Ixu Syndicate

The distant Tabori Cluster is a mesmerizing but dangerous nebula whose composition interferes with communication and travel, making the area a bit of a wild frontier. Due to large deposits of the metal siccatite on many of the cluster’s worlds, the Tabori Cluster has experienced a rush of engineering and mining corporations looking to line their pockets that shows no signs of slowing down. On Pan, the only planet orbiting the star Ixo, a growing group of smugglers and mobsters calling themselves the Ixo Syndicate has begun the gradual takeover of many of the world’s boomtowns and mining operations. Structure

Membership in the Ixo Syndicate is loosely defined. A criminal who performs even minor jobs for the organization is often considered part of the syndicate by those with more power, even if that criminal doesn’t realize it. The higher-ups then expect loyalty from the new “member,” expressing disappointment (which manifests in the form of physical violence) if the syndicate is betrayed. However, this trust rarely extends in both directions, with the heads of local crime families keeping their subordinates mostly in the dark about the syndicate’s larger goals and movements. As such, there is much discord and confusion in the lower ranks of the organization, with criminals betraying each other to get in the good graces of their superiors. The current head of the Ixo Syndicate is Garik Dahn (NE male Human soldier), a former enforcer who ingratiated himself to the organization’s leader 20 years ago and took over the organization upon her death. Some believe Garik was responsible for her demise, but those who speak such suspicions out loud in his presence usually go missing shortly thereafter. Now no longer busting heads on the streets, Garik lives a life of luxury, enjoying the finest things money can buy on Pan. Many of the heads of local crime families think he is unfit to lead and a drain on the syndicate’s bank accounts, but Garik is savvy enough to retain the loyalty of a few family heads and play the others against one another in a constantly shifting network of allegiances.

Public Agenda

The Ixo Syndicate eventually wants to control the entirety of the Tabori Cluster, either through underhanded means or by establishing itself as the area’s only governmental power. While the syndicate has had great success in controlling much of Pan’s wealth, it has yet to expand beyond that planet, partially due to the disrupting nature of the system’s high electrical activity and partially because of the members’ own infighting. If the Ixo Syndicate can cease its constant bickering and backstabbing and discover a safe and reliable method to travel between the system’s stars, it might be able to achieve its goals. For his part, Garik recognizes the increase in personal wealth such a shift would bring, and he has funded a handful of scientific facilities to research the system’s anomalies.

Assets

Based on Pan, the Ixo Syndicate controls a number of small towns and larger mining facilities. The syndicate’s largest holding is the Rimehearth Mine, a massive warren of tunnels and shafts located on Pan’s central continent. Rimehearth produces tons of siccatite every year, and while most of its workers aren’t Ixo Syndicate members, its supervisors and head engineers are deeply entrenched in the organization. The miners sleep in regimented barracks and are paid in scrip that can be redeemed only at a syndicate-run store, ensuring that they receive barely enough food and entertainment to survive and not rise up against their employers. On nearly the other side of the world, the bustling port of Steepshore transports supplies and stone to and from the nearby mines. While the Ixo Syndicate doesn’t own this city outright, many of Steepshore’s officials—from dockmasters to the mayor herself—either have been paid off by the syndicate or are being blackmailed by syndicate extortionists, granting the organization the lowest docking fees and taxes on goods. Garik Dahn stays in a lavish penthouse suite while in Steepshore, making a show of his wealth but keeping eyes out for potential assassins.

History

In many ways, the Ixo Syndicate is its own worst enemy. But while members often fight with one another, they usually briefly come together to confront any outside threats. The Ixo Syndicate’s current largest competitor in the mining business is Blackshot Excavations, a subsidiary of Ulrikka Clanholdings. Though Blackshot has the backing of a large corporation, the Tabori Cluster is remote enough that help is slow to arrive. The dwarves have begun to rely on local gangs and thugs who hold grudges against the Ixo Syndicate, and the situation is verging on the edge of a planet-wide war.