U.S. Operation Griefwell

Discovery, Scientific

Operation Griefwell (1971–1994) was a covert HAVOC initiative designed to explore the link between human suffering and spontaneous magical emergence. Under direct orders from Washington, the program used psychological profiling and demographic engineering to manipulate political, economic, and social conditions—intentionally clustering vulnerable populations into high-stress “Sorrowswell” zones. These zones became incubators for latent magical expression, allowing HAVOC to observe, measure, and exploit the relationship between trauma and arcane potential. Through covert surveillance, enforced instability, and ethically dubious interventions, Operation Griefwell laid the foundation for nearly all modern American magic users, leaving behind a legacy of weaponized despair and systemic abuse.