Coperture

Call them what you will, The Quiet Hand, The Death Squad, or even the Criminal Empire; they exist as one entity, as one empire, The Coperture. Having existed for seemingly thousands of years, the Coperture is an empire hidden within Europe existing not within the normal bounds of the public but in the underbelly of society, linked with thousands of warlords and criminal organizations the Coperture seem to be the largest leech within society, with one goal, ensuring that nothing too large to manage can form. Their deals, their associations, even their crimes all serve a purpose to ensure the protection of humanity and the curtailing of natural law and supernatural influence. Every so often, a tyrant king from a nation no one knows is found dead, leads on terror cells suddenly surface to the public derailing operations, or resistance fighters have weapons far beyond their own means.

This is the Coperture, keeping as much of a balance as possible without tipping the scales in one way or the other. They are not shepherds trying to lead humanity to some ideal future, instead they work to keep mass exterminations of life to a minimum as much as possible and to destroy threats that would overflow into general life. They do not act or exist on the small scale; cartels running drugs, human trafficking, or gun running. These are things that are spread so completely through out every nation, that have swallowed parts of the world they are not able to contain, that they couldn't contain without altering entire nations sometimes to the point of collapse.They know this and so instead of trying to solve every problem, they advise and act to lessen stem the tide of crime and corruption. A silent vigil who only acts to keep a balance, not to tip the scales in either way.

## Governing System

### **Twin Lords**

The Coperture act in much the way that the Mafia acts, where in the first born child is selected to take over and rule the family. If the King or Queen does not have a child or is unable they will often select an heir, one who is most connected to their bloodline. Each leader is granted the power of the Coperture and are thus trained to take over the family. Upon turning a certain age, they take over the mantle of the Coperture and are given the power.

They are then named Kings the first is the Gold King, the one who will lead the people. This is the king of appearance, the King who must be the face. Beside them, going through the same process is the Iron King who leads the organization, their nation. Much like their counterpart Gold King it is usually a line created through lineage, though many a time these positions were filled by selection and not blood, their occupants have notoriously short lives.

### **Second in Command**

The Hand is the second in command of the family, a guardian who is handpicked by the Kings of the Coperture. They remain in power until such time as death or retirement, taking on the extra responsibility of helping to rear the next leaders, they must ensure the kings are ready. They are also in charge of enforcing the will and the power of the leader, thus acting as he one who usually keeps command over the Guardians as their defacto leader.

### **Guardians**

Below that are the Guardians, those tasked with protecting and enforcing the power that the family holds. Each of them is given their own personal soldiers, hitmen or assassins that they bring into the fold from the staff or themselves. Each Guardian is in charge of their soldiers, while their fate is ultimate decided upon it is the Guardian who must enforce it. This is because each Guardian, is wholly responsible for their soldiers.

### **Staff**

Below that is the Staff, those in charge of the daily tasks of the mansion and the Coperture. They are broken into different sections, forging, weapons development, basic, and office. They are not merely simple humans, they are often selected from the most dangerous and even deadly of people but only those able to be redeemed in some way.Weapons development work to create new Anti Freak weapons and design different protective creations in labs using the wide array of anti magic and anti freak resources available to them.

Next is the Basic Staff, they are the ones in charge of cooking, cleaning, stocking, shopping, and feeding the Coperture beasts. They are also responsible for taking care of and maintaining the giant beasts which usually remain locked up beneath the castle.
Lastly there are the Office staff, they are the ones responsible for filing all the paperwork, putting in reports, expenses, tax files, and so on. It is their job to ensure that the Coperture runs properly. Once each of them has finished for the day it is to be checked over by the Boss, who will then submit the reports to the Queen.

## Allied Forces

### The Spartoi

There is no word to describe becoming friends with your tyrant. The Coperture act under the will of the Spartoi, executioners, law keepers, and limiters to the royal family. They act as the buffer of law to either sister family that may try to take the law into its own hands and break the tenants set forth. While on mostly good terms, they must be ready to have anyone cut down or worse made an example of by this terror.

### Kazahana

While not truly allies, much of the business of the two families overlap from time to time. They have learned to work together and while not friends they have come to be allies. The great family of Yoma knowing they can not exist or work on Earth without the help of this organization and their sister.

### Terremoto

For generations their greatest allies and at times the worst of enemies. Due to the constant interference of Cyzer they may have spent generations either fighting against or simply amicable terms, a truth is known between the two families, one can not exist without the other.

### Blindfold Man

Perhaps one of their closer allies, whenever the Coperture create a mess that is too much for them to handle, they call upon the Blindfold Men. They had done business since the end of the dark ages, the two needing to act in a way that was mutually beneficial to one another. More than that the Coperture always brought down the largest and strongest targets which earned the secondary family their highest paychecks.

### Rex Ars Mechanica

One of the only creators of Oricalcum weapons on Earth, they have done business with the Coperture for hundreds of years, often crafting the main weapon of the King or Queen. They were also given the assurance that no matter what the nation may do, the Coperture would not act in a way to strike against the Witches Associations locations in return for a continued business practice.

## Coperture Crest

The Crest of the Coperture is perhaps one of their greatest prides as a family, it is their symbol,
their rallying point, and for most it is their very pride.First the crest features no Regalia, this is because while the Coperture are nobility, they are not ever so high ranking they are to be knighted or held in any regard to have a claim to the throne. Secondly there is no motto, instead they break tradition placing their banner and name as a combination, that enough should stand. Their crest is not featured on top of the crest, but instead in the middle, they are not true knights. Their wreath is changed to instead be their three spears, the symbols of the family and their power, their Kings and the Hand. Lastly, they have no true shield elements, instead opting for their own symbology within the crest.

On the right are the seals of the Coperture, the repeating of the cockle shell as their own personal symbol of power and status not unlike the Fluer De Lis or the Windsor Dragon. In the center is the symbol of their family, the tiger created as a counterpart to the royal families lion. Throughout the generations a single great tiger has been selected and incarnated for the King, this being a secondary representation. On the left are the three swords opposite the three spears, this is to represent the family themselves, the pledging of the blades to the family, to the crest, and to their name. Their supporters are not animals like most, they are guns, to represent the iron they used to hold their position and land. Below that is the royal crown, a reminder that the foundation and root of the family is that crown, that is where their ultimate loyalties lie.

## The Throne

The Throne also known as the Inheritance is the ultimate power and weapon of the Coperture, the truly greatest and most powerful of their Guardians can give up a part of their Spirit and Aura to create great weapons and abilities summoned through a spiritual object which can be called forth when bathed in the light of this object. When activated a member of any Lineage, those related by blood, may call one of these things from the Throne to act as their own needing only to supply their Aura for a perfect replica. From there the replica is bound onto the body and soul, dissipating upon death of the host, as of it now it is impossible to force one of these objects to be called forth by someone not of the bloodline or stolen as they are bound to the Throne and only use the person as a catalyst.