The Department of Insploration

Research Arm

In charge of determining the properties, danger and societal impact of artifacts brought into the Department. Also in charge of testing and checking the new ideas passed back from Applications.

• Hand: Uevaeth Dorquen
  A male Valenar elf in late middle age with greying hair and an older fashion sense. One of the sharpest minds in Khorvaire, but his passion seems to lie in designing nee contraption he gets back from Application

Application Arm

In charge of discovering the uses and applications of those artifacts deemed to be safe to experiment on by Research.

• Hand: Brown
  A female ursine shifter in her late thirties, her bulk and brawn is still nothing compared to her personality. Always seemingly upbeat, she is the soul of the Application workshops and the first one to pick things up again when it explodes.

Binding Arm

In charge of neutralising and sealing those artifacts deemed tangibly dangerous by Research. This often includes devising new binding arcanas tailored to each particular artifact.

• Hand: G’hart 
  A male minotaur of unknown age and origin, his towering eight foot silhouette is at odds with his soft spoken and calm demeanor. Quiet and reserved, he runs the binding arm with incredible efficiency no matter how esoteric or dangerous the artifact brought to them is.

Containment Arm

In charge of storing and safeguarding those artifacts deemed too physically, magically, or culturally dangerous from Research or Binding. This included, where appropriate, periodic reviews for if the world is ready for an artifacts release.

• Hand: Mastrum Zeth-Kun 
  A male orc in his forties, his shaved head and slight stoop mask the incredible mind within. One of the foremost experts on druidic and arcane abjuration he runs a tight ship in the tunnels of Containment. Though it must be said that his genius does not expand to people skills.

Stacks Arm

In charge of maintaining and expanding the department’s vast research and storage library that has been amassed over centuries. It works to ensure the information required on any subject is at hand for when it is needed. The famous Library of Morgrave in the university above is merely the duplicates of books deemed safe for public consumption and too difficult to store.

• Hand: Tsune 
  A female humanoid that matches the legends of the Kitsune, her vulpine ears and tail somehow add to her beauty, especially in her choice of low cut Karn Kimonos. Superior and mysterious, few know much about her (and even less have tried to learn) but her knowledge of her domain is irrefutable and any who muster the courage to ask for her directions inevitably find the lore they asked for.

Organisation Arm

In charge of maintaining the Departments logistics, human resources and accounts, and ensuring that it is all covered unnoticeably by the University above.

• Hand: Thaldrous Graybraid 
  A male dwarf of early middle age who wears the shirt and ties of the upper city administrators he bemoans he no longer works with. He transformed the Arm when he was brought in six years ago to the point where the Department is actually making money and knows what it’s other Arms are doing. Everything from the filling reports to expedition accounts goes across his desk.

Recognisance Arm

In charge of amassing up to date news from across the continent of Khorvaire, dissecting and cross referencing it for items of interest, and cataloguing all sources for future reference. This includes sources from daily papers from across the continent to overheard conversations in skyway gallas and Thronehold bars.

• Hand: Balian Baleo Artanis 
  An older male gnome recognisable by his long white hair and bottle thick glasses. Kind and reasonable, he has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the history of Khorvaire and it’s often joked that the towers of newspapers and books in Recognisance are only there in case he doesn't want to have to remember it himself.

Exploration Arm

Meant to be incharge of searching as yet unknown locations and ancient ruins for notable artifacts while also being a screen to mask the Department’s “field work”. However the above ground “screen” has grown to unprepared for levels over the decades and the Arm is now a small nexus within the widely known “Department of Exploration”. It still attempts, with varying levels of success, to direct the upstairs department to Department interests.

• Hand: Professor Mateo Krevin 
  A male lanky human who’s just turned thirty with curtains of black hair and spectacles. He has the unfortunate job of trying to control the Arm within the Department of Exploration with many wondering how he manages it with so many huge personalities and egos butting heads. However his systems of expensing tavern tabs and sourcing items for good behavior has shown good results, as has his policy of always convincing the Exploration Aces that the new expedition was their idea.

Location Arm

In charge of the location of notable items found by Recognisance and Exploration. While this includes scrying and divination by the “in house” members, the Arm also has many field workers to find obscured or magically hidden items.

• Hand: Vash’Dolishara 
  An androginous Kalashtar with long white hair and an almost elven stature. Though an expert in scrying and detection, they often send work through the members of their department to build a structure that is not dependent on any one person. They are rarely seen in public however, even in their own Arm, but all under them know that advice and wisdom is always available for those that dare disturb their meditation.

Acquisition Arm

In charge of recovering artifacts designated by Location and Exploration and returning them to base for Research to analyse. This arm is centered around specialised teams tailored for exactly how the artifact needs to be acquired.

• Hand: Currently unfilled

Prevention Arm

In charge of observing artifacts and situations that it is deemed unnecessary or unwise to send to Acquisition, and to control and intercede in situations that could become tangibly or culturally threatening.

• Hand: Lea Goodfellow 
  A female halfling with a streak of silver in her long auburn hair, even other halflings would take her to be in the human equivalent of her twenties if not for the fact she’s been the Hand for almost fifty years. She’s known for her charm and wit, always enjoying getting the last word. Often out on field work she is the hardest Hand to track down, as if any of the others know a schedule or plan she keeps to, they keep it very much to themselves.

Relations Arm

In charge of maintaining the Department’s influence across Khorvaire while also maintaining its secrecy. Works closely with Organisation to ensure all external Department activities are politically covered, and begrudgingly with Acquisition and Exploration when things need smoothing over or cleaning up.

• Hand: Rio 
  A changeling that goes by male pronouns, descriptions are pointless considering he is known to change his entire appearance during mere conversation. Through his carousel of faces and outfits he maintains the web of the Department’s contacts and influence, though most under him can sum up working with him in a single word: exhausting.