Brotherhood of Man

"We all share in the Brotherhood of Man."
The Brotherhood of Man is a human-interest Chapter that champions the heritage of humanity and seeks to safeguard mankind's place within the grand scheme of things.
Obviously, their membership is human only, although half-human Supernaturals may be admitted on a case by case basis.
== Facts: ==
-The Brotherhood of Man seeks to champion the best parts of humanity, things like the arts, sciences and athletics. They are admirers of classical works, students of history, and patrons of innovators and craftsmen. The BoM's strongest support comes from intellectuals and activists, but they also have a surprisingly large presence in the halls of politics and among the military.
-The major symbol of the Brotherhood of Man is the human Skull. Various images and logos of the Skull are used to represent the Chapter and it can often be found on objects and places belonging to the Brotherhood. Human Skull tattoos are also popular among Chapter members.
-The Brotherhood spends most of its time attacking forces hostile to humanity. The rest of the time is spent furthering projects and goals which will aid humanity in its progress, particularly the arts, sciences and sports.
-The BoM is so named because it teaches the universal brotherhood of all humanity. While the exact form of this teaching varies a bit, the overall idea is that humans should try to look out for each other and live as members of a wider society. A human society.
-The Brotherhood has often been the target of subversion, particularly from the New World Order. To prevent this, the Chapter adopted the same organizational pattern as the Fraternal Order of Builders (another Chapter that often praises humanity's strengths).
-The Brotherhood of Man views all human beings as already being affiliated with it, by want of their very nature. While that doesn't mean they automatically trust them, it does mean that humans in need can look to the Brotherhood for help.
-It should be noted that the Brotherhood champions mankind and will do what it can to help their people. However, should any humans be found cavorting with non-human entities to the detriment of other humans, they may be branded as 'traitors' by the Chapter. And the Brotherhood of Man absolutely hates traitors.
-The Brotherhood of Man favors polyglots, especially since humanity itself is divided up largely according to language and culture. Those who have an innate talent for bridging such division will be highly sought after by the Brotherhood.
== Organization: ==
The Brotherhood of Man was formed among the early Greek schools of philosophy, and it survived the Dark Ages as an order of scholastics. So it makes sense that the modern Chapter retains much of this history in its basic form and function.
The Brotherhood of Man is led by 'Philosophers,' people of higher education and experience who are recognized for their mental faculties and ability to lead. Members of the Chapter come together to form an Academy, although the Chapter means this word differently than how it is used to. An Academy in the BoM is simply anyplace where the virtues of the Brotherhood are practiced, things like art, athletics, the pursuit of knowledge and various disciplines of science.
Historically, most Academies exists on the campuses of institutes of higher education and receieve official funding from local governments in return for their knowledge and experience. When government forces encounter particularly nasty supernatural threats, they will seek the aid of the Brotherhood of Man. Ergo, BoM Agents often operate in the field alongside official law enforcement forces. 
Agents are people with military training who serve the Chapter clandestinely. In areas of the world where the Brotherhood has a strong presence, the Chapter may be able to provide training for members to become Agents. Agents are technically private contractors or paramilitary forces, but will often posses security clearance through the many political connections of the Brotherhood. 
== History of the Brotherhood: ==
The Brotherhood of Man's earliest beginnings date back to Ancient Greece and the various schools of philosophy that sprung up there. Several schools, most notably the Stoics, adopted a set of philosophical beliefs which entailed the idea that all of mankind was united by a single nature or condition.
In modern times, we take for granted our education in Darwinism and awareness that all humans are descended from common ancestors. Ancient people often did not believe anything like this. The primitive Brotherhood of Man functioned largely as a sector of Hellenic culture, claiming such notables as Aristotle, Alexander the Great, and other major Greek figures.
Unfortunately, the fall of Western Civilization known as the Dark Ages essentially kicked the Brotherhood into obscurity. While groups such as the Scholastics and certain religious orders helped keep it alive, the Brotherhood was a mere shadow of its former self.
(*Note: During the Dark Ages, the Brotherhood existed largely by combining itself with other Chapters, most notably portions of the Ghosts of Catholicism and their religious orders, and especially the Fraternal Order of Builders. The Masonic First Degree is largely based off of the core philosophy of the Brotherhood of Man.)
Thankfully, the age of the Renaissance brought the Brotherhood of Man back to its full power. Known within the Chapter as the Second Birth, the Renaissance saw the Brotherhood take in a flurry of new members, including nobles, aristocrats, philosophers, artists and explorers.
The resulting Age of Exploration during the 17th and 18th centuries was the next major point in time for the Brotherhood, a time of expansion and growth. Where before the BoM had subsisted largely in the Mediterranean and Southern Europe, the colonial powers allowed the Brotherhood to expand their mission. Members of the Brotherhood acted as missionaries, opening schools and trade companies in far-away lands.
And wherever they went, the Brotherhood preached a message of human virtue and society.
== Current Challenges: ==
The Brotherhood of Man is in the business of humanity itself, and that kind of vocation involves a lot of different challenges. The BoM is involved in industry and technology, politics, the military, even law-enforcement. They fund research groups and patron artistic venues. 
More to the point, they hunt down threats to human society. 
== Monster Hunters: ==
The Brotherhood of Man fields some of the best Monster Hunters out there, men and women of such caliber that only the Hunting Lodges themselves can outdo them. This shouldn't come as a surprise since one of the primary reasons for the very existence of the Brotherhood is to protect mankind from all threats, especially those of supernatural origin.
== Renaissance Principles: ==
While technically a product of the Ancient/Classical period of Greek history, the modern Brotherhood of Man is really a product of the Renaissance period. And the virtues and aesthetics of that epoch still echo throughout the Chapter.
When members of the Brotherhood think of humanity, usually the first thing that comes to mind is academic. Science, art, history, music, literature... These are the things that the Brotherhood champions, the products of human effort and achievement.
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance
== Search for Human Perfection: ==
The pursuit of human perfection is a major topic within the Brotherhood of Man. Countless scientific, athletic, spiritual and even occult methods have been researched in the Chapter's quest to empower humanity. This topic has also generated many heated debates over what the exact definition of 'human' really is, and whether humans should be tampering with their own genetic code.
Stories persist of superhuman warriors who have been successfully created by the Brotherhood and kept in stasis, releasing them only for special missions or dire situations.
== Human Civilization: ==
The Brotherhood of Man is involved in many facets of society, but one Wing of the Chapter which doesn't get nearly enough attention is their presence in the academic and museum scene. The BoM has a very large presence within anthropology and humanities departments across the academic world. 
This Wing of the Chapter tends to have a strong overlap with groups like the Phoenician Brotherhood. They often fund expeditions and investigations, or they perform their own, concerning questions of human history and origin. 
One area of great interest to the Brotherhood of Man is the legacy of the Enochians. The idea of lost human civilizations is a tantalizing one for the BoM, especially with the promise of lost arcane or technological secrets. 
== Safeguarding Human Evolution: ==
There are forces out there who would see humanity enslaved, warped, mutated, or degenerated. Each of these foes have their own reasons for why they would want this, but for the Brotherhood, such differences are moot. Anyone who wishes to hijack the progress of humanity is an enemy of the Brotherhood of Man.
== Higher Powers At Work: ==
Man did not create himself, and he exists as part of a bigger picture. One of the great struggles the Brotherhood has had to endure over the centuries is learning to accept the things they can't change, or accept things they initially didn't like.
While not necessarily isolationists, the Brotherhood's philosophy does lead to a minor form of xenophobia where things foreign to humanity are viewed with suspicion. When dealing with beings like Nyarlathotep or Infernals, who wish to subvert humanity, such a mindset is necessary.
But what do you do with Naturalists who worship Gaia? Mankind evolved on Gaia, and Gaia will always be connected to humanity through the origins of their own species. What about the Theists? In the name of championing man, what exactly is the Chapter's relationship with the Supreme?
The rule of thumb in the Chapter is that only those supernatural forces deemed hostile to humanity are actively opposed. 
== References: ==
-https://www.youtube.com/user/Hadoukentheband
-http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/ub/v12n08p03_the-universal-brotherhood-of-man.htm
-http://www.capitalismmagazine.com/2004/02/the-brotherhood-of-man/
-http://www.ephesians5-11.org/fogbom.htm
Category:Man
Category:Brotherhood Of Man
Category:Chapter