¶ Chain of Command
The Chain of Command within the Department of Esoteric and Thaumaturgical Research establishes the strict hierarchy by which authority is exercised and responsibility is enforced. Every decision flows downward through defined channels, ensuring compartmentalization and operational discipline.
¶ Overview
The Department’s structure is divided into five principal levels of governance and execution. Each level exists to isolate knowledge, distribute tasks, and protect higher command from operational exposure.
- Directorate Command (DIRCOM): Absolute authority vested in the Office of the Director General and the Security Council. All decisions originate here.
- Strategic Command (STRATCOM): The collective body of Operational Chiefs and the United States Federal Special Court. Translates executive authority into actionable directives and provides judicial oversight.
- Subdivisions: Specialized internal branches with mandates that give them priority above the standard directorates. A subdivision member reports directly to their subdivision superior, who then escalates matters to the general Department chain of command. Subdivisions exist to provide technical specialization, heightened oversight, or mission-critical capability.
- Directorates: Independent compartments, each with a distinct operational mandate such as research, security, medical services, engineering, or theology. Directorate members report to their closest superior or officer, and matters are escalated upward through the directorate chain. Note: The Directorate of Regulatory Affairs (DRA) and the Directorate of Internal Security and Counterintelligence (DISC) carry additional duties, such as compliance enforcement and counterintelligence, which grant them heavier responsibilities but do not alter their structural position.
- Field Units and Subjects: Specialized groups, operatives, and test subjects that form the operational ground level of the Department.
¶ Reporting Protocol
- Subdivision members: Report to their immediate subdivision superior. Issues are then transmitted upward into the Department chain as necessary.
- Directorate members: Report to their closest superior or officer within the directorate. Escalation proceeds upward through directorate leadership.
- DRA and DISC: While structurally equal to other directorates, these branches carry heavier responsibilities due to their regulatory and counterintelligence mandates. They may exercise authority across boundaries in matters of compliance and security.
- Non-directorate or non-subdivision personnel: Must defer to the appropriate supervising body, which will transmit the matter upward through the chain of command.
¶ Principles
- Centralization: All authority converges on the Director General, ensuring unity of command.
- Compartmentalization: Information is restricted to those with a direct operational need.
- Accountability: Each tier is responsible to the tier above, creating a vertical chain without lateral dependencies.
- Priority: Subdivisions outrank directorates in importance and urgency, ensuring mission-critical functions are not delayed by bureaucratic process.
- Redundancy: Oversight by the Security Council, DRA, and DISC prevents collapse of governance in times of crisis.
¶ Visual Structure
The organizational chart illustrates how authority descends through the Department. Subdivisions are placed above directorates in importance, with DRA and DISC functioning as high-responsibility directorates with expanded duties. The right-hand legend indicates clearance levels, ranging from Top Secret to Unclassified Information.