Threshold Agents in the UK

[Lupus]

Okay this is just idea's not saying this is how it goes but throwing open a History idea for starting the use of Agents in the UK.

A lot of the info here has come from the History of MI₅ which i'm reading

11 September 1920  During a meeting between President Woodrow Wilson and Prime Minister David Lloyd George information is passed to the UK Goverment about the Cult of the Black Goat.

13 September 1920 Prime Minister Lloyd George summons Director General of the newly renamed MI₅ Vernon Kell.  He passes information supplied by the US and instructs Kell to deal with it within his organisation as its a threat to the UK freedom as much as the recent esponage attempts by Germany during WWI.

November 1920  Initial money gives Kell enough to create a team of 7 Officer's Commanded by Major Philip Bradshaw plus 10 acidemics from varous Universaties and 2 leading Theologen's along with 20 support staff.  Creating MI_5(j).  Most of these staff were those leaving MI₅ due to a down sizing after the end of the recent war and Kells refocus of the team.

MI_5(j) takes up residence in 73-75 Queens Gate, Kensington, SW7.  Very close to resources at the Natural History Museum.

Using Laws passed by Winston Churchill (Home Secretary prior to WWI).  Bradshaws team use the Censorship Warrants to monitor post to and from known safe houses.

It also starts investigating other information.  Additional power's are granted by Edward Shortt the Home Secretary to censor all forms of communication.  Which also brings additiona funds from the treasury.  Varous Items are handed over to Bradshaws department from Universities and Historic Cetres in the UK that have been held in dark vaults for safe keeping.

This requires MI_5(j) to expand its team into radio communications an area not overly used by MI₅ during WWI.

Securitas Vigilantiae Instantis Praemium Certainly becomes the phrase that MI_5(j) come to work by.

[jnr]

Your thinking along similar lines I been thinking off since I got the game, the British Isles and Europe on a whole leads it self to a vast heritage of horror, we have burial mounds in the UK and Europe just like in America, we have Stonehenge, we have the British museum, who knows what lies in it, loads of castles and many large manors that some Lord may be using for dark rituals.
And there are many isles off the coast of Scotland that may be a haven for the deep ones; maybe there is no Lochness monster, but a Cthulhu monster that’s trapped in our dimension and can’t escape.
what did Winston Churchill really mean when he said this
(Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning)
Was we winning the long struggle agenst the Elders and there minions, who can tell.

[Lupus]

what did Winston Churchill really mean when he said this
(Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning)
Was we winning the long struggle agenst the Elders and there minions, who can tell.

Well from reading about his involvement in the early creation of MI5 (They were MO5 then) he certainly understood that there was so much more going on behind the scene's and he had little trust for gentlemen who hadn't proved themselves or came by money in means not of inheritance.  Its why he allowed the opening of mail and later telegram's, he felt some men needed protecting from themselves.

You certainly have lots of idea links during WWI MI5 looked into seditious groups in the UK, Pacifist and so forth.  Even the start of the CPGB (Communist party of Great Britain.) so they had wide ranging power's.  They had member's from all walks of life and even had Police Officer's of varying ranks working for them.  Parts of what they did crossed with Special Branch but both side had a very healthy rivalry which lends well to having a solid mix of Agents.

Like you said the British Isles are full of scope.  You could have MI5 Agents maybe parts of G section looking at information on a possible subversive group when then uncover an eldrich tome as part of a raid the whole thing is handed over to J section to deal with.

[Lupus]

Characters within MI_5(j)

Major Philip Bradshaw

Like many MI₅ officers of his time Major Bradshaw listed a lot of outdoor activities in his pursuits (Shooting, coursing, Fly-Fishing).  As the eldest sun of a Scottish Land Owner he had been educated at Eton, before joining the Black Watch.  He had a good understanding of several languages and a keen interest in archaeology.  In 1916 he came to the attention of Kell after Bradshaw had sent transcripts of messages back to the UK that he had deciphered himself. 

Originally employed in G section Bradshaw had been responsible for helping to keep track of subversive elements in the UK.  Many who were thought to be support by the German government.  During one investigation into the Communist Club in London Bradshaw came across documents talking about ancient God's.  As it wasn't anything of pressing need, it along with other strange documents seized were held within MI₅'s vault for later inspection.  Though Bradshaw made several attempts to catalogue the information against what he knew and even consulted with a few Eton old boys including Father Donovan Mitchel who he later recruited into MI_5(j)

When Prime Minister Lloyd George asked Kell to start a section over looking the information supplied by the American's Kell forced the Prime Minister to promote Bradshaw who was still a Captain at the time.  He pointed out that a man who'd looked death in the face then had to deal with sedition in the heart of those at home deserved to at least be a Colonel, he settled for Bradshaw being made a Major though.  Handing over the dossier to Bradshaw Kell commented it would be up his alley and then he threw the Major pip on top and told Bradshaw that he was out of uniform and needed to set a better example.

Taking over rooms at Queens Gate Bradshaw was pleased that several of his new team had friends at the local Natural History Museum and was very appreciative of the access to various books and information they were willing to offer.  He also managed to secure an area to store some of the valuable artefacts that they had acquired from the UK and abroad.

Father Donovan Mitchel

Donovan is a man that has certainly got a chequred past.  A one time confidence trickster during a spell in prison he is supposed to of seen God in his cell telling him about the hard time ahead and that man needed new warriors to combat this.  This alleged scene changed Donovon over night turning him into a model prisoner.  On leaving Prison he managed to get a scholaship to Eton to study Theology where he met Bradshaw.  Both had a passion for debate as well the love of the out door's.  After the out break of WWI Donovan was an outspoken preacher of the wrongness of it all.  Warning people that they weakened the human race against the ancient enemies.

When Bradshaw met Donovan at Trinity College Cambridgeshire with a pile of documents.  Showing him a few Bradshaw was more than surprised when Donovan produced duplicates of these document he'd procured recently.  It didn't take Bradshaw long to convince Donovan to join the team at MI_5(j).

Father Mitchel has links to the Roman Catholic Church, its rumoured he has aided there exorcists more than once as well as alleged links to the fabled Gladius Dei.

Father Mitchel has convinced a few of his learned clergy friends to offer assistance though on a couple have ever been employed as Agents.

Detective Inspector Elbert "Bertie" Conway

Bertie is what most people would call a self made man.  As a child he worked anywhere he could to earn himself some money to feed himself.  His family had abandoned him in London at an early age and he lived where he could.  Not falling in with any gangs was one of the notable things which helped him keep himself to himself.  At age 12 Bertie saw a terrible crime and helped the local Police find the perpetrator.  Amazed with his ability at detection and the way he could organise things even at a young age he became the clean up boy at Charring Cross Police Station.  When he was old enough he joined the Police for real.  Given a real start in life Bertie soaked up every idea he could, then regurtated them in a better way.  He had made Sergeant in 4 years which should his skill.  In 1916 he joined MO₅ as a detective, helping them with Subversive in London.  His ability to look at odd facts and turn them into a working strategy were much prized by the team.  When Bradshaw was given control of MI_5(j) Bertie was one of the first Civilians that he offered a job to.  Bertie runs all Police employed by MI_5(j).  He also looks at every case file to see if elements found at one scene can be linked to other's.  He is slowly building up a web of information that worries him more each day.

Dr Roger Campbell

Dr Campbell is a recent addition to MI_5(j) having spent most of the past few years working in the US.  Educated at Eton, then with further training at Oxford before taking up a post at Richmond University in the US.  Dr Campbell is a chemical expert but is also well known for his study into the effects of many compounds on the human body.  This gives him a great understanding into some of the unique compounds found in creatures brought back by Agents or even substances found at location's.

Dr Campbell outside of his lab is a very quiet person seeming to spend most of his time listening to what other's have to say without saying anything himself.  This can lead to friction with some elements as they may feel he isn't interested, far from it.  He just thinks that idle chatter is a waste of time and resources.

Sir Lengren Barnaby

Barnaby or Barny to those that know him is a Gung Ho man always looking for adventure.  Educated at Harrow he excelled at anything he could turn his hand too, but he was well known for his athletic skills an well as charming the women.  During the war he was employed as a military courier his job to get things into places that couldn't normally be done.  he used this skill to get a great many things out that he shouldn't of as well.  Running a nice black market in rare antiquities and those treasure's that shouldn't be removed from certain places.

In 1919 he was apprehended by Agents of MI₅ whilst smuggling items from Egypt into the UK.  Investigated by a co-worker of Bradshaw his details were passed on when they discovered that a huge chunk of his clients were current MP's.  Barnie was more than happy to help the British Government with acquiring stuff they wanted.  His knowledge of artifacts, where they come from and who made them is starting to become very handy.  He's also seen a lot of things before and knows who has other copies of them in some cases he's been able to acquire these back as well.

People meting him the first time feel un-nerved as he seem's to weigh a man up with his green eyes working out how much he could get for them on the black market so many believe.

[Silverpaint68]

Very good I just begin to play Call of Cthulhu RPJ on UK instead of USA, some of your ideas are very good for me.

I'll search ideas for my group as a big brotherhood... why not MI5 ?

And so can I play with miniatures too.

I've had an idea for multi players parts : each player is controlling a Character  (like his RPG one), with a few agents bound (or not). They can play both or for their own (my english is not so good, I hope you understand what I say ).

[Lupus]

Glad its useful i'll be adding more Characters as well i'd like to have maybe 4-5 of the main people in MI5 listed then give some freedom for other stuff..

Will be wraching the History archives for people as well as a list of whose who won't ever go a miss and if anyone finds stuff post it up and i'll use what i can to expand.

[jnr]

The British Government involvement in Cthulhu myth's goes way back to the reign of Queen Victoria, during her reign there had been several attempts on her life, this being the eighth  and  last attempt by a Scotsman named  Roderick Maclean in 1882, these attempts was put down to subversion groups backed by foreign powers, or so the public were lead to believe, but had been done bye a occults of followers of a unknown  god only known as Great Old One.
It was after this last assassin attempt that the government had been forced to act, this last attempt happened in broad day light in full view of the public.
With this occult having lord’s Duke’s and Government Ministers in it’s ranks and member of high society, it was proposed that a force be made up to combat this threat, but how this could be done with out the government showing its hand.
The then Prime Minister William Gladstone and a group of trusted friends and ministers decided to act.
It was around this time that trouble was stirring in Ireland, it was proposed that a special police force be set up to deal with the Irish subversions, this would not seem out of place  as Prime Minister Gladstone in 1881 had established the Irish Coercion Act, which permitted the Lord Lieutenant to detain people for as "long as was thought necessary" this and many other reforms that the Irish did not like and was revolting against.
This force was to be known as Special Branch, or Special Irish Branch, as it was known, was a unit of London’s Metropolitan Police formed in March 1883 to combat the Irish Republican Brotherhood. The Irish soubriquet was subsequently dropped as the unit's remit widened, Special Branch has responsibility for gathering, collating and exploiting intelligence on extremist political and terrorist activity, disseminating intelligence for operational use and assisting other Government agencies to counter threats to the security of the United Kingdom.
This was the ideal cover that the government needed to combat the oculists.

[Lupus]

Cool more info to mix into it all..

I need to do a trawl of the internet and work out some who was who from British History in the 1920's so that there is that info if needed..

[Lupus]

Principal Libraries

The British Museum (Bloomsbury, London) ;

Keeper of Egyptian Antiquites E.A. Wallis Budge (1894 - 192?)
David George Hogarth WIKI
Leonard Wooley WIKI

The National Library of Scotland (Edinburgh, founded 1925);
The Bodleian Library, Oxford (good for oriental manuscripts) ;
The University Library, Cambridge ;
Trinity College Library, Cambridge;
The Cathedral Libraries of Durham, York, Exeter and Hereford (Exeter specialises in Saxon works whilst Hereford has a superb, if small collection of ancient Bibles, Greek, Roman and Arabic books) ;
John Rylands Library (Deansgate, Manchester) ;
The Society of Antiquaries (Archaeology -BurlingtonHouse, London)
The Royal Geographical Society (Maps - London) ;
The Theosophical Society (Occult-Bedford Square, London; 45 Lancaster Gate after 1931).

Postage

The postal service in the `20s and `30s was much better than it is today. Letter post was cheap and there were several deliveries a day.
It was quite possible to post a letter from London to Reading in the morning and receive a reply late in the afternoon . Foreign mail was some what more unreliable due to
the lack of a comprehensive airmail service. The fastest way to send a message from one place to another was by telegram . This service was still efficient and reliable, though
it was steadily being abandoned in favour of telephones throughout the period.

Prices:

Letters
1/4d for the first 2 oz; 1/2d per oz thereafter
Empire
1/2d for the first 1 oz; Id per 1 oz thereafter
Foreign
2 1/2dfor the first 1 oz; 11/2dper 1 oz thereafter
Parcels
6dfor21b; 9dfor 51b ; is for 8 lb
Telegrams
1s for the first 12 words (including address)then Id for each extra word. There was a 6d surcharge on Sundays and bank Holidays .

News Papers.

Daily Newspapers were common place by 1919 and there were many to choose from. They ranging from cheap tabloids at 1/2d or ld to the mighty Times at 2d. Aside from the Times, which was the only paper a gentleman need consider, other titles on offer(and their allegiances) included :
The Daily Telegraph (businessmen) ;
The Morning Post (Imperialist Conservative);
The Daily News and Daily Chronicle (Liberal);
The Daily Mail (Independent Tabloid);
John Bull (Horatio Bottomley);
The Daily Express (Lord Beaverbrook) ;
The Daily Herald(Labour).

Sunday papers such as The Observer, The Sunday Times, The Sunday Express and The News of the World were also available.

[Lupus]

Noted People of the Time

Astor, LadyNancy (1879-1963)
Baldwin, Stanley (1867-1947)
Beaverbrook, Lord William Maxwell (1865-1964)
Campbell, SirMalcolm (1885-1948)
Carter,Howard (1874-1939)
Carnarvon, George, Earlof(1866-1923)
Bigglesworth, Squadron Leader James (1902-??)
Bottomley, Horatio (1860-1933)
Chamberlain, Neville (1869-1940)
Childe, VereGordon (1892-1957)
Christie, Agatha (1890-1976)
Churchill, Winston Spencer(1874-1965)
Coward, Noel(1899-1973)
Crowley, Aleister (1875-1947) A Member of the Golden Dawn.
Cunard, Nancy (1896-1965)
Driberg, Tom (1905-1976)
Edward VIII (1894-1972)
Evans, Sir Arthur (1851-1941)
Fleming, Sir Alexander (1881-1955)
Fortune, Dion (real name Violet Mary Worth) (?-1946)
GeorgeV (1865-1936)
George VI (1895-1952)
Haldane, JohnBurton Sanderson
Hitler, Adolf(1889-1945)
Huxley, Aldous (1894-1963):
Johnson, Amy (1903-41)
Lawrence,Thomas Edward (1888-1935)
Lawrence, David Herbert (1885-1930)
Lloyd George, David (1863-1945) - Prime Minister
MacDonald, Ramsay(1866-1937)
Marple, Jane (1854-1959?)
Moseley, Sir Oswald Ernald(1892-1973)
Norway, Nevil Shute (1899-1960)
Petrie, Sir William Finders : (1853-1942)
Price, Harry (1881-1948) A Member of SPR
Regardie, Israel
Rutherford, Ernest (1871-1937)
Sayers, Dorothy Leigh (1893-1957)
Shaw, George Bernard (18564950)
Simpson, Bessie Wallis (1896-1986)
Wimsey, Lord Peter Death Bredon (1890-?)
Wooley, Sir Leonard (1880-1960)


Secret Societies

Free Mason's
Golden Dawn
The Theosophical Society
The Order of the Peacock Angel
The Society for Psychical Research (SPR)
The Hellfire Club/ The Knights of St Francis

[Lupus]

British Government.

Prime Minister: David Lloyd George.
Chancellor of the Exchequer: Austen Chamberlain
Home Secretary: Edward Shortt
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: The Earl Curzon of Kedleston
Secretary of State for Scotland: Robert Munro
Secretary of State for War: Winston Churchill (Till end of Feb 1921) then Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, Bt.


Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police: Brigadier-General Sir William Horwood
Deputy Assistant Commissioner (CID): Norman Kendal
Assistant Commissioner "A", (Operations and Admin), Metropolitan Police: James Olive
Assistant Commissioner "B" , (Traffic) Metropolitan Police: Frank Louis Dumbell Elliott
Assistant Commissioner "C", (Crime) (Special Branch) Metropolitan Police: Basil Home Thomson
Assistant Commissioner "L", (Legal) Metropolitan Police: Frank Trevor Roger Bigham

Historical Timeline

1919
Treaty of Versailles signed.
First trans-Atlantic air flights .
Amritsar massacre.
Rutherfordsplits the atom.
Orient Express re-started- uses the Simplon Tunnel to avoid travelling through Germany or Austria.
Henry Ford opens car factory in Cork, Ireland.

1920
Government of Ireland Act .
World air speed record broken seven times.
Holst's Planets Suite first performed .
The Marconi company makes first public radio broadcast, a concert by Dame Nellie Melba.
British Communist Party founded .
First meeting of League of Nations .
Oxford admits women to degrees .
First gramophone discs made.

1921
First Austin 7 built.
Shaw's Back to Methuselah first performed

Oddities and Disaster's

1919
April: A man spontaneously combusts in Dartford, Kent .
June:Captive German fleet scuttled at Scapa Flow; a house at Islip, Northampton explodes without cause.
August: Oil and petrol, followed by showers of water, methylated spirits and finally sandalwood, pour from the walls and ceilings of a house at Melton Constable, Norfolk .
1 September: Airshock' detonations are heard over Reading, Berks.

1920
January:Between now and December 1923,6 amnesiac people are found wandering the streets of Romford, Essex.
May: After heavy thunderstorms, ahajahaja (deadly snake native to Egypt) is found in a doctor's garden in Bloomsbury, London.
June:An adde ris found in a street just outside Westminster Cathedral, London, after a heavy storm.
July: Quakes and explosions are felt in Comrie, Perthshire.
August : Eight girls, all under 12, go missing in East Belfast over a period of3 days; all the statues and holy pictures in the home of Thomas Dwan of Templemore, Tipperary,
begin to bleed at the same moment as a terrorist ambush is taking place nearby.
September: A young man, out walking in south London, suddenly finds himself in Dunstable, Beds, over40miles away.

1921
January: Lasting until April, poltergeist activity starts in a house in Homsey, London, including coal exploding, metal implements dancing about, a clock vanishing and finally a childd ying after a nervous breakdown ; rail crash at Ambermule, Scotland, 17 killed in head- on collision on single line.
May: The first of fifteen fatal accidents on the same stretch of road across Dartmoor takes place, surviving passengers talk of "invisible hands" forcing the car off the road.
July: More explosions at Comrie, Perthshire.
September :A house explodes for no reason in Guildford, Surrey.
November:First Everest Expedition -the climbers find Yeti footprints in the snow.

[dodge]

ooh I really like where this one is going 

dodge

[v_lazy_dragon]

Good work with this so far Jez - really looking forward to seeing where it goes!

[Lupus]

Good work with this so far Jez - really looking forward to seeing where it goes!

Thanks mate no idea yet have a few idea's though

[Uncle Mike]

Huxley as an Agent? Great idea!!!