D-STEP

The Department of Superpowered Training, Enforcement, and Protection (D-STEP).

## **Departments**

Dept. S - Stiletto

Officially the intelligence wing. Unofficially, Stiletto is for quiet missions which involve information gathering and assassinations. Generally missions require that there be no possibility of tracing back to D-STEP and thus often makes use of lone agents that self-destruct on discovery or can otherwise not be interrogated. Highly trained operatives that make use of superhuman stealth, beauty, and technique.

Dept. T - Tomahawk

Sometimes Subtlety and Subterfuge may not always be enough. This is where Tomahawk, or as others within D-STEP have nicknamed them, “Tinnitus”, steps in. They boast the largest military force within D-STEP and have the ability to deploy all over the world. If collateral damage is not an issue, or the problem is dire enough that it warrants being turned into a smoking crater, that’s where Tomahawk steps in.

Dept. E - Épée

Elegant and refined, Épée agents are the face of D-STEP and perform a multitude of other roles besides. Anything from quartermastery and logistics, to foregn aid and hostage negotiation falls under their jurisdiction. While an all-purpose department, the combat prowess of each individual agent nevertheless rivals that of Stiletto.

Dept. P - Pike

Department P. is the fortification and distance specialists within D-STEP. Any agent or squad is capable of fortifying and defending an area from assault by ground, air, sea, subterranea, space, and dimension. Give a Pike squad a week to settle in an area and they’ll have fifteen foot reinforced concrete walls with a two mile kill-zone surrounding the fortress.

The Quartermaster’s Council

Shadowy figures at the top of D-STEP that consist of five seats. Each one represents the pinnacle of their respective Departments, with one seat that votes only in the case of a tie. Determines policy and direction for D-STEP.

The Director - a little known figure that has been the de-facto and de-jure leader of D-STEP for more than half-a-century. Is appointed by the president. Has only not been reappointed once during his tenure, to disastrous consequences.

## '**SHIELD (Super Hero Identification and Extent of Local Defense) Rank'**

Official classification of superhero teams and their ability to defend a geographic area. Each rank up indicates a progressively larger area the group is able to defend and is represented by a defensive structure. In addition, villains defeated and ability to mitigate collateral damage is also taken into consideration through these ranks. Higher ranks have access to higher levels of trust from official government organizations as well as access to funding and equipment.

Condottieri - Mercenaries.

Not a rank in it of itself, but marks a hero-group as one that does so out of expectation of payment. Nicknamed “condors” after the carrion birds for obvious reasons.

Watchtower - Friendly neighborhood superheroes.

These heroes are in general considered “street-level” and deal with more petty crimes. They can be trusted to deal with either a neighborhood or a town. Mostly expected to help with evacuations and disaster relief in the wake of higher-ranked fights.

Palisade - City level superheroes.

The bread-and-butter of D-STEP. Generally capable of going toe-to-toe with a single Class-5 supervillain or a band of Class-4 villains. Several Palisade rank teams may be present in larger cities.

Bunker - State-level superheroes.

These are seasoned heroes that have proven to be more than a match for any supervillains who menace a city or two. They have the capability to respond to threats that overwhelm local Palisade level teams and can generally defeat Class-6 villain teams or a single Class-7 villain. A single Bunker ranked team may be assigned or based in a particularly large city.

Castle - Regional superheroes.

These heroes are generally based in a large city but are known to roam, giving aid wherever they are needed. A “first-responder” type hero for a broad area (e.g. The Midwest or East Coast) that will appear quickly and attempt to subdue any threats overwhelming local Bunker/Palisade rank heroes. They are powerful enough to tackle Class-7 villain teams and can generally respond to Class-8 individuals. When a Castle-Rank alert has been placed, all heroes ranked below are expected to engage in evacuation and rescue efforts and to not engage threats at this level to avoid complications.

Fortress - National-level superheroes.

These heroes are extremely well-known, powerful, and experienced heroes within their country and abroad. They deal with large threats that Castle-level superheroes are simply unable to handle or can only delay. Will respond to any threats that a Castle-rank team reports. These threats are generally handled before the Fortress-rank team arrives, but are able to hit hard if the threat has not been destroyed in the meantime. While their response time is slower due to the distance they must traverse, they are generally extremely capable of neutralizing threats. Can be expected to deal with Class-8 teams and Class-9 individuals. Multiple Fortress-rank teams are required for any Class-10 or higher threat in order to prevent egregious loss of life.

Bastion - Continental-level superheroes.

Heroes who represent the best hope of humanity and beyond. They are extraordinarily gifted and have been proven to work together well enough to defend the entirety of a continent. Will generally be composed of multiple countries from within the continent and be capable of responding and defeating anything from natural disasters to Class-9 teams and Class-10 individuals. Works closely with governments.

Citadel - Global and Beyond level superheroes.

The best of the best. Capable of responding to any and all threats that face humanity, the fabric of reality, and the universe.