Righteous Concern

The Righteous Concern (also known as the Concern of the Right or the Concern of the Just) is a multinational law enforcement consultancy agency with offices and agents in every nation of the world. Unlike the comparable organization the Order of the Rose, the Righteous Concern is a legally recognized entity in the countries it operates in, with its operatives trained in the appropriate legal aspects of its host nation.
== Historical overview ==
The origins of the Righteous Concern are a matter of dispute. The Concern's official literature states that it was founded in 482 by the British King Arthur following Arthur's success at the Battle of Mount Badon against the Saxons and the Battle of Soissons against Syagirus. It was originally intended to be an auxiliary force Arthur used to maintain order in his empire in Britain and Gaul, but after Arthur was forced to go back to Britain and deal with his nephew, Mordred (where Arthur would later die in battle), Syagirus reclaimed the throne in Gaul. He then expected the Righteous Concern agents stationed there to swear their allegiance to him and break off from their British counterparts. When the Concern refused- citing their call by Arthur to be a "worldwide institution"- Syagirus declared war on them. This caused the Concern to turn to the Franks and Clovis I for help, and the Franks responded by defeating Syagirus and taking his kingdom in Gaul. The Franks- lacking the resources needed for effective law enforcement- recognized the Concern's autonomy in exchange for the Concern in Gaul going into service for the Franks, which they readily agreed to.
However, many aspects of Arthur's life are known to be legends, and the first known reference to the Concern doesn't appear until 552, when the Roman Senate dispatches the Concern to deal with Ostrogothic raiders on the outskirts of Rome. It isn't known how the Concern established itself in Rome (where it is known as the "Concern of the Just"), but the Senate notice acknowledges that the Concern was founded in Britain. 
Since its founding the Righteous Concern has expanded worldwide, evolving into a consultancy agency with local law enforcement agents. It mostly expanded with the expansion of the British Empire and later in the Roman Empire when the Roman-British rivalry took off. In the 20th century the Concern expanded outside of the Roman/British orbit, first going to the United States of America in 1912. 
=== Aval Organization ===
As Christianity became more and more entrenched in Europe, a splinter organization of the Concern was formed by the Church in 962 by Pope John XII. Aval's mission, according to John's proclamation, was to deal with those "infected by demons" and do what is necessary to exorcise them. At first limited to Roman territory, Aval soon spread across the continent and eventually into Asia, as it had operations in China and Japan. The organization reached the zenith of its operations in the late 15th century under the leadership of Groh, where his campaign against "the Outsiders" captured the attention of contemporaries that writers began to romanticize it in many works of prose, beginning with The Manifestations of the Malfested by Rudolfus Telemachus in 1512. 
However, Aval's reputation would take several hits as the Reformation and later the Enlightenment would take hold. Groh's actions were part of Aval's wider participation in the Inquisition where the Church persecuted millions of suspected dissidents at its peak in the 15th to 17th centuries. Aval officials were known to have presided over the witch trials (the most famous of which were in Salem, Massachusetts), and it is known that many Roman Emperors would use Aval agents to persecute the Jovians. 
Thus, in more modern times, Aval is not as celebrated as it was in Medieval times. Roman Emperor Decius Capitolinus would ban the Organization from Roman territory in 1547 after defeating the Papal revolt, a move many Romans celebrated at the time. Except for England in 1586 and the Netherlands in 1590 (where both moves were tactical moves against Spain), other countries wouldn't ban the Organization until the 19th century. In 1908, the Papacy would officially disband the Aval Organization, with its members either reintegrating into the Righteous Concern or joining the Church. 
In 2016, Roman filmmaker Enricus Henrius rebooted the Soul Calibur film franchise with an eponymous effort. Despite excellent reviews from critics and tremendous success globally at the box office, the movie received criticism for its portrayal of Groh and Aval. Henrius- using Telemachus' work as a source- reimagined Aval and Groh as hunters of actual monsters called "malfested", though he portrayed Groh as an anti-hero who was himself consumed by an inner demon. Henrius was accused of "romanticising a killer" and "legitimizing a massacre" by various parties, particularly on social media. Henrius responded by stating that "while the Inquisition and its actions are vile, Groh himself believed he was doing the right thing and was seen as doing the right thing at the time. He should not be punished because times have changed." 
== Structure ==
The Righteous Concern is officially a "top-down" organization, with a worldwide President who oversees and has ultimate power over the entire organization. Following the President are ten Vice-Presidents who oversee global regions- North & Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Russia, India, Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, the Pacific and Antarctica. Those Vice-Presidents are then responsible for the Presidents of the national branches of the Concern.
The current President of the Righteous Concern is Mago Gisco.
Depending on the size of the country, national Presidents may have Vice-Presidents of their own who oversee the country's regions and major cities. After this step, the members of the Concern are those for whom the Concern has granted a license, essentially making them independent contractors. Licensed agents may have their own office with their own staff or may just run their business out of their home, depending on their needs and revenues. Agents' income derives from the fee they charge per case, a certain percentage of those fees go to the national President who then sends another percentage of that income to the worldwide President.
== Employment ==
Those who wish to join the Concern must pass a licensing test, which is either administered by a regional VP's office or the national President's office, depending on the location. Each jurisdiction has their tests and their own variations of the test based on regional need, but testing usually assesses communication skills, mental competence, personality and knowledge of local laws. Physical assessments are usually not done as the Concern's work is in consultancy, meaning agents are not expected to "take down" suspects.
No requirements are asked of prospective agents before they can take their licensing test, although many jurisdictions ask those who apply not to have a criminal record.
Powers of an agent vary by jurisdiction, as their conduct is governed by local laws. Typically, the contracts agents sign for work will have further stipulations concerning the allowances and limitations placed on them for the duration of their work, although contracts cannot supersede the law. In the absence of such expanded allowances and limitations, agents would have no more power than a private investigator would, meaning they only have limited powers of arrest and would need to turn over any evidence of a crime to a legal law enforcement agency. The only difference is that a Concern agent can apply for warrants, although many countries require approval from a regional VP first.
The youngest anyone can be to join the Concern is 15 years old, as it keeps with the tradition of Arthur having ascended to the throne at 15. That said, no one that young has ever been licensed- the youngest have been 20 years of age- and the vast majority of Concern agents are over 55, as many Concern agents are retired police officers or detectives. There have been attempts to recruit younger members, but success has varied since many young enough to be police officers tend to actually become officers.
== See also ==
* List of mercenary law enforcement agencies
* Order of the Rose
Category:Extraterritorial organizations of Vicendum
Category:Law enforcement agencies of Vicendum
Category:Mercenary law enforcement agencies of Vicendum
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