The Daggers of Neo-Europa are the Left Hands of the Seven Families—the covert, lethal, and often enigmatic agents who serve in parallel with their public-facing counterparts, the Banners. Where Banners represent diplomacy, image, and honor, Daggers enforce control through stealth, subterfuge, and decisive action. They are the whispered threat behind the handshake—the shadow that ensures the spotlight stays where it belongs.
Daggers operate with autonomy, ruthlessness, and absolute loyalty to their House. While many live under false names or behind multiple identities, their actions shape the unspoken power dynamics of Neo-Europa.
Role and Responsibilities
Daggers serve as the:
- Intelligence gatherers and covert operatives of their Family
- Assassins, saboteurs, and crisis managers behind the scenes
- Personal enforcers and bodyguards for their Noble
- Crisis executors for missions deemed deniable or off-record
- Memory brokers, black-market negotiators, or myth suppressors, depending on specialization
Unlike the Banners, who are celebrated in Veil broadcasts and Council ceremonies, Daggers are rarely seen unless it serves a purpose. Their true value lies in what they prevent, cover up, or eliminate before it reaches public awareness.
Training and Selection
Daggers are chosen through:
- Family bloodlines known for discretion and nerve
- Recruits from the Spacer underground or Depth-layer operatives
- Survivors of Council-run black programs or Chapel Node conditioning
Their training includes:
- Advanced martial arts and weapon use (often non-standard)
- Cyberpsychology, counterintelligence, and Veil manipulation
- Symbolic code combat and Depth exposure resistance
- Language fragmentation, mimicry, and mnemonic editing
- Myth suppression and containment techniques
Known Daggers
- Chiyo Matsumoto – Dagger of Arata Swert (Swert Systems). A silent and deadly operative with a kind heart and unmatched balance. Wields a ninjatō and specializes in symbolic containment.
- John Weinvlit – Dagger of Quinty Codenberg (Codenberg Corp). Cold, methodical, and dangerously precise. Twin brother to Roland Weinvlit, whom he disavowed.
- Jonas Hardenberg – Dagger of Ray Stenweg (Stenweg Cyber). Handles cleanup operations like performance art. Hedonistic and loyal only to his brother and results.
- Henri Capet – Dagger of Oleg Serolov (Serolov Conglomerate). Blunt, violent, and efficient. A street-scarred bruiser whose instincts are sharper than most algorithms.
- Sahira Rodenbex – Dagger of Gérard Rodenbex (Rodenbex Industries). Elegant and lethal, she is the mind behind her House’s vast intelligence network.
- Pierre Papillon – Dagger (and acting Banner) of Severus Sleus (Sleus Dynatek). Ruthless, multilingual, and fiercely loyal. Operates without pretense. Speaks with a strong French accent and greets all with “Guten Tag.”
- (The Dagger of Julia Clutine is Salvatore Mendez, known only to a few.)
The Dagger/Banner Balance
Each Dagger operates in mirrored partnership with a Banner:
- The Dagger secures the House’s power in the shadows
- The Banner maintains its image in the light
Together, they form a dual structure of trust and tension. In some Houses, the Dagger and Banner are rivals. In others, they are siblings, lovers, or bitter opponents forced to cooperate. This balance reflects the core principle of Neo-Europa’s political ecosystem: power is never singular—it is a duality.
Cultural Perception
Among the general public, Daggers are mythic figures—half-rumor, half-threat. Children dare each other to say a Dagger’s name three times in front of a mirror. Spacer forums obsess over their confirmed and unconfirmed kills.
Within the Council, Daggers are respected and feared. Their presence in a room changes the tone. Their silence is often more dangerous than their weapons.
Operational Codewords
Some Families assign ceremonial codenames or titles to their Daggers. Examples include:
- “The Last Cut”
- “Whisper Above Bone”
- “Ghost of the Fifth Thread”
- “Sealed Fang”
These are never acknowledged in public and rarely survive long outside classified channels.