The Aconitian Syndicate

The Aconitian Syndicate is a large criminal organisation active across the entirety of the mortal continent of Venadeus. The organisation was founded and its headquarters are located in Arenvik, though the Syndicate has established outposts in some of Arenvik's neighbouring kingdoms.

Structure

There are several levels of heirarchy within the Aconitian Syndicate.
Bane - The leader of the organisation is given the title of Bane. Typically, whoever is the Bane of the Aconitian Syndicate is referred to only by their title, not by name. The naming of this title stems from several meanings of the word - (a) a cause of distress or annoyance, (b) something which causes death, especially poison, and (c) the wolf's bane plant in which the syndicate is named after.
Rogov - The title of individuals who act as "heads of operation" at the Aconitian Syndicate's outposts across Venadeus. Typically there is a Rogov at each outpost, with the exception of the organisation's headquarters, as the Bane remains at and runs the Aconitian Syndicate from there.
Aco - The title of Aco is given to elder men within the Aconitian Syndicate who serve as supervisors and trainers for the lower classes within the organisation. Each Aco is responsible for a particular specialty, i.e. weapon's proficiency, knowledge of poisons etc. The naming of this title stems from a shortened version of "aconitian".
Ferox - Members of the Aconitian Syndicate who have successfully completed training in their area of skill. There are various positions that comprise this ranking, each having their own responsibility and secondary title. Feroxi always wear their primary colour of black, with accents of their secondary position included in their attire.

• Novebor - Bounty hunters who work primarily in hunting down individuals who have wronged or betrayed the Aconitian Syndicate. Novebors are denoted by the colour blue.

• Carmicha - Long-range assassins, typically those skilled in archery, who are available for hire by external parties. Carmichas are denoted by the colour purple.

• Sukac - Close-range assassins, typically those skilled with daggers, who are available for hire by external parties. Sukacs are denoted by the colour magenta.

• Lyco - Botanists, specifically with a knowledge of phytotoxicology and psychoactive plants. These individuals cultivate plants that are used by the Aconitian Syndicate as poisons, sedatives, stimulants and hallucinogens. Lycos are denoted by the colour green.

• Tauri - Tauris are members of the Aconitian Syndicate who act as the staff members at some of the organisation's more public endeavours. For example, waitresses, bartenders and croupiers. This subrank also includes drivers of carriages for higher ranking members, internal chefs and cleaners as well. Tauris are denoted by the colour yellow.

Anthor - Anthors are trainees, usually children under the age of 18. They will spend time with each Aco in their designated outpost until their favoured skillset is determined, at which point they become a disciple of a particular Aco and taken on a surname relevant to them. For example, the assassin Runa took on the surname Lauritsen, after being selected to study under Aco Laurits in the art of close-range weapons and assassinry. Anthors are denoted by the colour grey, as there is a saying within the syndicate that this is because they are "yet to show their true colours".
Delphine - This title is given to members of the Aconitian Syndicate who have failed as trainees in the other ventures of the syndicate. Typically women, although some men also make up this ranking, these individuals are still given purpose within the syndicate, instead finding use for their bodies. These people are effectively slaves, more so than most of the other workers who are trapped within the syndicate, and are forced to sell themselves each night to both members of the Syndicate and external parties. They act as pleasure relief and entertainment for the syndicate's higher ranking members, as well as whisper-gatherers [people who collect secrets and gossip] for the Syndicate. When the Delphines are enaged with external clients, they are ordered to sweet talk whatever information their customers are willing to spill to them during their intimate encounters. Delphines are free to wear whichever colour best accentuates their figure, but all of them must wear an orange ribbon tied around each wrist at all times to denote them as a Delphine.

Culture

Members of the Aconitian Syndicate ranked Aco and above are free to live however they wish, provided they always act in accordance with the organisation's rules and that they are still loyal to the AS in any external acitivites they participate in. Members ranked Ferox and below generally must always remain inside whichever of the syndicate's buildings is their home residence unless they are working, whether that is as a bartender or prostitute at one of the syndicate's business fronts, or out on an assassination mission.
All members of the Aconitian Syndicate are tattooed upon induction with the organisation's insignia on the inside of their non-dominant wrist. All members are also bound by a code of silence and loyalty, and must be present at a premises roll call every morning, unless out on a mission (which must be flagged with an Ako who can mark attendance). All earnings, including those from bounties or tips earned by the work of the Delphines, are owned by the Aconitian Syndicate and members must surrender all of their coin earned to the organisation. This is in exchange for board, food, clothing and training. For most of the members, it is the Aconitian Syndicate claiming a debt they are owed by the member, usually for adopting them from the orphanage (even if they didn't actually pay the fees), or for the ongoing training and sustainment of life they provide to the members. 
Members who leave the Aconitian Syndicate of their own accord are always met with the consequences of their disloyalty.

Public Agenda

The Aconitian Syndicate has two main goals. The first is to fill the pockets of the higher-ranking members, and this is the motivation that the general public know about, often referring to the syndicate as a "pack of greedy wolves". However, the real reason behind the formation of the Aconitian Syndicate was to work as an underground force seeking revenge against people who had wronged them. More specifically, it was founded by people who had been wronged by the fae of Lyfeldea prior to the formation of the Sororibus Egis, the magical barrier separating Venadeus and Lyfeldea. In addition to their money-making ventures, the Aconitian Syndicate acts towards their other goal in secret, committing acts and tasks that serve to hopefully instigate a war between the mortal and fae continents. Hence, the assassinations and bounties, while often commissions, are also carried out on people whose deaths could have the blame associated with the fae, or are members of government who oppose a war with the fae. They also kill and enslave fae/half-fae that have been trapped in Venadeus since the barrier was formed. This is how General Niko, of Arenvik's royal milita, found the Aconitian Syndicate and started a secret alliance with the organisation. In return for turning over any fae or half-fae to him for 'punishment', General Niko has promised the Aconitian Syndicate that when he overthrows the current kings and annexes the fae realm into service for his own new empire, that the high-ranking officers of the syndicate will serve important roles and become the new nobility. However, he does not want to punish the half-fae that fall into his car, instead wanting to use them for his own army of half-fae who the fae look down upon and class as inferior. They are believed to lack magical potential and aetherial half-fae are very rare, but Niko’s out to prove to the fae that half-blooded fae can be just as powerful as those of pure bloodlines. General Niko also offers the Aconitian Syndicate protection, keeping knowledge of the organisation's existence far from the ears and eyes of Arenvik's King Leif Adelsköld.

Assets

The Aconitian Syndicate has its own income source from the bounties and assassinations it completes that are paid out upon completion by those who have hired out the services of the organisation. The syndicate also owns a number of bars, gambling dens and brothels in which they use gain coin to fund their ventures, as well as gossip and information that they trade or use to their advantage. They have a large number of men and women who they have trained since they were children, taken from orphanages, to use as staff in all of their ventures, as well as ample supplies of weaponry and buildings purchased through the organisation's earnings in the previously-mentioned endeavours.

Strike when the arrow is poisoned.

Type

Illicit, Syndicate

Alternative Names

The AS,

Leader Title

Bane

Location

Arenvik

Related Ranks & Titles

• Bane

Related Professions

• Sukac Assassin