The Triad of Valon

The Triad of Valon consists of three powerful and distinct mafia houses that dominate the criminal underworld across the continent. While they each operate with their own methods and philosophies, they collectively shape the flow of power, wealth, and illegal trade throughout Valon. These houses are The Lotus Clan, The Girasol, and The Sanguine. Though alliances between the three are rare, they often work together when faced with mutual threats. However, just as often, they engage in brutal rivalries, each seeking to expand its influence at the expense of the others.

The Three Houses

1. The Lotus Clan

Territory: Southern Valon, formerly Widton.
Specialization: Smuggling, espionage, and black market trade.
Symbol: A black lotus flower, often tattooed on operatives or incorporated into their attire.
Notable Traits:
Precision and strategy define their operations, preferring calculated moves over outright violence.
Their former dominance over Widton has left lingering tensions with the Onyx Assembly, particularly The Veil, which drew many of its original members from the Lotus.
They are known for their discipline and professional demeanor, which sets them apart from the more flamboyant Girasol or brutal Sanguine.

2. The Girasol

Territory: most parts of northern Valon
Specialization: Assassination, seduction, and information brokerage.
Symbol: The girasol flower (a gemstone sunflower), often worn as jewelry or embedded in weapon designs.
Notable Traits:
The Girasol thrives on manipulation, using courtesans, spies, and assassins to eliminate threats and gain leverage.
Their brothels and entertainment houses serve as hubs for both pleasure and information gathering, offering a veneer of legitimacy to their operations.
They are the most enigmatic of the three houses, with their agents weaving intricate webs of influence across Valon.

3. The Sanguine

Territory: The Island of Miamar, a lawless criminal haven in the far west.
Specialization: Arms dealing, piracy, and large-scale extortion.
Symbol: A crimson oleander flower, often stylized with blood-like drops.
Notable Traits: The Sanguine is the most violent and chaotic of the three houses, thriving on fear and brute force.
They dominate the western seas, controlling piracy and smuggling routes with their fleet of heavily armed ships.
Their reputation for brutality is matched only by their cunning, as they use poisons, intimidation, and overwhelming firepower to maintain their hold on Miamar and its surrounding waters.

Relationships Between the Triad

Lotus Clan and Girasol

The Lotus Clan sees the Girasol’s reliance on seduction and intrigue as frivolous, while the Girasol mock the Lotus’s rigidity and lack of flair. Despite their differences, they occasionally collaborate on operations requiring both precision and manipulation, though these partnerships are often short-lived.

Girasol and Sanguine

The Girasol and Sanguine share a mutual disdain, with the former viewing the Sanguine as brutish and uncultured, and the latter dismissing the Girasol as manipulative cowards. Their clashes are particularly fierce in areas where their operations overlap, such as extortion or assassination contracts.

Lotus Clan and Sanguine

The Lotus Clan’s calculated methods often put them at odds with the Sanguine’s chaotic brutality. However, both houses respect each other’s strength, and their conflicts are often based on territorial disputes rather than philosophical differences.