Snake Tong

"The Serpents of the Southeast"

## Basic Information

### Organization Type

Mage Organization, Mercenary Corporation, Covert Megacorporation, Dissidents (Pejorative)

### Other Names

City Snakes, The Chéngshì Shé, CIC, Shiai-shi, Sneks, The Tong

### Territories

The Philippines, Holdings in China, Japan, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian countries

The ***Snake Tong***, also known as the *Chéngshì Shé* (城市蛇), the *Shiai-shi*, or simply as the *Tong* or the *Snakes*, is an organization of magi that operate primarily in the Philippines, but their territories include areas in Southeast and East Asia. Magi Institutions such as the The Grand Order of Magi refer to the Snake Tong as a "Dissident" group due to the Tong's goals and structure resembling a private crime organization and mercenary company than a magical institution, acting to fulfil the goals of their leader instead of primarily preserving magic. They protect their assets and territory with their skilled agents, trained in magic and martial arts, and proven to be dangerous when operating in their teams known as Units. They also have a reputation of taking in contracts from clients around the world, deploying these agents as mercenaries, hired bodyguards, and assassins.

Through the use of their agents and a century of slowly but surely establishing both a legitimate business empire and a black market presence, the Tong have solidified control over the Philippines, even periodically threatening members of the government and the police force if they dare get in the way of Tong business. Only the Martyrdom and the Balete competes with them in terms of influence in the country, as the Balete and the Tong have pacified any attempts of an proper institution expanding its influence in the country. As a result, the Tong has taken responsibility in regulating magic in their territories.

The Snake Tong is currently led by Fenghuang, an enigmatic figure to many magi outside of the organization.

## Origin

The "*Lungsod Ahas"* aka "*City Snakes"*, was formed in 1867 as a band of magi, rebels, smugglers, and thieves operating in the city of Manila, founded by an alliance between several rogue Balete magi who found themselves exiled to the Spanish Territories, led by a woman named Minara Guruginto, local FIlipino and Chinese immigrants who had rebellious sentiments against the Spanish, led by former Triad Shí Lui, and a disgraced Arcane Order mage named Fernando Rusca. A strange alliance of unlikely groups was born due to the iron rule of the Martyrdom and the Spanish Colonial regime. The activities of the City Snakes' magi caught the attention of the Martyrdom Knights and Inquisitors at the time, resulting in rising suspicion as the Snakes accumulated wealth from illicit activities. The following decade the Snakes slowly gain influence in Manila's underworld, membership expanding as Filipinos disgruntled with the Colonial government and immigrants from other parts of Asia, such as China, Indonesia, and even Japan started filling the ranks. They adopted a new name, The Spanish authorities started calling them *"Culebra En La Ciudad" (City Snakes)*, or simply *"Culebra"*, The City Snakes was eventually renamed as *"The Snake Tong"* as more members filled the ranks. They became vigilantes in the shadows, preventing the expansion of other criminal groups like Triads into Manila, as well as stealing from the rich and influential nobility and merchants in the region. Hostilities escalated as Church Inquisitors began searching for the magi in the ranks. War between the Martyrs and the Tong break out after the Binondo Incident of 1876, when a member of the Snakes, was killed during a midnight encounter with two Inquisitors.

### The Snakes, the Cross, and the Revolution

Clashes between the Church and the Tong continued. Seeking vengeance for the death of his comrade at the hands of what he viewed as oppressors no different to the ones he fought in China, Shí personally leads several attacks against members of the Martyrdom. In 1879, the original guildhall of the Tong is burned down by Church agents. A team lead by Minara and Shí retaliate by killing a veteran Inquisitor in broad daylight when he was holding Sunday mass. This prolonged shadow war against the Church eventually took its toll on the Snakes, however, and they started to flee Manila and start operating from the distant provinces of Luzon. By 1881, a majority of the Tong's members have scattered across the provinces and only a few remained in Manila.

It was only after a majority of the Martyrs in the Philippines were recalled to Europe in 1893 that the Snakes reclaimed their territory in Manila. However, this was the calm before the storm. The Martyrs were recalled for a reason. The Order and the Church erupted into a war over Rome, and it meant a new storm was brewing on the horizon. By 1895, "Illustrados magi", or the educated upper-class Filipinos who secretly preserved their magic traditions, arrive in the Philippines. They returned from Europe after stirring up nationalist movements and acquiring the aid of the Arcane Order, and became a new problem for the remaining Church Inquisitors and Knights. The Philippine Revolution of 1896 further divided the Martyr's attention, as some Inquisitors and Knights refused to fight "for politics" and only attacked revolutionaries who used magic, while those with loyalist sentiments to Spain believing the opposite. In the midst of Order-backed Revolutionaries, Balete attacks in Visayas, and internal conflicts, the Martyrs slowly lost influence in the Philippines, while the Snakes fully consolidated power in Manila by the end of the Revolution. While the Tong did cooperate with the Katipuneros of the Revolution in the hopes of winning freedom from both Colonial and Martyr oppressors, the factional and "almost tribal" levels of in-fighting, as Shí has said, caused the Tong to distance themselves from the Katipunan.

By 1899, The Americans replace the Spanish as colonial powers, and the Philippine-American War occurs. By this time, the Snakes have become the dominant mage power, with the Martyrs' rule over the country's magical underworld weakening further thanks to the arrival of Order Magi from the American Covenant secretly supporting the American Colonial Regime. After decades of fighting, the Martyrs and the Snakes would sign a truce as the threat of the American Magi became the biggest problem they have to face. It was also during this time that Fenghuang arrived in the Philippines from China.

### The Pheonix and the 20th Century

The enigmatic Fenghuang arrived in Manila on 1900 with two followers, Hanxi Iao and Yanmi Lim. After taming a Tikbalang, Fenghuang made her presence known in the magi underworld of the Philippines, and was quickly sought out by the City Snakes. Persuaded by Shí, she joined the organization as a highly skilled mage and martial artist in exchange of a secure area where she could conduct some experiments. Part of her reasons why she left mainland Asia was due to several Crimson Court magi seeking to take back several artifacts and magic items that she stole. One of these items were a batch of eggs from giant magic spiders that resided underneath the mountains of Kunlun. With the help of the Snakes, she was able to establish a workshop in the Cordillera Mountains. Fenghuang would not only provide the Snakes with the super-durable silks of these spiders, but also become the deadliest assassin the organization has seen so far. By the end of the Philippine-American War, Fenghuang has disposed of the most Order Magi that tried to undermine the Tong's influence in Manila and its neighboring provinces. It reached a point where the Order Magi had to resort to negotiations with the Snakes, lest the high ranking officers and official of the US colonial government where assassinated with impunity. The Snakes would leave the Colonial Government alone if it also left the Tong alone.

Throughout the American Colonial Era, the Snakes would gain autonomy that allowed them to expand throughout the rest of Luzon thanks to the involvement of Fenghuang. By 1905, Fenghuang assumed the leadership, resulting in a more pragmatic and cutthroat direction for the organization once she took power. The new century also saw the Snakes becoming a more organized and highly trained group, mentored by veterans of the wars against the Martyrs, the Triads, and the Order Magi brought by the Americans. Prior to World War 2, the Snakes would further expand their presence in the Philippines by acquiring businesses from small stores to full on companies, RusCorp being a prime example. Fenghuang would also expand their territories and operations abroad. One example was the Tong smuggling alcohol to the West Coast of the US during the Prohibition Era. It was during this era that the Snakes became hired assassins and bodyguards, mostly by American and European clients.

The Snakes fought ferociously during World War 2 against Imperial Japan, wiping out nearly all of the Black Dragon that Japan deployed in the Philippines, nationalist magi that served Imperial Japan during the war. The influx of former guerillas that fought with the Snakes after the war also solidified a good reputation within the non-magi throughout Luzon. Fenghuang would continue spreading the influence of the organization after the war. The Martyrs adopting a defensive policy of their remaining territories in the Philippines, mostly churches and religious institutions, provided much room for expansion. Connections with the regional oligarchs, magi and non-magi, and the occasional foreign client allowed the Snakes to be the dominant provider of contract killers, bodyguards, spies, and mercenaries. By the 50s, they have fully expanded into the international scene. The organization has gained holdings in Japan, Hong Kong, China, and several other countries in Asia, especially in places where European and the old mage organizations of Asia were fleeting.

### Snakes in the Present Age

By the 21st century, the Snakes have grown quite the reputation in Asia as highly territorial providers of skilled mercenary magi. While their territories are primarily focused in Asia, they have expanded into the rest of the world, albeit with smaller pockets of territories, such as safe houses, cover businesses, and hidden mage workshops. Tong agents take on contracts from international clients, so it is not uncommon to see them in Africa, the Americas, and Europe.

Mercenary work was also no longer their primary source of income as the Snakes have made RusCorp become one of the biggest business conglomerates in the Philippines. The once former front for laundering dirty money has been a major moneymaker for the Snakes, from telecommunications, real estate, restaurants, laundromats, internet cafes, and even pharmacies. Because of the corporate front established by the organization, the field agents expected for combat and assassination are assigned to a “General Affairs' ' division. Whenever they are asked what their professions are, a Snake would say “I work for RuscCorp. General Affairs, specifically personnel handling”. One member is quoted saying *"If you see an onee-san in a suit and they are part of a trusted corporation, you know they aren’t hiding anything."*

The organization has also used magic in tandem with modern technology for profit. Their Boynya, an underground facility that utilizes Necromancy and Materia magic, "recycles" organic matter and turns them into fresh organs, ready to be sold off for a profit. The sources of these organic matter varies, from pork to the flesh of those unfortunate enough to have crossed the organization. The Snakes have also exploited the magical resources within the Philippines, primarily the Red Sugar native to the mangrove forests which act as a potent precursor ingredient to many magical potions, medicines, and drugs when refined. While most of their supply is used by the organizations' Materials Division, they also sell off excess to outside clients via the magi black market.

No longer simply just fighting for survival and keeping Manila clean from Triads, the Snakes have grew into an organization continuously led by Fenghuang . While most members in the present do not know of Fenghuang's grand objective for the organization, she still instills this sense of loyalty to the organization, rewarding those who excel and encouraging this familial bond between members. She has also forged this reputation for the organization, it into a "defender in the shadows" of sorts, regulating crime in its territories by fighting off criminal syndicates from both foreign countries and Filipino crime groups, as well as a force that keeps the notoriously corrupt politicians in line. The notoriety of the Snakes have been so ingrained within the underworld of the Philippines that even non-magi see them as this shadowy group that has dug its roots deep in the country's modern history. Many dare not to cross them or even try to pry into their business and discover their true nature, lest a Snake assassin slits their throat.

In the present, the Snakes have signed a neutrality pact with the Martyrs, tenuous their non-hostile relationship may be due to history. Both serve as enforcers of magic within their respective territories, making sure no rogue mage starts experimenting on the non-magi population and risk magic being exposed, spreading the Decay. In fact, many magi hoping to seek sanctuary from other organizations flee to the Philippines due to the lack of Order influence in the country. The Snakes take it upon themselves to provide them a place to hide, assuming they agree to pay "protection money" and do not cause any trouble that could expose themselves. The moment they stop providing protection money or break the rules, their locations are instantly reported to the Martyrs, who are more than happy of eliminating "heretics".

*"Heretics you may be, you have your uses, Snake. We are called Martyrs for a reason. If cooperating with you is needed for the Greater Good, then I'd shoulder that burden."*

*-Elenore Fulo, Knight of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia*

## Names

Although officially named the Chéngshì Shé, or the "City Snakes", the organization has been called different names. The Martyrs and Spanish Authorities called them "Culebra En La Ciudad". The Americans incompletely anglicized it to *"City Culebra"* and was further shortened as *"CiC"* by the American agents and Order Magi that operated in the Philippines during the American Colonial era. By the 20th century, most of the members of organization referred to themselves as Snakes, and called the organization the Snake Tong or simply the Tong, this was mostly due to a majority of the members not speaking Mandarin or Cantonese, and having a hard time pronouncing Chéngshì Shé correctly.

The name *"Shiai-shi"* stems from the "*CiC"* used by the Americans, and is a name given by a Japanese member in 1902, who gave the acronym a different meaning by using the following Kanji "死愛氏", Shi-Ai-Shi, or Death, Love, and Clan. Apt descriptions of the organization he joined, where he found love, death, and kinship.

In the present, most members refer to themselves as Snakes. Some would humorously spell it as "Snek". Others also call themselves CICs or Shiai-shi. They usually refer to their organization as the Tong, or the Snakes. Some would refer to the organization as the Chéngshì Shé, usually the older members or those who hail from families that have served the organization for a long time, such as the Iao and the Lim, who continue to be members of the organization.

## Organizational structure

The Shiai-shi's hierarchy has the 'Head' or more commonly known as 'The Boss', on the top. Underneath the boss is a selected second, who acts as the adviser and right hand. The Second is also the messenger between the boss and the adviser's direct subordinates: Captains. The Captains are the officers tasked in making sure their respective Divisions are running smoothly. Every Captain has jurisdiction over several Lieutenants, who in turn have jurisdiction of the Agents serving under them. The Agents are the rank-and-file members of the organization, usually working in different teams and units under a lieutenant. This Team-based structure is particularly common in the General Affairs and Intelligence Divisions, as both usually take on operations that can require highly trained and coordinated members. Although working in teams is not mandatory, as many agents work individually or with two or three partners.

The Tong's hierarchy is divided into 5 Divisions, each covering their own specializations. They are as follows:

### General Affairs Division

The General Affairs Division is where a majority of the members who serve as enforcers, assassins, bodyguards, and field agents are assigned to. As the name suggests, they deal with the Tong's "General Affairs", which include acting as security for the Tong's affairs, as well as mercenary and contract work for clients and other organizations. It is the division with the largest amount of members, and has necessitated further organization by creating teams of agents called "Units". This is where Lieutenants lead fellow agents who share specializations. Some members of the General Affairs Division introduce themselves as "employees of RusCorp's General Affairs" Division, since their rather corporate looking uniforms fit the description. While most agents, especially less experienced ones, are assigned to a Unit that fits their capabilities, it is not a necessary requirement to be part as one. General Affairs agents are not forced to join one. Agents who prefer to work alone or are expected to work away from others are the most commonly seen outside of the standard Units.

**Captain:** Minara Guruginto

#### Unit 1: Battlefield Specialists, "Spearhead"

* Saran "The Ox" Linugan - Lieutenant
* Mina "Scorpion" Song
* Qilin “The Drunken Dancer” Iao
* Beatrice "Mountain" Yang
* Soriya ”Emissary of Hell” Ma
* Mogwai "Doc" Long

#### Unit 2: Asset Protection and Bodyguard Specialists, "Shield"

* Frederick “Fritz” Brunsmeier - Lieutenant
* Christina "Jorogumo" Wako Yamato
* Aella “Stormarm” Ribunan
* Junpei Cunningham
* Isagani “Adarna” Oryolan

#### Unit 3: Long-range Engagement and Support Specialists, "Bow and Arrow"

* Xiuying “Salvo” Chosokabe - Lieutenant
* Mayumi “Hotaru” Moriyama
* Chae-yeong “Gangpung” Nam
* Kevin Casworan “Darling” Darling
* Alia "Equinox" Sanura

#### Unit 4: Amphibious Assault and Assassination, "Harpoon"

* Kotomi "Sea Snake" Shimizu - Lieutenant
* Mitsuki "MiMi" Mizuno
* Ryuji "Sea Dragon" Shimizu - Former Lieutenant
* Jessie “Tsunami” Balud-dugo

#### Unit 5: Assault Commandos - "Firefly"

* Patrick "Uncle Pat" Enriquez
* Ted "Hardcase" Orante
* Marion "Airstrike" Martin
* John "Briar-heart" Lowoden
* Aika "Nekomata" Lowoden
* Maxwell "Millbee" Glyndŵr
* Andrew "Trojan" Butler

#### Unit 6: Deep Undercover Operations Specialists, "Black Widow"

* Lisa "Mantis" Klenzendorf - Lieutenant
* Astrid Axel
* Suyin Chen

#### Unit 7: Assault and Shock Ops Specialists, "Lightning"

* Angelia "Black Iron" Lim - Lieutenant
* Mai "Laogai" Thôi Miên
* Liêm "Comet" Thôi Miên
* Tien "Careless Whisper" Thôi Miên
* Glen "Gadfly" Gueta
* Mei "Iron Tiger" Lim

#### Unit 8: Assassination and Shock Operations, "Cloak and Dagger"

* Katja "Ghost" Nikula - Lieutenant
* Gjerta "Ulv" Toksvig
* Mao "Stray Cat" Ligao
* Ricardo “Cards” Berani
* Chizuru "Corvus" Shiratori
* Mitsune “Kitsune” Godo
* Soliana "Colt Python" Marquese
* Fang-od "Fang" Ingkal-dageman

#### Unit 9: Special Ops Commandos, "Bad Batch"

* Pedro "Null" Agnote - Former Lieutenant (KIA)
* John "Cap" Agnote - Lieutenant
* Isa "Sleeping Demon" Agnote
* Clara “Crosshair” Agnote
* Monika “Grimoire” Bergmann
* Jonathan "Courier" Holme
* Elaine "Mirror"
* Claire “Phantom” Bellerose (KIA)

#### Unit 10: Support and Reconnaissance Specialists, "Auxilia"

* Mark “Coach” Liang - Lieutenant
* Jamie “Green Cross” Verde
* Mio “Metal Akuma” Izuki
* Chun-hee “Śūnyatā” Yoo
* Sera "Psy" King
* Anissa "Jìng" Diaz

#### Unit 11: Security and Shock Ops, "Peacekeepers"

* Jaimi "The Hammer" Kalimohan - Lieutenant
* Caius "Wraith" Chua
* "Spectre"
* Yurie "Mitsu No Hana" Mitsurugi

#### Unit 12: Close Quarters Combat Specialists, "Bladebreakers"

* Sae “Purple Surpent” Takeuchi-Musashibou - Lieutenant
* Elisama "The Fencer" Aguilar
* Adaliz “De Hand van Tīwaz” Frelinghuysen van Tehswandra
* Emi “Blitz” Lin
* Natsumi Takeuchi
* Chitra "Chiaki" Ng
* Farelene "Butterfly" Iao
* Ryouta "Hitokiri" Okita

#### Unit 13: Arcane Assault Ops, "Spellswords"

* Kabaylo "Lord" Laksamana San Balete
* Mathilde "Quebec" Philippe
* Charles "Penguin" Blanc
* Asuka "Bokken" Hazuki
* Elsie "Mist" Croft

#### Unit 14 - Siege and Breach Specialists, “Postal”

* Grigori “Roach” Perevernykruchenko
* Empira “EMP” Lee Sin Je
* Brita “Kelvin” Appleby
* “Hecate”
* Hakua “Bai Yi”
* James Carlo “The Ram” Agpalo

#### Unit 15 - Crowd Control Specialists

* Robert "Speed" E.O. Speransky - Lieutenant
* Henri Olcott "Colonel" Jones
* Ophelia "Okie" Crawford
* Minerva "Thorn" Sanchez

#### Unit 16 - Assault Operations, "Javelin"

* Lydia "Chrysó Máti" Toxotai - Lieutenant
* Iona "Ble Poulí" Toxotai
* Ghaden "Para-Habol" Mehikan
* Lihua "Tiě Lóng" Song

#### Osaka Security Unit "Osu"

* Kaoru "Pulse" Musashibou
* Alice "Crane" Yamada

### Intelligence Division

The Intelligence Division specializes in the gathering and obscuring of information for the Snake Tong. It is divided into two categories: Field Agents and Internal Agents. Field Agents are the ones sent as parts of spies for intel networks. Additionally, Field Agents also include the "Clean Up Crew", a Unit specialized in eliminating traces of "isolated incidents", as well as "preparing" corpses for "Recycling". Internal Agents are specialists that keep the Magna Network running, a marvel of magical and technological union, a network of information so advanced and encrypted that devices that utilize it can detect whether a member is trying to access it. Unauthorized access results in Manga Net devices self-destructing and even sometimes killing those who try to access them.

**Captain:** Leo "The Man on the Chair" Magna

### Human Resources Division

Human Resources is the polite term for the Division that specializes in recruitment and training of new members. Recruitment agents typically scout their assigned areas for potential members. It is common to see an agent monitoring orphanages in the Philippines in case the children their have potential for magic. An orphan, after all, is "easy pickings", no parents or other family to deal with. Some Recruitment Agents travel to different countries in order to scout potential members, although these are more cautious of other organizations that might not appreciate Snakes recruiting in their territories.

Trainers called "Drillmasters" or simply "Masters" also make up this division, specializing in training and educating members of the organization, be it new recruits or seasoned agents seeking more training.

**Captain:** Satoru "Producer-san" Takeuchi

* Michelle Lim - Lieutenant and Lim Kuan Martial Arts Drillmaster
* Mario Iao - Lieutenant and Butterfly Style Martial Arts Drillmaster
* Ryu Akiyama - Snake-style Martial Arts Drillmaster
* Nimi King - General and Language Education
* Emily Saunders - Recruitment Agent/Scout

### Materia Division

The Materia Division is made up of mages that specialize in the creation of equipment, which include weapons, armor, magic items for utility use, poisons, medicines, etc. Lieutenants of this division oversee Workshops.

**Captain:** "Jibril" - Overseer of "The Library" (RND Workshop)

* Dementia Morningstar - Lieutenant, Medicine and Botany Specialist
* Budi Pranaja - Lieutenant, Mage-Smithing Specialist, Overseer of the Pamor Forge Workshop
* Lucia Reznikov - Lieutenant, Overseer of "The Boynya" (Anatomancy and Necromancy Workshop)
* Irina Fabrichny - Library Materia Mage
* Masami "Mess"
* Mara Espenocilia - Library Consultant for Spy Equipment
* Hieronymus "Hex" Rex - Firearms specialist

### Corporate and Logistics Division

The Corporate and Logistics Division has the smallest amount of Tong members, but a large amount of civilian (non-magi) under their employment, usually bound with blood pacts and contracts in order to never reveal the true nature of the companies and establishments they work for, not to mention the existence of magic. This division oversees the corporate interests of the Tong and manages the several assets of the organization, not to mention keeping its civilian employees monitored with the aid of the Intelligence Division.

**Captain:** Aurea "Midas" Rusca - CEO of RusCorp

* Joji Musashibou: Lieutenant and owner of several assets in Japan, Including Mizumon Productions.
* Gwendolyn Gloriana: Associate to the business deal between Gloriana Tea and RusCorp.
* Brettlyn Bosley: Associate due to the business deal between Bosley Foods and RusCorp.
* Luna Conti: Overseer of Qingdao Arena/Scarlet Lights

### Recruitment Process

There are multiple ways on how new members join the organization. The simplest one is being born to a family that were already members. While some members do not necessarily have to make their children join, several families who have been in the organization for generations have raised children to continue their legacy of service. Another method is through recruitment. Scouts from the HR Division regularly look out for magi or martial artists with potential. If they are convinced to join, they are usually subjected to several tests of ability and loyalty before being properly inducted in to the organization. Some also volunteer to join the Tong, mostly rogue magi from other organizations who seek protection by becoming members. These people are also subjected to several tests before being accepted. Children from orphanages it street urchins, mostly in the Philippines, who demonstrate potential for magic are also sought after by recruitment agents, as they can be trained to be agents and be made loyal to the organization by providing them a "family" of sorts.