Far beyond Gotham’s marshes, across seas and kingdoms, another power watches the city’s descent: the Ancient Registry of Great Unseen Sentinels, known in whispers as A.R.G.U.S. Founded by a coalition of monarchs and high clergy, A.R.G.U.S. exists to confront threats that no one kingdom can contain – eldritch horrors, demonic incursions, rogue archmages, and now, perhaps, the Star-Fallen.
From the fortified Checkmate Citadel, a labyrinthine stronghold of white stone and black banners, A.R.G.U.S. coordinates a network of spies, agents, and “special assets.” Their approach to monstrosity is pragmatic. They do not simply kill monsters; they command them.
Through alchemical brands, cursed collars, and binding sigils, A.R.G.U.S. controls a roster of expendable operatives known as Task Force X – condemned criminals, controlled abominations, and unstable sorcerers pressed into service. When a crisis arises, these "monsters" are deployed as deniable weapons. If they die, no tears are shed. If they succeed, the Citadel writes another secret victory into its restricted annals.
Gotham, with its infernal pacts, goblin uprisings, Star-Fallen cult, and collapsing social order, has captured A.R.G.U.S.’s attention. Agents disguised as pilgrims, mercenaries, or scholars have already slipped into the city, mapping its factions and identifying potential recruits for Task Force X. Some within A.R.G.U.S. argue that Grimhollow and Gotham represent a microcosm of the world’s larger rot – a testing ground for methods that might one day be used everywhere.