Anfang Biolaboratories

"Identifying means to mitigate or eliminate disease, handicap, and human deficiency through any means necessary."
Anfang Biolaboratories (also called "Anfang Biolabs" or just "Anfang") is a research institute which focuses on magical manipulation of living things and materials for human betterment. They operate a laboratory within Elterlein on the border of Eulyros and Arminia, located on a mountainside where access is only possible by single-file caravan on a thin road or by airship. The source of their funding isn't well documented, though some believe that an operation of their magnitude could not operate from private contributions alone.
Accusations of human rights abuses are abundant but seldom taken seriously, as all subjects are required to sign voluntary consent forms and Anfang consistently denies all allegations.
==Formation==
Established only a few short years after the fall of Volvar, the discovery of beastfolk was a major inspiration for the creation of Anfang. Dr. Saelec Luther, at the time a field scientist, was both appalled and inspired by the fusion of human and animal and believed that beastmanism could be replicated in a controlled fashion. Luther, at the time somewhat of an academic outcast, contended that the key to human advancement was human modification. While the laboratory has grown to explore other areas of human change, focus remains primarily on beastfolk.
== Notable Discoveries ==
Anfang is responsible for several notable discoveries, including:
* Detailed documentation of the limitations and qualities of beastfolk, such as healing patterns and inability to reproduce or perform magic
* Discovery of arcane anomalies http://solsticerp.org/forum/m/19891200/viewthread/25887906-magic-arcane-diseases-conditions/post/113004703#p113004703
* Successful creation of artificial beastfolk
* Elimination of certain key diseases in certain test subjects, such as rabies in subjects fused with possums
* ??? Many other secrets not yet publicly announced.
== Source of Subjects ==
Despite the highly experimental nature of their human trials, Anfang continues to successfully recruit subjects mostly due to how they source their volunteers. Besides offering sizable money offers, they have people on the ground who strategically seek certain demographic groups with targeted campaigns. War veterans are given an appeal to patriotism -- Anfang stresses that their work betters all of Elterlein. The mentally or physically handicapped are told that the experiments have the potential of "fixing" them. 
The homeless, jobless, decrepit and poor are persistently reminded of the money reward with posters hung around slums and taverns. And finally, prisoners are often promised freedom in exchange for participation. As a result, willing participants are in no short supply... despite rumors circulating that the sacrifice may not actually be worth it.
== Allegations of Human Abuse ==
Rumors and even explicit accusations of human abuse exist surrounding Anfang. Some contend that participants in human trials aren't properly informed or rushed during admittance process so that they can't read their contracts in detail, or that the mixed results of their testing cannot be justified, or that their targeting of vulnerable groups is unethical. 
Particularly vehement opponents also accuse them of actually developing biological military weapons, or refusing to release and even killing subjects who may give the institution a bad image if released. None of these accusations are able to be backed up, however, as the laboratory is extremely secretive and their records are not public.
Dr. Saelec Luther, during public appearances, insists that all experiments are done for the good of people, not their detriment, and that a strict ethical protocol is always observed. 
Category:Factions