What Is The Host?

Despite the publicity and the aura of magic surrounding them, the Host are just humans, outfitted with technology well beyond the cutting edge of current technology. They are the product of Gabriel Michaels, the founder of Renaissance Technologies, as part of his ongoing battle to save the world. Michaels is a variant with meta-human intellect and technical innovation, specifically within the realm of human bio-auras and molecular and atomic physics. He began his career as a highly paid inventor at Taurus Industries in the early seventies.
     After a few years, Gabriel discovered the corruption festering within the TI structure—especially at the top. He was able to piece together from the disparate scraps of information the World Crime League operating from within TI, with Anthony Taurus as its head. While he was certain of this, he could not prove it, and Taurus immediately began to suspect him. The pair engaged in a shadowy, not-altogether-real conflict for years, ending with something little better than a stalemate: Gabriel was able to alert the world police anonymously to the actions of the WCL, breaking its power base, but could not find sufficient information to convince the world of the WCL's existence or to place any of the blame on Anthony Taurus.
     For Taurus' part, he knew that Michaels had enough information to shatter his carefully constructed image, even if he couldn't convict him, and having the police suspect him would hinder his long term plans too much. Taurus couldn't have Gabriel eliminated for fear of what information his rival ha hidden for revelation at his death. Stymied, he let Michaels go, keeping tabs on the Variant inventor as he slowly rebuilt his empire.
     Michaels had built his own company, Renaissance Technologies, as a power base against Taurus and the WCL. Knowing that he could go no further in this phase, he, like Taurus, prepared for the next round. Michael's strategy for the next round involved leaving the law behind. He conceived of the Host: an independent agency, operating internationally and unilaterally, using Michaels' technology and funded by his own personal fortunes, dedicated to stopping the World Crime League and others like them. The Host has several levels: Thrones are technical support staff and scientists; Spears are standard security agents for the bases and standard operations; Cherubs are trained field agents for surveillance, reconnaissance, and conventional threats; Archangels are highly trained humans outfitted with battle-suits that made them equivalent to Gamma level variants.
     The Host is just as much of an outlaw organization as those it fights, but grounded by the moral centers of Michaels and his main partner, Lazarus Murdoch. The pair developed the Host's operating theories and morals. Murdoch takes this into the field as Apollyon, first of the Archangels and the perceived leader of the Host. Just as Michaels directs the long term actions of the Host's conventional agents towards their ultimate goals, Murdoch keeps the Archangels in line and maintains the team's high approval rating with the public.
     The general public is unaware of the existence of the Host other than in the form of the Archangels; the support structure, the field agents, the men in white, all of them have entered the realm of urban myth for the average person. They are counted along with possessions, visitations and other supernatural phenomena, which is in accordance with the Hosts' plan. Several government organizations around the world suspect more, but the Host's structure is hidden by the machinations of someone who learned by watching the World Crime League. The Host may not be as well hidden, but they leave behind a lot less blood.
     The Host's mandate is to protect the average person against the things from which they cannot protect themselves: terrorist agencies (specifically those using variants or variant technology), corrupt governments, alien invasions, and the World Crime League. 80% of their work is never seen, for that last 20% involves the Archangels dropping from heaven and changing the social, political or physical landscape of their target. In their work, they have been forced to play opponents against one another and seek temporary alliances with enemies to stave off a greater and more uncontrolled threat. Never happy with these compromises, the Host will deal with the devil if no other option exists.

   

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