The Magpie Syndicate

Founded in the gray area between a Knightly order and a Sihian Trade Guild, The Magpie Syndicate is an unofficial union of the Order of the Vulture, and the Glinting Guild of Gears, and criminal black market entity. Created shortly after the founding of both organizations the Magpie Syndicate’s unofficial mission statement is to advance the state of Sihian technology through rights of pillage and conquest. In practice, the Syndicate abuses knightley trophy taking rights in order to funnel resources directly from the Vulture knights to the Glinters guildsmen. The Syndicate has unofficially expanded to directly influence, control, and profit from organized crime.

The Syndicate in Action

The Syndicate acts to circumvent the command economy that regulates resources gained by knightly orders and their distribution to the Guilds, Forge orders, and private actors. The Vulture knights mark interesting finds, valuable resources, and technological devices as personal trophies, or claim conquest rights over them. The Vultures then provide the Gear Guildsmen these personal and Order assets directly, going around customs, the Revenue Services Guild, the Council of Elders and Grandmasters. In exchange, the Vultures receive a cut of all profits from the Glinting Gears, and first access to reverse engineered technologies.

Organized Crime

The Magpie Syndicate over the centuries of its existence has expanded, and some would say corrupted, its mission statement. For most of the Syndicate’s history membership exclusively consisted of Vulture Knights and Gear Guildsmen, however, since arriving in Beacon space this has changed. With the permanent setting of Beacon space, the Syndicate began raising and training agents off station and within Sihi to take actions specifically to benefit the Syndicate.

Within two decades the Syndicate had agents on several worlds acquiring contraband and off world goods. Off Station agents acquired goods, and smuggled them onto Sihi through Vulture military actions. Syndicate operatives on Sihi distribute them through black market vendors and clean the money earned this way through Guild and knightly channels. This function of the Magpie is secret even to much of the Vulture and the Glinting Gear in order to protect the Order and the Guild from blowback if it were ever discovered.

The Mischievous Council

A small council consisting of the Grandmaster and Knight Commanders of the Vulture, the Guildmaster, Master of Ink, master of Coin, and Master of Metal of the Glinting Gears, and the Purser and Bailiff of the Magpies. The Mischievous Council is held once a year, typically when the Vultures are on Sihian Guard rotation, and sets the policy, financial, and political goals of the Syndicate for the year. The Establishing of the Offices of the Purser and the Bailiff were established during the Mischief council after the Dachia crisis to better regulate and control exclusively Syndicate assets, as numerous agents were entangled in Domionist actions and were exiled.

The Purser

The Purser is the chief officer in charge of the coffers of the Syndicate, and the black market goings on of the group. The Purser puts out requisitions to off Station agents and Vulture command to bring goods on to Sihi, recruit agents to man and operate the black market, and monitor the income and expenditure of the Syndicate’s illegal operations. The Purser’s power comes from their coin and economic forces, as well as their secrecy. As of now the Pursers fo the Syndicate have taken steps to make sure the contraband brought on and off of Sihi will not have major lasting negative impacts of Sihian society, sentient trafficking, and intoxicants are largely forbidden, as are exotic animals that have not been sterilized and neutered. The Magpie Syndicate exists to benefit Sihi through the acquisition of wealth, technology, and controlling crime, harming it is anathema to their mission statement.

The Bailiff

The Bailiff is the mailed fist of the Magpies, and is in charge of protecting and defending Magpie asses and agents. The Bailiff raises talons to act as their enforcers, back up and eventual replacements. Initially the office was held by Syr Karmorg after they were injured in the Battle of Dachia, however since their stint as the Bailiff the office has always been filled internally by the Magpies. The Bailiff rarely take direct action, as violent action draws unwanted attention, however they are still very active, making agents of the Syndicate and black market merchants feel safe and protected. The Bailiff and their talons frequently hold licenses in law enforcement adjacent fields, such as private detectives, Men at arms, and security agents to allow them to pursue criminals that act outside of the Syndicate with an air of legitimacy. In practice, the Bailiff and their talon’s primary duties are driving rivals out of business and while protecting other agents of the Syndicate

Current leaders

Purser:

Sakar Dulak, Zelvan male 76. Mr Dulak is the second Purser of the Magpie Syndicate and a respected Sage for his philosophical writings. He served three terms on the Council of Elders before stepping down and fully embracing his role as the Purser of the Magpies. Dulak is an unabashed Xenophile, and his public office is filled with legally acquired nicknacks and baubles from across beacon space.

Bailiff:

Apollo Dyomodies, Magmari, 202, Dyomodies is a stubborn stern old rock, known for his intimidating displays of force, and intensity. A licensed Detective, and Bounty hunter, Dyomodies has brought several enemies of the Syndicate to justice on and off Sihi. Rumors in the Sihian underworld say that Dyomodies has committed a dozen murders in the course of protecting the syndicate, but pounded half of his victims to paste, and fed the rest to the Kegs in the Black Forest.