The God-Machine is a hidden, sentient, supernatural, and powerful entity, similar to an occult supercomputer, with an interest in Earth.  It constructs biomechanical Angels, Imperatives and Simulacra to further its inscrutable plans. Demons are fallen angels, algorithms of the God-Machine who came to question their purpose and rebelled, losing their connection to it in the process.

No one knows the origin of the GodMachine.  What is known is that it  is fully deserving of the title, having long since passed the point where Clarke's Third Law ("any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic") applies. It uses physical laws undreamt of by mortal scientists. The only limit on its power is its need for an "occult matrix", an extremely precise supernatural manipulation of physical laws, reliant on "Infrastructure", in order to work its miracles. Even mortals can disrupt a forming matrix, but the God-Machine feeds on its own growth. Frequently, a complete occult matrix will summon a new angel into the world, who can oversee and construct more Infrastructure, which can complete more summoning matrices, ad infinitum.

Mr. Gone is the only contact the Norman ring has with the larger demon agency, The Damned Few.  He gives them updates via a dead-drop concealed in a newspaper vending machine. 

Mr. Gone practices extremely safe tradecraft, always working through cut-outs. The players have never met Mr. Gone in person, as far as they know.

Tornadoes and severe storms are a large part of Oklahoma history and culture.   Tornado chasing is a spectator sport in Oklahoma, in part because of the advanced radar facilities developed by researchers in the state.  The Weather Center plays a major role in two ways:

• Analyzing and predicting weather in general and specific storms in particular, and
• Developing state of the art observational equipment.  

Both of these activities have been co-opted by The GodMachine due to concealment Infrastructure that obscures its activities. Many of the Weather Center staff are Weatherman, partially mechanized technicians, slavishly devoted to The GodMachine. They both work in the uppermost, magically concealed floors of the National Weather Center, and operate a fleet of  mobile  "radar trucks" that do far more than measure windspeed.  Weathermen act with impunity throughout Norman due to concealment Infrastructure that obscures their activities.