Myriad

Any civilized society will turn the people it has failed into criminals, and the societies of Wildemount are no exception. The continent’s largest criminal organization took shape about eighty years ago, when a shipping company in the Dwendalian city of Yrrosa turned to smuggling contraband to make ends meet. This tightknit group of clever smugglers soon began to bargain with their competitors, employing blackmail and offering membership to their organization as an alternative to elimination.
The syndicate grew with alarming speed, infiltrating the criminal underbelly of every major city in Western Wynandir. Masquerading as purveyors of antiquities and foreign textiles, the Myriad focuses on providing their clients with exotic goods, such as illicit substances and magical beasts, or supplying hired muscle to intimidate their clients’ rivals. The worst of the Myriad even deal in human merchandise.
Originally centered in Yrrosa, the Myriad now operates across the continent as a loose network of gang bosses who run their own local sects without direct oversight from the mysterious heads of the syndicate. Each satellite group is expected to regularly deliver information and a cut of their profits to the leadership. Those who fail to pay up receive quiet threats of enslavement or assassination—and the Myriad always makes good on its threats.
Members of the Myriad are sworn to keep their syndicate secret by pretending that their chapter is still just another local gang. This has given the Myriad a sinister and enigmatic reputation, which further obfuscates its activities from the authorities. Since members of the the Myriad prefer coercion to public displays of violence, officers of the law often fail to recognize Myriad activity until it’s too late.
The empire scored a major victory fifteen years ago when they discovered and raided the central Myriad stronghold in Yrrosa, forcing the surviving leadership to scatter across the continent. The Myriad has emphasized the narrative of its own fall in order to keep a low profile, though in fact it has retained most of its power. Its influence has stretched to the distant corners of Wildemount as it bide its time and waits to reinstate its control within the empire. Shifting tactics, the Myriad has now begun seeding major factions with double agents, who turn the most foolish or corrupt of their colleagues into the Myriad’s unwitting pawns.

Figures of Interest

The dangerous aspirations of the Myriad are driven by a curiously scattered collective of intelligent liars.

Iris Bethelas

Lawful evil, female human
This lovely, elderly woman is deeply respected and beloved for her wise, spiritual guidance and seemingly gentle demeanor. This persona kept her safe in Yrrosa, and now in Rexxentrum, where she is one of the masterminds planning the return of the Myriad. Insightful, clever, and unhesitating in her cruelty, Iris has long been considered the driving force behind the Myriad’s success.

Doctor Waldorf Perifeather

Lawful evil, male halfling
A talented physician and healer, Waldorf often travels between Port Damali and Zadash, tending to affluent patients with rare diseases. His proximity to powerful figures in their most vulnerable moments grants the good doctor a source of highly sensitive information and a reputation as a savior. This combination of influence and access makes him a key information broker for the Myriad.

The Gentleman

Neutral evil, male water genasi
The Gentleman has held a position of influence in the shadows of Zadash for nearly two decades, using his charm and connections throughout the city to carve a sizeable niche for himself in the Underworks beneath the city. These days, he’s respected as a suave crime lord with dozens of reliable cutthroats and thieves at his beck and call.

Korshad Seddiki

Neutral evil, male human
A patient and intimidating figure in the underground of Deastok for over forty years, Korshad is often known as the “debtkeeper.” He sends agents and missives to individuals throughout the empire who fall behind on their payments to the Myriad. Korshad is a mysterious figure by his own design, and he shrouds himself in illusion magic for his own protection and prestige, feeding the whispered myths about him that are legendary in unscrupulous circles.

Chessia Wakiam

Lawful neutral, female elf
A talented songstress and dancer renowned throughout the Menagerie Coast for her sweet voice and enchanting allure, Chessia is a popular performer in many opulent social circles across Port Damali. Chessia uses her charming persona to deflect suspicion as she weaves her way into the lives of politicians and guild masters to steer them toward Myriad interests.

Lustran "the Backstabber" Zeth

Neutral evil, male human
Lustran was one of the first Clasp members to turn double agent. By the time anyone realized his betrayal, he had granted the Myriad their foothold in Tal’Dorei in the swampy port city of Stilben. His lean, hungry face and graying hair give him a handsome, intimidating appearance. All Myriad agents in Tal’Dorei respect him, and all members of the Clasp hate him. He revels in his bad reputation as the renowned Backstabber of Stilben.

Tully “the Conclave of One” Dezzeram

Neutral evil, female gold dragonborn
Tully’s distasteful nickname delights her inner circle in Emon’s underground. The Myriad boss of Emon is a position that usually changes hands by the season, thanks to the diligent efforts of the Clasp, but Tully has evaded capture for three years, and grown rich and powerful in her reign of smuggling, trafficking, and grand burglary.

Sylker “the Millionaire” Uttolot

Chaotic evil, male half-elf
This gold-eyed half-elf, a former underling of the crime families of Shadycreek Run in Wildemount, joined the Myriad and became the first individual on that continent to hoard one million gold pieces. He has a masterful mind for money, and spearheaded the Myriad’s infiltration of Kymal. “Gold is a disease,” he often says, “and I’m bloody sick.”

Public Agenda

The loss of their headquarters taught the surviving Myriad leaders to temper their arrogance with caution. Now a decentralized network of allies and informants, the Myriad is reconnecting with their temporarily dormant contacts, not all of whom are happy to see their cruel masters return.
Beyond the borders of the Dwendalian Empire, the Myriad has deftly utilized the chaos of the Revelry’s decades-long reign of piracy to infiltrate the guilds of the Clovis Concord. Between the war in the east and the distractions on the western waters, there has never been a better time for the Myriad to strike.

Tal'Dorei

The Myriad seeks wealth in hideous excess. The means are unimportant, as long as they’re lucrative. No trade is too abhorrent, from bloody theft to kidnapping and slavery. And though they lack the political capital to bribe and puppeteer politicians the way they did in Wildemount, the Myriad are confident that they can get even the supposedly noble Tal’Dorei Council in their pocket.
Most fronts for the Myriad are businesses that publicly deal in antiquities and exotic textiles. Behind these masks is a ruthlessly efficient black market of slaves, magical beasts, weapons, and illicit substances. Overt violence tends to draw unwanted attention, and the Myriad avoid it when possible, preferring to discredit, blackmail, or frame those who cross them. Should that fail, however, kidnapping or assassination can be a quick and traceless final alternative.

Foreign Relations

Merely mentioning Myriad activity within the Dwendalian Empire or the Menagerie Coast is enough to draw unwanted attention; members of the local law enforcement might investigate the rumors—and the person who started them. Those involved with the Myriad often vanish into the darkest prisons, or worse. Though the Myriad has apparently scattered since the raid on their base in Yrrosa, the authorities still keep an eye open for cell activity.
Twenty years ago, the Myriad established satellite cells in the distant lands of Tal'Dorei and Marquet. Since their headquarters in Wildemount was destroyed, some have suggested sending agents across the oceans to reinforce their foreign operatives. If the network can quickly regain its former strength, there will eventually be little chance of stopping the spread of its power and influence.
As newcomers to the criminal underside of Tal'Dorei, the Myriad find their reach is still limited, though they have managed to infiltrate Stilben and Kymal. No matter how small, their presence has already created bad blood between the Myriad and the Clasp. Though the Myriad prefers to avoid conflict, the Clasp is not above spilling blood to protect their territory.
In the supposed absence of the Myriad, the Tribes of Shadycreek Run have begun to push into the empire to stake their claim in Myriad territory. The leaders of the Myriad watch from the shadows and plot ways to conscript (or, if necessary, destroy) the prideful families of Shadycreek Run.

Type

Illicit, Syndicate