To Rule In Shadow

"While an agent of the Bureau would typically be expected to know a great deal about our history, and the role we plan in the modern world, we don't have time for that. As such, I will attempt to condense the most useful information down. If anyone asks you a question you don't know the answer to, simply state that you are in training, and refer them to one of us." Cornelius explained as he sipped from his cup of tea.

Adrian tried his own and found it delicious, the high-end Ceylon tea, mingled with a light helping of sugar and milk, made for a drink that was both soothing and refreshing. Honestly, when evaluating the agents skills in combination with his impeccable manners and dress, he would not be surprised to find that the man had some experience as a servant in the house of the tastefully rich, or even one of the few remaining noble families. That said, he had a sneaking suspicion the real reason was more unbelievable.

"To begin explaining what we are, I should first illuminate what we are not. You must understand that the Bureau is not a supernatural law enforcement agency. We don't punish those who abuse their abilities for personal gain, nor do we work to protect the citizens of the Underworld from those who would take advantage of them. We fundamentally exist for one reason and one reason alone. To ensure the separation of the Underworld and Upperworld."

"Judging from that statement, the Underworld constitutes the metaphorical place where the supernatural exists, while the Upperworld is simply everything else. For lack of better terms, the magical and human worlds respectively. Is that correct?" Adrian asked, glad to finally have some decent labels to make use of.

"For the most part, that is accurate, although the truth is a lot more complex and confusing than such categorization would suggest. These are just terms we use to simplify the topic."

"That makes sense, I suppose. Then, why exactly do you maintain the separation?"

Cornelius's eyes flashed. "As a member of a young generation, I suspect you've been exposed to enough literature on the subject to understand the basics, yes? How knowledge of the supernatural would drive the world into a frenzy for reason or another? Our organization is primarily focused on preventing the kind of chaos such revelations would create, or at least minimizing the damage caused by information leaks."

Adrian leaned back, and smiled slightly. "I see. That means you are not the dominant force in this world, and therefore you must operate in a manner that avoids direct confrontation with those that are. Is that more or less accurate?"

"You are indeed correct. There are forces at work in this world that are beyond anything we could hope to manage. Thankfully, the vast majority of these are little concerned with the Upperworld, and usually pursue their own interests without impacting the uninitiated. That said, I don't want you thinking that we are without resources or ability. As part of our basic duties, especially when dealing with recalcitrant individuals, we are frequently required to make use of more...direct means of persuasion. I can promise you that we are very good at it."

[A threat?]

Adrian met the man's gaze, and for a moment the room crackled with an unseen tension. However, it faded once Cornelius looked away to take another sip of his tea.

"Alright, I think I more or less understand your place in the Underworld, as you call it. Unfortunately, I am still new to this whole thing, so I'm not really able to put this knowledge in proper context. Could you perhaps give me a more detailed description of it?"

"A detailed lesson would require far more time than we have, but I suppose I can explain a bit about the basics."

Cornelius stood, naturally assuming the demeanor of a schoolteacher. "The two worlds as we know it weren't always separate. Far back in mankind's history, the supernatural existed side by side with the mundane. This was an age of gods, heroes, and monsters that has left its indelible mark on our history and mythology. Yet at some point a few thousand years ago, something changed which led the mystical to gradually withdraw from the human world."

Adrian smiled wanly, "That's informative."

The senior agent frowned, "We call it The Bleeding. For reasons that remain unknown to us, the environment of Earth changed, and it became more difficult for beings that rely on certain energy sources to survive here. As a result, the complete separation of the mundane and the magical occurred gradually over the course of thousands of years, leading to the present where the vast majority of humans believe the beings of the Underworld are fantasy. The Bureau, although it was known by a different name back then, was founded during the height of the Roman Republic, and its first members were pagan priests that sought to protect their charges from the horrors of the supernatural. Since then, our mission has shifted somewhat, but we've maintained much of that original mentality."

Adrian briefly consulted his borrowed memories, but simply didn't have enough contextual information to make a conclusion based on them alone. That said, his intuition told him that this 'Bleeding' was probably a cover for something.

"So you are all priests?"

"Not at all. In fact, we very swiftly became a secular organization under the reign of Caesar Augustus, who relied on our fore bearers to eliminate seditious elements and dangerous cults. By the time the Christian church rose to prominence, we'd completely separated ourselves from religious institutions." Cornelius replied with a small chuckle.

"It must be difficult to receive funding that way."

"Not especially, since we learned from our time with the Romans and perfected methods of integrating ourselves into bureaucracies. As human governments increased in complexity, it did not take much effort to subvert a portion of a country's revenue towards cover projects we could use to hide our operations. This is more true today than ever before. Additionally, although I am not at liberty to reveal them, we have backers that ensure our mission continues undeterred."

[He's more or less declaring that they are under the thumb of some powerful individuals or groups...I'm beginning to see why they were so interested in meeting with me. Although, I wonder what these 'backers' gain from keeping the majority of humans in the dark.]

"I understand, and I won't pry. Instead, could you tell me a little more about the Underworld itself? What does it actually consist of? What of its inhabitants?"

"As I mentioned earlier, the Underworld is primarily a metaphorical concept, but in some sense it is a blanket term for all things outside of the Upperworld. It can be divided into two broad categories. The first is composed of the many realms which exist conterminously with this version of reality. The second refers to the supernatural elements that remain on Earth."

That peaked Adrian's interest. "Oh? Can you explain that a bit more about the first category?"

Cornelius nodded, "Much like the place you rule, there exist numerous worlds and realms that are connected to this one by supernatural means. Separate realities that exist outside of human understanding. While some are known to have been created by powerful beings in the past, the origins of most remain a mystery."

[The world of the Fae must fall into this category.]

"Naturally, the inhabitants of these realms are nearly as varied as the worlds they come from, but most rarely leave their homes or interfere in human affairs. When they do, it is part of our job to mitigate the damage they cause and, if we can, eliminate its source. Thankfully, most understand this, and avoid provoking our involvement."

[So they are basically a magical men in black organization?]

"The second segment of the Underworld is more complex. It includes those supernatural entities who are native to Earth but have not yet fled to another realm, peaceful visitors other realms, and those humans who have achieved some level of understanding or power. Our job in this case is to ensure that they keep the peace, or at the very least, avoid involving the uninitiated."

Cornelius started pacing around the room in a distracted manner, "Unfortunately, it is often the human element that proves the most difficult to deal with."

"That's a bit surprising, considering what else you have to contend with. Are there really that many powerful humans?" Adrian asked, ignoring the irony of his statement.

"There are many skilled human experts and powerful human organizations in the Underworld, but for the most part they handle their own affairs while monitoring one another. No, it is the uninformed novices that give us a headache. People that stumble upon an arcane secret, awaken an ability, or simply involve themselves in the Underworld without understanding what they are doing. The Bureau spends the majority of its time tracking down those individuals who have seen or learned a bit too much. After which, we either bring them into the fold or ensure they will no longer be a danger."

"I take it I fall into this category? Does that mean you intended to force my cooperation?"

The agent stopped his pacing while he was facing away from Adrian, hands folded behind his back. "To a certain extent, that is correct. However, you are a special case. After considering the unique circ.u.mstances surrounding your involvement in the Underworld, our branch chief has decided that it would best serve the interests of the Bureau to establish friendly relations with you and the organization you seem to be building. I believe she plans on discussing the matter during your visit."

Adrian stared at the man's back for a few moments while he was lost in thought. Finally, he decided to be diplomatic and change the topic. "From the way you described the humans of the Underworld, you made it seem like there were several different ways they became involved in the first place. Could you explain that a bit?"

Cornelius glanced at him over one shoulder, an unreadable expression on his face, before he began once again. "Fundamentally, they can be divided into two groups. First are the people who are aware of the supernatural, and have acquired sufficient knowledge to be considered full fledged members of the Underworld. They come in many shapes and sizes. Everything from the paranormal investigator whose discovered the genuine article, to the academic who stumbles upon writings from a culture that predates human civilization, to the hunter who tracks down the Underworld's more violent denizens and delivers lethal retribution."

He turned back around and took his seat once more, while continuing his lecture. "While their knowledge can make them powerful, and in many cases allow them to tap into some of the mystic forces in our world, they are usually considered the bottom of the supernatural food chain. Quite simply, they lack in terms of ability."

Adrian placed his empty tea cup on the table and waited patiently for the man to continue.

"As I'm sure you've surmised from the talk so far, the second group consists of those humans who have succeeded in tapping into the world's well of power, the power that is alternately described as mana, magic, life force, chi, or the like. Individuals capable of such a feat are rare. Usually only one in every few million has the potential, and even fewer succeed in unlocking it. Those that do are considered to be major players in the Underworld."

"So, what, these lucky individuals simply have to practice martial arts or something?"

Cornelius shrugged, "There are many practitioners who have achieved their status through extreme physical training, but the precise methodology varies. There are a multitude of sects, monasteries, schools, and the like that exist for the purpose of perfecting their own method of unlocking and mastering an individuals abilities. I, for instance, studied Alchemy at the Ruptured University and learned to harness my own power before joining the Bureau."

"I have heard you use the term a few times already, but what do you mean by practitioner?"

"It refers to a human who is capable of wielding that quintessential force I spoke about earlier, and includes everything from mages to psychics to cultivators. Indeed, the only unifying feature to describe them with is a fundamental need to master a particular methodology in order to advance."

He paused, as if to consider something he'd forgotten. "To avoid confusing you, I should also explain the Knacked, and why they are different from practitioners."

[And there's another new word.]

Cornelius finished his own tea, which was surely cold by now, before continuing his explanation, "Sometimes, a human will develop the ability to harness mana, but is only able to use it in a very specific way. These Knacks vary from person to person and range from the truly powerful to the highly circ.u.mstantial. For instance, one of the other members of our branch has a Knack that allows him to transform himself into a cloud of toxic vapor. His ability is quite useful in the right circ.u.mstances, but could easily be a hindrance in others. In comparison, I also know of a young girl who recently gained a Knack that allowed her to change the flavor of food as she eats it."

"I'm assuming that's one of the weaker ones, but it still sounds like a decent ability to have."

That earned Adrian a small smile.

"I agree actually, but when compared to the reality bending power of the stronger practitioners, it is nothing much. In any event, I believe we need to bring this conversation to a close soon. If you still have questions, I'd be happy to answer them at some point in the future, provided that remain on goods terms."

"I'll have to take you up on that then, but are you sure we've covered everything I should know?"

Cornelius paused thoughtfully, before answering. "There is one more thing. I intended to speak of it as we walked, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to start now."

"Abby, can you please recite for us the Bureau's creed?" Cornelius asked. The words were polite enough, but something in his tone caused the girl to jump noticeably. Adrian found himself chuckling at the panicked look that started forming on her face as she started stammering out excuses.

"Ah...s-so suddenly...t-that's a bit..."

"It is expected that all agents of the Bureau know the creed by heart. One could say it is a basic requirement for being part of our organization." The senior agent continued explaining to Adrian, having completely dismissed his now deflating junior. "If you can't do even that much, people with some understanding of how we operate will likely question your authenticity, or at very least your competence. As I already have one problem child, I'd ask that you do better."

Adrian nodded as he stood and got ready to leave the room. "I don't think that will be too hard."