Ash Blossom Covenant
"Power? It comes from neither weapons nor wealth. True power is in information, knowing people. The right facts at the right time can bring down the headman's axe or empty a treasury." - Xai Fa
The Ash Blossom Covenant is a collection of powerful people that exist to covertly protect their own interests, wealth and positions.
Structure
Officially the Ash Blossom Covenant does not exist. Members of the Ash Blossom Covenant are divided into cells of differing sizes. Some groups consist of single members with other groups as large as fifty people. Each cell is run independently to maintain operational security, with each cell being unaware of another cell's mission. Cell leaders are often the only ones with access to information from the Ash Blossom Covenant. Some cells are given specific territories to operate within while other cells are constantly on the move. The varied nature of each cell's organization helps to mislead and disrupt efforts to identify and eliminate members.
Executive Body
The formal organization at the top is run by five families that serve the head of the Ash Blossom Covenant who may or may not be a member of any one of the families. The Ash Blossom Covenant's public face is the person assigned to the role of Foreign Trade Minister in the Fa Imperial Court. The current five families that make up the executive council of the Ash Blossom Covenant are:- The Tamizaki
- The Jost
- The Fabria
- The Grekapur
- The Shanji
Communication
Communication with cell members is conducted in various ways. Groups operating in close proximity or within the same city usually have different mandates which are overseen by local administrators. These administrators can be members of the local government or some other public organization, but more often are full time leaders of their own cell and have no official relationship with any other organization or business. Covenant administrators rarely meet face to face and often keep their rank a secret from their own cell. Administrators are given discretion to assign missions to other cells, allocate resources and move personnel to complete orders from higher up in the Ash Blossom Covenant. Sometimes these missions include acquisition and transportation of high value information, people and objects, destabilizing foreign governments, and even assassinations.Recruitment
The Three Blades original recruitment of barbers, doctors and cooks was useful but limited the scope of their operation. After the swearing of the Ash Blossom Covenant the group decided to broaden the type of recruit it would accept. However there was one stipulation, recruits must come from outside of any military. Soldiers, even retired, could keep old allegiances. Aside from that single stipulation, recruitment into the Ash Blossom Covenant is done at the discretion of cell leaders or administrators.Security
Due to the group's secretive nature defections are incredibly rare. With members unable to identify members of other cells betrayal becomes a risky proposition and oftentimes not worthwhile. The Ash Blossom Covenant has so many branches with so many disparate missions it is unlikely any one member has enough information to compromise much of the organizations large scale logistics. However, in the event of a member's defection or betrayal, administrators have full authority to secure the situation by whatever means they see fit. This can include implication in a crime, kidnapping, extortion, or even assassination.Culture
There are very few official rules surrounding the Ash Blossom Covenant and its members. Each cell is given enough free reign to develop itself independently so long as missions are conducted discreetly and successfully. Some larger cells have been operating for centuries and are made up of multiple generations of the same family. Other cells are managed by one member who might oversee a group made up of mercenaries, slaves or other unaffiliated people with no knowledge of their employer's affiliation. Some groups have elaborate rituals for joining their ranks which can include elaborate ceremonies, infection with diseases, or body modification.
One particular cell in The Tressian Plateau has the tongues of new recruits removed. After a new member has been with the cell for more than five years their tongues are magically healed and they are allowed to speak again. Other cells require their members to be fluent in foreign languages and some groups are made up exclusively of magic users. The sheer variety of member typology leads to an incredibly flexible organization that can respond to a wide variety of threats and requirements.
Public Agenda
Ask anyone what the Ash Blossom Covenant stands for and there are bound to be a variety of answers. Most people claim the group doesn't exist. Those that know say they're common criminals, others claim the group is a legendary secret organization that spans the world, still others believe members of the Covenant are a cult of an evil god,.
The Ash Blossom Covenant prefers the confusion and speculation. It adds to any lack of credible evidence of their crimes and removes any direct link to its leaders.
Assets
The organization's broad reach in the continent of Deren gives members access to a number of resources. Any request for support is sent to a cell's administrator, who decides weather or not to fulfill the request and what, if any, changes need to be made with the request. there are very few resources that cannot be provided in the pursuit of a successful mission. Many cells have been operating for centuries and have built up their own stores of wealth, strongholds and skilled personnel. However, requests do occur for things such as translators, arcane, primal or divine magic users, and falsified documents. If a cell requires funds, equipment or expertise from another cell As the Ash Blossom Covenant has many diversified assets.
The most powerful asset is the town of Lostport . A ruined city in the desert of The Tressian Plateau where members of criminal gangs can find a home and the administrators of the Covenant rule with absolute authority.
Founding Date
2826 AF
Type
Illicit, Cartel
Alternative Names
A.B.C.
Predecessor Organization
Location
Related Ethnicities
