True Cross

The Order of the True Cross, known more simply as Vera Crucis (lit; True Cross), is an organization that adheres only to the absolute authority of the Sancta Sedes. It acts as a covert section of the Vatican's operations that specializes in locating, pursuing, and exterminating the supernatural. The existence of the organization is one of the Vatican's most guarded secrets, and is only known to the Pope and a very select few, high-ranking members of the Church. All their members are some form of human or cyborg, though the latter are extremely rare.

The Organization
Established by Pope Victor II as the more appropriate successors to the Hand of God, True Cross is the oldest organization that is still in operation with the duty of confronting the unnatural forces that have preyed upon humanity since the beginning of time. Adhering to the Sancta Sedes' views on supernatural creatures being unholy abominations before their God, such as vampires and others of corresponding nature, the Order of the True Cross have been appointed the perennial task of exterminating them with the utmost efficiency; without distinction, hesitation, or even situational circumstance.

The extinction of all supernatural races is to be carried out to the fullest extent of the organization's capabilities, and with this philosophy they carry out the ancient duties that have been passed on to them by the earliest forefathers of the Church, and as one of the oldest and most covert divisions of the Vatican they have been successfully doing so for several centuries, making them the most successful and knowledgeable organization that has ever taken up the arduous endeavor.

Primarily an extension of the Roman Catholic Church, the True Cross generally operate within locations that have achieved extremely large Catholic denominations within the population, and possess countless installations around the world as a direct result to demonstrate just how vast their influence truly is. However, even without this bias preference towards religious affiliation, the True Cross Order is solely an organization that is designed to annihilate the supernatural, and because of this they have demonstrated a disregard for religious and political borders, ready and willing to operate in any territory should an unnatural threat of significant danger appear.

The main requirement for joining the organization is a history of devout Catholicism, unquestioning faith, and unshakeable loyalty, in addition to possessing a suitable disposition that can be deemed acceptable for fulfilling the tasks they would be assigned should they be recruited. All agents are expected to follow the Church's doctrine to the letter, in addition to swearing their resolute devotion to eradicating the unholy without dubiety. It is also expected, regardless of whether or not they are clergy, to attend church services and volunteer their time to it whenever possible. All rules and regulations by the clergy are also expected to be followed.

Ordinarily, disobedience against this code, should it be proclaimed severe enough, is punishable in many forms, ranging from probation to excommunication. However, there seem to be certain exceptions as a select few of it's members have demonstrated blatant behavior going against these rules and have still found themselves within the organization and without punishment, among them them being the organization's Champion, Veronica Corvis. The vast majority of it's younger members were raised in Sister Corvis' Orphanage.

History
WORK IN PROGRESS

Hand of God
The Hand of God was the Vatican's original anti-supernatural division. Founded in 380 CE with the same intention as the Order of the True Cross (killing the unholy), they slowly became more corrupt over time, bending the will of the Roman Empire to fit their design. Eventually, internal power struggles caused them to collapse around the same time as Rome, it was officially abolished in 1018 CE by Pope Victor II, making way for the current organization.

True Cross
Originally founded circa 1056 CE under the authority of Pope Victor II, constructed as a replacement for the more wayward and corrupt Hand of God organization, the Order of the True Cross has adhered to the assigned duty of protecting humanity from supernatural threats for many centuries without deviation.

Base of Operations
The True Cross organization has countless compounds spread across the world to facilitate their duties, through the main headquarters that all others branch from is situated in the depths beneath the Vatican. This base, hidden from the rest of the world, is an extremely expansive and advanced complex, containing the most advanced security systems that are designed to protect against both human and supernatural threats, and contains the necessary requisites to allow the countless agents that march under it's banner to permanently live there full-time. These stations include living quarters, training and athletic facilities, vast libraries, mess halls, and even the extensive Vatican archives, which contain the most excessive collection of knowledge on the supernatural that's ever been amassed in the world.

Orphanage
The largest Orphanage in all of Rome that is funded directly by the Vatican, it is operated by the various clerical staff and led, as the name implies, by the Champion of the True Cross, Veronica Corvis. The Orphanage takes in orphaned children from not only Rome, but also from across the entire world, where they are raised with love and dedication as would normally be expected. However, the Orphanage also serves the function of a covert recruitment center for the True Cross Organization, where upon those same children are, once they come of age, given the opportunity to assimilate into the True Cross ranks, though they are given the chance to decline if they so choose. If an individual does turn down the offer, the Orphanage will help them in any way they can to pursue a normal life outside or inside of the Church. The tenants of the Catholic church are well learned by all, regardless of their future with the organization.

Members
Members of True Cross are dedicated members of the Catholic faith who have devoted their lives to protecting and expanding Christianity to all corners of the globe, subsequently trying to eliminate the unholy, which they see as an obstacle to spreading their faith. Members come from many different backgrounds, but most share a common link with the Orphanage.

Notable Members

 * Bishop Matthias Saul: Current leader of True Cross.
 * Father Anthony Diem: Former leader of True Cross.
 * Sister Veronica Corvis: Champion of True Cross and head of the Orphanage.
 * Ada Koch: New recruit and troubled teen.

Ranking
True Cross has a variety of ranks depending on a specific member's level of skill and importance to the organization.


 * Trainee: Reserved specifically for children beginning their induction into the organization. They are selected based on merits and their devotion to the Catholic faith.


 * Initiate: Having completed the basic combat training regime, this rank denotes that a member is pending approval into the organization. They will be tested on missions for the group, usually accompanied by a senior member for safety reasons. Their final test will be a mission accompanied only by their peers, with life or death dictated entirely by their skills.


 * Herald: A full fledged member of the organization. They are the most populous rank within True Cross, receiving the bulk of assignments.


 * Monsignor: Considered the elite of True Cross, this rank denotes an extreme aptitude for combat. Despite this, they are normally found within the Vatican as a means of protection. It is not uncommon for them to lead teams of lower ranking agents on missions, however.


 * Head of the Order of the True Cross: The leader of True Cross. Taking their orders directly from the Pope and the College of Cardinals, they have total dominion over all agents within the organization. They are considered one of the most devout members within the faith. Despite their position, they are not necessarily of exceptional strength, though they are often the only person trusted to lead a team of Monsignor agents into battle.


 * Champion: The strongest member of True Cross, this rank is assigned to those who have continuously proved their worth in battle and are expected to be the last line of defense against the unnatural forces that plague the earth. They are selected by the Head of the Order once every half year before reevaluation. Due to their strength, they are often selected to run the Orphanage as a means of protecting the children from threats and evaluating them for potential recruitment. Despite holding the same level of authority as a Monsignor, they are allowed and often expected to command them on missions. There can be only one Champion at a time.

Trivia

 * True Cross shares its name with the True Cross Academy of the manga and anime series Blue Exorcist. Aside from both names deriving from the True Cross of Christian belief and sharing similar goals, they have few other similarities.
 * True Cross is also similar in nature to Section XIII Iscariot from the manga and anime series Hellsing.