Faction Name: Lycan
Faction Location/Territory: Lycan holds influence in practically every nation in the world, and possesses a headquarters in Washington D.C
Tech Level: Modern with sparse amounts of Post-Modern technology
Description/Lore:
The origin of Lycan can be traced as far back as the conclusion of the Second World War. In response to the public recognition of the existence of human beings possessing abilities far beyond the capabilities of normal humans, many global leaders sought a means in which to rid the world of these individuals. Many world leaders saw metahumans as threats to the traditional balance of powers, fearing of a possible future in which their governments would be toppled by those with powers they were unable to deal with through conventional methods.
It was this fear that brought about the creation of the precursor to Lycan, the International Metahuman Deterrent Program, referred to those in knowledge of its existence as The Program. Notably, several former Nazi officials and scientists were recruited into the organization, who quickly shifted their racial ideals into an approach that focused on humanity as a whole. Even as the governments of the world stared each other down across the Iron Curtain, The Program continued as a multi-national clandestine group that sought to find both the cause of the existence of metahumans and means in which to deactivate these abilities. Unfortunately they found little to know success, as traditional medicine at the time was unable to find what triggered these changes in humans, let alone a way in which to reverse said effects.
During this time period, The Program used its connections with world governments to set up experimentations on metahumans that had been sent away to prisons thanks to the ongoing persecution that was openly endorsed around the world. Specifically, the Soviet Union became one of the leading contributors in this regard, the government seeing metahumans as too much of a threat to the communist government. Many metahumans would return home as they were sent through a plethora of inhumane procedures and experiments as the organization sought means in which increase their knowledge on metahuman anatomy. Things came to an abrupt halt however at the end of the 1970s. With the passing of the Super Human Rights Act in 1979, The Program was officially disbanded as the majority of countries who had founded the organization abandoned it. Much of the records were scratched from the public's eyes as many nations were eager to wipe their hands clean of the organization.
Unfortunately, this disbanding of The Project did not mean the end of anti-metahuman efforts. Many former members sought to continue on with the goal of the original organization, as public opinion on the status of metahumans was dubious at best. Using their connections that had been made over the prior three decades, the group was built back up once more, only this time from the shadows. Using their large pools of leftover assets as well as taking advantage of the growing wave of villainous metahumans, the group changed into what is now known as Lycan.
Named after the mythological creatures which hid in the daytime as ordinary humans only to transform into terrifying beasts at night, Lycan immediately went to work in creating a large umbrella in which to go about the group's original goals whilst remaining hidden from the public eye. Their reach was vast, as they soon became entangled in practically every major sphere that they could get a hold of, ranging from the media to the military industrial complex. All of these various branches remained unaware of their coexistence outside of those at the very top, who met in secret to consolidate their power.
It didn't take long for Lycan's influence to begin to be felt across the world. Media outlets were utilized to highlight the horrendous acts committed by villains as a means of stoking public fear, innovative technology companies used their assets to even the gaps between humanity and their metahuman counterparts, and private military and espionage groups were used to help topple metahuman friendly regimes in areas of the world already destabilized by the actions of the larger nations of the world. Whatever it took for Lycan to grow closer to their ultimate goal of ridding the world of the perceived threat of metahumans, Lycan did everything within their power to accomplish.
With the arrival of the Hadrian emissaries, Lycan's goals shifted even further as the fear of humanity's fate hung in the balance. The Rift Incident further entrenched their position, with the thought that humanity at its current state was not capable of fending for itself any longer. This event caused Lycan to become even more aggressive in their approach, willing to go even further past what many would see as acceptable means. Genetic modifications, body modification, artificial intelligence, and other dangerous technologies became a valued tool in the arsenal of Lycan as the 21st century began.
This sense of urgency in combination with vast ideological differences resulted in Lycan soon developing bitter rivalries with other organizations. Of note, two of these included both the clandestine group known The Guild as well as the Ecuadorian government, as the organization often met the two with confrontation either directly or indirectly. A notable incident in regard to the former's case occurred during the Bosnian War in the waning years of the 20th century, in which both groups took opposing sides within the conflict. Dozens of members from both organizations were killed in the effort, and the culmination of the underground conflict resulted in the assassination of several Councilmembers from the Guild. It was after this that the Guild withdrew from both the region and the international stage as a whole, leaving Lycan to believe that it had vanquished its most formidable foe.
In the current state of the world, Lycan grows ever more vigilant against what they see as threats against the world's existence. With public opinion becoming more and more in favor of metahumans and their exploits, the organization seeks to find ways to not only turn the public's opinion but to also find a way in which to end the threat that both metahumans and non-human races present. In recent months, the growing attention to the young group of heroes located in San Diego has drawn eyes to both the team and the city as a whole, and steps have been placed forwards in what is soon becoming the focal point of events in the world.
Population Size: Tens of thousands when one includes all working within its umbrella organizations
Army Size (If any): Several thousand private military personnel that are scattered about across the globe
Races that are part of the faction: Non-Metahumans
Additional Info: The following are notable organizations that fall underneath its umbrella
Warwolf International
The main security force of the organization, Warwolf acts as a proxy military organization of the group. While it is a publicly known organization, its true nature remains hidden from the majority of the world. Often, it is used in place of metahumans or governmental forces in incidents designed to contain either metahuman, supernatural, or otherwise otherworldly events. Using the technology developed by Dusk Industries, they field an impressive host of mechanized forces that are capable of standing toe to toe with even some of the most powerful opponents. They are led by Major Phantom, who takes orders directly from the higher ups within Lycan itself. Their efforts have often lead to controversy however, and after the incident in San Diego, public opinion has become increasingly negative against the group.
Dusk Industries
The main source of technological advancements within Lycan, the group is composed of a wide field of scientists and engineers that are either sympathetic towards Lycan's ideals or who are unable to turn down the lucrative offers rewarded to them for their services. Utilizing both traditional human technology as well as reverse engineered alien technology, the company has provided a great deal of both utility items and weapons for both Lycan and world governments. Unbeknownst to even many who work for the company, unethical research is also done as researches continue to search for means in which to eradicate or at least nullify metahuman existence on Earth. It is ran by a man known as Dr. Reiner, who is willing to step over any ethical boundary should it mean that he can continue to advance human technology.
Terra Broadcast Network
A traditional news network on the surface, events are reported on in ways that stoke fear into the general population over metahuman and non-human activity across the globe. A rather controversial news network, they are unafraid to exploit the shortcomings of heroes' efforts, going so far as to prematurely end the careers of several former heroes who were unable to continue their careers as the public's opinion turned against them. Recently, their efforts have turned against the efforts of the Young Bloods of San Diego, with them being the first to have reported on the identity of Wendy Felix. It is led by a pair of brothers known as the Konen Brothers, whose wealth only exceeds their disdain for metahumans.
The Five
One of Lycan's most highly kept secrets, the elite black ops unit began when Lycan took over two dozen youths from various adoption agencies across the globe. These unwilling recruits were selected based on a variety of factors that included behavioral patterns, intellectual potential, and genetic makeups. Ranging from ages five to seven, these young children were initially exposed to a variety of medical procedures that were designed to improve cognition skills, reaction times, muscle development, and other aspects that placed them at the peak of human performance. The procedures were not without risks, and many failed to survive the side effects that followed. For those that did survive, they were subjected to a brutal training regiment that spanned for several years. Hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, cybernetic warfare, and a wide array of other utility and combat skills were all taught to these recruits, which were frequently tested as they were put through harrowing challenges in which many perished in the process. Indoctrination was another key element to Lycan's plans for the children, as all were molded to have ideals in line with Lycan's philosophy, with the recruits seeing both meta-humans and non-humans as filthy beings deserving neither mercy or compassion. At the conclusion of their training, the five remaining recruits became Lycan's tip of the spear as they were thrust into various missions across the globe. Political assassinations, sabotage, asset acquisitions, and other highly dangerous assignments were given to the group, and on all but a select handful of times the team was successful in their efforts.
