V. The Bureau Handbook

[BPRD]

[th] B U R E A U . H A N D B O O K [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,2,true][atrb=cellspacing,1,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e241/OMWOS/GLRPG/bk.png,true]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,2,true][atrb=cellspacing,1,true][atrb=width,450,true][bg=131313] CONTENTS I. Welcome to the BPRD! II. Factions III. Living Arrangements IV. Sustenance V. Transportation VI. Currency and Employment VII. Technology VIII. Governing Bodies IX. The Broom Foundation I. Welcome to the BPRD!

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Welcome! This handbook serves as a rough guide for life after the end of the world in Descendants of War. It is not all-encompassing, so if you have a question or wish for something else to be covered, please leave a comment below and staff will attend to it as swiftly as possible!

II. Factions

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As we all know, several factions have sprung up since Ragnarök. Their areas can be clearly scene on the map of the former United States of America below.

The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense
This comprises most of what remains of the United States of America's people and government as well as diverse creatures, beings, and entities from all sorts of backgrounds. The BPRD's directors, Abraham Sapien and Frankie Guidicini, function as the head of this organization. While in the past the Bureau has most been concerned with the defense of humans against the paranormal and supernatural, these days the BPRD is more concerned with salvaging what is left of humanity and defending it against hostile forces, be they mundane or other-worldly.

The Golden Kingdom
Ruled by King Nuada, the Golden Kingdom is named after the fabled army Nuada commanded during Ragnarök. Though the army is gone, the kingdom it carved out is not. Almost all of Nuada's subjects are anti-human and anti-BPRD. After centuries of being subject to mankind's oppression, citizens of the Golden Kingdom are zealous in their newfoubs freedom. They support their king and think of Nuala as nothing more than a usurper who must be put in her place or imprisoned for her treason against the true king of Elfland. The location of Nuada's palace is known only to those who live there and the select few within Nuada's inner circle.

Greater Elfland
Queen Nuala rules her own kingdom with kindness and justice. Though Man has made mistakes, the entire race cannot be judged for the actions of many. This kingdom is peaceful and beautiful, abiding hand in hand with nature and welcoming all who would swear fealty to the fair queen.

Supernatural
There are many fantastic creatures that do not wish to live under the veil of a faction, even if it is one they support. Instead, they flock to the formerly populous regions to make a life and world of their own. The only rule they know is their own or one that has been freely chosen. Many humans avoid these regions as there is no guarantee of safety for any member of mankind.

III. Living Arrangements

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These days if anyone has a scrap of land and the means to defend it, they have a home. Whether it be a repurposed structure, a cave, sewers, or any other number of shelters, as long as one can defend it, it's theirs with few exceptions.

As for the BPRD, members of the Bureau generally live on the base in above-ground houses or in the levels beneath the BPRD.

IV. Sustenance

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All food consumed by people living in the BPRD area is grown and processed the the Bureau Agricultural Division. Aside from the staples of beef, chicken, fish, eggs, fruits, and vegetables, there are few other food choices. Most of the pre-Ragnarök food was looted and quickly consumed during the end of the world, which led to rationing from 2009-2030.

Foods available are only those grown or raised within the agricultural areas of the BPRD. Tropical produce and luxury foods are extremely rare, if they exist at all. Processed sugar has been forsaken in favor of honey and agave nectar. Flour is usually hand- or stone-ground locally. Cheese and fresh milk is considered a luxury, as dairy cows do not occur in every area of the BPRD.

Alcohol has not been given a priority for production. Most pre-Ragnarök alcohol has run out and in the past one had to decide between eating their food or allowing it to ferment so that they can drink it. With rations being eliminated, though, the frequency of home-brewed spirits is rising.

V. Transportation

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While there are still millions of pre-Ragnarök vehicles out there, most of them can no longer be used due to collateral damage or dead batteries. The vehicles that are still in use by the BPRD have been refitted with ethanol engines, due to the growing scarcity of pre-Ragnarök petroleum fuel. The Bureau does have some helicopters and one or two airplanes in reserves as well, but these run on petroleum and are used as scarcely as possible. The Bureau has a standing reward of 100 bonds per gallon for recovered petroleum. This has led to several people making a living scavenging petroleum from pre-Ragnarök vehicles and gas tanks, if they can be found.

In agricultural regions as well as regions outside of the BPRD, some of the only transportation is provided by draft animals. Some tinkerers have rigged up versions of motorcycle or go-karts that function on whatever fuel is on hand, but some people don't have that luxury.

VI. Currency and Employment

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This applies only to the BPRD controlled areas.

In previous years when rationing was in effect, anyone who lived and worked in the BPRD areas received rations as a reward and a small stipend of Bureau bonds that could be used to purchase certain pre-Ragnarök goods or services from the BPRD. Since rationing has ended, the currency used within the BPRD areas are the notes known as Bureau Bonds. They are roughly the same size as pre-Ragnarök US dollars with the Bureau seal upon them and the denomination. These are fairly easy to duplicate if one has access to printing equipment, so the BPRD has begun installing metallic security strips on the bonds in an effort to combat counterfeits. Barter has always been preferable to Bureau Bonds and continues to be utilized at present.

Employment with the BPRD is desirable due to the protection, sustenance, and shelter it provides. All employees of the BPRD proper receives living arrangements on the base (whether it be a room in one of the levels or bunking in one of the old houses above ground), food, and protection as well as a bond stipend. Other jobs can be found mostly in the large cities of Denver and Salt Lake City, and in the agricultural regions of the Bureau working on farms or ranches.

One booming industry is that of weaving and spinning. There are no more textile manufacturers anymore, so the art of weaving is making a comeback and giving those who know of to weave or spin a good livelihood that has yet to be out of demand.

VII. Governing Bodies

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The BPRD ultimately answers to Abe Sapien and Frankie Guidicini. They are the directors, though their authority does filter down to people like John Myers, director of the field agents, and Tabby Whitman, chief engineer of the technology division.

There is a movement known as the "Neo-Government" movement that wishes for the former United States of America to return to a democratic government. It's slowly gaining supporters, some who are detractors of the BPRD and others who just wish for life to return to a semblance of normal.

King Nuada and Queen Nuala are both the monarchs and sovereigns of their own respective territories. Where Nuada rules with might, Nuala rules with compassion. Each are a different side of the same coin when it comes to governing.

The supernatural areas have no set government. Raw displays of power or gangs or warding spells are the only thing that differentiate one area from the other. Even so, these places are not overrun with anarchy, as long as one knows what they are doing.

VIII. The Broom Institute

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Trevor Bruttenholm (1921-2004) dedicated his life to the research of the paranormal and the defense of mankind from the things that went bump in the night. During his life, Professor Bruttenholm became the Director of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, but this was overshadowed by what he considered his greatest role: father to Hellboy. Professor Bruttenholm defended the unknowing human population against the supernatural, made friends and allies the world over, and raised the man that became the world's end as well as its savior. In the last years before Professor Bruttenholm 's life was ended, he pursued the development of an area of the BPRD for those under the age of eighteen that possessed gifts similar to those of Hellboy, Abraham Sapien, and Elizabeth Sherman. Professor Bruttenholm knew that adolescents and children who possessed these special gifts were often shunned and persecuted instead of giving the nurture and support their unique abilities required.

Unfortunately, Professor Bruttenholm's dream was put on hold due to the events of what is now called Ragnarök. But once the dust settled, Directors Sapien and Guidicini resurrected the professor's dream, except now they welcomed all children of all backgrounds, upbringings, and talents to a place where they could be sheltered from the harshness of the world and learn to use their own unique abilities responsibly. In 2009, Elijah Foster became the first student of the eponymous Broom Foundation. As the years passed, Professor Bruttenholm's own grandchildren have become students of his dream, as well as countless others.

The Broom Foundation welcomes all and specializes in the education and nurturing of those with unique powers. Many of the Foundation's students move on to become BPRD field agents, while others find places in the technological areas of the Bureau or even the agricultural division. No matter where the students end up, the Broom Foundation's primary goals are to prepare their students for the realities of a post-Ragnarök world and help them become educate, responsible, able, and well-rounded adults. [/size][/td][/tr][/table][/center]