Parahuman Investigations Unit

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## Members

### Notable Members

David Cheng, Tracker, Revenant, Blackcoil

## Story

### First Appearance

Session 2

> "Sic Luceat Lux Vestra", Parahuman Investigations Unit Motto
>
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A domestic security agency dedicated to policing Parahuman conflict that's been around since The Parahuman Wars. It is run by a mysterious figure within the United States Federal Government, though in practise Chief Director David Cheng is the highest ranking member of the group.

## History

The PIU was created to control and research Parahumans and their powers in order to prevent a parahuman-controlled world in the 50s. Since then, they have became a paramilitary agency synonymous with "high body counts" and "necessary collateral damage".

## Hierarchy

Despite *Agents* requiring to be powered, those within the upper management of the PIU are entirely powerless.

### Federal

* Commander-in-Chief: The Mysterious Man

* Chief Director: David Cheng
* Chief of Staff: Troy Forde
* Executive Assistant Director: Arjun Singh
* SVA Executive Assistant Director: Georges Frey
* Chief Researcher: Loretta Solis

### Los Angelas

* LAPIU Comissioner: Rodney Hudson
* LAPIU Deputy Commissioner: James North
* LAPIU Assistant Comissioner: Patrick Grant

### New York City

* NYPIU Comissioner: Jerry Friedman
* NYPIU Assistant Comissioner: Michael Ewalt

## Ranks

The precise details of the ranks within The Parahuman Investigations Unit is not public knowledge. What we do know, however, it that *Special Agents* operate on a Federal scale, *Inspectors* on a State scale and *Detectives* on a municipal scale. For the most part, Agents work as investigators alongside police to take down powered criminals.

There are separate divisions known as ***Strike Teams***, which act as the paramilitary units. Individuals within a unit are either referred to by their rank or called ***Enforcers*** as a collective.. Their ranks ascend as such:

* Cadet
* Officer
* Sergeant
* Lieutenant
* Captain
* Assistant Chief
* Chief
* Assistant Commissioner
* Deputy Commissioner
* Commissioner

The *Detectives* within the PIU hold the ranks of Lieutenants.

## Known Members

* Inspector Darcy Edmonds, California State PIU
* Detective Travis Nelson, Los Angeles PIU
* Detective Harvey Lewinski, Las Vegas Metropolitan PIU

## Research

### Parahuman Classifications

These categories are used to classify types of Parahumans by the PIU. In the outside world, most people have no idea what these terms mean and prefer to use their own terms (the second name).

* **Overmen:** Your average Parahuman. Have the most varied kinds of powers. Powers utilise both their body and mind to use effectively.
* **Erudites/Psychics:** Mind-based powers. Fairly rare. Powers are generally stronger than average.
* **Aberrations/Mutants:** Physical powers. Have more mutations than normal. Powers are generally either stronger or weaker than average.
* **Gemini/Hybrids:** Have twin powers which compliment each other. Tend to have very volatile powers, being able to fully control them.
* **Potentikinetics/Aces:** Those who have powers that can affect others' powers, bypasing their Aura entirely. Powers belonging to Parahumans of this class are much more powerful than average.
* **MP-Class/Splicers:** An interesting class; prior to the year 1997 they were never thought to have existed. MP (Multilaterally Powered) Class Parahumans actively have two sets of powers inside of them, though unlike Hybrids, these powers develop at different points of the Parahuman's life. They are known on the street as "Splicers" under the notion that they have a genetic switch which kickstarts their secondary power set.
* **HE-Class/Experiments:** HE (Human Experiment) Class Parahumans are an anomaly, even among other Parahumans. These Parahumans have been forced to undergo an Awakening and have developed... Quite unusual powers from it, to say the least.
* **Undiscovered Classes:** There are millions of Parahumans out there. By no means, is this an exhaustive list that can comprise them all. There are undoubtedly more classes of Parahumans out there, we just need to find them.

### Power Theory

The Origins, Aura, and Cultivation and Acquisition sections are taken directly from the article on Parahumans.

#### Origins

Parahumans began popping up after The Second World War, perhaps influenced by Adolf Hitler's manufactured "Übermenschen" super-soldiers. The first confirmed Parahuman was discovered in Bielefeld, West Germany in the year 1950. His name was Walter Krämer, and seemingly disappeared off the face of the Earth after he revealed himself to the public.

### Aura

All humans have a metaphysical "shield" called Aura, which is subconsciously used to help survive otherwise deadly events, such as being shot in the head. Unfortunately, mundane humans don't have a whole lot of Aura, so they usually die from these injuries, but Parahumans are born with a substantially higher amount of it, making them much more likely to survive from a normally mortal wound, or even shrug it off entirely.

#### Cultivation and Acquisition

The actual "origin" of powers is unknown. Some believe it to be a blessing from God, a curse of some sort or that it's the next stage of human evolution. What we do know is that there is a genetic predisposition to becoming powered, meaning that there is a "powered gene" somewhere in the body that simply 'turns on' at some point, that point usually being when the person is put under extreme stress. This breaking point is known as one's Awakening. It is impossible to trace this gene until it is already activated.

Powers can be shaped, but not changed. This means that through training and upbringing, a Parahuman can learn to utilise their power in new and unique ways, but will never spontaneously develop all-new powers. There is some evidence that points that there is a "second stage" to powers, meaning some can enter a Second Awakening, increasing their power immensely... At the expense of their mental well-being.

The vast majority of Parahumans have only a singular "power". Some are born with two, known as Hybrids, but never more than that. Sometimes, actually identifying a power isn't very straight-forward, since a power can entail many attributes to make up its "whole", but generally the heroes in old comic books who are invincible, can fly and shoot lasers out of their eyes are purely fictitious in nature.

Powers seem to reflect some hidden fear inside their owner, and can be used to overcome said fear... Meaning that most Parahumans tend to over-rely on their powers. On the more 'theoretical' side of what we believe, Parahumans' power seem to be influenced by the personality of its user. According to some, the relation may be the other way around; people are influenced by their powers.

### Power Classes

The following is a list of categories for different "power sets", able to classify any parahuman's supernatural abilities:

1. **Shifters**: "Shifters have power sets centred around altering their or other people's forms into all-new shapes. Not to be confused with Shapers, Shifters are often not limited to alterations that are physically possible."
2. **Protectors**: "Protectors are parahumans who can repair, reflect or absorb energy and/or matter in some way that benefits themselves or others."
3. **Shapers**: "Shapers are limited to controlling pre-existing matter in the environment around them. Still, they are not to be underestimated in combat situations."
4. **Creators**: "Creators can generate new energy in various shapes and forms. Creators are (generally) limited to what is naturally-occurring, though they can often control the specific properties (such as temperature) of the energy they create."
5. **Enhancers**: "Enhancers are the most common sub-type of parahumans. They possess powers that enhance their own (or sometimes others') physical and/or mental abilities. This is not to be mistaken for parahumans who are gifted with enhanced physical attributes from mutations, though the line is sometimes blurred."
6. **Hexers**: "Hexers are rare among parahumans and possess power sets geared for weakening their enemies without directly damaging them."
7. **Brawlers**: "Fighters are the melee combat specialists of The Vanguard, focused on brute-forcing their way through their problems."
8. **Archers**: "Blasters are the ranged combat specialists of The Vanguard, focused on highly-lethal projectiles."
9. **Captivators**: "Captivators have power sets focused on controlling or manipulating living creatures minds using psychic means."
10. **Thinkers**: "Thinkers have an innate, self-centred psychic ability usually related in some way to one or more of their senses (including the sixth sense)."
11. **Meddlers**: "Meddlers, the rarest of all parahumans, possess the ability to bend or violate the laws of physics as we understand them."

Often times, power sets may fall under two or more classifications, especially if their powers are potentially lethal.

#### Standardised Power Array

There is a standard Power naming system, based off of a Greek prefix + suffix such as "Pyrokinesis" (Fire Manipulation). This "Array" is only used by the PIU to organise and classify individual Parahumans in similar groups.

## Threat Levels

The Threat Levels for Parahumans is a section of the PIU handbook detailing how to deal Parahumans with different "levels" of abilities. The scale can vary from country to country, but in the US, it's a 1-10 scale. Within the scale, every three levels designates a new grouping (so a Class 1 and 2 threat are on the same scale, while a 3-5 requires a different type of approach).

1. **Fishes (D):** A term derived from gambling slang meaning "loser" originating from The Hero Drug from the 1970s. They are weak enough that a group of mundanes can deal with them, but even a D-Class Parahuman will beat a mundane in 1-on-1 combat 99% of the time. Called "Ishim" or "Sparks" by the Doom Disciples.
2. **Weak (D+)**
3. **Average (C):** Your average Parahuman can defeat a small group of humans. Approach armed and ready. Called "Grigori" or "Watchers" by the Doom Disciples.
4. **Fair (C+)**
5. **Above Average (B):** B-Class threats are to be approached with a squad of armed officers and, preferably, alongside a professional hero. Called "Virtues" by the Doom Disciples.
6. **Strong (B+)**
7. **High-rollers (A):** A-Class threats are to be dealt with a team of professional heroes. Also known as "Cherubim" or "Cherries" by The Doom Disciples. **Do not approach**.
8. **Aces (A+):** Those who "scored" the best of all. Nicknamed "Seraphs", referring to the type of Angel known as the Seraphim, who shine brightly from God's light.
9. **Elite (S):** S-Class Parahumans are so rare that some doubt their very existence... But they're certainly out there. They are to be dealt with **only** by a team of veteran heroes. Called "Ophanim" or "Thrones" by the Doom Disciples.
10. **Exalted (S+):** Those who have reached the limits of what a Parahuman can be. Also known by the term "Kyriotes", a type of angel that rules over the others.
11. **World Breakers (SS):** There are probably only a handful of Parahumans of this calibre in the entire world. They have ***exceeded*** what is normally possible by Parahuman standards. The PIU handbook states for a only a single word for Class 11 Threats:

"Pray."
Called "Archai" or "Rulers" by the Doom Disciples.