Bureau of Tracking Supernatural

Type BTS into a search engine and you'll come up with results for Broadcast Television Systems, bug tracking systems, games, and several others including the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. What you won't find is the Bureau of Tracking Supernatural (BTS). Another U.S. Bureau with the same acronym is intentional. If someone in the government mentions the BTS, most will never look further than what's right in front of their face. A few learn of the secret government organization, but not what it does. Theories include that it's a secret agency in the Department of Defense, while others believe it's a subdivision of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Originally formed in 1947 to help track and study supernatural beings, the BTS is an independent agency of the U.S. Government. Agents would investigate matters believed to involve supernatural beings, study them, track their movements, patterns, habits, weaknesses, and gather as much information as possible. Gaining accurate intelligence on this threat was the top priority. While the government was barely learning of the existence and dangers, the supernatural threat had a large head start on information about them which meant the BTS had a lot of catching up to do.

In 1956 the bureau's third director, Timothy White, took over the BTS. White agreed with sentiments of seeking out everything un-American. While he believed communism a threat, he believed that supernatural beings were even more un-American and a greater threat that needed to be wiped out. The agency took a drastic change in direction, focusing on eliminating all supernatural entities encountered. Tracking and research was only a valuable asset as a tool for hunting down the threats and being able to effectively eliminate them.

Throughout the years the BTS has gone through several directors, each with slight variations of how to run things. None of these changes have been as severe as those of Timothy White, but have caused the BTS to take a slow change over the decades. Currently agents hunt, study, capture, tag, and kill various supernatural threats depending on a threat evaluation.

 

The Hunted

The focus on the BTS is hunting supernatural beings. Though what is a supernatural being? Each person may have varying views on that matter, but for the BTS the term is applied to anything not natural, especially something intelligent and yet not human. Animals, fish, bugs, plants, etc. aren't human but are all natural, and none of them are considered intelligent (in human terms). While demons, vampires, werebeasts, poltergeists, and other supernatural predators are their primary concern, they are not their only targets. Also hunted are humans with inhuman powers such as psionics and magic. The BTS term for them is "almost human," but perhaps a more politically correct term would be "special humans."

 

Supernatural

Their primary objective is to locate supernatural elements, determine if they're a threat, and then proceed from there. If the supernatural being is not a threat, then the agent's job is to study it, make note of it, and tag the being for tracking. By tagging a supernatural being the BTS can keep track of the being and its habits. Then, if it ever gets out of line or becomes a danger, they can easily find it and treat it as a hostile threat. Agents are scheduled to perform routine check-ins on tagged beings, often covertly. The frequency of the check-ins depends on the being and previous reviews but no less than once a year.

Examples of non-hostile threats include a Haunting Ghost that doesn't do anyone harm. Another is a trickster demon who, despite being a demon, never actually causes anyone serious harm and only plays pranks. Though the demon is likely to get a lecture and told to never do it again, or next time they won't be so nice about it. The BTS has even employed a pair of werejaguars they found in Mexico that had only been hunting vampires at the time. In all these cases, the important factor is that these supernatural beings posed no immediate threat to the safety of humans.

Supernatural beings categorized as threats are to be dealt with immediately. While the BTS is designed to "track" supernatural beings, they have become quite efficient at killing them. Agents are trained in offensive abilities of threat types, habits to hunt them, and vulnerabilities. Having studied, tracked, and recorded data on the supernatural for over half a century they've gained considerable knowledge and experience on the subject.

 

Psychics

Psychics are humans that have developed mental powers known as psionics. While they are humans in nearly every way, they are considered human mutations and not true humans. A psychic will be given every chance to surrender peacefully, but in the end a psychic threat will be put down as readily as any demon. Even a non-threat psychic requires precautionary measures though. Any psychic found will be taken to the Psychic Research Center. There are no discussions on the matter, only two choices: compliance or termination. Should the psychic resist and manage to escape, he'll be considered a threat and hunted by the agency.

The Psychic Research Center (PRC) is an organization set up to study and train psychics. While studying is useful, training is even more important. An untrained psychic is a danger to himself and the world at large. Without training a psychic's powers may respond to subconscious thoughts and desires, unable to be turned off and rage out of control, activate and stop totally at random causing unintentional harm, or several other possibilities. To help prevent tragedies from untrained psychics the Psychic Research Center was born.

Ideally students are found at an early age of childhood, trained in both school and their psychic powers, then after graduation they join the BTS as productive agents. Students in the program are even shown propaganda posters and videos, hear lectures from agents about the exciting life and importance of the career, and given other materials to help make them feel the BTS is a natural application for their powers and the only real choice for them to make.

Reality doesn't always mesh well with ideals however. Many students resent the BTS for taking them away from their families, feel like the PRC is a prison or ward in an insane asylum, hate their powers as a source of persecution, and other unintended mental side affects from the program. While the current system does have its flaws, it is currently their only option for controlling the situation. Without the PRC there would only be anarchy, and many psychics would suffer from different trauma related to all the damage they've caused and the people they've hurt due to lack of control.

Even adults discovered with psychic powers are required to attend the PRC for a time, even those self-taught or with private training to have control. The reasons for this are two fold. First, these "amateurs" may have missed some critical details in training. With the PRC training these gaps in training can be filled in to make them a "proper" psychic. Second, it allows the PRC to make a file on the subject for the BTS database. This way if a psychic ever starts to cause problems, they can use this database to reference. Adults must stay at least long enough to pass the tests and prove they have control.

Director Shaw is running an investigation into the actions of the PRC. He's received anonymous tips that the PRC have been conducting unauthorized experiments on psychics in a secret laboratory. Whether there is any truth or not to the rumors remains to be seen, and no one even knows who provided the anonymous information. The fact Director Shaw is personally overseeing the investigation indicates he has reason to believe the reports are true, or reason to hinder an investigation from learning the truth if he's aware of something else going on behind the scenes.

 

Magic

Probably the single most lingering legacy to the term of Timothy White as Director of the BTS is their stance on magic. Magic is considered an evil corrupting force. While people may study magic with the best of intentions, the magical forces at work will sooner or later corrupt the magic user into evil. In the last half a century there has been no official changes to this philosophy and there is still a strict no magic user policy in affect for the BTS. The only exceptions to this rule are people who can cast magic naturally, such as Mystics, who never study magic. This is because Mystics are considered closer to psychics than true magic users, mutated humans with unique powers. Any agent practicing magic, or using magical forces like a Witch, will be handled with extreme prejudice, just like any traitor.

Students of the arcane are permitted outside of the BTS organization, but are still considered within their field of authority. Any magic user deemed not a present threat will still be watched with great suspicion, waiting for the time when the mystic forces corrupt their one time master. While the BTS doesn't make a habit of getting involved in every cult, those that perform genuine magical rituals will be of interest to the agency.

Cults with deadly intent are handled like any supernatural threat. Due to their size, specially trained strike squads are sent in to deal with the situation quickly and efficiently. With small cults that mean no harm, like a bunch of kids who think it's a game and have no idea what types of forces they're dealing with, will be broken up and their members put on a type of probation for life. A parking ticket or theft won't raise the interest of the BTS, but any sign of practicing magic again, ever, will be considered breaking probation and register them as a threat.

 

Agents and Equipment

Equipment is an important part of the agency. Silver bullets for a gun can be the difference between life and death when the agent is fighting a werewolf, and the proper detection equipment can be critical when trying to track down an invisible entity or demon. The BTS understands this fact well and provides the best it can. While an amateur or privately funded group may have cheap equipment that breaks, has questionable power supplies, is unreliable, jury-rigged together on an inadequate budget, and countless other problems, an agent's equipment doesn't have these problems.

The more complicated and high tech gear becomes the more things that can go wrong with it. To keep things sturdy and reliable, agents tend to rely on the basics as much as possible. Simple and effective is the key to an agent's gear. If a piece of equipment can't hold up to surviving in the trunk of a car on a bumpy road, being thrown around or dropped in a fight, or risks several other complications then it doesn't belong in an agent's standard equipment. A typical agent's philosophy is that some people may have more high tech equipment, but that doesn't make it better. They only rely on specialty gadgets and gear when the situation requires it.

Gear can be taken away or lost in a fight, so instead of relying on fancy equipment agents are taught to rely on their training. While every agent goes through basic hand to hand training, throwing a good punch won't help much against a supernatural demon or vampire. The focus of an agent's training is on investigation, research, and tactics. First, investigate the scene, find clues, and question possible witnesses. Second, research and figure out what type of threat they're up against. Third, apply what they know into an effective battle plan to take down the supernatural threat. Investigation and research lead to successfully locating and identifying the target, and good tactics keep an agent alive.

 

Analysis of the BTS

Type and Purpose

This is a large agency whose primary objective is to locate supernatural elements, determine if they're a threat, and then proceed from there. If the supernatural being is not a threat, then the agent's job is to study it, make note of it, and tag the being for tracking. Supernatural beings categorized as threats are to be dealt with immediately. The exact number of BTS agents is never disclosed, not even to individual departments, but the agency does have offices in several major cities across the United States and work assignments nationally.

 

Sponsorship

This is an off the books government agency. Agents need to follow a lot of bureaucracy such as rules, regulations, and paperwork, but as the group works behind the scenes they are allowed considerably more leeway than most government agencies. They are also able to have superiors pull strings and allow them access to restricted places or help them out of other trouble. Agents have almost little freedom in determining their investigations. Since the operations are off the books and dealing with powerful inhuman beings, agents are given a freehand and may break the law in the pursuit of official agency goals. They are still held accountable for damages and accidental deaths.

 

Status

The BTS is currently in good standing with the government and well liked. This allows them access to government and military supplies for their agents, with potential funding for special equipment as needed. However, since the BTS is not officially recognized, agents have no identification and aren't known by other agencies or local police. Depending on the situation, f apprehended by other authorities the BTS is likely to leave the agents in the wind. This is a danger agents know going into the field.

Well not officially recognized, the BTS does have connections. Upon special circumstances they can request military aid. At any given time, the Director of the BTS can summon between 150 to 200 soldiers from the National Guard or veterans from the armed forces, depending upon availability. These soldiers still follow orders from a military commander, but the commander is instructed to work with the BTS agent in question. Only the Director of the BTS can make such a call, and this means the request must be made to him (or her). This is only done under special circumstances, and never done lightly.

 

BTS Agents

A majority of agents (90%) are normal humans. These agents usually specialize in investigation and/or research. Combat training is required for all agents, but only the basics. When in the field knowing how to throw a punch or kick is rarely of use when fighting something like a vampire or demon. All agents must study information on the supernatural. While most have a general knowledge, focusing mostly on movement habits for tracking and combat abilities (including vulnerabilities), there are some who take a specialization. Specialty agents lack general knowledge, but excel on knowledge of their specialized being (such as vampires) and attempt to learn everything there is on the subject even finding and researching obscure lore.

The agency also employs a small number of psychic agents (10%). Psychics are usually only deployed on special assignment when their specific talents can be of use, though some have found their way into normal field work. In addition to psychics, less than 1% of agents have some other special talent such as innate magical abilities (Mystic) or of another inhuman nature. This includes the possibility of supernatural beings.

While human agents are the most common (90%) and are given considerable leeway, not all the others are so fortunate. Psychics and other humans with powers are considered almost human, with only minor precautions taken. This includes being secretly tagged and annual security screening. Supernatural beings and other non-humans that join, either willingly or as an alternative to being killed, are secretly tagged, require routine security screenings no less than once a year, often limited to living on BTS grounds, and secretly have a small explosive device in their bodies that can be activated remotely.

Normal human agents average 3rd level of higher, while psychics and other special talent agents may start off any level (even 1st). All BTS agents are civil servants, being funded by the taxpayers. Agents earn their base salary, with a hazard pay bonus (1D4x$100) depending on assignment. While this doesn't pay as well as private industries it does provide job security and good benefits. The BTS only provides a meager budget for operations.

 

Internal Security

Every entrance and exit to the BTS bases is under constant video monitoring with alert guards and electronic alarms. Everyone entering is checked for fingerprints signature, subjected to a metal detector, and must be personally recognized. Applicants are put through rigorous tests and a thorough screening method. Screening methods include normal methods such as background checks and references, but also include psychic scans. No one is accepted into the agency unless the BTS feels confident they can be trusted.

This means that most agents have all the skeletons in their closets in a file on their boss' desk somewhere, though this information isn't normally shared with the agent's partner. Superiors attempt to keep agents from entering into a situation that may cause problems. There are a few cases of agents with well trained minds capable of resisting probes to maintain personal secrets, but still given clearance due to confidence they can be trusted to do the job. It is still possible that an agent may decide to change loyalties one day and betray them.

 

Offices and Distribution

This is a national government agency with offices in every major city and field agents in every medium sized community. These offices are filed under false names, or concealed all together. Only affiliates of the BTS know their location.

 

Armament

Agents have access to modern firearms and weapon accessories. This can include automatic weapons, heavy guns, flamethrowers, and explosives. These weapons can be both legal and illegal, as well as special ammunition such as wooden stakes and silver or copper bullets. Since agents aren't under any official government blanket that means being caught with illegal weapons can mean trouble. Most agents only carry a standard sidearm (with proper license) and combat knife, with some adding special gear in the truck of their car.

 

Vehicles

A standard government vehicle is available to agents. This is taken from the fleet of standard, unmodified vehicles including small cars, minivans, and SUV. It's common for agents to use personal vehicles while on the job, preferring various features and modifications over the standard government car.

 

Sensory Equipment

The BTS supplies its agents with high tech gear. Agents are provided two cameras with advanced optics, and one set of goggles or a weapon sight with advanced optics for each team member. "Advanced optics" can either be ultraviolet, infrared, heat sensing or passive nightvision. Each system has its own advantages. Heat sensing and infrared systems are best for finding mages or creatures which are magically invisible. Heat sensors have been demonstrated as also being useful in determining when psychic is using psionic powers. Ultraviolet systems are best for illuminating ectoplasm, astral beings and entities. Nightvision is best for finding ones way around a dark room without tripping over furniture.

The agents also have 1D6 surveillance devices like tracer bugs and telephone bugs (full list on Pages 246-247 of 1st edition Beyond the SupernaturalTM), one area sensor system like a microwave fence or ground vibration sensor system (full list on Page 247 of 1st edition Beyond the SupernaturalTM), two laser range finders or laser tape measures, one dosimeter and one amplified sound detector. Each agent will have a miniature flashlight, a laser pointer, one high-end electronic audio recorder, pocket ionization sensor or portable magnitometer for detecting electro-magnetic fields, digital pocket thermometer, portable temperature & humidity recorder and a stopwatch.

Individual offices may also have $50,000 worth of other high tech gear, a portable laboratory, multi-optic helmets or optic bands for each team member, the latest inventions in paranormal investigations, as well as items recovered in the field while on assignment. All items belong to the agency and are simply on loan to the agents.

 

Communications

Instant communication anywhere in the world is provided through a system of ground-based, microwave transmitters and satellite relay stations. Each agent is provided a satellite phone with a scrambled, private signal channel, hand held computer on this network, portable radios with scramblers, G.P.S. trackers, and advanced security software.

 

Clothing & Armor

Standard armor, protective clothing, pilot outfits, S.C.U.B.A. gear, plus any other standard outfits are available. Civilian clothing is fairly classy, usually wearing nice suits. Additional wardrobe can be provided for disguises and other use.

 

Medical Equipment

The BTS has a private medical staff for agents. Having to explain injuries received from a supernatural threat could prove difficult in a normal hospital, not to mention normal doctors may not always know what they're dealing with. Agents are also provided with standard first aid kits. Proper skills are still required regardless of equipment.

 

Research Library

Every BTS office contains a wealth of information within its databases that can be accessed from any office across the nation. Individual offices may contain libraries with additional resources not in the database, often containing local lore from the region. The BTS office in New York has the largest research library of all the agencies. It contains several old tomes and books, some of which have yet to be cataloged, and an entire section devoted to the arcane arts.

While the arcane texts have no known spells, it does contain information to help identify specific rituals, curses, and even spell casting fundamentals which help serve as the basis for becoming a mage later. Unknown to the New York branch, their library contains part of an arcane code hidden within a tome in their arcane section. This tome is part of a five part puzzle. If a master of the arcane can gather all five tomes and decrypt their code, then they will unlock the secrets to long lost arcane arts.

 

Notable NPC

Director Jeremiah Shaw (Unknown)

Current Director of the BTS, little is known about Jeremiah Shaw other than he's an older gentleman with white hair. His record shows that he's served a career in the military, but there are parts of that record which are redacted. He treats his people well, and has gone out of his way to help agents in trouble, more so than any other director in the history of the BTS. With that said, he's a hard man to see or talk to. Information is passed through him through various heads of departments and often filtered again through his secretary. Anyone going to see him in person must first talk to his secretary, a male psychic who probes every individual planning to see the director. Only upon his blessing may someone be allowed to see the director in person.

 

Agent Cal Graves (11th level Hunter Agent)

While only a teenager his girlfriend was "turned" into a supernatural being, her humanity stripped away. The BTS learned of supernatural activity. By the time they arrived they found her dead and Cal standing over the body. The agency has never been able to learn what exactly happened that day, not even with psychic probing. They say whatever happened was so traumatic that his mind locked it away so that not even he can remember except through fragmented dreams. Regardless of how it happened, the one thing they do know is that he killed a supernatural being with no formal training. Any teenager that can do that was deemed a worthy of recruitment. He has been a dedicated BTS agent for the last 15 years and is considered one of the best agents they have. Due to his past he has no compassion for the supernatural, good or evil.

 

Agent Alyssa Roberts (9th level Mystic; all magic are Air Elemental spells)

According to her, she is the descendent from a race of nature spirits who bred with humans centuries ago, when humans moved into their lands, and that her abilities are inherited from her bloodline. This would suggest if she ever gave birth her child would also have mystic abilities. Even though she's a mystic, she's been with the BTS for years and earned their trust, as much as any mystic can, and given the lightest restrictions possible. She has a strong natural empathy, and senses the buried pain in the psyche of Cal Graves, her partner for the last 6 years. She's tried to help heal his pain, but he's proved resistant to all of her efforts.

 

Agent Scott Evans (1st level Hunter Agent)

Scott Evans is an agent in training (at least until level 3). Director Shaw says he sees a lot of a young Agent Graves in him, so he's teamed him with two of the best. Currently he's apprenticed to Agent Graves and Agent Roberts. Agent Roberts feels while the "kid" (age 19) has no fear, his greatest liability is a lack of empathy to others. She feels that if he can ever start using his emotions that he'll become a much better agent. On his last training assignment he actually leaped out a second story window and hit the pavement below with a roll to his feet, then proceeded to pursue his target as if nothing happened. The conflict ended when, with the support of Agents Graves and Roberts, he killed the werewolf in close quarters combat with a silver plated combat knife, a feat many agents are still astonished over. Evans though feels at unease about the mission. He says that something was off with the werewolf he killed, as if some other force had been tampering with it somehow making it "different." More experienced say it's just a rookie over thinking things, but he's convinced there is something more going on behind the scenes. He just has no proof yet.

 

Agent Joshua Hearn (3rd level Parapsychologist; no spells)

Joshua is a brilliant, but rather naïve, and kind hearted, some say too nice to be an effective agent, researcher. He spent his first year at agency in the New York branch, his nose in a book the entire time. He found the arcane section particularly fascinating. Now he's found himself transferred to a small town in southern Wisconsin. There he is to keep tabs on a talented arcanist by the name of Sam Marsh. Joshua has actually ended up befriending Sam, and they talk about various supernatural topics for hours. Sam borrows Joshua books, and Joshua helps with information he's learned through his research. Unknown to Joshua, Sam is actually using him for information and he's given away more information than he ever meant to. Through their talks, Sam has learned the location of the tome containing a piece of an arcane puzzle. Joshua has no clue of the tome's significance, nor does he realize that Sam has one of the other four pieces already.

 

Agent Marcus Walker (2nd level Firewalker)

Agent Walker is an orphan, or at least that's what agency records show. His earliest memories are already being a part of the PRC, and he can't seem to remember anything before that. He figures it must've been traumatic living on the streets, and he just made himself forget so he doesn't dwell too long on the fact. Without knowing his family history, the PRC named him Walker due to his abilities as a Firewalker. Recently though he's been having blackouts. When he wakes up, he's always fine and in a safe, familiar place. At least during two blackouts he's learned their have murders involving burned corpses, no traces of an accelerant found at the scene. He's done the math, and knows he could've made it to both scenes in the time he lost during his blackouts. Still, he'd desperately like to believe there is something else behind these murders. So far he's told no one about his situation. He figures at best they may learn his unstable, at worst they may dissect him like some lab rat to figure out what went wrong with him.

 

Agent Zia Zalesh (1st level Psychic Medium)

Due to her name she's earned the nickname Agent Z. Due to her young age (age 15) some of the agents like to ask if it's her nap time and maybe she should catch some Z's. To this she just sighs and rolls her eyes at such comments, ignoring them and figuring she's older than they are, at least mentally. Even at age 5 Zia never really acted like a kid. Maybe it had something to do with the fact her mother was never around and her father spent more time chasing women than taking care of her. She had no choice but to take care of herself if she wanted to survive. Her maturity is probably the reason she made it through the PRC as fast as she did. Even though she's made it through the PRC, the BTS doesn't want her out in the field due to her age. Zia thinks that is foolishly discriminating, but is in no position to argue. At present she's stuck in the BTS offices so she can first "learn the ropes." Her agenda is slightly different though. She intends to wait for the right mission to come along where she's needed and they can't refuse her assignment. She's determined to find a way, even if it means editing out some information to make it work. Once she proves herself, then they'll have to accept her as a real agent, at least in her mind. If she ever is let out on a mission though, it's safe to bet that she'll be surrounded by an entire team of agents to make sure she's safe and out of trouble. Of all the BTS agents she's met so far, she likes Agent Johnson the best. Maybe it's because he always pronounces her name Agent Zed instead of the American way of saying Z, or maybe just because hhe always makes her smile.

 

Dr. Dexter Mardo (5th level Genius)

An absolute genius that some say makes Einstein look like an idiot in comparison, Dr. Mardo is the smartest scientist the BTS has in its employ. His IQ is the highest ever recorded (IQ 30). When the BTS first found him, he was little more than another conspiracy theorist no one took seriously. This brought him to the attention of the BTS, especially when they realized many of his theories were accurate. His greatest moment in life was learning he wasn't crazy like everyone thought. He's since become a great asset to the BTS. Unfortunately, his greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. He has so many ideas running around he rarely stays focused on one for long, making it difficult for him to ever finish anything. On top of that, he is so busy with his research that he often forgets simple things such as showering, brushing his teeth, combing his hair, and other basic day to day tasks. If he ever took care of himself, he'd actually be an attractive man. His sloppy appearance however detracts from his natural beauty. When he gets an idea he tends to scribble them down immediately. This is done on whatever is nearby causing scribbled notes to be found in the margins of books, personnel files, on tables and walls, and even on other scientists or BTS agents who happen to be nearby. At almost all times Dexter has notes written on his hands, and often forearms as well.

 

Dr. Kaitlyn Ortega (4th level Scientist)

Kaitlyn is a brilliant woman, and if she worked anywhere else she'd probably be the head of some department making a huge salary. Instead, she's more of an assistant to Dr. Mardo than an independent researcher. Her intelligence is overshadowed by his allowing her talents to go overlooked. Yet, she's the only one who seems able to control him. Without Kaitlyn at his side Dr. Mardo would be nearly useless. They've tried hiring him assistants, but none have had nearly as much success as Dr. Ortega. She helps keep him focused on a single project, making sure he take care of his daily hygiene, and giving him sticky notes so he stops writing on everything in sight. But she still can't get him to comb his hair. Even though Dr. Mardo often dismisses her ideas because they don't agree with his, she is probably the only scientist he respects on an intellectual level, a sweet kid who may one day be half as brilliant as him. He thanks her often, and has even credited a few of her "misguided" ideas as the inspiration for some of his successes.

 

Kahsh and Ghiva (6th level Werejaguars)

A mated pair originally from the wilds of Mexico, Kahsh and Ghiva agreed to join the BTS for personal reasons. Those reasons being they love the thrill of the hunt. Whether they do it in the wilds or for the BTS makes no difference for them. The main benefit to working with the agency is that they can have new hunting grounds and given new types prey, not waiting for whatever wanders into their territory. However, they are beginning to grow bored working for the agency. They're starting to think a new hunt may prove more interesting: Hunting BTS Agents as prey. Unknown to the BTS, Ghiva learned of the tracking bugs and explosive devices planted in them long ago. Kahsh even has a plan of how to remove them if they ever make their move. After all, what's a little pain and blood to a race that can regenerate so fast? Should they decide to make this action, they intend to strategically plant the removed explosives inside the BTS headquarters, so if their explosives are triggered remotely the BTS hurt themselves.