The Chiron Group

We'll be there...

That's strange, he thought, that's not my ringtone. He glanced at the caller ID: The CEO. His heart jumped into his throat as he answered the call, reluctant to raise the phone to his ear.
"Good Day! I am calling to congratulate you on your recent achievement." The woman said. It was a cheerful voice, but the words appearing forced or robotic like a pre-recorded call from a bill collector. He felt drained immediately, as if the words had a gravity to them, weighing his body down. "This will only take a moment! The Board appreciates and rewards the efforts of all its employees! Please accept this token of our appreciation! Thank you!"
The familiar tone of an ended call rang in his ear, and the doorbell chimed immediately after. He struggled to walk to the door, still bearing the weight pushing down on him. He opened the door and a woman stood before him with a bulky package on the ground beside her. The package was taller than her, and rested on a dolly with straps wrapped around it to keep it in place.
"You'd think they would email or have someone else make the call. You guys always look so dead when you come to the door." She said with a frown. He struggled to answer, but what came out was a string of mumbled sounds that couldn't form into words. He couldn't make out a single feature of the woman. Basic details like hair color and skin tone would be forgotten the moment he saw them.
Something did strike him as odd. The brand on her solid white uniform, the same on the huge van parked outside his home, didn't seem to match any delivery company he knew.
"Fed-ups?" He asked,
She handed him a clipboard, smiled, and nodded as a reply. He quickly glanced over the document, which read more like a contract than something as simple as a delivery form. He signed, handed the clipboard back, and the woman followed him after tilting the dolly back, gently guiding the package inside before unstrapping it. "Congratulations!" She said, shutting the door behind her.
He grabbed a knife, and cut along a taped seam on the side. He opened the box, and a needless amount of black packaging peanuts burst forth, covering the wood floor, inside the box, half buried in the peanuts, which was another box. He promptly opened it to find yet another box
He opened the final box and his eyes went wide. He found several stacks of cash inside, along with a perfectly fitted black suit in yet another box. A letter of promotion and instructions on his next assignment lingered at the bottom of the box with a receipt indicating his mortgage had been paid in full. Finally, he found a small, clear, plastic bag with various wrapped candies inside…

Those in the know often find themselves at odds with those who are not. Those outside of the world of monsters and conspiracy can hinder the members of The Web in their operations, which inevitably leads to further loss of life. Those in The Web must consider law enforcement, and government agencies, along with scientific, corporate, and military entities all over the world, most having no idea what The Web is or what it means to be caught within it.

The Chiron Group is made up of various smaller organizations that have banded together in cooperation. Corporations and small businesses, law firms, scientific foundations, educational institutions, police precincts, branches of government agencies, and even a few neighborhood watch associations are merely a few in a long list of those who join. Its history is unknown, even to its members. Chiron was first noticed in 1991 after many members of other organizations reported being released from custody, and all evidence of their activities were wiped away. After investigation, the university received a call from The Board of Directors, officially earning a place in their archives. While the details remain a mystery, these smaller groups all joined due to the fact that they all share the same two agendas.

• Cultivate cooperation among all members of The Web.

• Maintain secrecy while also assisting members of The Web who are at odds with those outside The Web.

The Fictional Masquerade

It sounds easy, especially when one considers the candlelight and how it almost forces secrecy on its own, but imagine trying to defend a mother and father who are charged with brutally murdering their child. You can't walk into the courtroom ranting and raving about monsters and clandestine organizations hiding in plain sight. You can't describe the suspect to the arresting officers if it isn't human. You can't even parade the body into the courtroom to prove the couple's innocence. It's easy to think that the movers and shakers of The Web enforce this secrecy, but it's more complicated than that. Most organizations couldn't care less.

It's not due to some masquerade that the big shots upstairs enforce, nor is it because someone who does want this masquerade enforced will come and find you if you pull the wool from another's eyes. In reality, the reason you can't reveal your secrets is because no one would believe you if you did. The Candlelight makes it easier to maintain secrecy, yes, but this is a double-edged sword. Revealing those secrets, even if you have indisputable proof, will usually land you in a mental institution. Ignorance is a powerful force, and with the candlelight at play, sometimes it's far more powerful than belief.

For this reason, members of The Web have to be more creative with how they get around the obstacles that civilians become. Instead of trying to force that belief, they instead take advantage of the ignorance. You may find yourself in the back of a police car, when suddenly an officer opens the door and tells you to run, even going so far as to give inaccurate details about your description in their notes. That mental institution your big mouth landed you in? It happens to be one in a chain owned and operated by a medical company in The Chiron Group. Your public defender may come from Eberstark Law, who set up the Union you joined in the first place. Even if they can't get you out of trouble, it will likely land you in one of many dummy prisons, each having an address that doesn't even exist scattered in paper towns all over the world.

Quick And Easy

It sounds far-fetched that these tactics would work in certain situations. What if someone investigates these fake locations? What if someone sees the officer release the criminal in their car? The answer is fairly anti-climatic. Nothing happens. Witnesses to the crime will know that the individual in the back of the car is innocent, those who investigate the addresses will spiral down the rabbit hole as they say to uncover more secrets, and this sparks The Candlelight within them, leading them to join The Web themselves. If there are cases where someone becomes a problem, bliss is the more ethically acceptable alternative among many other, far more malicious methods.

The Chiron Group is so large, they act almost like a web of conspiracies themselves. No one can be certain how much real estate they own, the wealth they have at their disposal, or how many individuals make up its organization. They're not the most secretive organization, but they are the organization with the most secrets. They keep these secrets with Incredible ease. It's virtually impossible for one person to put together the pieces necessary to navigate its labyrinthine structure. Even its own members don't fully understand the complexity of their own organization.

Other large organizations have difficulty mobilizing and relaying information due to their size, but Chiron can work with alarming speed. Almost as soon as you are arrested, orders are being relayed across the globe. It's not uncommon to have your lawyer sitting at the station before you even get there. Of course, this is if you can get there in the first place. It is just as likely that those who are causing you problems will receive a phone call. Excuse themselves to take the call in private, and within minutes you will be free to go about your work.

Fun Fact: Foul-weather friends

Chiron is rarely seen, and rarely heard from. Most members work with other organizations if they are able, working independently of the whole. They are only noticed when needed, popping up out of nowhere. Many have pondered at how they find out so quickly. How do they always know where they are needed?

Most assume they keep highly sophisticated surveillance on all known members of The Web and all its organizations. The thought is equally comforting and unsettling, as the level of surveillance needed for these invasive guardian angels would cross many boundaries and break laws beyond counting. Even still, the technology needed would be costly… if it existed.

The Board of directors

If Chrion is like a labyrinth, at the center lies The Board. They built the labyrinth, these faceless founders. No one knows who they are, what they are, or how they managed to build this massive organization under everyone's nose. Each member goes by a simple alias like The Chairman or The VP. These names don't seem to follow any obvious hierarchy, and it is unclear if there are several who share the same names, or if there are several names shared by only one person.

They maintain a "hands off" approach to their organization. There are few who have ever spoken with them at all. Those who have always appear pale and sick after they take the call, disappearing for days before being seen again, and often taking weeks to return to normal. Their hair goes a little gray, only to fade back to its normal color when recovered, their speech slurs often during their recovery, and often need to be reminded to eat, drink, or sleep until fully recovered.

It's easy to try and equate The Board to conspiracy theories on the illuminati or other groups that may dominate the world. In truth, The Board doesn't rule the world, nor do they seem to want to. The Board only cares for the organization's agenda, and seems to have The Web's best interest in mind.

A day in the life

Few groups in Chiron have the means to make a difference without the support of the whole. Each smaller group makes up a division, each division assists the others, even if they are unaware of it. As such, members rarely do much when It comes to fighting beasties, containing incursions, recovering most knowledge, or any of the other varied jobs that come with the territory. Much like the The Black Box Medics, most members live normal lives until suddenly they are needed. There are members of The Chiron Group that don't even know about the larger world they inhabit.

The Labyrinth

The labyrinth is a term used to refer to any and all organizations that make up The Chiron Group. Each is divided into a larger group that deals with specific problems the organization must face, each adding a new corridor to The labyrinth when officially joined. The assets listed below are just a select few among many, but it serves as an excellent way of showing what Chiron does, and just how big it is.

by Paweł Czerwiński

The Contingency

The Bureau of Contingency dedicates its time exploring plan B. They are there to explore other options should the worst case scenario occur. This could be as simple as leaked information, or as complex as an asteroid on a collision course with earth or a slumbering god waking up to destroy the world.

Scientists and engineers make up its membership and each offers their expertise in solving "What if?" scenarios, putting measures in place to reach the most utilitarian solution. Its membership cycles routinely, as some enter to offer more relevant expertise and others leave when their knowledge is no longer needed. They are often called The Chiron Think Tank, and are arguably the closest to The Board, as The Board will be the ones directly giving them their task.

The Department of Cyber Security and Welfare

With the rise of technology came the need to adapt to new problems as well as the opportunity to explore more options for Chiron. The CSW, or Seesaw as its members have come to call it, consists of hackers, IT professionals, tech companies, and more.

It is all dedicated to maintaining influence, surveillance, and containment on the internet. They are the most active group in the labyrinth, as their job is never done. Containing information, stealing data, tracking people of interest, and relaying information are just a few of their many jobs.

by NASA

by EV

The Precinct

The Precinct is the most famous group in the labyrinth, and most if the smaller players within it can operate on their own without the need of the whole. Political parties, police, law firms, and many more are among their members.

They are the most helpful among The Web as well, as they are the ones you will meet when arrested or detained. They are also often used to assist other organizations more actively, as many are either military or law enforcement, giving them the skill sets they need to work in various Web Operations.

The Advent Group

The Advent Group handles the financial side of Chiron, as well as development. Many businesses and large corporations make up its membership and each seeks to further their ambitions by assisting the whole. They develop weaponry, take care of the upkeep in the organization, and handle payroll for members of The Chiron Group.

They are the least active but arguably have the most impact. Their ability to supply and outfit Chiron's membership, as well as other organizations in The Web, make them an essential asset in The Labyrinth.

by Sean Poll

Commendations and Promotions

The Board is known for granting members of Chiron commendations and promotions for their work, especially if they perform particularly well. These commendations always come with gifts and bonuses, usually delivered when The Board calls to congratulate the member. What the promotion entails entirely depends on what the member does in the organization, but always include more pay, more responsibility, and more power in the organization.