Helsing Company

== Description ==
Established just after the first World War and officially endorsed by the United States Government in the early 1920s.  At the time, the United States was engaged in a religious revival and reports of demons, ghosts, and other supernatural creatures had reached a fever pitch – as had the willingness to investigate them.  Initially a small group united by a passionate interest (mostly hatred) of all things paranormal, the group took on an increasingly military character as demilitarized WWI veterans were added to the ranks and increased Federal funding provided military-grade weapons and equipment.  During the Great Depression, the group single-handedly ended the plague of vampires and vampiric wraiths in poverty-stricken cities, earning the nickname “Helsing Company” for Bram Stoker’s vampire hunter.  The name has stuck even through reorganizations, becoming far better known than the various official names and acronyms given to the organization.
    Helsing Company soon rose from its humble beginnings to become the western world’s main guardian force against supernatural beings and creatures. Their expertise was put to its most rigorous test during World War II, when it was discovered that the Third Reich had also invested in the research of occult magic and technology.  In response, Helsing Company became an autonomous agency closely connected to the US Military, and grew massively, running many successful operations both in the United States and abroad.  Even at its peak, the activity of the Company, as well as the Company itself, has been deemed highly classified, with only a few high ranking members of the US Government and heavily connected power players being aware of its existence.  But among those few, it was acknowledged as a “silent hero” of World War II, capturing a great deal of German research and soon beginning scientific projects of their own.  In the wake of victory and with Soviet supernatural threats looming in the Cold War, Helsing Company reached its zenith.
    Unfortunately, the Company’s success proved its undoing.  With many of its domestic supernatural enemies subdued and having captured the lion’s share of Axis supernatural research, the organization found itself with fewer missions.  Furthermore, nuclear weapons made the foreign supernatural danger seem relatively minor and its budget was repeatedly cut in favor of nuclear weapons and the conventional military.  During the latter half of the Cold War, Helsing Company found itself making bolder – and riskier – moves in order to insure its survival such as Project Silver Bullet.  Some succeeded, such as a large-scale operation to eliminate American Lycaon covens, but others became expensive, high-profile disasters that threatened the veil of secrecy and alienated the Company’s political godfathers in Congress and the White House.  Its secrecy too became a major drawback as the Company could not reveal its existence even to find new supporters and recruits.
    At the present time, what was once a significant sub-sect of the US government has now been reduced to a mere handful of operatives.  Despite its best efforts, the Company is currently in danger of closure.  Many speculate that this is due to the involvement of the Silver Circle, which has gained political influence and found support among those who believe that quiet secrecy is a more effective response to supernatural threats than outright extermination.  Others believe that it is merely a sign of the times; that such things are no longer a significant threat to humanity and Helsing Company is little more than a defunct organization inventing threats to justify its existence.  For the time being, however, Helsing Company continues to be a fully independent agency, though they have shared resources and information (and competed for funding and political influence) with other federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and CIA.
    While Helsing Company may be reaching its nadir, it continues to field highly trained, highly specialized soldiers capable of countering any supernatural threat. Their movements are kept under careful surveillance by the werewolf Clans as well as their political rivals in the Silver Circle.
Category:Bestiary
Category:Enemy Lexicon
Category:Humans