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The Syndicate

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The "Syndicate" is a mysterious shadow government that is believed to oversee the dealings of various factions throughout the world. The degree to which the organizations involved in the Syndicate are beholden to its dictates is unknown. The following factions are known to have ties to the Syndicate:

The Retainers, a company of treasure-hunting merchants;
The Graybreakers, an international thieves' guild;
A complex underworld of criminal organizations that reside in Cheapside in Arcanum;
The Dread Legion, a faction of mercenaries who owe their allegiance to Mordaine and their lords;
A slew of secret fences and arms dealers for the Empire of Arcadia and the servants of the Lords of Vanis, in both Nithaven and near its capital;
Infiltrators from the Houses of the Changelings;
Various political factions in Telrain that undergird its magic academies

Countless other smaller factions are also involved with the Syndicate's shadowy network. It's considered a dangerous position to be in if you have active ties to the network, as its tendrils are everywhere.

Story Hooks

The Syndicate as an umbrella organization for various game-world factions is only interesting if the campaign is concerned with cloak and dagger adventures and a central Big Bad Guy Who is Behind it All, otherwise you might as well let the Syndicate disappear into the background.

If the Syndicate is going to be a major influence in the campaign, you need to expose the party to its presence in small doses over time. Betrayals and reversals are key to demonstrating the Syndicate’s power to the party. In such a secretive organization, loyalty is a more valuable currency than gold.

As a GM, you don’t necessarily need to know who’s exactly is behind it all at the outset; what’s important is keeping the character of the organization consistent. To that end, you might consider running the OSR+ Session Zero prompts against the Syndicate as a character, to help you flesh out its intention and goals.

Tags: Guilds

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The Syndicate

The Graybreakers

Pool of Purity

Oracles of the Shadowvale

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