Founding and Background

Potestates is a secret society that works to harness the enhanced abilities Infection provides to Humans,
without the madness that is the inevitable side effect. It sees it as its goal to bring this new power toHumanity.

As Potestates is a secret movement, it is hard to know when it was originally formed. The first firm evidence
comes from around 20 years ago, when a scientist from the White Cross was abducted and forced to work with
the organisation. He managed to escape, however, and brought with him horrifying stories of research facilities
in a Vault, where subjects were deliberately Infected and allowed to mutate before the administration of drugs
began to control the Parasites.

It has been suggested that the group was originally formed by a team of Vault Hunters who found suitable
equipment and material in a Vault for this kind of research. This is the leading theory because few apart of
those who have seen the awesome power of Infected Mutants realise the power that their enhanced abilities
could offer. Potestates’s knowledge of the Parasite and biochemistry is believed to be limited, as the best minds
are in Base 9 and the White Cross. Potestates personnel have reportedly been instructed in basic techniques,
however, and it is feared that a core team of scientists is working for the group. Since its founding, a number of
abductions have been attributed to Potestates attempting to find test subjects, though there is little evidence.

The group’s current focus appears to be on individuals who have been exposed to Infection numerous times
but have avoided the effects through Injection use – Runners, Defenders and Vault Hunters, for example.
Potestates has been known to abduct individuals who have had exposure to Infection but overcome it, believing
that these people’s DNA can be partially combined through additional exposure to the Parasite. They hope,
through these experiments, to provide the Infected abilities to their subjects without the Parasite taking control.

As far as anyone knows, all of these attempts have failed. Despite this, Potestates seems undeterred, believing
that succeeding will bring power over the rest of Humanity. The night-time abductions continue, and the
terrifying fact remains that any person in any town could be secretly working for Potestates.

Leadership

Potestates undoubtedly has an organised and sophisticated leadership, as multiple operations are said to be
ongoing simultaneously. Even captives under torture haven’t revealed the identity of their leaders, suggesting
that most Potesates Operatives do not possess this information – the individuals in charge use Runners sent
from anonymous sources to communicate.

Living Conditions

Members of Potestates live among the population of Gaia and share their living conditions. It is said that the
Vault the group controls contains wonders not seen for a hundred years, but these are wild rumours – no-one
has ever found it!

Recruitment

How Potestates recruits is a mystery but it seems that, in most cases, people who are at their lowest point are
chosen, rescued and taught the skills they require.

Relationships

Potestates is unknown to many of the population of Gaia. However, as it is involved in abductions, members
are often mistaken as Raiders looking for ransom and are treated as any other criminal.

The Cult of Progression has a long-standing relationship with Potestates, each believing that it uses the other,
but Potestates knows it gains more: its scientists have free reign to experiment on any Infected that the Cult
creates.