The Loaded Deck
One of the most famous and powerful mercenary organisations on the planet, the Loaded Deck has sufficient power and influence that it can even stand toe to toe with the major nations of the world. Many use the organisation as a stepping stone to fame, fortune and even as a training ground for those who seek to become an Immortal, who have a notably higher success rate than anywhere else. The group accepts members of all walks of life and as a result its members must learn to get along with even their enemies if they wish to remain part of organisation. The group is considered exceptional even among its peers for the large number of Immortals that remain as members rather than returning to their home nations including three Tier Four Immortals who now lead the organisation which is the highest number of Tier Fours outside of the nation states. On top of this manpower they also boast a very large fleet capable of transporting their operatives across the world and a vast network of contacts to acquire work and offer contracts. They are based out of the Mobile Air Fortress (MAF) designated as the Dealer's Run which was stolen from the Acrean Empire during a contract which allows them to have a base outside of the control of the nations and far from the dangers of the Lost Continent. The Loaded Deck waits vigilantly for the next contract or wave of new recruits and is always prepared for action no matter when it comes.
Structure
The Loaded Deck is divided according to a structure based on that of a deck of cards. Each suit represents a specialisation with the Hearts representing the combat specialists, Spades acting as the magical specialists, Clubs operating as the infiltration and tracking specialists and the Diamonds acting as the investigators of the group. Each squad operating within a suit is granted a card to represent their rank within the organisation with high cards being more talented and experienced than the lower numbers. Despite this each squad operates independently within the organisation and only answers to the Face Cards who control the suit as a whole. In the event that multiple squads are sent on the same mission the highest ranking squad of the most relevant suit takes command of the mission as a whole.
Mobility within the suits is considered one of the strong points of the organisation as attrition and competition result in ever shifting rankings among the squads but some numbers also correspond to additional responsibilities. The squads holding the numbers 2 to 7 are the regular workhorses of the group with a collection of experienced and inexperienced warriors all fighting for rank as normal. Numbers from 8 to 10 are held by Immortal squads who are allowed to take on the more dangerous and horrifying missions including those within the Lost Continent. Jacks are the squads who are considered leadership candidates within the Loaded Deck and are given many opportunities to prove themselves to secure a promotion or die trying. Queens are the second executive squads who take up the majority of day to day command and operations as well as handling some of the missions considered dangerous even by Immortal standards. The Kings are the commanding officers of the suit and control the direction and membership as well as being the most powerful squad in the suit.
While a majority of the structure is described by the previous hierarchy there exists a few special cases within the group. The most prominent is the High Commander, often referred to as the Joker, and their personal squad who control the group as a whole and represent it at major events or national negotiations. The High Command has exclusive command of the Aces of the Loaded Deck, the most powerful member of a suit who stands apart from the normal structure. The Aces are only ever deployed in the greatest of emergencies and the requirements for an Ace are so stringent that two of the positions remain currently vacant. The fact that two Aces do exist, who together with the High Commander make up three Tier Four Immortals, means that they remain a formidable threat when deployed even at half strength.
The final exception to the general structure comes in the form of new recruits, often referred to as "Ones", who have yet to officially join a squad. Each batch of recruits is divided into squads under the command of a more experienced soldier who acts as their Sergeant for a two year probation period where they are trained and assessed under stringent conditions. At the end of this period, so long as they are approved of, the Ones will be given an official suit and the "Two" designation as an official squad within the Loaded Deck.
Within each squad there exists a number of ranks, the highest of which can only be held by those in the highest ranked squads. Each squad has a commanding officer, Sergeants in squads designated 2 to 4, Lieutenants in those designated 5 to 7, Captains in those ranked 8 to 9, Majors in squad 10 and then Lt Colonels, Colonels and Generals in Jack through to King. Equivalently there also exists a second in command rank per squad who can be promoted up to a rank one below their commanding officer. Some high level squads also allow regular members to gain promotions as well but outside of the Face Squads it is rare to advance beyond the rank of Sergeant in this way.
Public Agenda
The Loaded Deck promises reliability and security to any who hire them. They offer completely neutral services and hold no grudges in their line of work so long as they get paid. Despite this they do not accept assassinations or other unsavoury contracts except against valid military targets so have retained a reputation for honour. Beyond this they are mercenaries so the promise of money and fame is what drives them forward into danger again and again.
Assets
One mobile air fortress.
Six fully staffed battlegroups.
Fifty military grade dropships.
Worldwide communications network.
History
In the wake of the Grand War there was a genuine feeling of cooperation and dedication to peace. This would, unfortunately, be short lived as eventually the nations found themselves opposing each other once more. Unwilling to break the fragile accords they would turn to mercenaries who saw the opportunities that had arisen. The Loaded Deck was one of these early pioneers who survived the dangers of the time all the way through to the current day. In that time they have grown to immense size, survived the deaths of three High Commanders and become a major power in the world. Time has only made their work more and more lucrative and many influential figures owe their rise to the training or hiring of the mercenaries.
Fame and fortune belong to the bold.
Founding Date
5960
Type
Military, Mercenary Group
Alternative Names
The Deck
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Cards
Leader
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments