Onyx Path: [Trinity Continuum] Assassins preview 3: Societies

[Matt]

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Daughters of the Jacobins

“Equality. Freedom. Revolution. These ideals don’t come without blood and tears. Let the politicians think that they can make change with words alone. We do the dirty work that they can’t.”

— Yvonne Dionne, President of the Daughters of the Jacobins

The French Revolution needed a strong arm to bring about its lofty ideals, and the Daughters of the Jacobins provided it. In the world of Shadow, the Daughters maintain the same goals as their long-gone forebearers: Freedom, liberty, and equality by eliminating anyone who stands in the way.

The Daughters follow a careful plan, accepting and rejecting contracts in a seemingly random fashion, but each kill serves a hidden purpose. A lobbyist fomenting racist chaos on behalf of shadowy masters; an official silencing whistleblower for corporate sponsors; a flower shop owner organizing a coterie of Assassins to terrorize a city so criminals could flourish. In the aftermaths of their deaths, their connections become clear: The Daughters’ targets inevitably have their secrets exposed to the public, causing chaos for the conspirators they leave behind. Each exposure, far removed from the Daughters, brings them one step closer to their ideal world.

The Krugu Vorov

“There’s the underworld, and then there is what is beneath the underworld.

Those cracks between light and darkness? That is where we exist.

That is where you will find the Krugu Vorov.”

— Nadezhda Illyinichna Szetka, Illya of the Krugu Vorov

Above the Russian Mafia are the Thieves in Law, emperors of the criminal world. All thieves and criminals of the world belong under their dominion, whether they know it or not. Maintaining their grip over the Russian Mafia and much of the criminal world is a loose collective of individuals who operate with near impunity in carrying out the wishes of the Thieves. These are the Krugu Vorov, colloquially referred to as “The Circle” by outsiders, who maintain the order of the criminal world from the Shadow.

The Signal

“You don’t have to turn the other cheek. When someone wants you dead, take your courage in your damn hands and fight back!”

— The Host, MC of the Signal

Tune in to the right frequency after midnight, and you might find something interesting. Hidden among pirate radio shows, conspiracy broadcasts, and the monotonous transmission of number stations, a listener can catch the Signal. The schedule for the Signal can’t be found online, only by word of mouth, but if you tune in at the right time, you have the opportunity to take contracts that’ll change the world for the better.

The Host, whose silky voice greets listeners to the Signal, helps introduce Assassins to people in need. If a community is facing oppression from powerful people who really need to die, the Signal makes it happen. It even brings together like-minded Assassins and communities so they can form support networks of their own. Some say that the Host is fostering new Societies, but they don’t take questions to explain their agenda.

Assassins who don’t fit in anywhere and those of marginalized identities find a special comfort with the Signal. The Host makes sure they get what they need. While the contracts may not pay as well as work for the Society of Leonidas or the other leaders in the Shadow, the connections and community forged might change the world someday.

Society of Leonidas

“Together, we achieve peace through blood. Where words fail, a blade changes the world. Flensed of vanity and acclaim, we stand guard between order and ruin.”

— Dominico Serianni, the Founder

A secret society and mystery cult considered eccentric even among Assassins, The Society of Leonidas has an ancient pedigree and seemingly endless resources dedicated to the manipulation of world affairs. The Society trains Assassins from an early age to put their purpose before all things, including their own lives to become the tools that will bring the world to order.

The Swarm

“Master your body and your mind. With our premium training, become a weapon aimed at success!”

— Excerpt from Hornet Workshop Promotional Materials

The future of Assassins was born roaring into the new millennium through brochures sent to the world’s most powerful organizations. The Suzumebachi Group (known colloquially as the Swarm) promised that they could take even the humblest office drone and transform them into a deadly weapon with only a short course of instruction. Societies and governments alike, initially skeptical, were forced to acknowledge the Swarm when the fruits of their research spurred a wave of criminal violence across the globe. From the many weapons they create through their proprietary Hornet Workshops, the Swarm have found Assassins brimming with hidden potential and offered them the world (along with a corporate sponsor). Ever hungry for more profit and opportunity, the Executive Committee search for the next opportunity to destabilize the competition and make a boatload of money while doing so.