Eberstark Unions

Get out there and make a difference!

Hennie looked back to the corpse, studied it, and then turned her attention back to Charlie.
"I'm sorry," she said, blinking and shaking her head before continuing, "A what, now?"
"A Draugr, Hennie. They are undead, brought back after dying at sea." Charlie replied, rubbing his temples at whatever response she could muster this time. At first she squinted, as if some realization had sparked in her mind, then she simply smiled.
"You have a gift of imagination." she said in a cheerful, almost demeaning tone. She shook her head and laughed, taking a look at the corpse and laughing harder.

" I think we should be serious, someone is dead after all." Charlie began with a sigh, "I'll notify a union immediately."

In Chicago you will find an office building. It's not the tallest structure in the city, but it's worth as much as they are. The side of the building has a built-in electronic screen marquee rolling a script with kind friendly letters in a column: "Eberstark Law."

The inside of the building is sleek, modern, and beyond expensive. No expense was spared when choosing the building materials used and anything that was placed inside. The building hides many secrets, some of them are hidden even from its owner.

Eberstark Law firm began as a humble operation of Hennie Eberstark, who quickly grew to become one of the most successful lawyers in the nation. The woman appears in Forbes Magazine numerous times out of the year, she has done so well she has to hire others just to keep track of her "legal Empire" and she is unknowingly the head of the youngest organization in The Web.

Unity

The Unity Division of Eberstark Law is responsible for compiling teams that handle various operations throughout The Web. These teams are gathered by hand selecting members of other organizations, flying them to Chicago to meet one another, and are given missions until their contract is up.

It is the belief of Eberstark Law that the only way to properly handle any operation in The Web with the least amount of damage possible is to divide resources among the organizations involved and not be separate in the first place. They negotiate contracts with other organizations, usually paying a handsome sum of money to the organization to hire their members.

Any and all organizations classified as parts of the web can be hired, and through their shared resources they have been able to do things with a smaller number of members than an organization has had trouble doing with their entire membership.

Fun Fact: The Woman In Yellow

Hennie Eberstark is in her thirties, smart, and oblivious. Regardless of her outfit, there is always something that is an alarming shade of yellow. It could be a hat, an undershirt, or maybe a wristwatch. She runs the secretive side of the organization without even realizing she is doing so, leaving most elements of her business to her assistant, Charlie. Charlie is the true head of the organization as far as The Web is concerned. Hennie is someone who is resistant to The Candlelight. She is neither curious about the truth nor does she even realize there is a truth to be curious about.

The woman has been in many encounters with monsters as well as The Web's many members, and every time an incident happens, she compartmentalizes it. She does this so well, she may as well have forgotten the incident ever occurred. It is astounding just how far the mind is willing to go to remain ignorant. She remembers events differently, if she remembers them at all. Hennie maintains great skepticism of the occult and conspiracy theories, despite coming face to face with the truth constantly.

How are the teams chosen?

Teams are chosen based on personality profiles and their skill sets, though the latter is often more important. There is consideration given to how well the members of each union will adapt and work together, and it is rare for a team to have members with conflicting ethics, personalities, and quirks.

They are given no call sign nor do they have any other way of identifying individual teams. They are simply referred to as "union" if they have a handler at Eberstark Law working with them. The goal of Eberstark is to create a well-rounded team that accounts for physical strength, martial prowess, arcane talent, guile, and knowledge.

Eberstark does all it can to maintain this balance, and in doing so, creates a team that can tackle any problem they encounter on their many operations.

The Contract

To join a union, a potential member, is brought to Chicago where they will undergo various screenings including psychological evaluations, physical examinations, and stress tests. If these screenings are passed, they will attend a meeting with other potential members of their union. If the members who attend this meeting find that working with one another is acceptable, a contract will be written up with the following parameters:

• Each member of the Union must remain with the union for 6 months, after which they may either extend their contract on a month-by-month basis or return to their original organization.

• Each member of the Union must be in good standing with their parent organization and other organizations in the web. This particular section of the contract is lengthy and discusses various things that are and are not allowed. It is often referred to as the "No Black Sheep" clause. Anyone who wants to join must go through an extensive background check that dips into The Web in its entirety.

• All members of all unions are required to participate. Over the course of their contract, each member must take part in "The Practical Minimum" number of operations, meaning that each member must constantly work unless otherwise detained by reasonable activities including long operations or recovery if injured during an operation.

Operations

Unions are designed to handle any problem. They can deploy anywhere and their small size (usually less than ten members) allows them to move quickly and efficiently. It also allows them to share resources between organizations, as Eberstark does not provide anything more than the means to collaborate, room and board, and basic equipment.

When it comes to assigning a team to a specific task, Eberstark prefers the hands-off approach. Each union is allowed to pick and choose where they go. and any decisions made while out in the field are made at the union's discretion. This freedom is part of how this method has become successful.

Many members find it empowering to have authority over their actions and it can be difficult to adjust to working under others when their contract is up. Many in the web find this dangerous as it not only gives power over to those who may not be capable of making the best decision, but also tends to encourage members of other organizations to remain in their union by signing extensions to their contacts.