Consortium

Since the beginning of the Age of Prosperity, countless wars have been fought by the civilisations of Erru. Warlords have toppled kings, rebellions have ended empires, but throughout the turning of the centuries, every nation that has ever existed has, at one time or another, turned their respective might towards the destruction of one pervasive foe, and every time their efforts have garnered nothing but recently emptied rooms and deafening silence. That foe is the Consortium. How this organisation of thieves and intelligencers have managed to stay hidden throughout the years is a mystery, especially given the breadth of their operations.
The true origins of the Consortium are long forgotten, and all that remains is rumour and legend. The stories say that they began life as a group of bandits who, having been on the run for stealing a queen’s jewels, found themselves cornered by royal guards. With death seemingly inevitable, it was only the timely arrival of an enormous copper dragon which saved them. After dispatching the guards, the thieves prepared to thank the dragon, only for it to demand they hand over their hoard of jewels. Not wanting to see their efforts go to waste, the thieves proposed another solution instead; if the dragon could provide them with somewhere safe to stow the loot, they could form a partnership and share the profits of their misdeeds. The dragon was not initially convinced, prompting the leader of the thieves to suggest a test. The dragon challenged him to steal a prized jewel from the lair of one of his dragon rivals, while the bandit leader’s friends remained behind as collateral. Through cunning and stealth, the thief was successful, returning the item to the copper dragon, who was delighted to have played such a prank on his rival. Persuaded as to their skill, he proposed the terms of a partnership, whereby the thieves could use his lair as their own and in return he would receive a 60% share of their profits. After a lengthy round of haggling, they agreed to 35%, and from that day the Consortium was born.
Though their headquarters would always remain the dragon’s lair, which successive generations helped expand and develop, they have since opened “Branches” in many cities throughout Erru and into the Imperial Colonies. Though they were initially focused on simple theft, they soon expanded into other lucrative areas of business, with intelligence gathering being the most profitable of all. Monarchs and businessmen alike would covertly seek them out for their services as infiltrators, spies and “acquisitions specialists”. Contacting the Consortium is not an easy task, but there are certain underworld figures familiar with their codes and dead drops who can be hired as middlemen.
With the onset of the Northern Conquests , the Consortium has had to face greater challenges than ever before. The Ministry of Enlightenment in particular views the Consortium as one of the greatest threats to their power and has committed vast resources to their discovery. This has prompted many members of the Consortium to wonder if they might not benefit from temporarily relaxing their strict policy of political neutrality and throw their support behind groups like the Northern Resistance, the Conclave, or even the Altharademer.
Given its almost mythic status, few people actually believe in the existence of the Consortium, attributing their actions to normal thieves. This is an assumption the Consortium has striven to foster.

When it comes to recruiting new members, the Consortium takes a “keep their ears to the ground” approach, often observing freelance thieves for years before approaching them. Should they refuse their offer of membership, a combination of alchemy and magic helps ensure the individual in question never even remembers the offer was made.

Chairman: Unknown
Headquarters: Unknown
Strength: Unknown

Type

Guild, Thieves