by George A. Pletz (ger353@desupernet.net)
Intent and Belief
Unlike The Sleepers, this cabal is not an anti-magic network but a self appointed
regulatory body that monitors Occult Underground activities in The Americas.
This group of adepts and enforcers believe in magical conservation.
As there is an ecosystem which governs the functions of the material world, there is another which governs the spiritual/occult world. The tension between Order and Entropy is very purposefully balanced to propel the cosmos forward through its numerous cycles. This Cosmology when it interacts with Matter and Human Consciousness has a greater chance of going off kilter. Too much order and the cosmos stagnates. Too much chaos and Matter becomes continually unstable. Both highly undesirable for Humanity.
The Cabal sees the activities of those recently clued to the Occult Underground and those trying to manipulate it to their own goals to be deluded and dangerous. The truly transcendent seeks you out not the other way round. Most seekers are A) deluded or B) meglomaniacal or C) both. They see themselves as a necessary bulwark against the numerous secret agendas. The world we receive is the one we deserve is how the cabal regards the situation. Hence their motto : "Demand Nothing, Gain Everything."
The Source and its features
Leader of Cabal - The Chimera. The true name and identity of which is unknown to a majority of cabal members. Operates from a place known only as The Tallhouse, The location of this operation center is unknown. Rumors persist that it is located in South America as do rumors that it is not a "real" location in a dimensional sense.
Structure - Though The Chimera is considered synonymous with The Tallhouse, this mysterious figure is not the only member of The Reclamation that resides there. To balance The Chimera out and stop The Reclamation from becoming what it seeks to stop, The Tallhouse is home to three others. The Chimera and these three counterbalances constitute The Progenitor Cell which is also called The Source.
The Structural design of The Source is the four pointed diamond. These four positions are known as The Apex, The Nadir, The Eastern Point, and The Western Point.
The Apex represents the pinnacle of Cosmic Order and Thought. The Chimera is The Apex. The Chimera's mystical element is water to represent The Flow of the Cosmic Order.
The Nadir represents the furthest point from The Flow, the individual separate from the masses. The Recluse is the Nadir and focuses on questions of ego and self. Whereas The Chimera is the immaterial nature of thought, The Recluse is the material nature of action. The Recluse's mystical element is air to represent The Nature of The Individual.
The Eastern Point, the position right of The Chimera, represents the regenerative nature of compassion. The Dryad is The Eastern Point. Between the egocentric and the cosmic, The Dryad is the symbolic bridge. Both in the world and reaching beyond it, it's rooted in the soil but its leaves are in the sky, what it gives and what it takes are balanced. The Dryad's mystical element is earth to represent The Nexus of Self and Universe.
The Western Point, the position left of The Dryad, represents the destructive nature of Retribution. The Phoenix is the inverse of The Dryad. It represents the wild nature of justice, a justice beyond the selfish needs of the individual and the consensual laws of the masses. Only through harsh choices and impersonal action can Order and Entropy be balanced. Where the Dryad waits, The Phoenix acts.Prone to great passion, The Phoenix needs the air to make its heat felt and sometimes feeds upon matter, its mystical element is fire.
How Watches work
The Progenitor Cell uses other cells to carry out its goals. They chose to carry
out there agendas through a set of representatives known as Cenotaphs. There
is a Centotaph for The Four Positions on The Diamond and There are Four
Cenotaph Cells, one for each of the four main directions. A cenotaph cell's
center of activity is called a Belltower. More on this below.
Each Cenotaph Cell has at their disposal, a group of field operatives known as A Watch. A watch consists of four subgroups known as Quartet. A Quartet consists of one Cenotaph and three agents called Hours. The Hour directly corresponding to a cenotaph position (12,3,6,9) is known as An Anchor. An Anchor serves as a second in command and conducts operations from the field. An Anchor is the only hour who knows the identity of The Cenotaph above them. The Four Quartets of A Watch are designated by a call name taken from Eliot's Four Quartets: Norton, Coker, Salvages, and Gidding.
Anchors besides their time designation also have a playing card trademark which
they use for more casual anonymous signals and information transference. (12
= Queen of Diamonds, 3 = 3 of spades, 6 = 6 of Hearts, and 9 = 9 of clubs) All
information must be sent
through The Anchor.
To further protect the anonymity of the organization, an Hour is allowed to take on as many personal contacts and help as required. Hours are forbidden to divulge their Anchors even if they are the Anchor themselves. Only Anchors and Cenotaphs may reveal their place in the organization to each other. The Reclamation recognizes that there must be some connection between the tiers of the operation to eliminate any minor disturbances due to paranoia or isolation of the individual cells.
Hours may utilize whatever means they must to keep their operatives unaware without compromising the goals as set by The Tall House. These cut-outs and contacts are known as seconds or minutes depending on their importance. Some Hours prefer to use the terms low trump or high trump.
Whatever you call them, they represent the pool of potential candidates to fill future positions in a Watch, as Anchors turn to Cenotaphs and Cenotaphs disappear from sight. Anyone who has made that jump isn't talking and/or isn't known. Retirement is not a option that is discussed since this falls under the enigma which is the internal workings of The Tall House.
The Tolling of The Iron Bell
Number of Operatives 60 (not counting the Tallhouse or any trumps used
or misinformed) <estimated total numbers for The Reclamation is 238 members>
Number of Cells - 4(?)
There is a Watch for every compass point
Each Watch's center of operation is known as A Bell Tower. Whether they are
actually towers is unknown to anyone except The Cenotaphs and The Queen of Diamonds
Anchor in A Watch. It is assumed one of them must be for such a nickname to
ever find currency.
The Northern Belltower is located in London, Ontario.
The Eastern Belltower is located in Salem, Mass.
The Western Belltower is located in San Juan, California
The Southern Belltower is rumored to be in either Peru or Guatemala. Many believe
Southern Belltower to be a cover for The Tallhouse itself
Due to the use of Trumps and Hours and Anchors, this allows for Reclamation
activity to extend far from these centers of control. With
this in mind, it is possible for there to be smaller clueless affiliate groups
to act on The Reclamation's behalf. These wild card cabals often work under
a distorted structure baring only the simplest resemblance to the Tallhouse.
Most if not all these groups work under the name The Reclaimation to help confuse
the true purpose of the group from outsiders and those eager to compromise this
mysterious group.
The Lies of History and The Truth of Power
History
Nonexistent beyond outrageous rumors. Such as the Reclamation was founded
December 3 1969 or has connections to Mayan sorcery or has lineage back to Gnostic
Anarchists from the 16th century Spain.
Mundane Influence
How much influence does The Reclamation have? More than you might expect
but not as much as some members believe. As with any modern Cabal, it has become
important for the group to make connections into legal and legislative bodies.
Despite the connections to a variety of governments and businesses in the Americas,
they have been very successful at keeping the power hungry from their ranks.
Sometimes things may occur but never something which due to the obscure and
esoteric nature of the group can not be contained.
Another way to look it is the following - The Reclamation is unable to secure bombs and rockets for a big paramilitary strike but would have no problem getting a helicopter for the afternoon. They may not be able to get the warden to pardon you but they could have a guard forget to lock your cell. They may not be able to get you plastic surgery but they can come up with the appropriate ID to get you where you need to go.
Occult Composition of The Reclamation
Any adept may be part of the organization since they aren't down on magick.
How it is used for excessive personal gain and any variety of cosmic pyramid
schemes is their real sticking point. Even though pro-magick, they do not see
any need to institute any type of magical school or tradition. Magick spreads
and is taught, always will be.
The Reclamation is about letting The Cosmos reclaim its natural flow, so it is necessary for the organization to understand how things are done if not how they work exactly. With their diligent investigatory and research skills, The Tallhouse has a considerable computer database of occult knowledge called Alexandria.
The Tallhouse maintains an old friends network of researchers known as The Bookworms. Bookworms are theoretical adepts who are more interested in pursuit of information than actually applying it. Tallhouse Bookworms are almost always unconnected to the daily activities of the Cabal. The Reclamation will never give away trade secrets of the Occult Underground to Bookworm even in exchange for other information. At any moment, The Reclamation may have to discourage or even kill a bookworm who has become too greedy or enterprising. After all, there are some things mortals just shouldn't know.
Boons from The Tallhouse
Along with The Tallhouse's Alexandria, there are caches of artifacts as well.
These are given out sparingly through their numerous channels and are never
of a purely destructive nature. All Tallhouse items which are given down to
their operatives are never rare and generally useless after they are used. Most
of these things are to facilitate escape, disguise identity, or safeguard against
known paranormal menaces. There is much dispute of the locations of these caches
as would be expected due to the possible metaphoric nature of The Tallhouse.
In game terms, consider the artifacts available to members to be mostly minor
with the occasional significant turning up. Only for serious emergencies would
a single major artifact be given to a group and they would be closely monitored.