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The Society of the Atheists Partisans of Progress for the Halt of the Irrational and Religious Enemy, or better known as "SAPPHIRE", is a Group of Interest and hostile faction in the universe of the SCP Foundation.
Overview
Mission-statement
SAPPHIRE is a group that consists of rational humanist atheists who seek to eradicate all forms of belief, religion and superstition, as they believe these concepts to be the cause for all misery that humanity has experienced. This also include all anomalies (SCPs), which they seek to destroy.
Despite this belief, the group is known to use anomalous objects for terrorist attacks against against both traditional and occult religions, often targeting civilians.
These attacks have also been performed against other anomalous organizations, such as the SCP Foundation.
Structure
The group is mainly based in Western Europe, though it is also active in Eastern countries, Northern Africa and the East Coast of the United States.
Instead of having a leader or central power, SAPPHIRE is divided into approximately fifty semi-independent Lodges worldwide. The Lodges are free to act independently or in conjunction if they desire, but each Lodge is under the authority of a person known as the Lodge Leader. The Lodge Leaders assemble once a year to a clandestine summit in the location of "Stoa".
The group is also well-funded, partially from subscriptions of its adherents and partially from generous donations from wealthy private influences, such as the Silverstein- and Faustil-families.
Corps/Divisions
Much like the name of the organization itself, the different corps and divisions of the group have gem-related Backronyms:
- RUBIES (Repressive Use of Bias and Imaginary Entities Suppression)
- EMERALDs (Extortion Maneuvers, Espionage and Reconnaissance inside Agencies, Leagues and Dogma)
- ZIRCONs (Zetetic Investigation, Rational Cognition and Oddities Negation)
History
SAPPHIRE is the evolution of the SACRE, an anticlerical organization already active under the First French Empire and member of the Singulière Académie Impériale, one of the historical predecessors of the Foundation. Much of its early history is unknown, except that after the Seventh Occult War it became one of the founding members of the Global Occult Coalition.
In 1953 SAPPHIRE diverged from the GOC, due to ideological divergences, as the Coalition was protecting civilian religions and also consulting with religious organizations (such as Holy Order of Knights Templar).
The group remained largely obscure until the 1960's, when it started expanding more significantly. The cause for this is unknown, but around this time they likely started to become more openly hostile as well.
Relationships with Organizations
SAPPHIRE is openly hostile with religious institutions such as Vatican, as well as organizations that are deeply rooted with them, such as the Mossad. Anomalous religions like Sarkicism, Church of the Broken God and Fifth Church are also targeted by the Society.
The Society is also hostile towards groups that contain/destroy anomalies, such as the SCP Foundation, GOC, Office for the Reclamation of Islamic Artifacts and the Humanist Gentlemen, since the group views them as not effective enough in their tasks.
Crimes
- Khanty-Mansiysk, 2015: Attack on a Proto Sarkic Settlement, which resulted in the death of all 29 Proto-Sarkites.
- Montpellier, 2015: Attempted to reach the Wanderer's Library using a Way, which resulted 3 deaths 2 injured.
- Paris, 2015: Unspecified incursion with the Fifth Church of the Stars, with unknown results.
- Soho, 2016: Another attempt to reach the Wanderer's Library using a Way, this time no casualties.
- Portlands, 2017: Kidnapping of 3 individuals of Deer College.
- Bagdad, 2017: The bombing of Office for the Reclamation of Islamic Artifacts Headquarters, which killed 12, and injured 26 more.
Trivia
- The name of the Faustil-family is possibly a reference to Faust, an erudite from German folklore who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures.
