Corsone Syndicate
Structure
Boss
The undisputed leader of the family. Holds the power to over ride any decision made by the Underboss. Not generally active in the day to day affairs of the management of Bainbridge. Generally serves in a advisory role to the Underboss.Underboss
The second-in-command in the family. While the Boss is generally absent and aloof. The Underboss is ever present and active within the daily affairs of Bainbridge.
Consigliere
The third-in-command in the family and the commander of the Syndicate; the military force for Bainbridge.Capos
The syndicate is split up into crews (there are 5), each one with a respective leader. These are called Capos, and are likely candidates for becoming the Underboss or Consigliere in the future. They run the show with in their separate organizations. Each one controls a sector that is about 5 square miles. Responsible for recruiting and promoting associates.Soldiers
Made men, official members of the syndicate. Perform most of the daily tasks of the syndicate. Are responsible for training and monitoring the associates.Associates
The lowest rank, unofficial members, also have to carry out physical tasks, wannabe syndicate members. Along with Soldiers, they make up crews.Culture
Illithids use telepathy to communicate with each other and with other creatures. Among their own kind, they form a network of minds. Each Illithid is an individual node of the network, taking on specific tasks, sharing information, and so on. At the center of this network is the Elder Brain, Louis Corsone. The Elder Brain is the most powerful member of the colony. Just as Illithids treat thralls made from captured humanoids, the Elder Brain expects perfect obedience from the illithids that dwell in its colony.
If a single Illithid in a colony sees or hears something, the Elder Brain and the rest of the Illithids in the colony learn of it immediately. The colony relies on a collective memory, composed from the knowledge, experiences, and skills of all of its members and stored within the Elder Brain.
In some ways, the colony is like a great library of lore stored within its members’ minds, with the elder brain as its librarian. Each individual illithid represents a category or subsection within the library. One illithid might specialize in biology, while another is an expert in defending the colony. Given that an individual illithid has a near-genius intellect, the extent of its knowledge is equivalent to the highest levels of scholarship attainable by humans.
There are limits to the colony’s reach. An illithid can be part of its colony’s network of minds only while it is within five miles of the elder brain. Beyond that distance, it is on its own. Illithids that venture away from the colony do so only under strict orders from the elder brain. Although such missions risk attracting unwanted attention, they can yield a treasure trove of knowledge and insights to be shared throughout the entire colony when a roaming illithid returns.
The elder brain is arrogant, scheming, and power hungry, yet quick to flee or beg for mercy in the face of a powerful foe. It has no conception of joy, sympathy, or charity, but is well acquainted with fear, anger, and curiosity. It is an intellect utterly incapable of empathy or concern for creatures other than itself.
The elder brain has a perfect recollection of its colony's history. Consequently, it views itself as both a refugee and a victim, forced into hiding by the mundanes. The elder brain also sees itself as a savior of the illithid race and a living memorial that preserves the memories of the illithids’ prey. By its twisted logic, humanoids whose brains are devoured by the colony are rendered immortal, their memories preserved forever in the elder brain’s labyrinthine mind.
When an illithid grows old, becomes infirm, or is grievously injured, the elder brain absorbs it — another form of immortality, as the illithid’s mind dwells within the hive mind forever after.
There are many thralls within Bainsbridge, making them another part of this vast network the Elder Brain has cast. The island is 10 miles long and 5 miles wide. The Elder Brain has located his lair within the middle of the island, affording it access to all those who are on the island. Those who are not thralls of the Illithids are monitored and allowed to go about their business as long as they abide by the laws of the Corsone Syndicate.
Public Agenda
The Corsone Syndicate provides the restoration of order and quenches all forms of chaos.
History
Before the Fall of Democracy
Organized crime has been part of the mundane world for centuries. However, this seedy part of our culture has gotten even more dangerous since Louis Corsone arrived on the scene. A man who apparently went to great lengths to erase all traces of his existence prior to becoming the Boss of the Corsone Syndicate. Corsone is a criminal mastermind who built an illicit empire by taking bits and pieces away from existing crime families. His rivals were united in their hatred of the Corsone Syndicate, but none of them could explain how a fat, pale, completely unassuming man got the better of them. What they did not know is that Louis Corsone is a mind flayer, and that all of his lieutenants (as well as many of his foot soldiers) come from the Shadow Realm, too. The Corsone Syndicate gets its power from otherworldly sources. Actually, it was only the fact that Louis did not want to draw too much attention from the local police that prevented him from eliminating the competition completely. As it was, he used spies, spells, and psionics to keep an eye on the other bosses, keeping them at one another’s throats (so they couldn't organize against Louis), and keeping them moving in directions that actually helped the Corsone Syndicate’s long term plans. This criminal organization handled everything from money laundering to political payola, and had a special affinity for murder and human slavery. They were very careful about their operations, though, and were quite successful at erasing all incriminating ties back to their leader. Members of the Corsone Syndicate had access to practically any item or service they desired as long as the proved and maintained their loyalty.During The Era Of Anarchy
The Corsone Syndicate continued to run it's business as usual. However, they no longer had to worry about the local police as the legal infrastructure had crumbled. They quickly crushed their rivals and took informal control over Bainsbridge Island. While the rest of the country fell into chaos, this little island maintained order through out The Era Of Anarchy because of the Corsone Syndicate.The Era Of Corporatocracy
Once it was clear that corporations were going to be taking control over regions, Louis Corsone declared himself the formal Boss of Bainsbridge Island. He was not interested in having a corporation coming into his territory and traying to take the power that he had established there.Territories
Technological Level
TL2
Religion
An illithid's last desire upon death is to be rejoined with its Elder Brain, thus attaining a form of immortality by having its life experiences merged into the Elder Brain's consciousness. Elaborate funerary jars, also known as brain canisters, with the individual's biography inscribed in Qualith are commonly used by the colony to preserve a dead Illithid's brain until it is consumed by the Elder Brain.
The Illithid's have also established the Church of Ilsensine. However, it is a secret church that is exclusive to the colony. They do not allow other races within the church or to know of the church.
The humans are allowed to believe what they will and the Illithids make no attempt to control their religious practices.
Foreign Relations
Control
The colony desperately needs to increase its population, thus it concentrates on capturing humanoids to turn them into thralls and Illithids. Operating individually or in small groups, its members use stealth and deception to infiltrate the humanoid community while keeping their presence secret. Lacking the numbers and ability to overwhelm and dominate the entire population in the open, the colony has turned its research toward more effective ways to exert control, such as finding a way to amplify the Elder Brain’s power to enable it to exert influence over a greater distance. In the meantime, the colony's primary focus is maintaining control over Bainbridge and growing the colony's Illithid population.Education
The education on Bainbridge Island is free. Knowledge is sacred and highly valued within the community. Sharing knowledge is considered essential for the growth of the community and the maintenance of order. This is in part because the Illithids value having intelligent and well educated brains to feed upon. But it is also because the people within Bainbridge have fostered a culture of valuing knowledge as much as the Illithids do.
All information is of value.-Louis Corsone
The more the colony grows, the more powerful we all become.
Founding Date
Friday, June 24, 2050
Capital
Alternative Names
The Colony
Formation Type
Training Level
Professional
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Ochlocracy
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
American Dollars. However, the majority of transactions are completed with credit and electronic transactions.
Legislative Body
The Colony
The Illithids that live beneath Bainbridge Island create the laws that the people of Bainbridge must abide by.
Judicial Body
The Underboss
The humans who live on Bainbridge Island are expected to abide by the laws that are laid out by The Colony. There are those that are thralls and are thus aware of the Illithids, but most of the humans are not and believe that the laws are coming from the Underboss. The Underboss is responsible for ensuring that the laws are maintained and they are responsible for making decisions about how the law applies to a particular situation.
Executive Body
Capos
Each capos is responsible for a sector of Bainbridge that is about 5 square miles. They are responsible for maintaining the law and order within that sector. They often act as the police, judge and jury in all legal matters. Complex or political cases are decided upon directly by the Underboss.
Location
Official Languages
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Species
Comments