The Special Projects Division (SPD) was a Methodology of the Syndicate. Officially, it acted as a Research & Development program for the whole Convention. In secret, it cooperated with Pentex, a Reality Deviant-infested mega-corporation.
They specialized in the Spheres of Dimensional Science and Forces.
History[]
SPD was founded in 1893 in cooperation between Premium Oil Corporation and the Proctor House of Boston, one of the Syndicate's oldest banks in America. Thanks to financial investments from Proctor House, Premium Oil became a large and wealthy company that quickly branched out into other industries, eventually renaming itself Pentex Incorporated and buying Proctor House. The Syndicate, instead of antagonizing the new powerful corporation, made a deal. They joined their own Clearinghouse Methodology with departments from Pentex, making them responsible for developing technologies for the Convention's use.
The Syndicate continued to view Pentex as merely an extension of their own organization and thus did not care about it in detail as long as the money flowed. SPD's inventions proved to be far more advanced than the products of other research divisions. That most of the inventions were also spiritually tainted registered to few.
When the Anomaly came, SPD mysteriously vanished. Every member of the Methodology had disappeared and when the Syndicate sent Enforcers to discover what had happened to them, these did not return either. Mysteriously, Pentex still paid its quarterly dividend, so the leadership of the Convention is willing to cover it up, especially since widespread knowledge about SPD's activities could harm the Syndicate and tip the balance of power to the New World Order.
Culture[]
While SPD's prime partner was Pentex, the Methodology did not really care about the apocalyptic message of the Wyrm. They regarded it as a con to lull in gullible Sleepers, similar to how other large cults function. Neither did they limit themselves to Pentex. SPD also worked with Traditionalists, Nephandi, infernalists, vampires, and similar creatures.
Most SPD members no longer follow the Technocratic paradigm in the strictest sense, instead using a jumbled version of Wyrmish ideology and Technomancy. Their procedures are often unsavory, with rumors of human experiments having recently been confirmed. Their technologies usually depended on Banes that were used as a power source for various devices while still spreading spiritual sickness to its surroundings.
In its prime, SPD had a separate VPO with five areas of specialization beneath him: weaponry, subliminal influence research, investment control, in-house tech, and publishing. Entry into SPD was strictly regulated, with prospective members being scrutinized if they would be compatible with the kind of work they were expected to do. Other members who discovered the connection to Pentex were usually assassinated.
References[]
- MTAs: Technocracy: Syndicate, p. 36-38
- MTAs: Guide to the Technocracy, p. 116, 134
- MTAs: The Book of Madness Revised, p. 80
- MTAs/cMET: Laws of Ascension Companion, p. 41
- MTAs: Tales of Magick: Dark Adventure, p. 63-65
- MTAs: Convention Book: Syndicate, p. 54-57
