Fulcrum
Fulcrum is Fynwell’s elite task force created to track down rogue magic users and deal with supernatural threats that the Night Watch and City Guard are unable to handle.It was originally staffed and overseen by the Mages Guild but the Senate eventually decreed this to be a conflict of interest. These days Fulcrum answers to the Ministry of Justice, and it recruits it’s operatives outside the guild system. As a result Fulcrum agents come from all walks of life and all lend their unique talents to the organization.
Agents of Fulcrum wear the Fulcrum Sigil rune, typically on a brass badge clipped to their cloak or tunic. Each agent is also given a ceremonial Fulcrum Dagger which is imbued with magic. The sigil and dagger are both symbols of the power and authority of an agent. Besides those two items, agents are not required to wear any kind of uniform. They may also remove the badge and conceal the dagger to go undercover during the course of an investigation.
Role and Responsibilities
The mission of Fulcrum to uphold the laws concerning licit use of magic.
Fynwell law explicitly prohibits any magic, which:
- is used to directly harm citizens
- subverts the natural order of things against the will of the gods
- desecrates the remains or enslaves the spirits of citizens
- provides means of extra-planar travel
Furthermore Fynwell law explicitly prohibits entry to the city to any undead or extra-planar creatures such as fiends, angels, devils and the like.
Fulcrum agents capture and arrest practitioners forbidden magic, neutralize their powers and provide District Justicars with evidence of their crime so that they can face a trial if they are citizens, or be banished from the city if they are not.
Fulcrum agents also track down any creatures or beings who arrived in the city via magical or illegal means and whose presence is illegal or dangerous to the citizens. Some creatures are to be killed on sight, while others (such as benign plane walker tourists just passing through) are to be escorted out of the city.
Some citizens are given special dispensation to practice forbidden magic lawfully. They must posses an official letter from the Ministry of Magic, Letter of Immunity from Ministry of Justice and a complement of safety letters from the Mages Guild.
Powers and Privileges
The Fynwell Night Watch are trained to recognize the Fulcrum Sigil and are required to assist you in your investigations. This includes but is not limited to sharing of information, access to facilities and assistance when making an arrest. That said they are not required to sacrifice their lives fighting supernatural foes. Sheriffs of the Night Watch must comply with Fulcrum requests to the best of their ability, unless this would put their men in mortal danger.
Agents of Fulcrum have no authority over the City Guard and must obey their orders. While City Guard will often provide Fulcrum with assistance they do not have legal obligation to do so.
Agents of Fulcrum you can make an arrest and interrogate a citizen but must either release them or hand them over to Night Watch or City Guard and present the District Justicar with the evidence of their crime before the next sunrise. Beings from the races or groups included on The Index can be detained indefinitely, put to death or released at the discretion of the Agents.
Agents above the law but do have dispensation to use deadly force and offensive magic in the course of your duty.
Organization
Fulcrum is Decentralized and organized into self self sufficient cells. Each district has a local a Fulcrum Tower which is usually a 3-4 floor building made out of magically reinforced brick or stone which provides work space for up to a dozen agents. Most Districts only have about four to six active agents at any given time. The tower is also a home to a Custodian (or two).
Custodians are are usually elderly Fulcrum Agents who can no longer serve in the field, but can assist other Agents with their experience and help with paperwork and research. They're tasked with maintaining the tower's front office, talking to citizens, and assisting in investigations in research capacity.
The Fulcrum agents work under the District Govenor who acts as their direct supervisor. There is also a Fulcrum Coordination Office located in Red Mesa district which puts out procedural guidelines and maintains The Index. The office is staffed by distinguished senior Agents and supervised by a Grad Coordinator.
The office deals with human resources matters (hires, transfers, retirements, Custodian appointments), training and resource management.
Local Governors can override any procedural guidelines and provide temporary or permanent clemency to creatures on The Index, provided they can abide by the laws of the city.
