ARMA At A Glance

Formed of a break away sect of the former New York branch of the Order of Light, ARMA was devoted to the ideals the Order once claimed to uphold - Protecting the people of New York City and the world from that which threatened them. That, and taking down their former bosses in the Vatican. However recent upheavals and the disappearance of its founders has destabilized the organization that many saw as a last beacon of light in a decaying world. There is a quiet struggle within the faction for both power.... and its very survival.

--OVERVIEW AND GOALS--

The core of ARMA is formed from the rebel mages of the Order of First Light: New York division, who rebelled against the High Archmagi in charge of running the OFL from the Vatican. The majority of them did so in protest for the crimes and lies of the High Archs - others because they no longer believe that being with the Order is the best thing to do to protect the people they care about. While their path may be dangerous and complex, their goals as an organization are simple enough:

1. Continue to serve as the protectors and "supernatural police" for New York and the EAA.

2. Stop the Vatican and any other organization or individual from making malicious use of magic or magical artifacts - or from malicious acts by mundane means.

So while the goals may be simple... they are certainly sufficiently lofty. The main difference between ARMA and groups such as Pharos and the OFL is its attempt to be open with the people - and a rejection of the notion that their power makes them somehow better than the rest.

ARMA differs from the old New York branch in that it has no restrictions on who it will accept as a member - mages continue to form the primary backbone, and as one of the few groups with experienced mages capable of training apprentices this will likely continue to be the case - but other empowered humans, altered humans, and even unpowered humans are welcome.

However in the last two years the heads of the faction have vanished, now presumed dead. The faction hasn't managed to unite enough on new leadership and its beginning to hurt the stability of the faction. Members have started to become distrustful of eachother and the motives of their fellow ARMA members. 

--EQUIPMENT--

Enchanted clothing is common for most, allowing seemingly normal clothes to resist light caliber bullets and cutting weapons, including the claws and teeth of demons and other creatures. Most mages carry enchanted items or weapons of their own make, and nearly all carry a traditional sidearm of some kind. The more magically-powerful a person is, naturally, the more primitive the weapons they carry, in order to avoid problems in battle as much as possible.

The unpowered or less combat-oriented of them carry equipment comparable to mundane paramilitary groups when on missions, with much of it being police or military issue obtained through the EAA or the Silver Winged, a mercenary group to which ARMA is allied. For the mages, the equipment tends to look somewhat dated - for reasons that are less than completely understood, newer technology has a tendency to misbehave around mages. Partly by virtue of its leader's philosophy and understanding however, ARMA has developed a few ways of maintaining technology even in the presence of magi, usually by keeping it in shielded pockets when not in use.

By and large, ARMA personnel are not uniformed, however they do carry badges. They are seen more as detectives than military personnel, looking to portray a gentler side than do more militant groups such as the Vanguard or even OFL groups elsewhere. For those citizens who have seen them in action however, it is difficult to see even the plainly dressed and usually mild-mannered mages as at all 'like the rest of us'.

The heavier components of Shield division are composed of less frequently superpowered individuals, however they tend to be equipped with heavier gear - akin to pre-Resonance SWAT teams or light infantry units.

--HEADQUARTERS--

ARMA is headquartered at the former Federal Reserve building, which it claimed as the majority of the Order mages that once held it went along with the rebellion and have since become a part of ARMA. The building has been heavily modified since its takeover, both by mundane and magical means. The new Reserve building is a literal fortress, with enchanted walls and defenses, a powerful armory, training rooms, and office space for hundreds of ARMA employees.

Not every member of the group reports to HQ, however, and the group has smaller 'precincts' dotted throughout the city to supplement the police precincts still in operation. Their largest base outside the city is the fortress at Wardenclyffe, which is home to ARMA's small airbase, it's heavier vehicle elements, and is the launching point for most overseas missions.

--PUBLIC PERCEPTION--

Given the youth of the group, most in the public have yet to form a solid opinion of ARMA. Because of who they are of course, Alistair and the others have largely inherited the opinions that people held of them back when they were members of the OFL. For some people, their defection has improved their standing, for others it has harmed it. As the people who have stood against the tide of darkness that nearly overwhelmed the city more than once however, the group tends to receive support from those they have helped. As with any political divide however, there are plenty who either refuse to seek out the truth or have set their opinions long ago. And they do lack the PR machine that their former parent organization has so effectively created. Their recent conversion and paramilitary bend is still something of a discussion topic - though the Shield division's defense against attacks from the dragon-occupied territories tends to be met with more or less universal appreciation.

--JURISDICTION--

Debatably, ARMA has inherited the jurisdiction of the old OFL in the region - that is, it has primary authority over supernatural threats and events over the majority of the Eastern Seaboard Union. Notably, the Vatican OFL contests this, and loyalist forces remaining in the EAA may very well contest ARMA missions at any time. Another notable exception, as with the OFL before, is the few precincts where Vanguard has made inroads in New York, attempting to spread its influence out from the SC. The burgeoning Civil War has given the Vanguard opportunity to take advantage of the chaos however, and so these regions may grow somewhat as the war continues. Officially, however, ARMA remains the "supernatural police" of the EAA. 

--TRAINING AND TACTICS--

While ARMA has a deserved reputation for being somewhat loose and informal, each of its members has undergone extensive training in supernatural matters, the safe handling of artifacts, and in combat against both supernatural and mundane threats. They draw on police and military training as well as the magical training of the Order, with the goal of producing highly effective and independent agents.

ARMA agents are not often deployed in large groups, instead they typically operate in small groups of two or three, similar to the NYPD (with whom they maintain a cordial, if sometimes chilly relationship). Their tactics rely on this flexibility, the ability to react quickly and rely on your partner to counter threats, and even when larger groups are deployed this system of partners is the foundation of their strategy. Their training favors creative tactics over rote protocol, and as such they are often able to surprise and out-think their opponents, or at least find some way to out-maneuver them. Partners are therefore chosen very carefully, to pick a pair whose abilities (supernatural or not) will be complimentary.

Because of this, in a stand-up fight they tend to be at a certain disadvantage when compared to groups like the Vanguard, but multiple teams working together have been shown to be highly effective in disrupting larger formations and picking them apart - a necessary tactic given the fact that despite being one of the larger groups in NY, the mindset and ability required to make it within the group results in a small pool of acceptable applicants. They are accustomed to being outnumbered, but this mindset means that they do not consider it such a disadvantage after all. For operations against larger forces, the involvement of the better-armed Shield division is a necessity.