Syssin (Guild)

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The Managing Director Raeche Divine Investor Maghak, the Sovereign Directors Ferrik, Periluna and Osmond Quality Control Manager Zun

Reformed in 371 MA, the Syssin Syndicate owes its life to the ancient lineage of the Spirean Defenders, those men and women trained by the God of Artifice to be His loyal soldiers. Where one may have once envisioned a dank warren of cutthroats, the Syndicate takes its inspiration from the trade companies and cartels of Albedos, styling themselves as a familial business, with an emphasis on loyalty and a brutal spin on honor. Headquartered in the Republic of Spinesreach, the Syndicate feeds from its own notoriety. Individual members are trained to be the dominant and pioneering force wherever they go, as respected as they are feared and reviled. Natural born leaders, Syndicate members have their fingers in every pie they can reach, and command authority in their communities. They are the rogues you love to hate, and hate enough to love. Like all guilds, the Syssin are comprised of members trained in many disciplines and arts, however, they pass on their own teachings, adapted and built on from the original methods of Lord Severn. With Venom, Syssin can produce the deadliest poisons known to mankind, from substances that produce paralysis to the deadly Voyria compound, known for its ability to kill an elephant in seconds. Through their training in Hypnosis, these deadly agents can pierce through an unwitting victim's mental defenses, bombarding their minds with crippling diseases, disorders and ailments that can be released at any time. Deadliest of all is the ancient art of Subterfuge, a martial system taught to the Ankyrean-era soldiers of Spinesreach and continually built upon over the centuries. With Subterfuge, a Syssin can move vast distances in the blink of an eye, trail victims without their notice, pierce distant targets with deft arrow shots, and even vanish from the plane of reality. In manners of business, politics, espionage and sabotage, the Syssin Syndicate can claim no equals. This path is not for everyone, and there are those who, consumed by the avaricious and nefarious lifestyle, find themselves unable to make the cut and fade into obscurity. But those who work hard for the business find their place in the stars, and are remembered by Aetolia forever.

History

The Syssin Defenders were created by Severn, who wished to form a group of perfect soldiers to defend Ankyrean-era Spinesreach from outsiders. Their ranks were made deliberately of non-Ankyreans, and were often no more than farmers or lowly guards in their former life.

Following the end of the Second Mortal Epoch, the origins of the Syssin were lost in the Grand Artifice, but Severn's teachings lived on in a corruption of His original intent: a clandestine guild known as the Shadowsnakes. Headquartered in Ashtan, the Shadowsnakes operated for years as scoundrels, merchants, and assassins.

Following an incident that resulted in the destruction of their guidlhall, the Shadowsnakes went for years without a home, until the discovery of Spinesreach allowed them to unearth their Ankyrean history, and thus resume their career as the Syssin Defenders.

Well into the Third Mortal Epoch, the Syssin underwent a number of reforms, following the city of Spinesreach during the state's transformation into a republic. Rechristening themselves the Syssin Syndicate, the Defenders put to rest their history, and choosing Maghak, the Sovereign as their patron, began to operate as an enterprising business/family, an identity which continues today.