The Syndicate

Origins and Evolution   The Syndicate, known by outsiders as a shadowy criminal organization, was not always the twisted web of crime and corruption it has become. Its origins are rooted in the noble struggle for Kaelderen’s freedom. Born from the ashes of the defeated Kaelderen Army, the Syndicate was originally composed of former freedom fighters and soldiers loyal to the late King Arath Cyril. These brave men and women, who had once taken up arms to defend their homeland from the iron grip of the Empire, found themselves in a harsh new reality following the Empire's conquest of Kaelderen.   With the public execution of King Arath Cyril and the subsequent dismantling of the Kaelderen Army, many of these freedom fighters went underground. They became the nucleus of what would become the Syndicate—a network of resistance fighters determined to sabotage the Empire's control and reclaim Kaelderen’s independence. In those early days, the Syndicate operated with a singular purpose: to strike back at the Empire through sabotage, espionage, and targeted assassinations, aiming to destabilize the imperial occupation and inspire a wider rebellion.   However, as the years dragged on, the Syndicate’s mission began to shift. The brutal reality of life under the Empire’s rule, combined with the ever-present need for resources to fund their operations, slowly eroded the purity of their cause. As the lines between freedom fighters and criminals blurred, the Syndicate began to embrace the darker side of survival—extortion, smuggling, and other illicit activities became tools in their arsenal. The need for funding their operations, as well as the personal greed of some members, led to a growing focus on profit, and the Syndicate began to evolve into a powerful criminal organization.   Structure and Divisions   Today, the Syndicate is a complex and divided organization. While its roots as a resistance movement are still present, the Syndicate is split into two distinct divisions, each with its own priorities, methods, and leadership.   1. The Freedom Division The first division, known as the Freedom Division, is composed of members who remain true to the original ideals of the Syndicate. These are the veterans who still remember the days of fighting under King Arath Cyril’s banner, and their focus remains on Kaelderen’s independence. For them, the Syndicate’s criminal activities are a necessary evil—means to an end rather than the end itself.   The Freedom Division operates with a strategic focus, targeting imperial infrastructure, supply lines, and key figures within the occupying forces. They engage in acts of sabotage, bombings, and assassinations, carefully orchestrating their moves to maximize damage to the Empire while minimizing collateral damage to Kaelderen’s civilians. They view themselves as the true successors of the resistance, warriors in the shadows continuing the fight for their homeland’s liberation.   The Freedom Division is led by a council of veterans, each of whom fought in the war against the Empire. This council makes decisions collectively, guided by the principles of freedom and justice that once defined the Kaelderen Army. They maintain secret communication channels with other resistance cells across Kaelderen, and their ultimate goal is to reignite a large-scale rebellion that will drive the Empire out of their homeland for good.   2. The Profit Division The second division, known as the Profit Division, has diverged significantly from the Syndicate’s original mission. For its members, profit and personal power have become the primary objectives. They see the chaos and instability in Kaelderen as an opportunity to enrich themselves, using the Syndicate’s network to engage in all manner of criminal enterprises—extortion, racketeering, smuggling, and black-market trade are just a few of their lucrative ventures.   The Profit Division is ruthless in its pursuit of wealth. While they still conduct operations against the Empire, these actions are often secondary to their primary goal of controlling the underworld economy of Kaelderen’s cities. They exploit the population's desperation, offering protection, loans, and black-market goods at exorbitant rates, all while amassing significant wealth and influence. The Profit Division is willing to cooperate with anyone—including imperial officials—if it serves their interests.   Leadership within the Profit Division is more centralized and autocratic, with a single figure at the top who controls the division with an iron fist. This leader, often referred to as “The Syndicate’s Shadow,” is a master manipulator and strategist, using fear and greed to maintain loyalty and control. The Profit Division’s headquarters is said to be located deep within the capital, in the heart of the imperial-controlled territory, where they operate with impunity under the very noses of the occupying forces.   Influence and Operations   The Syndicate’s influence extends across all major cities in Kaelderen, from the capital to the smaller, yet strategically important, towns scattered throughout the countryside. Their operations are multifaceted, taking advantage of the instability created by the Empire's occupation. In cities like Kaelderen’s capital, the Syndicate runs protection rackets, controls smuggling rings, and even has a hand in the black-market trade of imperial goods and information.   Their sabotage operations, particularly those conducted by the Freedom Division, are carefully planned and executed, often targeting key imperial installations and supply lines. These acts of defiance, while disruptive, are also symbolic, reminding the Empire that Kaelderen’s spirit of resistance has not been extinguished.   The Syndicate’s network of informants and spies is vast, allowing them to stay ahead of both the Empire’s forces and rival criminal organizations. Their ability to manipulate and control the flow of information has made them a powerful player in Kaelderen’s underground, and even the Empire’s soldiers tread carefully in areas where the Syndicate’s influence is strong.   The Future of the Syndicate   The Syndicate stands at a crossroads, torn between its dual identities as a resistance movement and a criminal empire. As the divide between the Freedom Division and the Profit Division grows, tensions within the organization are reaching a breaking point. Some members of the Freedom Division fear that the Syndicate is losing its way, becoming just another tool of oppression rather than a force for liberation. Meanwhile, the Profit Division sees the Freedom Division as an obstacle to their ambitions, a relic of a past that no longer holds relevance in the harsh reality of imperial rule.   The future of the Syndicate may well depend on which division ultimately prevails. If the Freedom Division can reassert control, the Syndicate could once again become a beacon of hope for Kaelderen’s people, leading the charge against the Empire. However, if the Profit Division’s influence continues to grow, the Syndicate risks descending further into corruption, abandoning its noble origins for the lure of wealth and power.   Regardless of what the future holds, the Syndicate remains a potent force in Kaelderen, a symbol of both the enduring resistance against the Empire and the moral complexities that arise when the line between freedom fighting and criminality becomes blurred.