More than 50 years have passed since the armistice marking the end of hostilities of The Great War. The world has enjoyed its longest running era of peace and prosperity. Plunged into conflict in 1914, the world blindly raged and nearly consumed itself with constant conflict. No part of the globe was spared the devastation, destruction, disease and death that 40 years of conflagration on a global scale delivered. Surprisingly, the war’s most horrific and costly loss of life was the impetus needed to declare an end to the senseless and endless killing. Detonation of nuclear weapons on the European mainland united the world in a call for peace. 

Regionalism and the entanglements of alliances which drew the world into The Great War were discarded for nationalism, strong monarchical dynasties, and isolationism. Every corner of the earth learned to stand on its own, rather than risk falling back into competitive alliances and another multinational conflict. The United Nations, as a global governing body and peacekeeping force, became the arbiter of disputes and vehicle for compromise, but in boardrooms not on battlefields.

However, the new world order could not do away with all conflict, unfortunately. And for that reason, the nations of the world established frameworks, institutions and protocols for dealing with each other. So as to protect sources and sponsors, these operations exist in neither light or dark, but in shades of gray. Nations and its leaders are left to protect themselves and solve problems in a less public forum. Battlefields with armies and fighting forces are no longer the place for open hostilities, but combatants have instead taken up residence in dark alleyways, in high security surveillance centers and corporate, military and government sanctioned espionage operations. Where military muscle once reigned supreme half a century ago, small unit special operations forces, or clandestine agents operating in the shadows now preside.

However, many rogue actors have emerged, looking to usurp the new world order, to make a place for themselves at the table, and in doing so, they have threatened the delicate balance. In response, many nations created or adapted existing agencies, often outside the standard chain of command or governmental power structure, into “off the books” units that work outside international law and remain hidden from the prying eyes of the press, governmental oversight and potentially without repercussions, to protect themselves from a world beset with competitors and challenges. 

Around these institutions have sprung up a number of other “unofficial” operators, with aims and ambitions of their own. These players live in the haze, yet can see the essence of the things around them. Theirs is an existence with power over life and death. Good and evil. Ones and zeros. They are figures with power to alter our reality. And you are one amongst them. They - and you - are agents of change, and yours is the world of Agency.

And so, as the nations of the world engage in shadow operations, “cloak and dagger" programs, and proxy wars to bring about their hidden agendas in a domain without clear lines of engagement, winners or losers, you are left to ask yourself: 

“What in the world do you believe?”

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