I am currently preparing for Session Zero of a homebrew Magnus Archives campaign, The End of the Institute, built using my MESH playstyle.
If you are familiar with The Magnus Archives, the ending created endless potential for new stories, official or otherwise. It opened the multiverse and populated it with endless flavors of the canon entities for fan fiction and for GMs to pick up the torch in the Cypher based tabletop RPG.
After a few short investigations to get a feel for the system and style, I’m ready to launch a full campaign of my own.
Now I am building a full campaign, based after the events of the original podcast, in my own homebrew universe, utilizing the MESH playstyle.
To set the stage for my players, I put together an in-universe Orientation Packet for their Session Zero. Here’s the text in full:
The Magnus Institute: Orientation Packet for New Staff
(Issued by Order of the Board of Trustees, 2023)
Welcome
We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to join the reconstituted Magnus Institute. Your presence here marks the beginning of a new chapter for an organization with a long and—admittedly—unusual history.
Recent events have left the Institute in a precarious state. Your role will be vital in restoring its function, securing its future, and uncovering the mysteries of its past.
The Vanishing
On the morning of October 23rd, alarms sounded within the Magnus Institute. Law enforcement arrived to find the building ransacked. What appeared to be a burglary soon proved far stranger:
- Dust thick on desks.
- Trash cans long unemptied.
- Food rotting in the staff refrigerator.
- Offices sealed and silent for weeks.
It became clear that no one had been present for some time before the break-in.
The core staff—Archivist, assistants, head researchers, department leads—were missing, without explanation.
The ancillary staff, finding themselves locked out, assumed the Institute had closed its doors and sought employment elsewhere.
The Board of Trustees, after weeks of unanswered communications, declared the Institute leaderless.
To this day, the fate of the former staff remains unknown.
The New Order
The Board has taken decisive steps to restore operations.
- New management has been appointed.
- Department heads have been installed.
- Budgets and oversight have been reinstated.
Your task—and ours—is fourfold:
- Clean up the Institute, physically and administratively.
- Rebuild it into a functioning organization.
- Discover what happened to the missing staff.
- Uncover what they were working on before their disappearance.
Your Role
As new staff, you have been brought on board to provide manpower, expertise, and initiative. Whether you are an academic, an administrator, a medic, or simply someone with a useful skillset, you are now part of the Magnus Institute’s efforts to carry on.
During your onboarding, you will be asked to decide:
- How you first heard of the Institute.
- Whether you knew of its reputation prior to your hiring.
- How you came to be recruited or accepted the role.
- What department you now serve, and in what capacity.
Not all staff members are permanent. Some are external hires, freelancers, or associates who drift in and out of the Institute’s orbit. All, however, are bound together by the same purpose: survival and discovery.
Departments of the Institute
The Archives – Catalogues and investigates supernatural statements.
Assistant Archivist · Transcriber · Research Assistant
Research & Investigation – Conducts fieldwork and corroborates evidence.
Junior Researcher · Field Assistant · Investigator-in-Training
Library & Artefact Storage – Catalogues books, documents, and cursed artefacts.
Assistant Librarian · Artefact Handler · Cataloguer
Conservation & Preservation – Maintains fragile statements and media.
Conservation Assistant · Archivist’s Technician · A/V Support
Security – Protects the Institute from mundane and paranormal threats.
Security Trainee · Watchman · Facilities Assistant
Administration – Manages finances, scheduling, and communications.
Clerk · Receptionist · Junior Administrator
Medical & Welfare – Provides staff care and handles supernatural fallout.
Nurse’s Assistant · Welfare Officer Trainee · First Aid Attendant
Staff Directory
You will be working under the supervision of the following personnel:
- Director: Dr. Miriam Caldwell — Administrative overseer and liaison to the Trustees.
- Head of Archives: Professor Lionel Haversham — Records and cataloguing.
- Head of Research & Investigation: Inspector Callum Briggs — Field operations.
- Head of Library & Artefact Storage: Calliope “Callie” Drennan — Artefact management.
- Head of Conservation & Preservation: Jacob Kline — Preservation of media and materials.
- Head of Security: Captain Marcus Shaw — Institute protection.
- Head of Administration: Evelyn Cross — Internal logistics.
- Head of Medical & Welfare: Dr. Aisha Malik — Staff wellbeing.
- Reception: Oliver Dent — First point of contact for visitors and calls.
Expectations & Conduct
- Confidentiality: Do not discuss Institute business with outsiders.
- Compliance: Obey department heads in all matters of safety and protocol.
- Reporting: Unusual incidents must be logged immediately with your supervisor.
- Professionalism: While the Institute’s work is often unorthodox, you are expected to maintain the highest standards of discipline and decorum.
Failure to comply with these expectations may result in dismissal—or worse.
Final Note
The Magnus Institute is a place of unusual work. Many who served before us vanished without a trace. It will be your duty, alongside your colleagues, to continue where they left off—and perhaps to discover why they never returned.
We look forward to your contributions.
— The Board of Trustees
Mason Beck Fiction 
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