Montre Noire

It is a name that is whispered, never said. People look over their shoulder if they mention it, as if someone might be listening. They are always listening. They are the Montre Noire.

The organization responsible first and foremost for the secuirty of the nation and of the government, their name means Black Watch, referring to the rumor that whenever a person is made to disappear by them, the silhouette of an hourglass is inked in next to their name in the Royal Records.

The Montre Noire has more than one function however. It is not only a secret police but an intelligence service and a counter-espionage force.

As Secret Police

The Montre Noire was first created in the early 1600s as a force to root out members of a revolutionary group that was actively opposing the rule of the king. Effectively disbanded after the group was eliminated, it was not resurrected until the rule of King Reynarde, who based its organization and methods on County Chanaud's own secret police. It was this organization that was the main opponent to th resistance before the Lily Revolution. During this time it grew larger and more ruthless, until it now has crept into every part of the country and society. People were encouraged to inform on their friends and neighbors if they were heard to speak unkindly of the government, and nowhere was safe to speak freely. Those who were caught were taken and never seen again. Tens of thousands disappeared during Reynarde's reign

Although The Premiership saw the Montre Noire curtailed, it has by no means ceased and desisted. It still functions as a monitor of society, but its current internal focus is now directed at organized crime and rebel groups, as a national police unit. Those who are too vocal in their anti-government beliefs may receive a visit, but the days of nightly disappearances are long over.

As Spies

During the Panselle War King Auguste extended the role of the Montre Noire to include foreign espionage. It is one of the best in the business, and boasts agents in all nations on all continents. Although functioning in time of war, (such as the Three Day's War) it is primarily a political and diplomatic espionage organization, leaving the military intelligence to Henley Manor.

As Counter-Spies

After the Mernermann Affair in 1697, in which it was discovered that during the entire Panselle War a mole in the Royal Palace was sneaking vital documents to the Akaeians, The then-Lord Chamberlin Eric d'Graignment decided that a coordinated effort to root out spies was needed. A special division of the Montre Noire was created whose sole purpose was to function as counter-espionage, and this branch of the organization has been the most successful, if not the most famous.

Over a process of 10 years more than 95% of the estimated foreign agents in Sicinia were either turned or executed, and currently it is nearly impossible for anything or anyone illicit to enter the country without their knowledge.