The Veil
Overview
Section titled “Overview”The Veil embody shadow — deception, intelligence, hidden action. They are the spies, the infiltrators, the assassins who work in darkness so others can fight in light.
Philosophy
Section titled “Philosophy”“The battle seen is the battle already won. Our victories are invisible.”
| Principle | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Concealment | The unseen blade strikes deepest |
| Intelligence | Knowledge is the true weapon |
| Patience | Wait for the perfect moment |
| Sacrifice | Reputation, identity, even soul — for the mission |
The Veil believe that open conflict is failure. Where the Ashen burn openly and the Current heal visibly, the Veil act unseen.
Capabilities
Section titled “Capabilities”Intelligence
Section titled “Intelligence”The Veil run galactic intelligence operations:
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Networks | Agents across civilization |
| Analysis | Synthesizing information into actionable intelligence |
| Counter-intelligence | Identifying enemy operations |
| Surveillance | Monitoring threats |
Infiltration
Section titled “Infiltration”| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Deep cover | Years-long placement in target organizations |
| Identity manipulation | Becoming someone else entirely |
| Extraction | Getting assets out of hostile territory |
| Sabotage | Quiet destruction of enemy capability |
Assassination
Section titled “Assassination”When killing is required:
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Precision elimination | Single-target termination |
| Untraceable methods | Deaths that look natural |
| High-value targets | Leadership decapitation |
| Mercy kills | Eliminating compromised assets |
Combat Style
Section titled “Combat Style”| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Approach | Ambush, misdirection, never fair fight |
| Weapons | Subtle, concealable, deniable |
| Gestures | Minimal, precise, often disguised as normal movement |
| Formation | Solo or small cell; never mass action |
Signature Techniques
Section titled “Signature Techniques”- The Vanishing — Disappearing from observation
- Shadow Walk — Moving unseen through hostile territory
- The Final Word — Untraceable assassination
- The Mirror — Perfect identity assumption
The Counter-Sabotage Problem
Section titled “The Counter-Sabotage Problem”The Veil are now tasked with finding Necrosynth saboteurs:
The Nightmare Scenario
Section titled “The Nightmare Scenario”| Phase | Veil Response | Necrosynth Counter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identify pattern | Saboteurs go quiet |
| 2 | Investigate failures | Activate different cells |
| 3 | Catch a saboteur | Sacrifice them, cut ties |
| 4 | Expand surveillance | Saboteurs adapt techniques |
| 5 | Mass screening | False positives overwhelm system |
The Veil are experts at hidden action — but now they’re hunting an enemy that’s better at it.
The Moral Cost
Section titled “The Moral Cost”To find saboteurs, the Veil must:
- Surveil civilian workers
- Investigate without evidence
- Detain on suspicion
- Interrogate aggressively
This erodes the values civilization is fighting to protect.
Culture
Section titled “Culture”The Shadow Meditation
Section titled “The Shadow Meditation”Veil practice involves:
- Darkness — physical and metaphorical
- Identity dissolution — becoming no one to become anyone
- Acceptance of necessary evils
- “The light needs shadow to exist”
Relationships
Section titled “Relationships”| With | Relationship |
|---|---|
| The Ashen | Conflict — “Subtlety, not explosions” |
| The Weave | Competition — “Our intelligence, their analysis” |
| The Current | Guilt — “They see what we hide from ourselves” |
| Exemplars | Wariness — “They judge what we do” |
Internal Conflict
Section titled “Internal Conflict”The Veil struggle with:
- Identity — Losing themselves in covers
- Trust — Professional paranoia bleeds into relationships
- Ethics — Necessary evils accumulate
- Isolation — The work requires distance from others
Hierarchy
Section titled “Hierarchy”| Rank | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | Shade | Initiate learning concealment |
| II | Shadow | Standard Knight |
| III | Phantom | Master operative |
| IV | Lord Commander | ”The Unseen Hand” |
| V | Ordermaster | ”The Voidmaster” |
The Mole
Section titled “The Mole”The mole on The Thirteen may be from any Order, but the Veil’s culture makes them prime suspects:
- Accustomed to deception
- Skilled at double lives
- Could hide the truth from their own Companion
- Or: a Veil member might be best positioned to find the mole
The Companion Dilemma
Section titled “The Companion Dilemma”How does a mole hide from their Companion?
Options:
- Companion is complicit (horrifying — they’re trapped, watching)
- Compartmentalization (the Veil practice this; Companion might not notice)
- Companion is disabled/limited
- The mole has no Companion (unusual; suspicious)
See: The Necrosynths
Role in Story
Section titled “Role in Story”- Counter-infiltration — The Veil’s war against saboteurs
- The mole — Either IS the mole or hunting them
- Intelligence gaps — Why didn’t they see the Necrosynth return earlier?
- Moral questions — How far is too far in defense?
Questions to Resolve
Section titled “Questions to Resolve”- Who is the current Veil Ordermaster?
- What is their headquarters called?
- What is their ceremonial color/symbol?
- How did they vote on the coverup?
- Who is assigned to find the mole?
- What do the Veil know that they haven’t shared?