, recruited from Catholic countries, and Powered Operators, with supernatural powers. The Squadrons are the following:
Of these squadrons, each specialized in hunting a particular monster, they all answer to the High Council of the Vatican, but there are rumors of a fifth Squadron, named after the Angel of Death. This Squadron Azrael, according to rumors, is not just specialized in hunting one monster, but the oldest one: Demons. This Squadron is only rumored to exist, because they don't answer to The Entity, but the Holy Father himself, tasked with destroying humanity's greatest foes, which they do without hesitation. Because of the nature of their mission, Squadron Azrael is formed by only Powered Operators, all bestowed with mighty powers in order to fell their adversaries in a straight fight. They are led by a man who can only de defined as an Enigma: Alexander Cross.
Another reason for Squadron Azrael's secrecy is because they have another target: Humans. Being the Vatican's black ops unit, Azrael can also focus it's efforts towards killing people deemed too dangerous for the Church's interests. Those targets can range from from satanic cultists that threaten Catholic interests/personnel to straight assassination of fellow Christians that, for one reason or another, are necessary to die in order for the Vatican to endure.
Composition
Manpower
There are no clear records of their number, as ESOG Team X only answers to the highest echelons of the Vatican itself, some say even the Pope. But a recent report claims 1.000 members are part of the Team, with close to 480 combat operators being distributed and cycled between five squadrons, named after each Archangel.
- Squadron Azrael
- Squadron Michael
- Squadron Gabriel
- Squadron Uriel
- Squadron Raphael
The remaining manpower is actually used as support personnel/investigators for field operations. They are divided in several other divisions that each has their own function. The coordinators for operations, reside in a branch called Raziel Division. These are responsible for operational support, R&D, asset containment and archiving pertinent Vatican texts.
A secret branch handles storage of relics that Operators use in their missions against humanity's enemies, approving of their use in the field when necessary. This branch is named Section VII Laurentius, named after the patron Saint of Archivists and the last of the seven deacons of Rome. It is presided by the chief Archivist who is a caretaker for the relics and approves of it's use in the field.
Equipment
ESOG Team X has a wide variety of equipment to make use of, with both modern and medieval/antique flavors for it all.
Weaponry
The arsenals of the Vatican house innumerable weapons of variable power, all of which are available for the holy warriors of Team X to use against the forces of darkness. These range from various firearms and advanced technology, explosives and modern age technological apparatus, to Blessed weapons, Miracles of Rome, and access to holy relics.
Each Squadron has different needs and can requisition certain weaponry depending on the threat they face at the time. But they all have access to basic weaponry such as: assault rifles, shotguns, grenades, LMGs and pistols. Alongside more esoteric arms such as swords and shields, crucifixes and even Theurgy manuals and components. But there is also the possibility that the situation requires more firepower, which the Vatican is eager to provide. From relic weapons and armor to experimental viruses, the Holy See has a wide variety of weapons in it's arsenal just waiting to be deployed. The most famous of which is the Velum Sanctuarii, more commonly known as The Red Gas, which destroys blankbodies with ease and is rumored to be effective against other Supernaturals as well.
The relic weapons that ESOG Team X has access also have great notoriety and respect. There are a wide variety of them as well:
- Purity Seals, wax seals and parchment inscribed with declarations and prayers in old Latin, being the most commonly used. They repel the evil influence of the creatures of darkness
- Bones of various saints, when worn or carried offer greater communion with God, offering their power to the user
- Holy Weapons, weapons of immense power, such as Joyeuse Sword of Charlemagne, which has the capacity to kill Demons and not just banish them, and encase itself in holy flames.
- Casks of Holy Water, made by various priests to be used in the field.
- The Chains of Saint Dismas, these chains have the power to contain any evil creature, no matter it's power.
- The Banner of the Theban Legion, this banner has the ability to inspire all holy warriors around it, granting immunity to the powers of persuasion of the evildoers
- Nail of Helena
- Shroud of Turin
- Holy Grail
- Lance of Longinus
Structure
The ESOG Team X is part of the Entity Special Operations Group, and therefore is under the supervision of the ruling council of the Entity. With the exception of Squadron Azrael, which answers to the Pope himself.
Each combat squadron is run by a commander (Field Codename: Apostle), with 2 Lieutenants as second-in-command (Field Codemane: Preacher) who in turn command the operators under their purview. These operators are, in turn, divided in two groups, one for each Lieutenants.
There are five commanders, which lead the Squadrons, each a unique personality and character:
- Olivier Laurent is the commander of Squadron Michael. The Golden Boy of the Team X, he is the face of the program in the eyes of the Vatican. He started as a simple police officer in the GIGN of Orleans, but after an encounter with a Blankbody left his squad dead and lot's of questions, he was offered a chance to join Team X, he accepted. His successes are innumerable and his kill count rivals Abraham Van Helsing himself. He is a holy knight, a modern crusader who embodies chivalric virtues and hunts down all vampires, leaving the flames of justice to consume the Adversary's minions. He has made a pact with a spirit claiming to be Saint Joan of Arc, which has allowed him to go toe to toe against more powerful vampires, wielding the patron saint of Orlean's sword, and casting powerful abilities that come from his True Faith.
- Chizuhara Sakaguchi used to be a nun in Japan, but after an encounter with an unhidged Mage ended with her discovering her Null powers, ESOG quickly recruited her into Team X as Squadron Leader for Squadron Uriel. Her Null powers allow her to virtually "disarm" mages and warlock, cutting them off from their magick and their Avatar, allowing her and her tactical squad to move in for the kill. Before she was a simple and humble nun, but after killing the Marauder that destroyed her convent, she has turned into a bloodthirsty killing machine. In combat she wields a Crucifix-Incensary Kusarigama, with a blade coming out of the cross and the weighted incensary being spiked.
- Jeremiah Ogamo Imbepde is the leader of Squadron Raphael and former priest. Originally from Ruwanda, he protected Tutsis from the Genocide, but he was found out and the good priest had to flee with the last batch of survivors. On the way their bus was attack and they had to divert towards a haunted jungle on foot. Pursued by the Hutus and desperate, they crossed not knowing that it was haunted by an angry Spectre. While crossing the jungle, several people were dragged onto de darkness, never to be seen again, a killer was on the prowl, but Jeremiah was not detered, leading his group to safety and banishing the Spectre with his True Faith. After being rescued he was recruited into Team X to serve as the Ghost specialist. He uses a mixture of both True Faith and Theurgy to fight off the evil wraiths.
- João-Paulo Karansky was formerly a deputy in the Brazilian Federal Police, serving in the Manaus division, he was married and with a child on the way. Then he began to hunt a serial killer in the area, which resided in the jungles of the Amazonian Rainforest. After months of searching and no end in sight, when he finally saw him, it was his brother-in-law, Pedro Eduardo and he snapped, he shot him dead, but he was not dead, he transformed into a giant wolf, the rest of JP's squad ran, but not him he fought, and he would have died had it not for the silver knife he found in the ground. After killing his brother-in-law, he went home and asked his wife if she knew, she didn't even try denying it, and even said that he was kinfolk, capable of bearing werewolves, he didn't think twice. After killing his wife, he was approached by Leopoldites to enter Team X, he accepted with gusto. In contrast to some of his pears, he is much more inclined to modernity, using modern weaponry and hunting tactics to find his prey, which he usually kills with his twin daggers, made from the claws of both his wife and her brother.
- Alexander Cross is the mysterious commander of Squadron Azrael. No one knows who he is or where he comes from, or even how he looks, only that he is a complete zealot who will destroy anyone who stands in the way of the Church and God. His origin is a mistery, but some say that he was an orphan, left at the door of a church for care, being taught by the local priest in God and how he is our Lord. One day, the priest was attacked by a Demon, but was repelled by the boy's strange powers. The boy was taken by the Curch and inducted into their ranks as a warrior of Christ. He now leads Squadron Azrael in the service of the former priest who raised him, now the Holy Father. He hunts demons and heretics, clad in ancient panoply of war and wielding St. Peter's sword, whose flaming blade can destroy demons in a single strike.
Type
Covert Ops
Founding
2010
Overall training Level
Elite
Assumed Veterancy
Decorated/Honored
Parent Formation
Used by
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