Svatovid

The **Svatovid** is a Mestonian organized crime syndicate loosely affilliated with the Nuyo-Dyavol Coalition. First mentioned in Season One, the group becomes recurring antagonists in Season Two, especially for the Search Party.

## Background

In 263 TP, a confederation was formed between various large Mestonian criminal organizations for the purpose of mutual protection. This group, the Svatovid, hoped to use what influence they had over corrupt government officials in order to push for lowered policing of their territory. These efforts were largely unsuccessful, however they were able to form connections in the higher levels of Coalition hierarchy.

The Coalition officials encouraged the Svatovid to move their operations into Global Union territories, in the hope that their widespread racketeering therein would sow discontent among the populace. In Aiola, the Svatovid would eventually find great success under the leadership of Klaus Lempo. In Thales, however, the Silivian Svatovid failed to establish a major foothold in the region due to fierce competition. The bosses of this division arranged for Lempo to join them as an advisory position. In practice, Lempo's orders were usually followed regardless of whether the bosses had actually approved them.

By 314 TP, the ambitions of Lempo began to grow even larger than before. He took control of his hometown, Crehambraugh, by winning the mayoral election through bribing potential opponents and intimidating voters. The members of the Svatovid, supposedly reformed, became Crehambraugh's neighborhood watch. Lempo planned to eventually expand further, with the endgoal of reestablishing the Coalition country of Ilion which had been absorbed into Sampi. Coalition forces took control of the nearby Awgalahaga five years later.

While Lempo found success in Crehambraugh, the Silivian Svatovid was again suffering without his leadership. The chief of police was publicly exposed for receiving favors in exchange for covering up mobster activity in the city. His successor, Cave Salinger, immediately began a campaign to remove the Svatovid from the city.

The bosses eventually approved the assassination of Salinger as they feared the crackdown was becoming more than they could bear. While successful, Magnus Rooke was publicly identified as the perpetrator due to his refusal to kill witnesses. Rooke had also killed the rest of his team for attempting to take the lives of Salinger's family, although he blamed their deaths on the late chief.

The Ackerman Militia officially did not allow the Svatovid to operate within their territory. This did not stop them from doing so covertly or through bribing militiamen to turn a blind eye to their operations. Free Demons disregarded the Svatovid as an organization due to their majority human membership, despite their similar relationship to the Coalition.

The Global Union attempted to suppress Svatovid activity where possible, as did the Sabaoth. The latter launched their first attack on Silivia due to the rampant influence of a Coalition-allied organization. Members of the Svatovid who remained in Coalition territory were often granted preferential treatment compared to non-affiliated criminals. Crehambraugh was effectively part of the Coalition due to its control by the Svatovid.

## Members

* **Baptiste Rousseau** is the former director of Alchemilia Corporation's Robotics Department. He joined the Svatovid following the destruction of Remant Rock.
* **Blackmore Veers** is a former member of the Svatovid who was tasked with assassinating the Port City Eight alongside Giannis Castellanos. After his partner's death, he chose to join the Port City Eight without disclosing his original intentions.
* **Gerald** is a former member of Crehambraugh's neighborhood watch. He left the organization and tries to warn newcomers to the city of their true nature. He was arrested due to Lempo's influence, however the police released him after the mayor had been killed as there was no actual evidence of wrongdoing on his part.
* **Giannis Castellanos** was a tiefling Svatovid member who was tasked with assisting Blackmore in the assassination of the Port City Eight. He was killed by Atticus Anoethite.
* **Klaus Lempo** was the leader of the Svatovid in Crehambraugh and, briefly, Silivia. He became the mayor of Crehambraugh and founded a "neighborhood watch" composed of supposedly reformed Svatovid gangsters. Savannah Whitesmith killed him after he attempted to have the Search Party executed.
* **Magnus Rooke** is a member of the Svatovid. The son of Marshall Rooke I and the father of Marshall Rooke II. He was publicly identified as the killer of Cave Salinger. Mary Walesh shot him in the knee during an altercation at her resteraunt. She had him turned over to the police and claimed the bounty for bringing him in alive.
* **Marshall Rooke I** was a Mestonian criminal who was persuaded to join the Svatovid. He moved to Silivia to support the understaffed division of the organization there.
* **Marshall Rooke II** has somewhat vague connections to the Svatovid through his father. Infrequently, he is employed by some members to engage in their criminal enterprises.
* **Natalya Smirnov** was Magnus Rooke's frequent partner. She was killed by Mary Walesh during the incident at Manta.
* **Terrance** was a member of Crehambraugh's neighborhood watch. He attempted to execute the Search Party on Lempo's orders but was killed by Florence Carnation.