British Men of Letters

This page refers to the British branch of the Men of Letters. For the American branch, see Men of Letters.

Men of Letters United Kingdom
Season(s)	11-12
Type	Supernatural threat research and counteract secret society
Status	Active (American station annihilated)
Leader(s)	The British Men of Letters Elders
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Formed from	Original Men of Letters Organization, United States

The British Men of Letters are the British branch of the original Men of Letters. However, they seem to have seceded from the organization, though what caused them to secede is unknown. They also have a complicated relationship with the current American branch representatives: Sam and Dean Winchester. After determining that the British branch was going too far, American Man of Letters and hunter Sam Winchester led an assault by the American hunters in Who We Are that wiped out the British operation in America and effectively cut all ties with the British organization.

History

Through a system of widely placed wards and sigils in airports and docks, the British Men of Letters are alerted of the presence of monsters entering the country. Within 20 minutes, the monster is captured, and within 40, he's dead. There hasn't been a monster-related death in Britain since 1965.

The British Men of Letters are also highly capable alchemists, creating a series of devices through a combination of technology, craftsmanship and magic that can defeat monsters more efficiently. These including a weapon capable of killing vampires through irradiating them and hyperbolic pulse generators capable of forcing an angel or demon from its vessel.

The British Men of Letters have been aware of the events following the aversion of The Apocalypse and have been keeping tabs on Sam and Dean Winchester for a long time. During the chaos caused by the Darkness, Lady Toni Bevell was sent to America to gain the trust of the American Men of Letters. However, instead she attacks the Winchester brothers and awaits their return in the bunker. Making use of an Angel Banishing Sigil she was able to send Castiel away before shooting Sam in the leg and abducting him. Sam is eventually rescued by Dean and Mary Winchester and Mick Davies takes Toni away for punishment. However, he contacts Arthur Ketch to keep an eye on the Winchesters and the situation in America.

After Sam briefly contacts Mick, Arthur is sent to aid the Winchesters. Arthur demonstrates to them the arsenal of tools the British Men of Letters have invented to fight monsters and creatures, and provides them with a hyperbolic pulse generator they use to defeat Lucifer.

A Digital World Map with British Men of Letters' Jurisdiction Area

It is also revealed in The Raid that unlike the Winchesters, the British Men of Letters are far more militarized than them. They tend to spy and determine the strength of the enemies before assembling a team to kill them. They also have many resources, as they developed a secret bunker in America and gather intelligence over there. They're also equipped by high-end technologies such as satellites for monitoring purposes.

Based from a map in their war room in The Raid, they also have at least presence in several countries outside of the UK, like Spain, France, Germany, Finland, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Turkmenistan, and Malaysia (blue in map). Some others are unknown, but may also host some activities that gained their attention (red in map), like Sweden, Norway, Canada, Mexico, China, Indonesia and Japan. In Ladies Drink Free, however, both blue and red marked area added later, Tanzania (blue), and Congo (Red), respectively.

After recruiting a few American hunters including Mary Winchester, the British Men of Letters begin an operation to wipe out all vampires in the United States. Their operation draws the ire of the Alpha Vampire, but Sam is able to kill him with the Colt, stolen by Mary from the Prince of Hell Ramiel on the British Men of Letters order. After the death of the Alpha Vampire, Sam signs on with the British Men of Letters operation.

In The British Invasion, Doctor Hess decides that they can wait no longer for the American hunters to join them. She orders Mick to try one final time, and if he fails, he must annihilate the American hunters, specifically Sam and Dean. Mick fails in this mission, and openly defies the way the British Men of Letters operate. Hess orders Arthur to kill him as a result, and vows to have all American hunters exterminated, the Winchesters in particular.

In There's Something About Mary, its revealed that at some point, the British Men of Letters established a deal with Hell where they stayed out of each other's ways in Britain with the demons only going after people stupid enough to sell their souls. They also trap the Winchesters and Lady Toni Bevell in the Men of Letters bunker to die.

In Who We Are, the British Men of Letters prepare a massive operation to wipe out every American hunter and their families. After having escaped the bunker and captured Mary, the Winchesters rally the American hunters against the British Men of Letters. Sam leads a team of hunters that includes Jody Mills, Jerry Hollister, Roy and Walt in an assault against the British Men of Letters compound before the British Men of Letters can strike. Though the American hunters suffer losses, they are able to kill all of the British Men of Letters operatives and corner Doctor Hess in the control room where she is desperately trying to call for extraction without success. Doctor Hess tries to convince the American hunters to put aside their differences due to the escape of Lucifer, but Sam refuses and pointedly destroys the computer through which the people in Britain are communicating. Doctor Hess is then killed by Jody Mills when she goes for her gun and the compound is destroyed. With the deaths of Lady Toni Bevell and Arthur Ketch a short time later, the British Men of Letters operation and threat in America is ended.

In War of the Worlds, Sam is revealed to have taken a hard drive full of information from the British Men of Letters compound before it was destroyed. During this time, the Winchesters encounter a resurrected Arthur Ketch who is now separated from the British Men of Letters and working as a mercenary hunter under the alias of Alexander Ketch. After Arthur's true identity is exposed, he tells the Winchesters that if the British Men of Letters knew he was still alive, they would hunt him down and kill him again. Arthur also reveals that at some point, the organization captured the witch Rowena MacLeod. In exchange for Arthur's help in escaping, Rowena had provided Arthur with his own Resurrection Seal, enabling Arthur's resurrection when Mary killed him.

In Bring 'em Back Alive, Arthur reveals that the British Men of Letters often use a poison to incapacitate the monsters they hunt in the field. If the operatives don't administer an antidote in time, the poison brings on "a particularly gruesome death." A bounty hunter in Apocalypse World coated his bullets with a similar poison, allowing Arthur to create an antidote after Dean was shot with one of the bullets.

In Unhuman Nature, Arthur reveals to Sam that the British Men of Letters used to use a shaman named Sergei as their consultant whenever they needed to "solve the unsolvable." Sergei acted as their expert in mysticism and esoteric divinity. According to Arthur, the British Men of Letters swore by him.

In The Spear, Arthur tracks down the hyperbolic pulse generator to use against Michael. Lacking the courier resources of the British Men of Letters, Arthur is forced to send it by regular shipping. However, the device is destroyed by Michael.

In Raising Hell, Arthur reveals that he stole an iron pellet shotgun and some other "cool toys" from the British Men of Letters before he left. After telling Arthur about God, Dean asks if the organization had any cool weapons to deal with him. Arthur admits that they don't saying that God was always more theoretical and more rumor than fact.

The Code

The British Men of Letters uphold a code of conduct. Anyone who fails to abide by this code are murdered instantly. Students at Kendricks Academy are even forced to kill their own friends to test and see if they will follow the code.

One of the known rules is that killing a Man of Letters without an order is punishable by death. It doesn't matter if the killing was an accident or done by a member or a legacy. If the deceased Man of Letters is not avenged, the one who failed to avenge the fallen operative will be killed instead.

The code is also black and white about monsters: if something is a monster, harmless or not, it must be killed.

In War of the Worlds, it is revealed that desertion from the British Men of Letters is punishable by death. Arthur said if the British Men of Letters ever found out he was alive they would kill him.

Known Alive Members

• The British Men of Letters Elders - The leaders of the organization who are referred to by Lady Toni Bevell as The Old Men. The only named Elder is Doctor Hess, the Headmistress of the Kendricks Academy.
• Ketch's Henchmen - Two operatives who assisted Ketch in wiretapping Sam and Dean's bunker.

Known Associates

• Demons - It is revealed that they have established a contract with Hell, so as to go about their business and stay out of each other's way.

Known Former Associates

• Pierce Moncrieff - He was a hunter and a new associate to the British Men of Letters. He ultimately betrays them to the Alpha Vampire and is severely punished for it after the Alpha Vampire is killed.
• Sam and Dean Winchester - Sam secretly signed on with them after the death of the Alpha Vampire. But after Dean finds out and approves, Sam no longer keeps his alliance to them a secret. Their alliance is ended after learning of the death of Eileen Leahy and Sam leads an assault on the British Men of Letters compound that ends the British operation in America.
• Mary Winchester - She secretly worked with them. After her sons found out, she fully signed on with them. Brainwashed into a remorseless killer for the British Men of Letters by Lady Toni Bevell but saved by Dean with Toni's help and then killed Arthur Ketch.
• Lady Toni Bevell - She was a Woman of Letters who disobeyed orders and as a result, she unwillingly had to depart back to London. Arthur Ketch described her as a ticking time bomb, though this could be because they used to date. After defecting to the American side after being left to die, she was murdered by Arthur Ketch.
• Arthur Ketch - He was a very proficient torturer and expert hunter with a bloodlust and a psychopath as stated by both Lady Toni Bevell and Mary Winchester. Killed by Mary Winchester but later resurrected by a Resurrection Seal granted to him by Rowena MacLeod. After his resurrection he deserted the British Men of Letters to become a mercenary hunter and later allied with the Prince of Hell Asmodeus and the Winchesters. He eventually went to Apocalypse World in search of Mary and Jack where he helped the resistance in their war against Michael and his angels. Following the return to the Main Universe, he remains in contact and allied with the Winchesters in their continuing fight against Michael as well as continuing to be separated from the organization and its resources. He is later killed by the demon Ardat after Arthur fails to kill Belphegor and won't reveal the Winchesters' location.

Known Deceased Members

• Ms. Watt - She was an assistant of Toni Bevell who was an expert in hand-to-hand combat. She was killed by Mary Winchester.
• Serena Colman - She was the head of the security surveillance. She was killed by the Alpha Vampire, during the vampires raid on the British Men of Letters compound.
• Alton Morehead - He was the spell master, head of R&D, weapons development and alchemy. He was killed by the Alpha Vampire during the vampire raid on the British Men of Letters compound.
• McGillicuddy - He was a soldier who guarded the gate for the British Men of Letters compound in America. He was the first victim of the vampires raid on the British Men of Letter's compound.
• Mick Davies - A Man of Letters who claimed to want collaboration with the American Men of Letters. He provided intelligence to Sam through texts and phone calls concerning paranormal cases across the United States of America. Not long prior to his death, he'd taken a more active role in the paranormal cases alongside the Winchesters so as to develop hunting skills needed to survive. After coming around to the Winchesters way of thinking, he was killed by Arthur Ketch on the orders of Doctor Hess.
• Renny Rawlings - A top student from Kendricks who was assigned to keep an eye on Mick. He was accidentally killed by Eileen Leahy with the Colt while she was trying to kill the Prince of Hell Dagon.
• Ketch's Assault Team - An assault team brought by Arthur Ketch to ambush the Winchesters in the Men of Letters bunker. Killed by Sam and Dean Winchester.
• Paige - A technician in the British Men of Letters compound. Killed by Jerry Hollister during the American hunters assault.
• Lady Toni Bevell - She was a Woman of Letters who disobeyed orders and as a result, she unwillingly had to depart back to London. Arthur Ketch described her as a ticking time bomb, though this could be because they used to date. After defecting to the American side after being left to die, she was murdered by Arthur Ketch.
• Doctor Hess - She was the Headmistress of the Kendricks Academy and one of the British Men of Letters Elders. Killed by Jody Mills during the attack on the British Men of Letters compound.
• At least eight unnamed operatives - Killed by the American hunters during their assault on the British Men of Letters compound.

Known Weapons

Owing to their combination of magic and modern technology, the British Men of Letters have a selection of weapons used in hunting that are uncommon in the United States.

• Anti-Vampire Device - Device that emits a gas poisonous to vampires. Destroyed by Pierce Moncrieff.
• Enochian Brass Knuckles - Brass knuckles capable of allowing the wearer to harm angels.
• Hyperbolic pulse generator - Device that emits a force that will exorcise any demon or angel from their vessel, including an archangel. Destroyed by Michael.
• Rugaru Killing Gun - Fries the brains of targeted Rugarus.
• Vampire Irradiation Gun - Irradiates vampires, reordering their DNA and turning their own blood into a poison that is lethal to them.
• The Colt (briefly) - Legendary gun capable of killing all but five beings in existence. Stolen by Mary Winchester from the Prince of Hell Ramiel but was unusable to the organization as it had no bullets and the British Men of Letters lacked the knowledge of how to make any. Sam Winchester provided them with the means to create new bullets for the gun to deal with the threat from the Alpha Vampire. Eventually returned to the Winchesters by Eileen Leahy following the accidental death of Renny Rawlings and effectively destroyed by the Prince of Hell Dagon.
• Mind-link device - Device that can link the minds of two different people together, generally used by the organization for brainwashing.
• British Men of Letters toxin - A toxin used by the British Men of Letters to incapacitate monsters in the field. Leads to "a particularly gruesome death" if the antidote is not administered in time.

Trivia

• Despite their apparently huge information network and skill in combining sorcery and technology to create weapons, they British Men of Letters are shown to have gaps in their knowledge. For example, they believed the Alpha Vampire to have been located in Morocco for at least a decade by 2017 when he had been seen five years before in Hoople, North Dakota. They also lacked the knowledge on how to make new bullets for the Colt, the legendary weapon which could kill nearly anything.
• The British Men of Letters have a school to train their members, the Kendricks Academy. As Sam puts it, its their version of Hogwarts from Harry Potter.
• Fans regularly shorten "British Men of Letters" to simply "BMoL".
• According to Lady Toni Bevell, if the British Men of Letters are suspected of killing someone, they probably did.
• The organization apparently has ties to the British government as Toni's plane in Keep Calm and Carry On had a diplomatic registry.
• Sam's new hunter organization in Season 14 appears to take some inspiration from how the British Men of Letters do things, albeit in a far less extreme fashion. The organization uses lore from the Men of Letters bunker, uses specialized bullets to target specific enemies, performs hunter check-ins and uses body cameras that automatically upload to a server to track a hunter's progress and learn from it.