Jameleskan Syndicate

A controversial faction of the wider Skallen Syndicate - the Jameleskan Syndicate are being rebuilt after falling out of grace for their role in human trafficking, slavery, and connections to The Snow Lord†. The syndicate was forced to split in the 1040s under the rise of Quistas, a former Seldrinar naval crewman, who took over the branch in Theygor and pushed the syndicate into their nefarious deeds. This chapter was destroyed in 1052 during the Battle of Theygor.

Prior to their involvement in human trafficking, the Jameleskan chapter kept themselves restricted to illicit substance farming and pushing with smaller con and robbery groups. The Syndicate had a long history within Jameleska, dating back to the anarchy years when a Syndicate warlord took over the Storbaer area. The Syndicate’s hideout can be found in Storbaer, and is currently abandoned whilst the Storbaer militia and Order of Tara dismantle their tunnel network beneath the city.
The syndicate is being rebuilt under the guidance of Mr. Blake in the rebuilding project of Vorrenborg. The syndicate already has a stake in Val and Falia Rayes mithral mine.

Structure

The guild was operated off a strict hierarchy with two main branches in Theygor and Jameleska. The Syndicate had a don who oversaw everything and helped organize and dictate syndicate priorities. Below the don lied the captains of the respective branches, each with an enforcer as their deputy. Below them were the lieutenants, and below them the mooks.
Quistas†: Quistas served as the don of the syndicate since the 1040s, using his shrewdness and moral apathy to cement power and cause the severing of relationships between the official syndicate and the Jameleskan group.
Rastgos the Raider†: Captain of the Theygor branch and Quistas’s right hand man, this bloodthirsty and sadistic raider ran the pirate crews that would launch attacks on farmsteads and capture sailors around the duchy of Jameleska to sell people to the Tundra Baron.
Robin the Swift†: Captain of the Jameleskan branch, Robin oversaw the capture and sale of targets from within the city walls and also continued to run some smaller scale extorsion and smuggling rings as well as building the tunell network to Old Jotunbrygge.
Grushnax†: This dragonborn enforcer was a bandit chief in the Crag before coming to Jameleska during the 1020s, Grushanx was a minor member of the guild until the rise of Quistas, allying himself with the seldrinar and Robin the Swift to earn more power.

History

Old Syndicate

Rise of Quistas

Quistas was a thoroughly unremarkable young soldier from the Seldrinar Supremacy. During the war, he deserted his post and sailed out to sea where he was picked up by a Tombstone Powder smuggling ring working for the Skallen. Quistas used his wits, charms, and ruthless nature to slowly ascend the syndicate’s hierarchy, being granted captaincy of the branch in Theygor. Quistas slowly assembled allies around him, including the disgraced Aedrinarian raided Rastgos and the sociopathic Robin the Swift. With power consolidated, Quistas made a push on leadership and was chosen to be the new head of the syndicate. He immediately started pushing the syndicate in a more nefarious direction, running gang wars with smaller criminal groups and attacking militia members. Quistas also used his connections with the Tundra Baron to get himself and his allies a new keep in Theygor in promise of the sending the hill giant slaves on a regular basis.
The transition to slavery saw the overall Syndicate turn their back on the Jameleskan branch of rogues, and many within the order, such as Baron Faylock, left the guild at this time. The guild operated small scale Shanghai operations whilst lessening their other ventures, finding that people were more profitable than drugs or cons.
Quistas granted captaincy of the Jameleskan branch to Robin the Swift, who slowly ramped up their capturing of people, keeping it as scattered and subtle as possible, often preferring to raid smaller hamlets outside the city and frame it on the goblin tribes. The Syndicate also earned powerful allies within Storbaer, buying off the local militia and Lord Stone.

Death of Robin the Swift

With the start of the four week war, the syndicate ramped up their capture of civilians to complete a large tunnel to Old Jotunbrygge. The purpose of this tunnel was to capture Prince Haakon for their giant allies, supposably earning the Syndicate lucrative rewards and land when the Snow Lord completed his war. The kidnap of a gnomish food vendor named Herky attracted the attention of Doomed 2 Die, who proceeded to wipe out the Jameleskan chapter bar a handful of members and free the slave’s they had captured.
This battle took out several of the group’s key members, including Robin the Swift, Leoryan, and Grushnax, the guild’s enforcer. Lord Stone was also killed here, and much the corrupt militia members killed or captured by Horsha Lenn and Warkeeper Umska. The syndicate also lost one of their vaults, with their ill-gotten gains taken by the Order of St Tara for social programs in Storbaer.

Masquerade Ball Attack

A handful of members had survived the destruction of their hideout, including the corrupt Stone Militia member Ashana Veer, who was left for dead by Doomed 2 Die after being knocked unconscious by Shan. Ashana assumed captaincy of the syndicate in place of other leadership, and planned to complete their initial mission and earn the favour of Quistas and The Snow Lord.
Disguising her self and the other survivors as staff of Herron Hall, Ashana infiltrated the famed masked ball knowing that Prince Haakon regularly attended these events. Using smoke bombs and thugs, Ashana was only stopped by Doomed 2 Die with the help of famed jewel thief Pennatrice who inadvertently had blocked their escape route. Ashana was killed and the prince freed, ending the syndicate’s organized presence in the city for good.

Battle of Theygor

Quistas continued his smaller scale operation in Theygor, undeterred by Doomed 2 Die’s assault as in his cockiness he assumed the Snow Lord would finish them off and they could rebuild from much better foundations. The southern elf raider felt safe in his keep within Theygor, and maintained a close relationship with The Snow Lord’s diplomats and the Tundra Baron.
Quistas met his end during the battle of Theygor, his forces were cut down by Brombo the arsonist and Captain Johnson whilst he ate in his keep. Hearing the attack, he tried to lay an ambush but only managed to shoot Einar before Azura used a wall of fire to incinerate the syndicate leader and his body guard, burning the keep down in the process.
The death of the syndicate’s leadership has left the Jameleskan branch destroyed. Although the region is focused on rebuilding after the disastrous war with the Snow Lord, the loss of the Syndicate has left a vacuum for new criminal groups to emerge, or perhaps for the official syndicate to re-establish an official presence. The future of crime in Jameleska is uncertain, all is known is a loss of power will always breed chaos, and what that entails will surely strike the duchy soon.

New Organization

With the disgraced syndicate completely destroyed and Jameleska ripe for new criminal oppertunities, Mr. Blake decided to reestablish the syndicate under new management. Shifting to a focus on embelzzlement and financial crimes, the reformed Jameleskan syndicate appears to be leaving its recent sordid history behind.

Type

Illicit, Gang

Alternative Names

Theygor Chapter

Parent Organization

Skallen Syndicate

Location

Jameleska

Appearances: 7

• Session 43: Answers and Question
• Session 44: Honour Amongst Thieves
• Session 45: Skallen Betrayed
• Session 46: The Paladin's Gem
• Session 50: Weeping Halls
• Session 62: Revolutions
• Session 63: Brawls and Crowns
• Session 93: The Truth