¶ Units and Subdivisions
The Department of Esoteric and Thaumaturgical Research employs specialized units and subdivisions to enforce containment, protection, and experimentation. Subdivisions exist above directorates in importance, providing mission-critical functions, while units act as the tactical and research instruments of Department policy.
¶ Subdivisions
Subdivisions are specialized internal branches that carry priority over standard directorates. Members of a subdivision report to their immediate superior within the subdivision, who then transmits orders upward into the Department’s general chain of command. These bodies exist to provide enhanced oversight, technical specialization, and mission-critical services.
Hazardous Materials Division (HMD) operates under the Directorate of Research and Development but functions as a subdivision due to its strategic importance. It conducts large-scale, high-risk experiments and is responsible for the study and containment of the most volatile anomalies. Access to HMD facilities requires Top Secret clearance with additional compartmentalization.
Special Response Teams (SRTs) are elite tactical subdivisions of the Directorate of Facility Surveillance and Security. They are deployed in high-threat situations, including containment breaches and external assaults on blacksites. SRTs maintain specialized weaponry, rapid-deployment vehicles, and direct authorization to use lethal force without escalation.
Combat Medics are a joint subdivision operated by DFSS and DHHS. They provide immediate medical support during field operations and containment breaches. Combat Medics are trained both in advanced medicine and combat procedures, ensuring survivability in hostile conditions.
¶ Units
Units are operational task forces formed from Department personnel or anomalous subjects. They are deployed for protection, experimentation, and direct operational research.
Unit 01 “Cherubim” serves as the Department’s close protection force. Its members are standard human operatives who undergo ████████████ genetic modification, receive invasive cybernetic augmentation, and are fitted with external hardware. Cherubim operatives are designed to provide uncompromising protection for senior leadership, critical facilities, and classified assets.
Unit 07 “Nephilim” is the Department’s operational research division, permanently stationed in Sector 3, Zone B of Site Azazel. Its members are naturally anomalous humans, selected for abilities that are stable, controllable, and directly useful for experimentation. Nephilim’s mandate is to test thaumaturgical integration under controlled and live conditions, bridging the gap between containment and applied research.