[Pip Boy]

Originally Posted by Icelander

What would you suggest would be the prevailing view toward the supernatural among those in the Army and Navy who had become aware of it?

Presumably, both would have secret efforts to study the threat and defending from it, but which one is more likely to take a hard line against any hint of 'witchcraft' and focus on commando raids to kill any targets suspected of supernatural connections, which one is likely to focus on scientific study of the threat and where is it most likely that a program trying to use witchcraft against monsters might be found?

I believe it depends on the format of the threat. If it is something big and open (dunno, Pacific Rim style), the Navy and the Army would work together, with both strategies being used. For example, the monsters come from the sea, where the initial confrontation with the Navy occurs; what escapes, receives a cannon volley from the beach ... Whichever comes, would face Marines, Cavalry and Infantry, together. And so forth.

If the threats were more discreet, I think you're on the right track.

Originally Posted by Icelander

Unfortunately, that sort of mindset not only means that the innocents are killed along with the guilty, it also makes it very hard to find allies.

Again, I don't have this kind of detail, but your suggestions seem sound to me. An opinion from someone of the military would be valuable in this distinctions.

Originally Posted by Icelander

When you say 'Universal Church', do you mean the Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus? Founded by a billionaire media mogul from Rio? Very active in Houston, Texas, close to where the PCs started, where one of them lives and where they have jobs? The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God of which one of the most important bishops (nephew of the founder) is the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro and consequently one of the political figures in Brazil most intimately involved in the war against the supernatural?

Well, it seems it would be GMing malpractice not to include them, so by all means, tell me more of these Gladiadores do Altar!

Exactly. Haha!

For the IURD - Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus (Universal Church of the Kingdom of God), the official justification of the Gladiadores do Altar (Altar Gladiators) is as follows:

1. Gladiators of the Altar is a project of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God for guidance and formation of young people dedicated to the propagation of the Christian Faith, which has been working since January 2015.

2. The discipline that the Gladiators project offers its members is only that spiritual.

3. Its members are volunteers of the Universal Youth Force, a social program that has millions of young people throughout Brazil and in other countries and that develops cultural, social and sports activities to assist in the rescue and support of street people, addicts, young people poor and in conflict with the law.

4. The Youth Force also promotes blood, food, clothing and book donation campaigns for needy communities and recovery clinics.

5. It carries out actions of awareness and citizenship - like the incentive to the young person who obtains the title of elector.

6. Provides free vocational courses to poor people and forwards them to the labor market.

7. Support rescuers in emergencies and tragedies, with the delivery of water, food and other necessary materials.

Unofficially, there are allegations of being the embryo of an armed wing of the IURD, a military band of young men imbued with a certain warrior mysticism. Similar to the formation of militias, it is seen by many as a fundamentalist Christian sect, which was even indirectly responsible and important factor in the election of the new Brazilian president. Altar Gladiators have been forming for years in the temples that IURD has in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and other countries in Latin America.

Originally Posted by Icelander

In your view, would it make sense to make the Policia Civil of Espirito Santo notorious among other factions in the Braziilian monster hunting scene for their willingness to work with 'good' magicians and even use rituals and oracles themselves to investigate the occult?

Yes, it would. Followed by Santa Catarina's.

Originally Posted by Icelander

I'm wondering about some subleties, such as Policia Civil units that seem to be trained and equipped like tactical units in Policia Militar forces. How are the tactical units of Policia Civil forces perceived?

In other words, do people consider there to be some kind of difference between the elite military policemen that make up a unit like the PMERJ BOPE and the tactically-trained civil police that make up teams like PCERJ CORE?

The elites' teams of the two police are seen as virtually homogeneous by ordinary citizens, perhaps because of their level of military training. Between civil and military police, the difference of perception is greater, when the ordinary guards, who beat the streets, are in focus. Civilian police are usually seen as less confrontational.

Originally Posted by Icelander

Are all the CORE members college-educated? Have they experience as detectives before joining the tactical team?

I do not know. What I found on the internet does not support this as a requirement. But I would say that it SEEMS almost mandatory for me because of the level of quality os the officers.

Originally Posted by Icelander

Does CORE carry out significantly different tasks than BOPE? More targeted, perhaps, focused on the arrests of targets of prior investigations, rather than more general raids into favelas to disperse drug traffickers and seize territory in no-go areas?

Is either unit regarded as more capable or dangerous than the other? Scarier?

Again, I dont know the difference very well :( Here it would be nice to have some advice from someone in the area. I'm from São Paulo, and we do not have BOPE here.

Originally Posted by Icelander

I want to have different groups carrying different styles of blades, using different terms for them. Any suggestions for which military or police units might use which types of blades and what they'd call them?

http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/soroca...-exercito.html

This is a 2013 link, but it's still current. The cutler Villar still makes the knives for the army elites. He lives in Arkansas, and his instagram is @r.vilar_knives. He post photos of his knives frequently.

So I would choose jungle knives, machetes, and hatchets for special forces.