Modern earth. with a twist.

magic exists.So do monsters.
It's just kept hidden from ordinary people.
You are about to learn
you have never truly been ordinary.
your world
Your story takes place on the same modern Earth you already know, but now you are navigating the arcane underground that you -- like all other previously "mundane" citizens -- never knew was always there.Magic exists. Some people are gifted, possessing one or more supernatural powers. Perhaps it is mastery over an element, like fire or earth, or the ability to summon beasts or shadows to do their bidding. Perhaps it is the power of flight, or teleportation, or walking into another's dream. Nobody knows what their gift is until the mundane mask is shattered and the gifts are awakened.Your powers can be anything you can imagine.
This is YOUR story!Monsters also exist. ARC exists to monitor and respond to arcane or supernatural threats, so be prepared to do battle with nightmares and eldritch beasts, capture malicious mages, or neutralize baneful magic!
arcane response council (ARC)
An international black ops NGO quietly founded by gifted folk 500 years ago in response to persecution against mages. The existence of ARC, its operatives, and its mission is a closely guarded secret. The organization is self-funded, self-managed, and self-policing... which has its pros and cons.Its goals are to 1) monitor and respond to arcane threats worldwide discreetly, in order to 2) avoid panic and further witch-hunting by "mundanes."Headquarters hides in plain sight at the Tower, a nondescript glass skyscraper in Phoenix, AZ. In the field, agents use the tongue-in-cheek codename Babel.
Over the past year, ARC has been increasingly harried by a growing collective of defectors known as the Fallen.
your angels
The division directors bear angelic codenames.
(it seemed like a good idea during the witch trials)════ ✦ ════
Like all gifts, yours are awakened through a traumatic event.Start with Michael, the Guardian - he will guide you through it.From there, you can choose where you want to take your story!
════ ✦ ════This series is romance optional, so you can play as friends, rivals, or lovers of the angels.All angels are pansexual, but they aren't all healthy relationships, so please read the tags!
General CW for potential combat/violence, blood/injury, death, monsters and eldritch horrors due to setting.
agent dossier ⇢
Guardian
codename | Michael |
Age at Recruitment | 16 |
Current Age | 36 |
known gifts | enhanced strength, speed, regenerative healing |
current position | Director of Initiates |
time in agency/role | 20 years / 10 years |
reputation | genial but professional distance with most agents; well-liked |
associates | prior recruits Gabriel and Spring |
intimates | none known (10+ years) |
Confidential | reprimands & risk factors |
last 12 months | none |
permanent record | insignificant infractions during early adjustment to agency |
Risk factors | high-risk associate: prior recruit "Sariel". appears distraught by defection. continue to monitor. |
Educator
codename | Uriel |
Age at Recruitment | 7 |
Current Age | 32 |
known gifts | electromancy |
current position | Director of Education |
time in agency/role | 25 years / 15 years |
reputation | viewed as scrupulously demanding; respected but unsettling |
associates | Raphael |
intimates | none current; RISK FLAGGED |
Confidential | reprimands & risk factors |
last 12 months | violation of need-to-know protocol with intimates; delayed reporting defection of agent "Sariel" upon discovery |
permanent record | insignificant, typically related to youth at time of infraction |
Risk factors | previous 5-year intimate of defector "Sariel". Reports no knowledge of intent to defect and significant emotional distress by this event. Appears to be compartmentalizing. Continue to monitor. |
Messenger
codename | Gabriel |
Age at Recruitment | 18 |
Current Age | 23 |
known gifts | telepathy, super senses |
current position | Director of Intelligence |
time in agency/role | 5 years / 1 year (succeeded "Sariel") |
reputation | affable, "one of the grunts"; rank often overlooked by others |
associates | few true associates, but appears to be close to (recruiter) Michael and works closely with azrael |
intimates | history of transient affiliations but no significant intimates |
Confidential | reprimands & risk factors |
last 12 months | none |
permanent record | none |
Risk factors | maintains network of internal spies for monitoring risks of defection/infiltration |
Doctor
codename | Raphael |
Age at Recruitment | 4 |
Current Age | 34 |
known gifts | biomancy |
current position | Director of Experimental Medicine |
time in agency/role | 30 years / 20 years |
reputation | brusque and off-putting; a loner |
associates | Uriel, Tango |
intimates | No history of intimates |
Confidential | reprimands & risk factors |
last 12 months | 17 interpersonal complaints lodged by other agents (fewer than average) |
permanent record | several related to disregard for ethics and workload protocols; appears to be a cyclical risk. Responds well to planted assistant/handler. |
Risk factors | primary loyalty appears to be research, not agency |
Shadow
codename | Azrael |
Age at Recruitment | 15 |
Current Age | 25 |
known gifts | shadowmancy |
current position | Director of Enforcement |
time in agency/role | 10 years / 9 years |
reputation | does not interact |
associates | does not associate with anyone, but has developed a close working relationship with Gabriel |
intimates | none still living |
Confidential | reprimands & risk factors |
last 12 months | mission failure: "Sariel" - referred to Uriel for re-education (reported successful). Probation period required: 3 years. |
permanent record | innumerable reprimands related to protocol deviation, but has an impeccable mission success rate (barring "Sariel"). Per primary, no further protocol reprimands will be issued. Promoted due to exemplary performance and significant division turnover. |
Risk factors | special Note: history of going dark for up to ten days, which is deflagged as a standard alert for azrael. Do not inquire about this behavior. |
⇠ agent dossier
Fallen
codename | "Sariel" (unofficial) |
Age at Recruitment | 13 |
Current Age | 29 |
known gifts | pyromancy |
current position | leader of the Fallen |
time in agency/role | 15 years with arc, including the final 5 years as Gabriel / 1 year with rogue faction |
reputation | argumentative, rule-breaker |
associates | appears to have organized ex-ARC agents into a counterforce (the Fallen) which has stymied standard defector extermination protocols. |
intimates | previously Uriel; current unknown |
Confidential | reprimands & risk factors |
last 12 months | defected; abdicated role as Director of Intelligence |
permanent record | Lodged many complaints related to agency policies and protocols; many reprimands related to deviation from protocols |
Risk factors | Fallen hq ("the oasis") is likely in the arizona desert but a specific location has not yet been identified. Likely shielded from discovery by supernatural means. |
