Editing The Protectorate (section)

===Background===
The formation of the Protectorate was initially suggested by [[Alexandria]] to [[Eidolon]], [[Hero]] and [[Legend]] as part of a larger plan to integrate parahumans into the [[United States]] society.<ref name="I15.z e1">'''May 1st, 1988'''<br>[...]<br>“No.  Because I’d like to propose a solution.  A way to assert control.  I want to band together.  Form a team.”<br><br>Legend leaned against the wall.  “There are teams forming already.  Yes, we’d be powerful, influential, but I don’t see how that addresses the problems.”<br><br>“Simple.  We do what the government’s been pushing for.  We regulate.  We bend to the government’s yoke, all four of us together.  We follow their stipulations and regulations.”<br><br>“That sounds like a horrendously bad idea,” Eidolon spoke.  “''Why''?”<br><br>“Because if it was us four, together?  We could afford to push back if they pushed too hard, and they’d know that.  And just by being there, we could make the project attractive enough to bring others in. [...] The post-baby boomer generation is growing up.  Couple that with the explosion in parahuman numbers, and this situation threatens to get well out of control.  We need structure and organization if we’re going to keep things intact.”<br><br>“There’s no guarantee your plan will survive contact with government,” Legend said.<br><br>“There’s ''one'' guarantee.”<br><br>“What’s that?”<br><br>“I’m estimating that it will take at least five years to establish this plan nationwide.  In that span, we’ll start with only a few groups in the largest cities, we’ll gradually and gratefully accept involvement and oversight from government and law enforcement.  We’ll also create a sub-group for minors with powers, so we can strictly structure their environment and development.  Those are the key points. [...] I expect we’ll be able to employ the remainder of the plan, the eight-stage integration of parahumans with the public, because ''I'' will be in a position of power in the government.  I, my civilian self, can be in charge of the government-sponsored superhero teams within eight years. [...] I will content myself with working to guide legislation to where we need it.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/interlude-15-donation-bonus-3/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 15.z]]</ref> Alexandria herself had outside backers for the plan,<ref>Absent Cauldron's meddling, there's no [[PRT]] for one thing. There's no [[Suits]], no [[Red Gauntlet]], no [[Elite Sentai]] group or whatever I called them, no [[Elite]]; all groups that Cauldron set up or supported. - [https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/15024820 Wildbow on Spacebattles]</ref> who influenced the development of both the plan and subsequent organization.<ref name="I27.x">“You asked me for my trust, I gave it.  You asked me for loyalty, I gave that to you as well.  You asked me for sacrifice, and I gave that.  I was content to be second place in the Protectorate, because it’s what you needed.”<br><br>“What Alexandria needed.”<br><br>[[Eidolon]] shook his head.  “Let’s not pretend.”<br><br>[[The Doctor]] paused, then nodded slowly.  “Fair enough.”<br><br>“When the shit hit the fan, when [[Ignis Fatuus|my clone]] divulged the ugly details to the public, I made sacrifices there too.  I walked away, so the Protectorate could stand.  Gave up ''everything''.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/interlude-15-donation-bonus-3/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 15.z]]</ref>

After the appearance of [[Behemoth]], the formation of the organization was hastened.

On January 18th, 1993 [[Alexandria]], [[Eidolon]], [[Hero]] and [[Legend]] were sworn in by the President of the United States under the PRTCJ as the founding members of the United States' Protectorate. It was the first in a long series of steps that led to the formation of the PRT, the Protectorate, and the organization of heroes worldwide.<ref name="I15.z e2">'''January 18th, 1993'''<br><br>“I, Alexandria, do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the director appointed over me, according to the regulations of the PRTCJ.”<br><br>Applause swelled around her.  As far as the eye could see, there were crowds and flashing cameras.  President Griffin extended a hand and she shook it.<br><br>He leaned close, “You do us proud.”<br><br>“Thank you, James.  I’ll give my all.”<br><br>He squeezed her hand and moved on.<br><br>“I, Eidolon, do solemnly affirm…” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/interlude-15-donation-bonus-3/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 15.z]]</ref> In exchange for government funding and legitimacy, the members agreed to follow a special set of laws laid out for capes, to accept bureaucratic oversight and cooperate with local authorities.

During this period the four and others operated out of a singular city, traveling to trouble spots as they appeared.<ref>'''Ridtoria:''' Since the original group has been disbanded/killed, if you would mind bow, how did the Triumvirate+Hero (I guess just Protectorate) function as a team in the early days? Did they stick to their singular cities and occasionally team up for big events, or did they travel around the nation with Cauldron's help to promote themselves in heroics?<br><br>'''Wildbow:''' One city as HQ, traveling to sites as situations demanded. - [https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/47534642/ IRC cloud conversation with Wildbow,] archived on Spacebattles</ref> This was presumably New York.

Following [[Siberian Incident|Hero's death]], the remaining founders became the leaders of smaller teams based in different cities.<ref>Around the time that they were a group, they were simply 'the Protectorate' or 'the guys at the top'. You could say, perhaps, that the loss of Hero splintered the team. They didn't hate each other or resent each other, but it was about time, and served as the catalyst to the group each going to their own individual cities - New York, LA, & Houston. - [https://redd.it/3koqyc Comment by Wildbow on Reddit]</ref> Before PRT Departments were an established presence in most major American cities, the Protectorate maintained several strike teams to deal with problems that appeared around the country in the background.<ref>So [[Armsmaster|he starts]] off with the Protectorate and he gets a chance to shine pretty early on. In a time when there are more heroes than there are departments, he takes on a role as a member of a strike squad. An issue arises, someone calls, and he and his team mobilize to solve the problem. - [https://redd.it/5ngyvn Comment by Wildbow] on Armsmaster's early days</ref> 

The Protectorate and immediately related teams make up 25-50% of the defending side against [[Endbringers]] outside of [[North America]].<ref name="19.y e1">'''►  Miss Mercury''' (Protectorate Employee)<br>Replied on July 5th, 2011:<br>Speaking for someone in the thick of it all, I don’t think that there’s any expectation or assumption that recent events (losing Legend, losing Myrddin, several members leaving) will change the outcome of the next attack.  The Protectorate and immediately related teams only make up 25-50% of the defending side when outside of North America, and North America isn’t a likely target.  There’s been no policy changes or anything of the sort in the Protectorate that point to that degree of pessmism<br>-☿ - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/interlude-19-y/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 19.y]]</ref><!--cite reasources being handed out by the group alex says this-->

The Protectorate also gives out training funding and resources to hero teams around the world who also fight Endbringers.<ref> “-But they’re only picking up for the PRT.  They’re running scared, hemorrhaging members.  They’re falling apart, and they’re big enough in the grand scheme of things that we don’t even know the repercussions if this keeps going on.  Every team that fights the Endbringers relies on the Protectorate for information, for backup, equipment and even periodic training.  But even beyond that, beyond the capes, there are hundreds of millions of people around the world who are watching the Protectorate, looking to them for reassurance.  Our perspectives and feelings are barely a factor in the face of those hundreds of millions of watching eyes.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/imago-21-2/ Excerpt] from [[Imago 21.2]]</ref>