Supernatural Defense Agency

“magicis, mentis, scientia” – motto (“magic, mind, knowledge” [Latin])

The SDA performs many duties, but the first and foremost among them is the monitoring and regulation of the users of magic and psionic Abilities, particularly those with abilities that can be used for the invasion of privacy and criminal activities. An outgrowth of the self-regulation that the supernatural empowered peoples did when their abilities were still for the most part secret and/or dismissed. The SDA is also in charge of defense against supernatural threats to Earth’s populace. Namely, they monitor and defend against renegade spirits seeking vengeance against humanity for the destruction wrought by decades of environmental mismanagement. Officially, the SDA is also in charge of the environmental cleanup efforts on Earth.

Operating outside of the command structure of the Terran Alliance Armed Forces, the SDA instead reports to the Council of Ten as a whole (as well as being on the Council). The Joint Chiefs technically have no command over them, but requests for support that are made of them are almost always answered, as are requests that the SDA makes of the Joint Chiefs.

The SDA is best compared to the a national guard or a militia. Almost all of its non-staff members go about their civilian lives as normal, save for routine training and deployments. Unlike the guard forces, however, SDA members are armed even when they go about their civilian life, normally with the agency-standard FN Herstal Five-seveN pistol, however more combat-oriented agents carry the tools of their trade.

The SDA is headquartered in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in the United Kingdom, at Balmoral Castle. The Castle is on permanent lease to the SDA from the British Royal Family, and SDA High Council meetings are held here on a monthly basis. All Directorate chiefs have an office at the Castle, but for some of the Chiefs, these offices are only used for the few days surrounding the High Council meetings.

SDA staff with magical or psionic abilities who work directly for the SDA are referred to as ‘Agents.’ Those with magic and psionic abilities who do not work for the SDA are referred to as members.

SDA members may be activated to service at any time as situations demand, and must engage in SDA-run training for 1 weekend a month, and 2 weeks per year, barring extenuating circumstances.

The SDA maintains a small fleet of starships which are used for transportation of personnel as is needed.

SDA Standard Equipment – The SDA uses older firearms, preferring to rely on them as opposed to the newer caseless ammunition-firing ones used by the Terran Marines and Army. This serves two purposes. First, the older technology tends to hold up better around mages (electrical ignition gets finicky around some mages them due to spirit interference). Second, it allowed them easy access to ammunition, with the large stockpiles left over from World War III. Standard ammo is the 5.7mm round, used by the FN Herstal Five-seveN pistol and P90 assault rifle.

The SDA is broken up into several directorates, each covering a different aspect of the Agency's duties.  Each member of the High Council oversees a different directorate.  There are two major power blocs on the High Council, one that advocates greater freedom for mages and psions and increased involvement in the activities of humanity (some say they are driven by guilt over their actions during WW3), and another block that advocates restraint and a return to the withdrawn nature that the magically-empowered used to engage in.

1st Directorate - Earth Cleanup Operations

Oversees environmental recovery and repair operations, along with elements of the Martian terraforming plans and the environmental protection of the Alpha Prime colony.

Chief: Waldek Wronski (SDA Classification: Shaman [Nature, Tradition Unknown] - The second-newest member of the High Council, Waldek Wronski was formerly a member of the Shaman's Council responsible for a block of territory in Eastern Europe. He is the second Chief of the 1st Directorate.

2nd Directorate - Administration

Clerical work. Also covers Diplomatic Corps assignments.

Chief: Fahim El-Amin (SDA Classification: Psion [Investigation, Influence, Networking]) - A psion hailing from Saudi Arabia, Fahim El-Amin was an official with the UNNS before his psionic talent surfaced. Lacking in skill with telepathy, he is instead talented at pulling knowledge out of the collective unconscious. He frequently sides with the Chief of the 5th Directorate, but also frequently butts heads with her over geopolitical issues, especially regarding the Middle East.

3rd Directorate - TAAF SDA Members

Oversees all SDA members that are in the employ of the TAAF. The 3rd Directorate is also in charge of the mandatory Magic and Psionic potential testing undergone by TAAF recruits.

Chief: Brigadier General Alexander "Sasha" Markovic (SDA Classification: Contractor [Battle]) - Alexander Markovic is an old teammate of the 1st Directorate Chief who enlisted in the Terran Marines after performing black ops with that Chief during the Third World War. While he appears to be in his 40s, he is in actuality 80 years old. While he has no natural magical talents, he has been bound to a spirit of Battle for his entire life, and he has no idea why, but it has slowed his aging drastically. Born in the Soviet Union in 1950, he was conscripted into Soviet Army. He served with distinction, and was eventually transferred to the KGB's Vympel unit. After the fall of the Soviet Union, he retired (with honors), and left to travel the world. In the mid-2000s, he moved to the United States and settled in the Adirondack Mountains, where he met the previous chief of the 1st Directorate. During the Third World War, he was part of the NSA and ESA's Brightlight POW Rescue operations, and after the war he chose to put his extensive (comprising numerous black ops missions, three wars, several 'security operations', and more) experiences to use with the Terran Marines. In the span of time since he has joined the Marines after World War Three, he has risen to the post of Brigadier, commanding the detachment aboard the TASS Leningrad, which operates in the Sol System area. Due to the deployed nature of his job, he is usually not present at High Council meetings unless they are planned in advance, and the 1st Directorate Chief is known to speak on his behalf. A boisterous and jovial man, he is not one to deny keeping a bottle of vodka in his desk, and is held in high regards by the Marines under his command.

4th Directorate - Civilian Members

Oversees all SDA members that are civilians. The 4th Directorate also handles the public educational institutions that the SDA runs for magically and psionically talented individuals. The 4th Directorate also oversees the detection of new psions and mages.

Chief: Frances Sommer (SDA Classification: Theurgist [Familiar, Catholic Theurgy]) - Frances is a traditional theurgist, an old-school mage, and comes from a long line of mages. He is a member of the Order of Saint Focherini and serves as the Sanctioned Catholic Orders' representative to the Council.

5th Directorate - Internal Affairs

Internal Affairs oversees the regulation of the members of the SDA, both agents and civilians. Making sure that mages aren't abusing their powers, ensuring that telepaths aren't running around ripping secrets out of everyone's minds, etc. Magical Policemen/Detectives.

Chief: Noam Wallach (SDA Classification: Psion [Influence, Networking, Investigation]) - A skilled telepath from Israel, Noam Wallach was Mossad until she retired after WW3. She routinely butts heads with the 3rd Directorate chief, as she is suspicious of their activities during WW3. Noam works out of Balmoral Castle.

6th Directorate - Spirit Relations

Spirit Relations oversees peaceful relations with high-power spirits (i.e. ones that achieved sentience. Genius Loci, knowledge spirits, etc)

Chief: Kenneth Maccallum (SDA Classification: Elementalist [Diverse (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Electromagnetism), Wiccan Spellcasting]) - Kenneth Maccallum is an earth elementalist from Scotland and a representative of Grand Lodge of Theurgy, well-known for his ability to calm angry spirits. He hails from a long line of mages, and was opposed to the outing of magic. Kenneth often sides with the 5th Directorate Chief, but he enjoys the freedom he now has to act in the open, especially when spirits start popping up in populated areas. Kenneth works out of Balmoral Castle, but is known to spend much time wandering the world incognito.

7th Directorate - Spirit Defense

Spirit Defense is in charge of defending against renegade spirits that seek to take vengeance upon humanity. The 7th Directorate oversees agents who tend to be on the high end of the power scale, including 36 highly-capable individuals known as 'Beastslayers.' These talented mages come from all walks of life and magical capabilities, but just one of them has the potential to take down a Threat Level 3 spirit beast. Of these, 10 of the 36 are known as the Number Agents, each of which have the ability to take down a Threat Level 5 spirit beast on their own. The identities of the beast-slayers are closely guarded by the SDA, and are instead referred to by their designation, though the identities of several agents are 'known' in the sense that it is a bit difficult to avoid identification when taking out a spirit beast in a civilized area. The Number Agents are each assigned a number ranging from 0 through 9, while the other 26 agents are referred to each by a single letter of the Roman alphabet.

Chief: Svanhildur Hilmarsson (SDA Classification: Device User [Weapon (Artifact Tyrfing - Fiery Blade of Accuracy)] - A Device User from Iceland, Svanhildur Hilmarsson is the wielder of a sword that is known as 'Tyrfing,' the relationship of which to the Norse sword of legend is up in the air (aside from the fact that it is an artifact-level item). She is more concerned with her job as chief of the 7th Directorate than with the 'petty squabblings amongst the chiefs.' Svanhildur works out of Balmoral Castle, but is often out doing her job. Svanhildur maintains a low profile and avoids the media spotlight, as this allows her to do her job without attracting attention from the press. Chief Hilmarsson is a known Number-level Beastslayer, designated Agent 7.

• Numbers Agents
  • Agent 0 "Artorius" - Regarded as the strongest of the 11 Excalibur fragment users.
  • Agent 1
  • Agent 2
  • Agent 3
  • Agent 4
  • Agent 5
  • Agent 6
  • Agent 7 "Valkyrie" - Agent 7's identity is public - it is Svanhildur Hilmarsson, chief of the 7th Directorate.
  • Agent 8
  • Agent 9
• Standard Beastslayers
  • Agent A "The Crimson Devil" - Known user of the Tzadikim Nistarim true incantation. Diverse Elementalist focused on fire, plus a probably Battle Contractor. Known to have served in the Shadow Wars with the SA/AC. Further details unknown.
  • Agent B
  • Agent C "The Unpredictable" - Known user of the Tzadikim Nistarim true incantation.
  • Agent D
  • Agent E "The Unknown Destroyer"- Simultaneously the most well-known and least well-known of the Beastslayers, the real identity of the 7th Directorate Agent known only as 'Agent E' is a closely guarded secret by his own request. Though he has deployed numerous times to stop spirit beasts, few have ever met him, and even fewer can say to know him. Those that have met him have found that he conceals his identity with hoods and masks, and his voice has never been successfully voiceprinted. A perpetual loner, he prefers to keep to himself, possibly due to the fact that he knows just how unstable his powers can be, since he is one of the few people who has survived a contract with a Destruction spirit for more than a few years. That being said, Agent E is a prolific researcher in the field of Magical Science, with numerous papers accredited to his pseudonym, and he one of the driving forces behind the growing move to reclassify the Destruction spirit as the Strong Nuclear spirit. Rumor has it that he is actually a full-time employee of the rumored 9th Directorate, but such rumors have no factual basis. Other rumors claim that 'Agent E' is actually a cover identity for numerous agents, and even further associated rumors claim that the papers accredited to this pseudonym are actually papers published by a group of people who don't even work for the 7th or 9th Directorates. While the identity of Agent E is unknown, some of his past has been determined through interactions with him and slip-ups by those who know him. What is known is as follows:
    • Agent E served in the Shadow Wars, presumably with the USA, and had talent before his contract with the Destruction spirit, presumably the shamanistic magic he has employed against spirit beasts. He appears to have an Animal mentor spirit.
    • Agent E became a Destruction contractor sometime during 2015 as an unexpected consequence of a disaster.
    • Going by the gear that he carries, including a USMC Mark 2 combat knife with official government markings, USMC Designated Marksman Rifle, and an M45 MEUSOC pistol, as well as his preference for wearing ORBIT armor and using ORBIT as a technique to arrive where he is needed, it can be surmised that Agent E served with USMC FORECON during World War 3.
    • The more powerful Spirits know of him, and refer to him as 'The Fated.' When pressured for more information, they avoid the question, giving the answer of 'When he speaks, we listen. He hears us, and we hear him. There are things that he knows that you should know, but likewise there are things that you know that he will never know. Do not envy him, and do not pity him.' It is worth nothing that he is not the only person that the Spirits refer to as 'The Fated.' This seems to be an actual title that spirits use to refer to certain people, for it has been used in conjunction with others. The way that the Spirits speak of him lends credence to the theory that he is indeed a single person, and not a pseudonym for a group.
    • Agent E is known to have the ability to take down a Threat Level 5 Spirit Beast on his own, but for unknown reasons he remains classified as a standard Beastslayer instead of a Numbers Agent. He has been known to utilize the known fragment of the artifact Brahamaastra - Unknown Form of Destruction when the situation calls for it, and he is a known user of the Tzadikim Nistarim true incantation.
  • Agent F
  • Agent G
  • 'Agent H "The Shadowed Speaker" / "The Shield" - Either a skilled shadowmage or a user of an artifact similar to (or possibly a fragment of) Carnwennan - Blade of Darkness and Shadows. Familiar-based theurge, known to use the Sakura: Protection of a Thousand Blossoms true incantation. Often seen working alongside Agents R and V. The three of them are collectively referred to as "The Arms of the First," presumably referring to the 1st Directorate.
  • Agent I
  • Agent J
  • Agent K
  • Agent L
  • Agent M
  • 'Agent N "The Leader of Spirits" - Known user of a fragment of Caliburn - Precious Blade of Kingship. Presumed to be a theurge or a spirit binder (or both).
  • Agent O
  • Agent P
  • Agent Q
  • 'Agent R "The Phoenix" / "The Sword" - Suspected to either be nature loci-bound or a former nature loci herself, this fire-focused elementalist has been seen working in conjunction with Agents H and V. Unlike those two, she seldom relies on stealth, often acting as a distraction source for them. The three of them are collectively referred to as "The Arms of the First," presumably referring to the 1st Directorate.
  • Agent S
  • Agent T
  • Agent U
  • 'Agent V "The Silent Gun" / "The Bow" - Suspected user of an artifact similar to (or possibly a fragment of) Carnwennan - Blade of Darkness and Shadows. Confirmed user of a thus-unidentified, probably a True Artifact. This artifact, if real, flies in the face of all known characteristics of artifacts as it appears to be of modern origin - appearing like a weird combination of numerous rifles. Agent V is also a rarity among the Beastslayers, as they are known to be psionically-talented. Often seen working alongside Agents H and R. The three of them are collectively referred to as "The Arms of the First," presumably referring to the 1st Directorate.
  • Agent W
  • Agent X
  • Agent Y
  • Agent Z

8th Directorate - Items of Historical Significance

Artifact recovery and investigation. Historical analysis. Magical History. The 8th Directorate is comprised primarily of historical scholars and psions who have talent with psychometry. They also have a small operations division that does fieldwork, assisting universities and other institutions with archaeological work.

Chief: Malena Valquist (SDA Classification: Psion [Investigation, Networking, Influence]) - A native of Mars and psionic child prodigy skilled in Psychometry, Malena Valquist is currently in charge of historical operations run by the SDA. Moonlighting as a member of the relations team with the Teuthidoids, Malena operates off of the SDA Kathleen Kenyon, a specially modified Hermes-Class Courier, but is technically based at the Utopia Planitia colony on Mars, pending deployment with the Feng Huang once its refit is finished, at which point Malena will step down from the post of Chief of the 8th Directorate and transfer to the 3rd Directorate. She does her own thing and doesn't side with either major power bloc on the High Council. Malena works out of the Utopia Planitia on Mars, and is sometimes present-by-proxy at High Council meetings via telepathy.Out of the 8 members of the SDA high Council, she is definitely the odd one out, which is both a factor of her youth, Martian ancestry, and the fact that she wasn't part of any particular power group prior to joining the Council - which is presumably the reason for her mercurial nature regarding the two power blocs on the High Council. Serves as the ECO's representative to the Council.

9th Directorate - Shadow Ops

Aside from members of the Ruling Council and the Council of Ten, knowledge of the 9th Directorate's current membership is on a need-to-know basis.  The existence of the directorate itself was originally a secret, but this proved to be impossible to keep classified. Operatives serve in the 9th Directorate for the duration of an operation, and then transfer back to their usual Directorate.

Chief: On paper, the 9th Directorate has no chief, and is commanded by the council as a whole, though its mission usually means that it is overseen by the 4th Directorate chief. Current rumors state that a former chief of the 1st Directorate is now running the 9th Directorate and using it as a "Crisis Response" organization to handle situations which require immediate SDA involvement.

10th Directorate - Diplomacy and Research

The 10th Directorate is in charge of the dual functionality of Diplomacy and Research. While actual state-level diplomacy is handled by the Alliance Diplomatic Corps, the SDA 10th Directorate will presumably be called in to help deal with relations with the more magically-inclined powers and groups. The primary function of the 10th Directorate is therefore research, in particular the research and categorization of all the various types of magic that exist, the wide range of magical traditions, and the ever-expanding realm of psionic disciplines and specializations.

The majority of staff of the 10th Directorate can easily be classified under the SDA's official 'oddity' heading. The Chief of the 10th Directorate is Tusukuda Aiko, who is currently based on the [SDS07] T.A.S.S. Nobu Shirase (NVY-609) as part of the Local Bubble Mapping Initiative (TAAF Operational Designation: STRIBOG) (out of Trade Station 01 in the Sirius System, is a Yoitsuni who was born and raised on Earth, and is therefore talented with the Yoitsuni's unique brand of summoning magic. Her head of operations for the Sol system is Hana Lee, formerly of the Shadownet Administration Office of the 2nd Directorate, is either currently in two spirit contracts or made a contract with a hybrid spirit of both Knowledge and Electromagnetism. In addition to these two, the current roster of 10th Directorate agents and affiliated personnel are as follows:

• Sol System
  • Baron Bertrand Albertson, 7th Baron Albertson, SDA Agent, combat mage. Although he constantly tells people he's 'too old to be doing this,' Baron Albertson continues to pass the physical exams for 7th Directorate operatives with flying colors. Assuming that all the documentation surrounding him is legitimate, he is currently pushing 134 years old, but 'doesn't feel a day over 40.' The Baron (as he chooses to be called) is a contractor of Battle, and has a poorly-defined innate magical talent that revolves around temporarily enhancing his own combat potential and the weapons he wields. Currently he serves as the right-hand man of Hana Lee while the three 10th Directorate members on Earth work to build the directorate.
  • Agent Giannina Luzzatto, bodyswapper. One of the practically infamous Luzzatto Twins, Giannina has remained on Earth to help coordinate 10th Directorate operations there and keep the Earth-based staff in communication with the Chief in the Sirius System. Of course, the Luzzatto Twins' unique ability to swap consciousnesses between the two of them makes it hard to tell which of the twins is on Earth and who is on Sirius.
• Sirius System
  • Augusta Appleby, Esquire, invocation-using psionic lawyer. Ms Appleby went about the process of becoming both a mystic and psionically-talented in the opposite fashion than most - she was already a practicing mystic before 2019, having learned of the magical arts from a childhood friend. Still technically part of the Alliance Diplomatic Corps, she brings a career in diplomatic law to aid in the 10th Directorate's goals, along with her abilities with invocations, psionics, and more-recently obtained, the TARAWA System.
  • Sister Cassandra Carmina Carnadini, DCSG, Arcine Knight. Perhaps best known as one of the almost 200 who stood in defense of Vatican City during the Battle of Rome in February 2016, Sister Carandini has served the Arcine Order and its predecessor, Servorium Domini, for the majority of her life. She is known to practice the rare pact variant of theurgy, and utilizes two artifact fragments: Joyeuse - Holy Blade of the Imperator and Murgleys - Death-Bringer of Ganelon. Sister Carandini technically is not a member of the 10th Directorate, she has been assigned to the personal service of Directorate Chief Tsukuda Aiko by order of Pope Joan II.
  • Agent Terra Ferrero, psychometric specialist.As the second-oldest child of a large family from Mars and the only psionically-talented one, Agent Ferrero lends credence to the theory that there is more to psionic talent than simply genetics. As an early-awakening psion, she has been in SDA service since the organization's founding, having been a part of the 8th Directorate since the beginning. Agent Ferrero's speciality is psychometry, but unlike 8th Directorate Chief Malena Valiquist, her talents lie with bringing out latent reflections of objects' wielders, rather than finding out an object's history.
  • Agent Elizabeth Harland, mojo manipulator. One of only twelve confirmed users of the ill-defined and poorly-understood ability classified as 'mojo manipulation,' Agent Harland was a natural choice for service in the 5th Directorate. She served in the 5th Directorate during the early years of the SDA, participating in dealing with some of the more vocal anti-SDA mage groups before she accepted a posting on the Tereshkova, the SDA-crewed Anders-class scout in 2024. Following the end of her posting on that vessel, she returned to 5th Directorate service, spending time in the Centauri system and on Mars before returning to a scout ship (the eponymous Anders) long enough to serve on its final tour before it was retired.
  • Agent Giotto Luzzatto, bodyswapper. One of the practically infamous Luzzatto Twins, Giotto has deployed with the Directorate Chief Aiko help keep her in communication with the Earth-based directorate personnel. Of course, the Luzzatto Twins' unique ability to swap consciousnesses between the two of them makes it hard to tell which of the twins is on Earth and who is on Sirius.
  • Somsak Metharom, qi manipulator. Another user of an extremely rare ability, Metharom is not an official agent - rather, he is a Theravada Buddhist monk based out of Bangkok, Thailand. While his near-unique ability to replicate magic without actually using spirits is impressive, it is perhaps his extensive network of contacts and associates that is his best asset.
  • Agent Maureen Rosenfeld, wielder of Excalibur-Luna. Agent Rosenfeld displays no other talent beyond her ability to use Excalibur-Luna, but she registers as highly magically-capable.
  • Agent Carlos Sartre, channeler. A known veteran of the Shadow Wars, Agent Sartre has worked for the SDA since it was founded, but his ability to engage in temporary spirit contracts is still an enigma.
  • Donna Tracey, spirit commander. Spirit Commanders are poorly understood, nobody is really quite sure where exactly it shoudl be classified in the large scheme of things. Regardless, Donna Tracey knows the art of commanding a retinue of spirits. The full extent Donna's combat capabilities are unknown (but she did participate in the defense against the spirit beast known as Thunderbird in 2019), but her capability for performing reconaissance is legendary as some of the stories about her actions in support of the USA and later ISA during the Shadow Wars goes to show. She has declined to enter SDA service full-time, instead choosing to remain as a power broker of sorts in the Washington Federal Zone prior to accepting assignment to the Sirius System.
  • Agent Celeste Turati, summoner. Agent Turati joined the SDA full-time in the early 2020s and has served as both a member of a scout ship crew and as a diplomatic attache, but her pact-based summoning is still an enigma. There are reports that her, or someone matching her description, was in the possession of an artifact matching the description and functionality of one of the fragments of the Solmon's Seal - Engraved Ring of Control during the Shadow Wars, however she has denied any involvement in that conflict.
  • Agent Nora Vang, creation magician. The 'science' of magical engineering is a poorly defined and still-developing field, but it should come as no surprise that an agent who is one of the pioneers of the field was previously a soldier in the two engineering-focused TAAF branches - the Army and the CEC. Agent Vang was an independent operative during the Shadow Wars, working for multiple factions in the war as she perfected her unique brand of creation magic. Formerly a Specialist in the Army, she passed the exams for CEC service and joined that branch. During her tenure with the CEC, she participated in Project Janus, Project Phoenix, and Project VULCAN, however a disaster in the still-classified Project HAPHEASTUS still loomed over her career record when she took the 9-year out in 2026 before transferring to the 2nd Directorate full-time.
  • Agent Michelle Waters, Focherinine Mage. An active SDA agent and member of the Order of Saint Focherini, Agent Waters was originally assigned to assist then-Agent Aiko by order of the Council of Cardinals. She has a distinguished service history, though the majority of it is classified. Agent Waters has a long history of 7th Directorate service, leading to suspicion that she is a Beastslayer, but this has not been confirmed. Her abilities consist of a Contract with a spirit of Faith and Focused Elementalism for Fire, and there is an entry that she is an Oddity but the rest of that entry is classified Chiefs-Eyes-Only.