The Fellowship

We know that this is not the first time creatures and people have passed from beyond Shadow into our world. There are oblique references to it throughout history. So how did our forefathers deal with this incursion from beyond reality? No one is completely certain, but there are rumors of a group known only as the Fellowship stretching back to the very first incursion.

The Fellowship is an ancient, secret organization dedicated to keeping track of and, when necessary, combating Shadow entities. No one is certain where the group is headquartered, where it gets its funding, or what if any ulterior motives it promotes. No one knows how to contact them, or where they get their information-but everyone knows that when the Fellowship shows up something terrible is on the verge of happening.

Agents of the Fellowship invariably have freakishly detailed information regarding anyone and everyone they encounter. They always have a plan, a back-up plan, and an emergency plan and the equipment needed to carry out all three. And while they always fight to protect the world from unspeakable danger, Fellowship agents consider extensive collateral damage to neighborhoods, bystanders, and even allies to be "acceptable" in the pursuit of the greater good.

There are many even among the Shadow community who believe that the Fellowship is nothing more than a myth. But there are heroes everywhere who tell whispered tales of how representatives of the organization showed up on their doorsteps one day and pressed them into service on a particularly dangerous mission.

Heroes will encounter agents of the Fellowship when and where they least expect it. And even though the organization will make use of their skills and abilities, the heroes will not actually become agents of the group. The Fellowship will usually offer to pay heroes for their efforts either in cash or by supplying equipment. They are more than willing to negotiate with the heroes, but will demand greater (often more frequent) service for more expensive or restricted materials. As a result, heroes do not requisition materials using the usual rules. Instead they "cut a deal" with a Fellowship agent. (GMs are encouraged to be agreeable bargainers-the Fellowship has a nearly endless supply of equipment-but to demand more and more future work out of the heroes.) The agent will supply the agreed upon materials in short order. Often he will have the requested items on his person, as though he knew ahead of time what the heroes would ask for. Heroes who attempt to renege on their agreement will receive one very firm warning from the Fellowship agent with whom they bargained. After that, if they continue to be deadbeats, the Fellowship simply considers them "expendable." They will not hunt the hero down, but neither will they lift a finger to save the hero (or any of the hero's allies) should they get in the way of Fellowship operations.

Members of the Fellowship each carry a thin ceramic disk in the shape of the group's insignia. Some wear the disk as a pendant, others carry it in a coat or pants pocket, but they are never go in the field without one. Occasionally, the Fellowship will give a single sigil to a trusted ally, often as a reward for helping to resolve a particularly difficult situation.