Syndicate

The Syndicate is a defunct gang of bandit that ruled before the formation of the World Army. The Syndicate rose to power by realizing that the unified strength of every species allowed them to exploit the disjointed city-states in the old Grand Union. However, it was eventually defeated by Garet Crimson adopting their strategy of unity and forming a unified defense force for the Grand Union. Remnants of the Syndicate who chose not to surrender are still found in the Unincorporated Lands in the Central Mountains.

## Background

The Syndicate was initially formed as a band of outcasts who didn't fit into their respective homelands. With all the bountiful land occupied, most resorted to a life of thievery and banditry in order to survive. Lifespan was short as a solo bandit, so bandits would band together and perform large raids on caravans and small towns in order to increase their chances of success and minimize casualties. These bandits made the Central Mountains their home, since the land there was barren and uninhabited.

During these raids, the bandits realized that some species excelled where others were useless. For many, cooperation between the species was something that only happened in the legends of old, when their ancestors overthrew the Dragons and established the Union. The bandits formed a deep bond with one another through hatred, pledging to pillage the Union without remorse with the very methods that founded it. Bandit leaders began to form specialized raiding parties with team compositions optimized against Union cities which only consisted of a singular species. These leaders referred to themselves collectively as the Syndicate, amassing enough power and loot to create an army. In an embarrassing blow to the Union, the Syndicate was able to capture the capital of Garrison and make it their center of operations.

The Syndicate enslaved many members of the Kobold species, having them build roads and dig tunnels to create a transport network that would transform the Central Mountains from a desolate land to a paradise. As more and more people turned to become bandits, the wealth of the Union began to decline to a point that could not sustain the Syndicate. The Syndicate realized that it had to switch from raiding to administration, conquering and collecting tribute from Grand Union cities. Demands were incredibly harsh, as the Syndicate did not understand the subject of finance or economics very well. The Union economy collapsed and the Syndicate began to fight over the remaining resources.

During this period of chaos, Garet Crimson traveled to Elruna to learn how to his people could fight off the bandits. With the help of his spiritual guide Pius, Garet returned to the Union to unify the species by establishing the World Army. Declaring the birth of the Grand Union, Garet quickly gathered the support of the regional governments and lead a military campaign to free the Union of Syndicate control. The Syndicate would resolve their internal struggles too late, as Garet would recapture Garrison from the Syndicate and drive them deep a part of the Central Mountains known as the Unincorporated Lands. Garet would go on to assign a unit at every city and establish a national trade route patrol that would ensure that caravans were protected from any additional raids. With almost no source of income, the Syndicate eventually would dissolve and most of its members would surrender to World Army.

However, the doctrine of the Syndicate did not completely die off. Outcasts from society still had few alternatives in life, and rampant corruption readily bred contempt in the Grand Union's less fortunate denizens. Legends of excess and splendor romanticize the age of the Syndicate in popular media, while others just look for a place where outcasts can be accepted.