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View Full Version : Dark Lord's Shadow Commando Black Ops Brigade? (or How Not To Name Covert Units)[3.5]



Aotrs Commander
2010-04-27, 12:30 PM
Scenario:

You are the Dark Lord. A divine being with Int somewhere in the mid 50s to 60who recides on the material plane, with enough power (and class levels) to make the gods afraid. Literally, as you actually want to kill them, and probably could, if you could take them on in ones and twos. For the last ten thousand years, you have been trying to take over the world. You have come steadily closer in each one of your three great invasions.

At your command, you have the Orc-Kin (Orcs, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Kobolds), Dark Elves, Dark Dwarves, Dark Men and Intulo (basically lizardfolk evil Vulcans), plus myriads of others, many prefiixed with Dark- or Black- or Shadow-. You live in the Dark Lands, have miltary forces of Shadow Guard Armies and generally have a shadow/evil pastiche going for you, which you kind of like. (And the good guys have tended to have a light/good thing to counter you, the uncreative mooks.)

You are creating an elite task force of skilled individuals (e.g. PCs), a real dirty-tricks, black-ops crowd. They will be sent into the Northern Nations (particularly the heavily-Roman Validus Empire) to underake espionage, assassination and other covert operations, eliminate potential threats and generally do your evil bidding while being totally under the radar of the good guys. The task group will be part of your larger intelligence network (indeed, it will be one of many).

So. What do you call this network and/or team?

This is my problem. I am struggling to come up with anything that sounds about right. The name for this group needs to be something really clever and something the players are going to like. It also needs to be sufficently idiot-proof that a 5-year-old is not automatically going to point at it and go "they must be working for the bad guys!" So, something like "Hands of the Darkness" or "Shadows of the something or other" is going to be A Bit Bleedin' Obvious to the good guys who are, by this point, kinda used to the Dark Lord's naming modus operandi... Something bland or random like "The Wheelwright Corporation" while nondescript, is really lame and terribly uncreative, and doesn't stake the ego(s) nearly enough...

Ideally, I want to come up with something fairly unobtrusive, but not completely random; subtly linked to the Dark Lord (or perhaps an inversion of the whole good guys/light thingy) so the Dark Lord and his minions can quietly snicker about how clever they are in being able to talk shop in the thermae, right next to those off-duty Validus Legionaries. Hiding the name in plain sight as it were. The sort of thing Lex Luthor might come up with to front one of his operations and parade around in front of Superman's face, while giggling about how Supes doesn't notice it.

The name could be in Lidusain (i.e. English) or for the more adventurerous, High Lidusain (i.e Roman-soul-destroyingly butchered Latin) or in case their are any real budding linguists out their, even Quenya or Sindarin would work.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated; anything that can get my metaphysical brain juices flowing.

Toliudar
2010-04-27, 12:38 PM
I've found that three-letter acronyms tend to sound nondescript and yet subtly ominous. We have so many of them in our world, covering everything from corporations to sports leagues and intelligence agencies, that they can literally mean anything. And if the players have no idea what the acronym stands for, they're free to substitute their own.

Alternately, you have a public version of what the acronym stands for (DSA stands for Domestic Steerage Association) and then the secret version that the PC's only hear well down the line (the Darklord's Secret Army).

BRC
2010-04-27, 12:43 PM
When naming any Black Ops force there are several things you must take into consideration.

1. Awesomeness: No general worth their salt would say "Send in Fluffy Bunny division to handle that". You need something awesome.
2.Simplicity: When the commander tells his forces to move in, he shouldn't need to say 'Team Firestrike Cobra Wolfforce, ENGAGE!" Keep it to one or two words at most.
3. Variants for Code names, each individual member of the team will want some awesome code name that's a variant on the force's name.
I recommend you pick some sort of awesome animal or type of animal, name the group after that, snakes are too obvious, wolves are overused, but you get the point.

Alternatively, they could simply be "Team 3" or something, allowing for lots of guarded conversations. "Team 3's handling it" could mean anything from "Team 3 is going to blow up the ship in question and then light the harbor on fire" to "Team 3 is going to repair the barn".

JeenLeen
2010-04-27, 12:53 PM
Those Beneath the Light

It sounds like a group that is blessed, but in actuality it refers to their extensive training in harsh underground environs. If they move in public, they appear as a group of mercenaries who only take honorable jobs--not necessarily only good jobs, but honorable ones. That is their cover story; they appear a side agent unrelated to the Good vs Evil battle, but obviously inclined towards good. They take jobs from the nation they are undermining, often performing the job as well as necessary but sometimes intentionally failing, and using any information they gain against their employers.

BRC
2010-04-27, 12:58 PM
Wait, I have it, The Wronged

An elite group that follows in the wake of some of the Dark Lord's minions known as the Wraiths, always a step behind, but trying to track down and defeat the Wraiths. They investgiate the aftereffects of the Wraith's attacks.

Here's the nifty thing, they ARE the Wraiths as well. They show up, do some Evil, switch to shinier armor, and come back as the Wronged, who investigate, spread false information, and then say "Don't worry, we'll find those Wraiths. " and they ride off into the sunset, making sure nobody bothers to try to hunt down the Wraith's themselves when such competent people are already on the case.

jiriku
2010-04-27, 01:00 PM
Umbrella Corporation.

What?


OK, how about VAST? Validus Aqueduct Security Team -- because aqueducts always need more security, what with them being the lifeblood of the cities and subject to barbarian attacks. They're like oil pipelines in Iraq. And yet, how boring are aqueducts? They're glorified pipes. The paladins won't pay any attention.

Bonus points if you point out to the players that they're part of a VAST conspiracy.

/dodges tomatoes

~LuckyBoneDice~
2010-04-27, 01:05 PM
I like black ops groups with a fear factor to their name, such as the 3rd Eschelon and Division 6

I suggest thinking in small words, a number, and some secretive agenda behind the name.

I like Division 6 personally

pffh
2010-04-27, 01:51 PM
The Twilight guard.

Twilight as in they are bringing the darkness to the light creating twilight (or vice versa for the light people) but this can also be understood that they are guarding the balance of light and dark.

~LuckyBoneDice~
2010-04-27, 01:54 PM
The only reason I said Division 6 is for a MiB reference (MiB III in 2011! Whoot!)

Commoner: "What in the Nine Hells is Division Six?"
Bard: "There is no Division Six."

Fortuna
2010-04-27, 01:58 PM
How many people speak butchered Latin in your world? How much could you get away with in it?

Something along the lines of The Opposition could work.

pilvento
2010-04-27, 02:00 PM
to make them sound profecionally evil i would assing numbers to them istead of names. form 1 to 5 (if there are 5 Pc of course), there the name of the party: "Organisaion V"

thx kindom hearts 2

ka_bna
2010-04-27, 02:04 PM
There's a MIB III coming? Awesome!:smallbiggrin:

Anyway, for a non-obvious G-force reference:
The Talpidae (Sciency name for the moles. The moles are the moles!)
Subgroups (aka other species of the family):
Parascaptor (sounds like a paramilitary capturing mole)
Condylura (sounds like a bardy mole)
Galemys (gale-miss, druidlike)
And so on...

(Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talpidae and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Mole)

Dr Bwaa
2010-04-27, 02:10 PM
The Order of the Mystic Veil seeks to protect the "veil" that separates this world from the hell-worlds beyond, and in fact seeks to restore tears in the veil, which, if sealed, could restrict the Dark Lord's power by making him unable to draw energy from these worlds again.

Obviously, the whole thing is a coverup. It has several practical applications:
sneaking is excused--something like this cannot possibly be known about, even, since the Dark Lord has spies everywhere. It must be done entirely without his knowledge of its happening, until it's too late.
Your cover story is solidly on the side of Good, and the name sounds like you're a bunch of woefully low-level adventurers with poor naming conventions.
The actual acronym is much Eviler, as required: Operation Midnight Viper, commence!

mabriss lethe
2010-04-27, 02:16 PM
In the game I'm running, there is an organization that operates from within the ranks of the kingdom's army as spies assassins, secret police, etc. They're officially listed on the payroll as belonging to the Quartermaster's Corps. Specifically, the Catering Division.

nedz
2010-04-27, 02:27 PM
U.M.B.R.A.

An acryonym, well actually a psuedo-acronym because the letters don't stand for anything; or at least no one knows what they stand for.

Its the latin for shadow (IIRC).

Its also a play on U.N.C.L.E.

BadJuJu
2010-04-27, 02:37 PM
Dusk Bringers.

Starbuck_II
2010-04-27, 02:42 PM
The Shadow.
The Shadow.
The Shadow!

Without light, there is no shadow. Without some dark, you would not see it. They are what always will be.

TheMadLinguist
2010-04-27, 02:52 PM
"They're on our side, sir".

For those crucial first moments in combat.

"Private, who exactly did the messenger say was coming up the path?"
"'they're on our side, sir'"

Loxagn
2010-04-27, 03:18 PM
Simple. Don't give them a name.

Don't attach anything to them that would help others recognize them.

You're an evil overlord. You make them not exist, and then you let them go about their business. If you must refer to them, a simple 'Them' will suffice.

Kzickas
2010-04-27, 03:22 PM
The pentinent:

You set up a cover organization that follows a "for the greater good" philosofi. Then you set them about finding people who might be sympathisers of you. Then you send those of to some remote location to be brainwashed/broken into becoming fanatical warriors against you, while in truth you've actually recruited and trained them into fanatical warriors for you

Brendan
2010-04-27, 03:24 PM
ASP (Arcane Solicitors of Peace)
If you want them to navigate other planes, replace Arcane with Astral.
If they are to appear as good mercenaries, replace Peace with Prosperity.
Also, ASP could be Astral (or arcane, absolute, etc.) Sovereigns of the Planes.
finally, asp is a type of snake, which subconsciously suggests danger.

Tavar
2010-04-27, 03:31 PM
I like the "Team 3" idea. It doesn't really bring up any strong connotations in my mind, which can be a very good thing.

BadJuJu
2010-04-27, 03:35 PM
Simple. Don't give them a name.

Don't attach anything to them that would help others recognize them.

You're an evil overlord. You make them not exist, and then you let them go about their business. If you must refer to them, a simple 'Them' will suffice.

I like that.

Kyuu Himura
2010-04-27, 03:47 PM
Order of the White Knives

the knives thing because they are black ops, white so everyone thinks they're the good guys, but the thing with the name is.... is just a name, they are the bad guys and just because the name says "white" doesn't mean they are good, a hard learned lesson about not making judgements based on names that everyone will learn a bit too late. Namely, they will learn it at the point when they have a white knife in their guts

Haven
2010-04-27, 03:56 PM
What's the group's "official" or "public" function supposed to be?

Mr.Bookworm
2010-04-27, 04:12 PM
As an official name used within the Evil Empire of Ominous Evil Dread, I like Musmuris Inturmuralis (very, very, very roughly, Rats Inside the Walls). Sounds cool.

I support them not actually having a name outside of the E.E.O.E.D.

DaedalusMkV
2010-04-27, 04:39 PM
Some thoughts:
Night's Watch (Note the grammar)
Special Corps (Simple, vague, straightforward, connotations of elite nature)
Blackwatch (Vaguely threatening, but not "evil" sounding. Prototype FTW!)
Society for the Preservation of Interspecies Relations Education (SPIRE, have "evil" name like SPecial Assingment Infiltration, Reconnaissance Echelon)

I'm kind of proud of the last one. It isn't easy to make a working acronym that long, especially if you want a double meaning, or for it to make sense.

AslanCross
2010-04-27, 04:51 PM
Simple. Don't give them a name.

Don't attach anything to them that would help others recognize them.

You're an evil overlord. You make them not exist, and then you let them go about their business. If you must refer to them, a simple 'Them' will suffice.

Alternatively, fear keeps people in line, securing cooperation without the need for force. This calls for vaguely ominous names:

1. The Corrective Measure or simply The Measure.
2. Realigners.
3. The Legal Education Department (LED, which lends itself to a lot of backronyms like "Lawful Extermination Department.")

Aotrs Commander
2010-04-27, 05:46 PM
Wow!

I take my hat off to you ladies and gentlemen! Those are all some excellent ideas, thank you all! I have been snickering myself dizzy with glee at all these ideas!

In fact, you have given such a wealth of suggestions, I'm spoiled for choice!


Simple. Don't give them a name.

Don't attach anything to them that would help others recognize them.

You're an evil overlord. You make them not exist, and then you let them go about their business. If you must refer to them, a simple 'Them' will suffice.

That might be the most pragmatic option, but I fear one that would no doubt instill confusion in the less bright members of the Dark Army - and more pertinently to my easily confused players... Between the corrupt senators in the Empire, the superstitious peasents in the land of Cirican, the serf/noble and male/female divide in 'chivalric' Galause, there might be a few too many 'Thems' in circulation! While the latent comedic potential in that is sorely tempting, I think I must resist that urge for the fragile sanity of my players...


Wait, I have it, The Wronged
*snip*



That is a wonderful idea. I think it's so good, in fact, I think it would be best served as, instead being just the background modus operandi of the unit, the plot for one of the actual adventures!


The Twilight guard


U.M.B.R.A.

Both excellent suggestions...It occurs I might combine the two... The Umbra Guard? Or, digging into my butchered Latin, the Umbra Vigil or Vigilis, or perhaps even the Umbra Vigiles, which was the Roman fire brigade....

That has some potential, because wow, those fireman are always first on the scene of that inexplicable and tragic fire! Talk about quick response times!

Also there is the inherent humour in the unending round of jokes about the parties human(s) being the Man from U.M.B.R.A. As opposed, to, y'know the Elf or the Orc from U.M.B.R.A...


The Order of the Mystic Veil

*snip*



I like this one too, as it is sort of fits with the backstory. The Dark Lord's last invasion was beaten back at the eleventh hour by the Fey, who joined forces with the Northern Nations and they were instrumental in taking him and his army down - but could not destroy him. Perhaps the order could be looking for a way to re-create the Fey's efforts and final destroy him...


ASP


Order of the White Knives


Musmuris Inturmuralis



Night's Watch (Note the grammar)
Society for the Preservation of Interspecies Relations Education (SPIRE, have "evil" name like SPecial Assingment Infiltration, Reconnaissance Echelon)

I think all of those are potentials as well...

There have been so many good suggestions, I will have to use more than one! After all, the Dark lord did have covert ops in the Dark Wars period (this is, during the last invasion); I might well use or one of more of those ideas there.

Actually, I might even give my players a choice as well - perhaps one can be the name for their actual team as well as for the network. Or name(s) or other teams. After all, why stick with one, because if the Norther Nation get all cocky because they've caught one team, they might not look to hard at other peoples...

Or maybe I could simply have different divisions in different lands; ASP in 'Egyptian' Deshraos, the Order of the White Knives in Grass Elf Terenquar, Order of the Mystic Veil in Silver Elf Silenarwae or perhaps 'Aztec' wizardy Tuozin, Musmuris Inturmuralis in the Validus' Halfling vassl state Hearthland...

Actually, the more I think about that, the more I like it.

(Pointless overcomplication for it's own sake is what this campaign world is all about1...)

So, who else have I got left? How about:

Something faux-French for Galause perhaps...

Something Elveny/foresty or Aztec/wizard for which ever country doesn't get the OMV...

Alhar, which is an 'Arabic' land.

Ciracan, which is another vassel-state of Validus, but it's more sort of merchant-y/gothic horror-y (all cobbled streets and such - perhaps even a touch Ravenloft-y.) Though, come to that, DaedalusMkV's Night's Watch might fit that quite nicely...

And the three Dwarf lands - Iron 'Scottish mountain' Dwarves, Gold 'Jeweller/crafter' Dwarves and the Peak 'hill-highland goat/sheep-farmer-y' Dwarves.

(There are actually still three more cultures to account for, but all three are tribal and/or nomadic, so not really as viable for black ops. Technically four were I to count the bat-crap crazy Night Elves (like Drow with the level of sansity of Derro...) as they definately don't work for the Dark Lord... Yes, I either have really pulled out all the stops with this campaign world or have to much time on my hands; one of the two...)

Any more great ideas?



1I have spent all that the time redesigning the bestiary from scratch, changing the magic system, putting the work in to have geniunely different cultures and bending the world to realisitic timescales, after all... It's all right saying the Dark Wars lasted for 80 years... until you actually come to write a plausible history of those 80 years for an area about the size of Europe and the Mediterrainian and realise that, yes, bugger, you actually have to fight the war... 12,000 words and I've got now finally got up to thirty years in...!