Special Projects Division (MTAs)

Special Projects Division (SPD) is a Methodology of the Syndicate. Officially, it acts as a Research & Development program for the whole Convention. In secret, it cooperates with Pentex, a Reality Deviant infested megacorporation.

They specialized in the Spheres of Dimensional Science or Forces.

History
SPD was founded 1893 in a cooperation between Premium Oil Corporation and the Proctor House of Boston, one of the Syndicate's oldest banks in America. Thanks to financial investments from Proctor House, Premium Oil became a large and wealthy company that quickly branched out into other subjects, eventually renaming itself Pentex Incorporated and buying Proctor House. The Syndicate, instead of antagonizing the new powerful corporation, made a deal. They joined their own Clearinghouse methodology with departments from Pentex, making them responsible for developing technologies for the Convention's use.

The Syndicate continued to view Pentex as merely an extension of their own organization and thus did not care about it in detail as long as the money flowed. SPD's inventions proved to be far more advanced than the products of other research divisions. That most of the inventions were also spiritually tainted registered to few.

When the Anomaly came, SPD mysteriously vanished. Every member of the methodology had disappeared and when the Syndicate sent enforcers to discover what had happened to them, these did not return either. Mysteriously, Pentex still payed its quarterly dividend, so the leadership of the Convention is willing to cover it up, especially since wide-spread knowledge about SPD's activities could harm the Syndicate and tip the balance of power to the New World Order.

Culture
While SPD's prime partner was Pentex, the Methodology did not really care about the apocalyptic message of the Wyrm. They regarded it as a con to lull in guillible Sleepers, similar to how other large cults function. Neither did they limit themselves to Pentex. SPD also worked with Traditionalists, Nephandi, Infernalists, vampires and similar creatures.

Most SPD members do no longer follow the technocratic paradigm in the strictest sense, instead using a jumbled version of Wyrmish ideology and technomancy. Their procedures are often unsavory, with rumors of human experiments having recently been confirmed. Their technologies usually depended on Banes that were used as a power source for various devices while still spreading spiritual sickness to its surroundings.

In its prime, SPD had a separate VPO with five areas of specialization beneath him: Weaponry, subliminal influence research, investment control, in-house tech and publishing. Entry into SPD was strictly regulated, with prospective members being scrutinized if they would be compatible with the kind of work they were expected to do. Other members who discovered the connection to Pentex were usually assassinated.