The World as we know it is a fragile place. And worse, when it breaks there's somewhere else beyond it, some where just too weird for people to know about or deal with. Those who know about it variously call it the Basement, Downstairs, or even the "Subterrestrial Operational Theater".
Everyone whose job it is to explore, exploit and exterminate call it The Dungeon.
The Dungeon[]
- Main Article: The Dungeon
- Dungeon Slang
- Xenofauna
- Xenotech
- Summaries of relationships between the programs and Dungeon natives.
Breaches[]
There are many points where Earth and the Dungeon touch, which are collectively referred to as Breaches or sometimes Portals. They originally classified into two categories (Gates and Trap Doors) based on whether they were under primarily military or civil control but the proliferation of breaches has resulted in a revised nomenclature.
Gates[]
Programs run primarily or exclusively by a national or multi-national military. Civilians function as specialists and advisors, though non-military agencies may be tasked with controlling spill-over into the surface world. Gates are typically created through the use of atomic weapons, often intentionally
- China: Mingfu
- European Union: Dante Project
- India: Unknown
- North Korea: Hwadae-ri
- Pakistan: Unknown
- Russia: Dragon Spear
- United Kingdom: Looking Glass
- United States of America: Project LONG STAIR
Doorways[]
Programs run primarily by non-military civil authority, though this does not preclude significant military participation. Doorways are less likely to have been deliberately created than Gates.
- Australia: WALKABOUT
- Iraq: Jahannam
- Japan: Sakura
- Romania: The Ladder
Trap Doors[]
Although officially no breaches controlled by a "third party" (non-national, whether civilian or military), it's been unofficially recognized for well over a decade that such things do exist. They are named after the first such breach discovered.
Pitfalls[]
This classification covers the disturbing scenario of breaches outside effective human control, due either to compromise of the authority in charge by xenoforms or else the breach is intrinsically inimical to such endeavors.
Footholds[]
Breaches under direct control of sapient xenoforms or other hostile forces.
- Africa, Sub-Saharan: Suspected only
Leaks[]
Leaks where Basement phenomena is observed on the surface or *CLASSIFIED*.
PIGs[]
The term Private Incursion Group is a catch-all classification of the various National (military or civil) and commercial programs run by those without access to their own breach, and thus in conjunction with a Gate or Trap Door program.
- Argentina: L-Dorado Mining
- Japan: Hadsen-Kuginari (H/K cooperates with the Japanese government, but has also conducted independent operations via The Ladder.)
- The Vatican: Knights of the Cross
Bad Wolves[]
Independent operators of particular note, whose loyalty is to themselves or is as yet unknown.
- Codename: Blue
- Ratoslov
- The Surgeon
- Emilie Veltiere
Leaked Files (CLASSIFIED ABOVE TOP SECRET)[]
A folio of e-mails, recordings, files, and other communications leaked or smuggled from Long Stair or other Basement-related facilities.
Emails
Recordings
Files
Other
Basement Operational Intelligence Observatory[]
(INPUT PASSWORD FOR CLASSIFIED ACCESS)