Cold Iron War

The following is classified SECRET BRONZE MALARKEY SEVEN. If you are not cleared for SECRET BRONZE MALARKEY SEVEN, please disregard this material and report to unit security for debriefing. Failure to do so is an imprisonable offense.

It's the 70s, the Cold War is going strong as ever, and both sides are using changelings as operatives. They have no identities, their powers make them ideal agents in a variety of situations and the threat of being shopped to the Gentry keeps them well in line. For their part, changelings receive protection and prosperity for their services, and may be able to define themselves by service to their country - but is it really their country any more? In the murky depths of the great game, clarity is as rare as trust.

Primary inspirations are Ian Mackintosh's television series The Sandbaggers (and Greg Rucka's "spiritual sequel" comic series, Queen and Country), Tim Powers' novel Declare, Susanna Clarke's novel Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and Charles Stross' novelette A Colder War[1].

Agencies

The intelligence services of the Western countries each have their own means of dealing with changeling operations. These agencies often work together, even moreso than their mundane counterparts, but each nevertheless holds back its own secrets.

* The Office of Unspecified Activities is a division within the English Special Intelligence Service, which receives black funding syphoned from other divisions. The Office is perpetually under-funded, giving it a reputation for lateral thinking and risk-taking. While this engenders a grudging respect from other agencies, it also means that the O.U.A. is never fully trusted, even by its own superiors.

* The Irish changeling operations agency, Niamh, boasts the highest changeling-to-mortal ratio in the west, and is a storehouse of powerful magic and fae knowledge. However, the significant changeling influence, on top of existing tensions with England, means that Niamh's priorities are often not in line with its allies - the Irish changelings are often more interested in fighting the True Fae than the Soviet Union, and they require that vows be made before committing to joint actions.

* The exact specifications of MK-WIZARD are not known - that it's a CIA project is generally accepted, but assumptions regarding its size and capabilities vary wildly. MK-WIZARD's relation with European agencies is similar to the CIA's relationship with mundane Europe: They're considered to be over-funded cowboys who can blow in, cause havoc, and leave the locals holding the bag.

* On the other side, Soviet changelings are marshaled by the monolithic MOROZKO, a division of the KGB. The agency is exceptionally adept at exploiting the divisions between Western agencies, but its own unity is a flaw in itself; operational clutter and red tape accompany MOROZKO's vast scope.

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