Paranormal

Overview

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Two worlds coexist.

Actually, there are a countless number of worlds that coexist. But most people divided them into two, the normal and the paranormal.

A simple description of the universe states that the normal world exists at the centre of creation while the paranormal worlds orbit around it. Some of these paranormal realities exist in stable orbits, others phase in and out of existence, and others follow patterns yet to be revealed. An understanding of Quincunx cosmology explains this more thoroughly.

According to Quincunx, everything supernatural in the world develops from the interaction of two or more coexisting worlds impacting on one another.


Paranormal Paradigms

Methods of anthropological study have identified unique traits that categorise cultures and people. In the distant past, these traits were often found in specific groups of individuals; but as time has progressed, communication across the globe has improved. Once a cultural group would have a set of skills, knowledges and rituals which would defines it's existence, now those rituals and skills have had to spread across the world, or face the risk of extinction.

In times past, a cultural outlook would define the natural world as understood by the clan/tribe/nation; everything within that outlook would be considered normal from the group's perspective. Hunters hunted, craftsmen worked in the village, shamen spoke with the spirits. It's simply the way things were for one particular group. Another group might have developed castes, where one did the dirty jobs, another traded, while another oversaw the religious wellbeing of the people.

Within a specific group, everything was normal and natural; but if any group looked at the ways of another they would see things that seemed wrong in their eyes. They would see aspects of their neighbours as paranormal or supernatural. The cultural understanding could never be complete, and anyone who traded between the groups would either be considered partially beyond the paradigms of both. Perhaps being seen as lesser (tainted by the ideas of the foreign culture), or greater (blessed with knowledge from afar).

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Many groups shared a consensual reality, the beliefs in the effects easily sensed and understood. But the belief in rules less determinate marked cultral differences and it is in those differences that the Quincunx Corporation found the dying arts that are often considered occult, or even magical in modern times.

The Quincunx Corporation has been careful to study to dying belief patterns of the lesser groups around the world in the hope that their unique paradigms of understanding will unlock realities otherwise due to suffer the fate of oblivion.

The most stable patterns of belief belong to the great courts. These are groups that were established deep in the mists of time, some claiming ancestry far beyond the written accounts of humanity. Less stable patterns of belief remain locked into the global paradigm as they have wormed their way into a collective subconscious, occasionally making dramatic appearances to assert their place. Such beliefs include such things as the Tarot (which impregnated its symbolism into numerous parts of the world), patterns of belief about creatures such as vampires or werewolves, or even the current belief in the power of science.

The Quincunx Corporation has categorised thousands of these belief patterns, and to everyone in the world there are patterns they consider normal, while there are other patterns they consider paranormal.

See also Supernatural, Paranormal and Paradigm in Wikipedia.


Supernatural Beings

If humans exist in the central world of the normal, then their perceptions extend toward the paranormal worlds according to their beliefs. Some humans have very narrow perceptions of what they believe is, and very large perceptions of what isn't. Other more open minded individuals have a much larger range of paradigm perception, incorporating far more into their belief of what is, and claiming less to be "impossible".

The beings Quincunx refers to as "paranormal" exist off centre compared to human existence. They have no choice but to accept alternate versions of reality, without this belief they could not accept themselves (in theory they would thus render themselves "normal"). The actual range of beings encountered by Quincunx has been carefully documented and categorised, there are perhaps a hundred regularly encountered creature types and deviations from the regular path of humanity (and possibly ten times that many less common variants). All beings considered off centre or imbued with elemental energy at some degree are considered "Outsiders".

Quincunx have also noted a scale of deviation, where the least changed members of the paranormal society may possess powers deemed psychic or mystical, while the most deviated are akin to the legends of totems, spirits and even gods from ancient lore. These powerful beings may be far removed from humanity (both in terms of their power and their morality), but they retain an influence over the world through the belief of their religious masses.

Certain members of Quincunx have tried to make the claim that a global amnesia would eliminate these beings, but so far no one has remotely conceived a way for this to be accomplished.


Supernatural Places

If supernatural beings exist outside the natural centre of humanity's collective conscience, then supernatural places are locations where the collective conscience shifts closer to a new set of values.

There are places in the world like "Stonehenge" or "Uluru" that instantly bring to mind a mystical ideal, so it's hardly surprising that individuals who resonate with that pattern of thought flock to those locations. And when like minds gather, the collective conscience of the assembled group reinforces the energies of the location. The Quincunx Corporation has had a number of associate operatives studying the phenomenon to determine whether it is purely psychological, or whether there is a deeper energy feedback loop developing.

Many places have been the focus of pilgrimages and rituals for centuries, even millennia. Such locations become the philosophical homes of groups to align with their beliefs. As far as the Quincunx Corporation is concerned, it is a moot point as to whether such locations had power before they became a focus of humanity's interest. The power is present now and the courts fight one another for control of these sacred locations.

A court able to hold their sacred sites maintains its strength and relevance in the world, a court losing its sacred sites becomes endangered.


Serum

One of the breakthroughs developed by Quincunx is simply referred to as Serum. This is a concoction of herbal essences, synthesized chemicals and classified materials typically suspended in a solution of plasma. Serum is carefully rationed to operatives, it is highly experimental, addictive and in many ways dangerous.

One of the most powerful effects of Serum is an expanded consciousness, an ability to correlate the orbits of paranormal realities. Agents who master this, and able to start combining the realities to induces changes in the normal…just like the supernatural beings.

There are different types of serum that link to different coexisting worlds, therefore providing different ways to manipulate the normal world.

Years of classified research into Serum have been done by Quincunx, combining the disciplines of biochemistry, anthropological lore and cryptozoology. Certainly far too much to include in a cursory examination of the subject such as that provided here.


Occult Arts

The Quincunx Corporation has to deal with dozens of cultures in its activities around the world. Even in the city of Sydney, where it's central base of operations lies, there are more than a dozen cultures all mingling with one another and constantly at the knife edge of ideological and religious warfare. It is only through the careful diplomacy, and dedicated undercover work of Quincunx (and other agencies like it) that the city doesn't degenerate into chaos.

In order to keep this balance in place, operatives must be aware of what they are dealing with. They need to study the ways of the cultures around them, and they need to understand the place of the supernatural within those cultures. Once an operative has an understanding of where a paranormal being belongs in the order of things, and using Serum to perceive patterns of reality beneath the everyday world, they can start to see where problems may have arisen; this in turn arms an operative with the knowledge of what tasks need to be performed to restore the balance.

To gain this knowledge, most operatives study one or more of the disciplines known by many as occult arts, philosophies or pseudo-sciences. Among these disciplines are Astrology, Alchemy, Cosmology, Divination, Feng Shui, Meditation and Theology. Some operatives have developed such knowledge with these disciplines, combined this knowledge with Serum-heightened perception to develop a new range of powers surprising even the strangest and wisest of the outsiders they interact with.


Surveillance 101

The Quincunx Corporation has developed a careful balance with the ancient courts of supernatural beings living in various parts of the world. They have become aware that a delicate shadow war has ranged since the beginning of recorded history and stretches back even further to periods now remembered only as myths and legends. The blanace of this ancient struggle impacts the world in many ways, some obvious, others subtle. The first thing an operative learns when dealing with the supernatural is to uncover the links connecting an outsider to the world. Some outsiders use traditional methods to influence the world around them such as cults of followers or blatant use of paranormal abilities and magic. Many have made a point of keeping current, and influence the world through corporations, financial and legal manipulations, and media channels. Few "outsiders" deal with the masses of humanity themselves, most use agents and operatives of their own, often playing elaborate chess-like games of Machiavellian intrigue incorporating agents, counter-agents and double-agents to their advantage.

The most prepared and researched operative of Quincunx will find that their actions cause ripples in unlikely locations, but an operative who walks into a situation unprepared could cause devastation and backlash far more catastrophic than the effects of the original outsider. Thus, when an operative is assigned a duty, the most common first step is surveillance.

Most types of elemental resonance share a common range of powers, most courts, races and bloodlines share a common philosophy regarding the world. Knowing these factors about a target give an operative an immediate head start in uncovering the subtle plans that an outsider might be involved with. Conversely, an astute operative can often piece together the events developing in an area to eliminate suspected outsiders, and uncover the culprit causing imbalance in an area. In many cases, the courts of an area will provide an operative with a list of possible suspects and a list of events that are probably connected to the deeper issue at hand. Using a combination of inductive and deductive reasoning, and backing up theories with observation, a warrant may be issued for the capture or elimination of the outsider responsible.

Coming soon, a pdf copy of the "Guide to Surveillance Techniques".


Hunting 101

Once an operative has completed surveillance and knows what they are dealing with, it is time for them to resolve any issues. This is typically referred to as "hunting", since it almost always results in attempting to capture or eliminate an outsider.

In most cases, an outsider subjected to a hunt will be considered a halfblood or a supernatural. Those who are more powerful than this are usually smart enough to avoid being caught for stupid actions, those who aren't smart enough are often dealt with by the courts in an appropriately dramatic fashion.

Inexperienced operatives are suggested to work in pairs (or larger groups) when hunting a halfblood, while experienced operatives are often capable of dealing with such an outsider with relative ease.

Inexperienced operatives are recommended not to deal with the outsiders classed as "supernatural" at all, while experienced operatives often work in pairs or small teams to take on such beings.

Occasionally, a contract will be ordered on an ascendant outsider by one or more of the courts. When such an event occurs, the entire resources of a Quincunx office are often brought to bear on the situation.

Coming soon, a pdf copy of the "Guide to Hunting Techniques".


Fraternizing with the Paranormal

Not all paranormal and supernatural beings in the world are the enemies of the Quincunx Corporation. In fact, the majority of the worlds supernatural denizens are law abiding citizens and know better than to cause a metaphysical crisis (or apocalypse).

When things get difficult for an operative, Quincunx are more than happy to receive the assistance of other outsiders to help take care of a situation. But a smart operative always knows that any offer of help comes with a price.

For this reason Quincunx has developed a series of guidelines for dealing with Outsiders. A copy of these guildelines are provided to every operative on signing up with the company, and all operatives must sign a contract to say that they have read the guidelines and understand them in full. Any operative who is caught acting outside the guidelines risks a chance of less support from the company when danger arises, while any operative who acts against the guidelines is instantly dismissed from the company with no further assistance. On a few rare instances in the past an operative has become infected with elemental energies to the degree that they have become an outsider themselves, these operatives were expelled from the company, and requested to either join a court or be hunted down and executed by their former companions.

Coming soon, a pdf copy of the "Guidelines to Outsider Interactions".


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