General Oblation Board

The General Oblation Board (also known as the Gobblers from the acronymn G.O.B.) is a Church organisation headed by Marisa Coulter for the purpose of researching Dust and its connection to Original Sin. The Church feels that Dust is the source of Original Sin and thus fears it and seeks to destroy it. The G.O.B. is mainly concerned with the problem of preventing Dust from settling on children at the onset of puberty, and is especially interested in dæmons.

Governance

The General Oblation Board is a semi-autonomous organisation within the church connected to and under the sponsorship of the Consistorial Court. It is only through the sponsorship and protection of a stronger agency that an independent organisation could grow to such influence within the Church.

For purposes of experimenting on children and their dæmons, the General Oblation Board is responsible for the abduction of children from Oxfordshire, Great Brytain. The group built and runs the Experimental Station at Bolvangar in the Far North.

Alias

This group uses the alias Northern Progress Exploration Company to hide its work in Trollesund, where it has a branch office, and Bolvangar. It claims to be in the business of mineral exploration.