Lacuna Corp
What Is Lacuna Corp?
Lacuna was an ancient secret organization that went partially public in modern times as Lacuna Corp. They specialized in Documenting, Utilizing and Containing Hauntings and Artifacts (DUC).
Document: Research and quantify the nature of Hauntings and Artifacts to better understand and deal with the unknowns.
Utilize: Many Artifacts have applications that can enrich and preserve lives, both in and out of the KNOT.
Contain: Some Hauntings and even Artifacts can be harmful to the general public and Lacuna sees it as its duty to remove these dangers from society.
Lacuna is an international organization that employs thousands of people across the globe. Players were hired into the United States branch, which encompasses a few hundred employees in various sub branches across the US.
Lacuna USA is organized into a few departments:
In Game Introduction
Lacuna Corp was a mysterious corporation that reached out to all of the characters in their prologue with an offer of employment. Each of the players had been seeing and hearing strange things. In exchange for very reasonable compensation and the opportunity to delve into the mysteries they had been observing, prospective employees were required to fill out a contract. After this they were initiated into the fold and shown how to use artifacts and travel within the KNOT. The nature of the alternate dimension, artifacts, and the true purpose of the company were kept closely guarded secrets.
Lacuna initially presented itself to the players as an organization dedicated to the collection, archival, and rental of powerful artifacts for personal gain. Powerful artifacts with minor abilities to impact the material world are collected by associates and rented by the rich and powerful ("Backers"). All of the elite Associates were explorers and researchers of the mysterious world of the KNOT. It's a dangerous but exciting job full of mystery and adventure, but the new recruits were discouraged from turning their innate curiosity on their employer, lest they discover the truth.
There were a lot of secrets and red tape in the beginning. The phrase "That's above my/your paygrade" was uttered a lot. Most doors in the office required key cards for security access. The entire staff was very cagey about what types of entities exist within the KNOT and how everything works.
As people start disappearing, the junior associates were introduced to more and more of the company's secrets.
Origins (Secret)
Lacuna is an agency formed hundreds of years ago to organize habitual sacrifices to a demon. The demon came from an alternate dimension known now as the KNOT. The demon is manipulative, and immediately targeted people in seats of power and threatened to devour their closest family and friends unless other suitable sacrifices were made. Although these people were at the beck and call of the demon, they were smart: they began to study it and the way it affected the world, and found that the people they sent off to it to die left behind echoes of themselves in the material world. Lacuna’s purpose became dualfold: keep the demon quiet, and keep artifacts-- the echoes of the sacrifices made-- out of the hands of regular humans.
New Lacuna recruits are chosen because they have displayed an affinity for being able to slip sideways into the world the demon inhabits, as well as the ability to use powerful artifacts, thus making them suitable for both feeding the demon, and maybe someday fighting it.
At the start of the game, a massive sacrifice had just been made, and the company is refreshing its ranks. Only the CEO is aware of the bargain with the demon and the reason for the company's recent heavy losses. All other employees worldwide are held in ignorance. But the Demon and her minions, the Followers, have been getting hungry and greedy. They are over-feeding and it's getting worse. The time has come to act, but the recent feeding has left the old guard shattered. It's all up to the new recruits to rise to the challenge.
Contract
This Agreement is entered into this [Day] day of [Month] [Year] by and between [Player Name] (hereinafter "Employee") and LACUNA Inc, its legal agents, subsidiaries, and on behalf of designated subcontracting entities (hereinafer "Company").
WHEREAS Company possesses certain ideas and information necessary to its businesses that are confidential and proprietary to Company (hereinafter "Confidential Information"); and
WHEREAS the Employee is willing to receive disclosure of the Confidential Information pursuant to the terms of this Agreement for the furtherance of the Company's goals;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration for the mutual undertakings of the Company and the Employee under this Agreement, the parties agree as follows:
1. Obligations of Receiving Party. In consideration of the disclosure of Confidential Information by the Company, the Employee hereby agrees: (i) to hold the Confidential Information in strict confidence and to take all reasonable precautions to protect such Confidential Information (including, without limitation, all precautions the Employee employs with respect to their own confidential materials), (ii) not to disclose any such Confidential Information or any information derived therefrom to any third person, (iii) not to make any use whatsoever at any time of such Confidential Information except to evaluate internally its relationship with the Company, and (iv) not to copy or reverse engineer any such Confidential Information. The Employee shall not utilize any collaborators, agents, or sub-contractors to record, disclose, or otherwise persist Confidential Information without such persons also having signed a nondisclosure or similar agreement in content substantially similar to this Agreement.
2. Time Periods. Without granting any right or license, the Company agrees that the foregoing shall not apply with respect to any information after five hundred years following the disclosure thereof or any information that the Employee can document (i) is or becomes (through no improper action or inaction by the Employee or any affiliate, agent, consultant or employee) generally available to the public, or (ii) was in its possession or known by it prior to receipt from the Company as evidenced in writing and confirmed by a designated auditor appointed by the Company. The Employee may make disclosures required by law or court order provided the Employee uses all efforts within their power to limit disclosure and has first permitted and assisted the Company to employ all available remedies it sees fit to prevent disclosure.
3. Return of Documents. Immediately upon the written request by the Company at any time, the Employee will return to the Company all Confidential Information and all documents or media containing any such Confidential Information and any and all copies or extracts thereof, save that where such Confidential Information is a form incapable of return or has been copied or transcribed into another document, it shall be destroyed or erased, as appropriate. The Employee agrees to permit the Company or its designated agents to audit the destruction of such information and ensure its completion to the Company’s satisfaction.
4. Relationships. The Employee understands that nothing herein (i) requires the disclosure of any Confidential Information or (ii) requires the Company to proceed with any transaction or relationship.
5. Limitation on Obligation. The Employee further acknowledges and agrees that no representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by the Company, or by any of its respective directors, officers, employees, agents or advisers, as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of any Confidential Information made available to the Employee or its advisers; it is responsible for making its own evaluation of such Confidential Information.
6. Waiver. The failure of either party to enforce its rights under this Agreement at any time for any period shall not be construed as a waiver of such rights. If any part, term or provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal or unenforceable neither the validity, nor enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement shall be affected. Neither Party shall assign or transfer all or any part of its rights under this Agreement without the consent of the other Party. This Agreement may not be amended for any other reason without the prior written agreement of both Parties. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the Parties relating to the subject matter hereof unless any representation or warranty made about this Agreement was made fraudulently and, save as may be expressly referred to or referenced herein, supersedes all prior representations, writings, negotiations or understandings with respect hereto.
7. Equitable Relief. The provisions of this Agreement are necessary for the protection of the business and goodwill of the Company and are considered by the Employee to be reasonable for such purpose. The Employee agrees that any breach of this Agreement will cause the Company substantial and irreparable damages and, therefore, in the event of any such breach, in addition to other remedies that may be available, the Company shall have the right to seek specific performance and other injunctive and equitable relief.
8. Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of a jurisdiction in which the Company is located or operates as chosen by the Company at the time of disputation (the "Territory") and the parties agree to submit disputes arising out of or in connection with this Agreement to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court or other such arbitrating authority in the Territory.
9. Term and Termination. The obligations of this Agreement shall be continuing in perpetuity or until the Confidential Information disclosed to Employee is no longer confidential (as specified in Paragraph 1).
10. Survival of Rights and Obligations. This Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by (a) Company, its successors, and assigns; and (b) Employee, their successors and assigns.
EXECUTED, by a duly authorized representative, as a sealed instrument as of the day and year first set forth above.
On behalf of LACUNA, Inc:
Name: _________________________________
Signature: _________________________________
Employee:
Name: _________________________________
Signature: _________________________________
SEALED IN CONCORDANCE