Forum:Castris's Criminal Empire

"My associates aren't known for flaws. They are the best of the best, brightest of the bright and the strongest of the strong. They are also known for their restraint and... compassion, to say the least. The reason: they don't see a war between Light and Darkness in this system, they see profit."

- Wren Kinsing

Castris's Criminal Empire is a massive Fallen crime syndicate known for its rather elite and prestigious members as well as its shocking alliance with the Shadowkeepers and gangs of other races. It is known to be, arguably, the most notorious and influential crime syndicate of the Underground.

Creation
"My kind has always been so brash. So bold. So reckless. So lost in this crusade for their Great Machine that they forgot how to prosper and evolve. So arrogant that they refuse to accept that the Great Machine has made its choice. Why not take opportunity in its absence to thrive? Why not take opportunity in the carnage and strife to make a pile of Glimmer? Strength, power and status doesn't come from charging headlong into battle, they come from restraint and opportunism."

- Castris, at the time, King Baroness

Humble Beginnings
"We weren't always the respected-out-of-fear syndicate we are now. We were weak, small, destitute. But Castris, my long time sister-in-arms, told us not to be desperate, but to wait, to pick what wasn't intricately tied to what could be our enemies, to take what was lost, to steal what was abandoned. If it weren't for her lessons in restraint, we would have gone extinct like countless other houses."

- Vyslaks, former King Baroness

Rise of a Criminal Empire
"The Bannerless Syndicate! Oh how shadowing and menacing it is to all thieves and warlords! Patient, yet malicious. Humble, yet avaricious. Such power and might held back with impressive and horrifying restraint! To cross them, no matter how infinitesimal, is a quick route to the grave."

- Zevaksis, head of the Seraphite Cartel

The Swordsman's Arrival
(Edit, Unscathed?) "His name is Kirito, and he is evil incarnate! He and Asuna have now entered our dimension to bring forth the Darkness, and we are fated to fight them!"

- Speedwagon

Some time after the events of The Dimensional Wars and the beginning of the Shadowkeeper Apocalypse, Kirito and Asuna and their daughters Yui and Konno and sons Tatsuyi and Yuji met up with Castris and her Elites, offering them a chance to work alongside his syndicate. At the same time, Rudolph McAlister, one of the spies Speedwagon dispatched to investigate Castris's criminal empire, found numerous evidences about Castris's past and attempted to rendezvous with Ashe-5 so that they could bring down the empire, only to find that Ashe had been slain by a Guardian-issued Sword. Appalled and shocked by this, he attempted to find Castris and apprehend her, but is suddenly attacked by Kotrik, who immediately slaughtered him, but not before Rudolph sent a message to Speedwagon, telling him that Kirito had returned. By the time Speedwagon and his associates arrived, Castris had already escaped. As Speedwagon attempted to pursue Castris, he runs into Tatsuyi, Kirito and Asuna's eldest son who had stolen Cisco Ramon's metahuman powers and fused them with both his Necrotic Grip gauntlets and Thorn before murdering Vibe. Enraged by Vibe's unjust fate, Speedwagon summoned his version of Hammer of Sol and attempted to end Tatsuyi's life, but finds himself temporarily paralyzed by the effects of Thorn, which gave Tatsuyi an escape plan. Some moments after Kirito's family escaped, Speedwagon, no longer paralyzed, woke up to find his associates dead and vowed revenge on both Castris and Tatsuyi.

Structure
"It matters not what you are in this house. Dreg, Captain, Marauder, mercenary, Cabal, Human. As long as you provide to the house- to Castriskel, you are just as indispensable to us- to her as your lackeys."

- Unknown Syndicate Captain

The crime syndicate is devised mostly of loosely affiliated Fallen elements welcomed either for their loyalty or their impressive skill sets, both former and latter help to organize the structure of the Criminal Empire. Like any other Fallen House, and unlike a Fallen Crime Syndicate, the Criminal Empire has a Kell (although technically not the case, Castris loves the notion of being called so), having a main leader that organizes the house. Though few within and even more so beyond the house has ever met the Kell, all know of the power she is capable of and know to fear her. Next in line are the Archons whose, unchanged, goal is to tend to the Servitors and innovate new technologies. However, in this case, there are two known Archons, one in charge of the former and the second the latter, in this case, Kothrak and Vyslaks. And finally, there exists the Prime Servitor in charge of supplying and regulating the flow of Ether for the house, in this case, the newly developed Rivaliks line.

The Criminal Empire does minimally trained and undisciplined thugs, but often prefers highly skilled, well-motivated and militarily/criminally experienced members, often known to even pursue such individuals for recruitment or even kidnapping and indenturing them. As for those within the Empire itself, all are treated with an equal amount of respect (though, as previously mentioned, elites are looked better upon), so long as they are providing some sort of good or service to the house and are paid back in money, protection and Ether (for the Fallen), even for the wounded. However, those who are in debt to the house or have failed to meet a quota will often be punished, hard. How hard the punishment is depends on who they are, what they own and their current standing in the house.

The house also employs members of other races as well, so long as they have a service to provide. In the case of Wren Kinsing, the Warlock provides the Syndicate with all sorts of weapons, modified and not, while the syndicate provides him with glimmer, manpower and protection, while the late Ashe-1 maintained peace and inscrutability for the syndicate in exchange for underground and confidential intelligence on enemies of the Vanguard. The syndicate also has employed Cabal associates, most notable of which is former Red Legion Bracus, Throm.

"Kell"

 * Castris

Archon

 * Kothrak, Archon to None (Maintains the Prime Servitor)
 * Vyslaks, the Technomancer (Leads the Syndicate's Splicers)

Prime Servitor

 * Rivaliks Prime

Inner Circle ("Barons")

 * Aevrysk, the Sorceress
 * Barivaks, Baptized Mind
 * Myrhiss, the Enforcer
 * Praviks, the Veteran
 * Solviks, the Gunslinger
 * The Pyromaniac

Notable Members

 * Excavator Amriks
 * Dekris, Deserter of Kells
 * Ekromas, Keviks's Pupil
 * Jelkosk, Thieving Hand
 * Krohysk, Prizefighter
 * Lanoskas, Deceiver
 * Lythkis, the Bookie
 * Rivik, the Tracker
 * Sivsaa, the Salvager
 * Tarsiks-2, the Condemner
 * Vislyks, Taskmaster Captain
 * Vyldri, Imperial Reject

Notable Servitors

 * Rivaliks-3, Vex Baptizer

Notable Automata

 * Enhanced Carrack
 * Forger Platform Mk-1

Associates

 * Ashe-5&dagger; (Trusted Vanguard associate) (Original Timeline)
 * Bracus Throm
 * Havolik, the Unrelenting (Mercenary)
 * Myra Winters
 * Novesk, Dusk Baron (Customer)
 * Vingoris, Salvation's Lead
 * Wren Kinsing (Arms Dealer)

Command Structure

 * Dreg
 * Reaver Dreg
 * Wretch
 * Reaver Wretch
 * Vandal
 * Reaver Vandal
 * Marauder
 * Reaver Marauder
 * Captain
 * Reaver Captain

Weaponry

 * Shock Pistol
 * Shock Grenade
 * Shock Rifle
 * Wire Rifle
 * Shock Blade
 * Shrapnel Launcher
 * Molten Welder
 * Scorch Cannon
 * Splinter of Darkness

Automata

 * Shank
 * Exploder Shank
 * Tracer Shank
 * Heavy Shank
 * Servitor
 * Brig
 * Fallen Walker
 * Carrack

Vehicles

 * Pike
 * Heavy Pike
 * Skiff
 * Heavy Skiff
 * Ketch