R Syndicate
From TaikaiWiki
Founded by Rugal Bernstein some time after the events of Rurouni Taikai Solid transpired, the R Syndicate is an organization specializing in dealing in goods--legal and illegal--across The Multiverse. Initially a small but fairly powerful group, the R Syndicate began to expand much more rapidly after the acquisition of the Eternals' Multiversal cartography and non-classified portions of their tech and general knowledge database during Rurouni Taikai Legacy: The Second Beta.
Contents |
Syndicate Organization
The Syndicate's has grown to encompass operations within a number of different universes; as such, their organization has grown into something like a corporate structure.
Below is a rough outline of the Syndicate's general hierarchy.
Rugal
Rugal himself, as President and CEO, is the top of the Syndicate's foodchain. He possesses absolute authority over all Syndicate operations; he typically leaves things in the hands of his Executors, though, unless something truly interesting comes along, as there is simply too much for any one man to manage every minute detail. More on the Executors can be found below.
Secretaries
The 'Secretaries' are Rugal's personal agents, answerable only to Rugal himself; when on business, they speak with Rugal's own authority (and are expected to conduct themselves as such). All three Secretaries are women of exceptional beauty and combat capabilities; they act as his personal 'fixers' within the organization, dealing with problems that lesser agents are unable to handle, ranging from a delicate set of negotations to assassinations and demolitions.
There are three Secretaries at the moment; Aya and Himene and are from Rugal's home universe and have been his employ the longest, while the newest Secretary, I-no (as played by JSG during the Rurouni Taikai Legacy Second Beta), was recruited by Rugal during the Rurouni Taikai Second Beta.
Aya and Himene
Aya and Himene have been with Rugal since before the events of Rurouni Taikai Solid; up until the year of 1996 (one year after Rurouni Taikai Solid), however, they were still in training, and as such, did not appear in the King of Fighters series until Rugal's next appearence (in the year 1998).
Knowing of the Orochi bloodline of Mature and Vice, Rugal personally carried out a clandestine search for suitable replacements should they choose to betray him. His search had a very specific set of criteria - young adult girls who had exhibited above-average intelligence, but had attempted to commit suicide, been orphaned, or exhibited other signs of being at extreme low points in their lives. Potential matches showed up all over the world, but after weeding out countless inferiors, he finally settled on Aya and Himene in 1990.
Rugal, in what would become his standard modus operandum, approached each of them then, in their darkest hour, and offered them a way out of the terrible circumstances that their lives had descended into. Initially wary, they both chose to take him up on his offer, nonetheless, and immediately, their lives became golden. During the next six years, as they were educated in a curriculum that included such subjects as negotiations, burglary, assassination, weapons specifications and usage, military tactics, and hand to hand combat; they were sent around the world, all expenses paid, that they could learn from none but the very best teachers. They stayed in five-star hotels for months on end with a generous amount of spending money, seeing the sights...and, on occasion, a dinner with Rugal, who took a very close interest in their training - as well as a more personal interest.
Life has remained golden for the two ever since. Though they are dissimilar in personality and appearence, the two are united by a bond of shared experience, and by their absolute devotion to Rugal, whom both view as their personal savior; because of this bond, they're as close as any two sisters.
Aya is the more dispassionate of the two. Her short black hair is cut in a conservative style. Aya herself tends to be a bit introverted, standoffish, and brusque, in complete opposition to Himene's personality; however, to those few whom she considers friends, she can have a warmer side. Her devotion to Rugal is absolute.
Himene is the more outgoing of the two. Her red hair, though cut short, is not as short as Aya's. Her brown eyes frequently seem to have a mischievous gleam, and when she speaks, her voice has a slight Irish lilt. When it comes to business, though, she can be supress her natural warmth and be every bit as brusque as Aya.
Himene, as her accent implies, is a native of Ireland. Her family was poor, and had little save each other, but that was enough...until they were taken from her by a car wreck. Rugal gave her a direction to go with her life. Like Aya, her devotion to Rugal is absolute.
Both secretaries are basically proficient with most weapons, ranging from bladed weaponry to firearms to weapons of mass destruction; however, each has their own specific strong points.
Aya is an expert sniper and a master of stealth and infiltration tactics; in close range combat, she uses a mix of knives and powerful kicks. She is also a four-star chef.
Himene, on the other hand, exhibits a flair for targeted demolitions, while in close range combat, she uses a mix of grappling and debilitating pressure point strikes. She is an expert masseuse.
I-no
The third Secretary, I-no joined Rugal shortly after the Rurouni Taikai Legacy Second Beta. There is an atmosphere of tension between I-No and the other two Secretaries, as Aya and Himene are both distrustful of her motives and (though they don't dare admit it, even to themselves) are secretly concerned that I-no will replace them in Rugal's affections.
I-no is highly skilled at causing major disasters and mentally scarring people for life, as well as coded word games. She also brags of her prowess in bed. At length.
Executors
The Executors rank immediately below Rugal and the Secretaries in terms of power within the Syndicate. Each Executor has been carefully handpicked by Rugal to meet an exacting set of criteria; notable strength and combat capability, paired with a keen mind...and, most important of all, a sense of loyalty without too strong an aversion to criminal activities (most Executors will be running some operations of dubious legality; an Executor must be okay with that, while simultaneously bound by loyalty to Rugal).
As with Aya and Himene, Rugal typically seeks each Executor out at the lowest point in their life and offers them a bright new future - one with such perks as 'immortality' and 'your heart's desire' - in exchange for their service. As a result, the Executors are deeply loyal to Rugal.
Each Executor is responsible for running the Syndicate's day-to-day operations within a set number of realities, each containing a number of worlds; this area comprises each Executor's dominion.
In exchange for their services, Executors are granted the full use of Syndicate resources within their given dominion; they can use these resources and the power that goes with them to do virtually anything within their dominion, so long as they maintain a suitable profit margin and avoid bringing too much outside wrath down on the Syndicate - while taking over a world is not a problem (so long as the Executor in question is able to maintain a suitable profit output and isn't too flagrant), opening portals to feed a world to the Void would be heavily frowned upon.
Executors also receive a limited form of immortality; though it is beyond even Rugal's power to bestow true immortality, each Executor (and Secretary) has a small chip implanted within their brains that continuously archives their memories and transmits them via quantum resonance to a massive computer in a well hidden location; backup records are also kept, to prevent any chance of corruption. Should the Executor die, Rugal can simply have a clone created from archived DNA samples, then upload the memories into the new body. The fact that Rugal must take an active hand in their restoration should they die is yet one more tie binding the Executors to Rugal.
Nicolai Conrad
Nicolai hails from the world of Shadow Hearts: Covenant. Rugal appeared before Nicolai just days before the insane experiments of Hojo would have broken his mind and ripped the demon Astaroth free from his body. Rugal told the battered Nicolai of the fate that awaited him...and then he made him an offer. His freedom, and, even more astounding - immortality and his heart's desire, Karin Koenig at his side. In exchange, Nicolai would be expected to manage a portion of Rugal's operations. Scarcely daring to believe the picture Rugal painted, but without any other options, Nicolai accepted...thus becoming the first of Rugal's Executors.
Rugal delivered on his word; though it required a considerable investment of energy, he was able to significantly alter the circumstances in Nicolai's Shadow Hearts universe to ensure Nicolai's success. First, he interceded with German High Command, arranging Karin's transfer to another area before her division's attack on Domremy; then, he personally intervened to assist in the execution of the 'Demon of Domremy', Yuri Hyuga. To avoid a possible paradox, he abducted a Karin Koenig from an alternate iteration immediately after the defeat of Susano'o, but before she crossed the path of 'Ben' Hyuga; he then created a clone with the same set of memories, returned the abducted Karin before she realized she had been abducted, and deposited the cloned Karin in the past, assuring the birth of Yuri Hyuga without requiring Karin's intervention.
That bit of work accomplished, he then abducted the Karin from Nicolai's time, had her mind slightly altered, and returned her (again, without her having any clue that she had been abducted). When she met Nicolai, it was love at first sight.
With Rugal having delivered on his end, Nicolai, grateful, upheld his end of the bargain, becoming one of Rugal's Executors and managing a portion of the R Syndicate's sizable operations. With his desires fulfilled and the promise of immortality for himself and Karin if he continues to fulfill his duties, he is currently satisfied with his situation and loyal to Rugal.
In combat, Nicolai is an expert with a longsword; he wields Galahad's Blade, a holy relic, further increasing his combat ability. He can also inherently cast White Magic; his greatest weapon, however, is his razor sharp intellect, which allows him to frequently outwit his hapless opponents. If absolutely necessary, he can invoke the demon sealed within his mind and transform into Astaroth, a demon of enormous magical and physical power. Karin, who sometimes aids in the management of Nicolai's responsibilities, also wields a longsword, though her forte is fire elemental skills and various Crest Magics for elemental attacks/buffs/debuffs.
Physically, Executor Nicolai appears exactly like his core SHC incarnation: tall, handsome, with red hair - save one difference. While SHC Nicolai wore a white outfit with gold trim, Executor Nicolai prefers red with gold trim (perhaps as a sign of alleigence to Rugal).
Celes Chere
One of the three legendary Generals from an alternate version of Gestahl's Magitek Empire in Final Fantasy VI, Celes was arrested for treason against the Empire and was under imprisonment in South Figaro when Rugal came to her. In this alternate Core Universe, Celes's fate was not to be rescued by the Returner Locke, but instead to waste away in prison by the order of the Emperor, on the traitorous advice of Kefka, until she died in Kefka's ascension. Rugal told her this, and also told her that the Empire she had devoted her life to was going to be destroyed by Kefka's mad ambition...and that there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. He offered her another path, though - in exchange for her lending her wits and tactical knowledge to the running of his operations, Rugal would give her freedom and immortality as an Executor.
Celes initially refused to believe the truth of the grim future Rugal painted, and turned down his offer. Rugal warned her not to throw her life away, and left, stating he would return; when he came back a few days later, he found Celes more willing to listen. The helplessness of her predicament had been driven home, and what little she heard of the outside world from her guards correlated frighteningly with Rugal's dire predictions.
Eventually Celes, despairing at her own uselessness, agreed to Rugal's offer, becoming an Executor...and over time, Rugal slowly shaped this general with a heart as pure as snow into an Executor with a heart as cold as ice. Though not cruel for the sake of cruelty, she manages her operations with a cold precision that shows little tolerance for errors.
In combat, Celes is a skilled swordwielder, and a capable user of Ice-elemental magic; in addition to this, her Runic ability allows her to absorb spells cast at her or her allies, negating all damage and gaining energy with which to cast her own spells. She also possesses a cunning mind and a great deal of practice in tactical thinking, allowing her to outmaneuver opponents that might otherwise prove troublesome.
Executor Celes tends to wear darker clothing than her normal counterpart (albeit cut in a similar style), and, like Nicolai, wears a bit of red as a sign of her new affiliation. She is also far more dispassionate than her normal version was, to the extent of seldom showing any emotion at all. Interestingly, though, Celes' dominion is the 'cleanest' of the lot, featuring virtually no criminal activities; Celes is able to make a sufficient profit margin entirely through legal activities.
There are believed to be eight or more Executors in total; however, the identities of the remaining six Executors are unknown.
Lower Levels
Below Executor level, few of the agents in the employ of the Syndicate even realize that an organization like the R Syndicate even exists; after all, the less a pawn knows, the less likely it is for the Syndicate to get any unwanted publicity should that pawn be motivated to turn traitor.
Special Divisions
The Syndicate, in addition to the above structure, has a number of 'Special Divisons'; details on these can be found below.
The Forge
The Forge is a small, highly specialized, but important section of the Syndicate's operations; the Forge is responsible for producing equipment for Rugal's agents.
The Forge is overseen by the Greek god Hephestus, god of the forge (fittingly enough); Rugal approached him with the offer to repair his legs, as well as a chance to see weapons and machines beyond anything Olympus had ever seen (and offered sample designs). Intrigued, Hephestus agreed, parting company with his immortal brethren.
Hephestus is tremendously pleased with his bargain, and is reminded of just how pleased he is every time he takes a step. He is virtually unchanged from his normal self (save for his repaired legs). For the most part, Hephestus merely oversees the Forge's other workers (the majority of whom are dwarves), though for the Executors and Rugal himself, he will occasionally take up the hammer and forge a weapon himself.
Ketchaku R&D
The largest division in the Syndicate, bar none. Ketchaku R&D is the Syndicate's Research and Development division, responsible for reverse engineering extant technologies Rugal acquires from various areas of the Multiverse, as well as creating brand new technologies and magics, and searching out interesting technologies and magics from new areas in the Multiverse.
Ketchaku R&D, unlike the other divisions, is a huge money sink, eating through vast portions of the Syndicate's profits...however, the new technologies and spells created have more than paid back the investment.
Ketchaku R&D is staffed by some of the most brilliant minds Rugal has been able to find from all across the Multiverse, all of whom are busily working towards the Syndicate's advancement.
Syndicate Resources
The Syndicate's resources are truly vast; as an immortal and a cunning businessman, Rugal has parlayed the fortune he owned on his homeworld into a financial empire that can now afford to buy and sell worlds.
Among the more interesting things in the Syndicate's possession:
- Eternal Multiversal Cartography and General Knowledge Databases (acquired during RT Legacy Second Beta, with assistance of I-No): During King Vire Agruamar's assault on the Eternal City, Rugal was able to infiltrate the High Council building (evading the clashing Sephiroth and Miracle who were battling through its corridors!) and infect a little used computer terminal with a device that began auto-downloading non-classified information from the Eternal database and transferring it (via a nearly undetectable method of transfer called quantum resonance transmission) to Rugal's own computers. The terminal was destroyed by the battle before the full database could be acquired, but the information Rugal was able to get was enough to advance the Syndicate's knowledge base by centuries or more.
- Relics of Castlevania: During RT Solid, Rugal defeated the infamous master vampire, Dracula, in a battle of DDR (and wits), thus claiming Castlevania for his own. Dracula repeatedly challenged Rugal to rematches, and eventually he grew bored of Dracula's insistence on challenging him and threw a match, allowing Dracula to reclaim his abode...though not the relics in it. Dracula, used to losing his stash of treasures every time a Belmont came through, didn't mourn the loss and instead left to begin restocking.
- Rugal's Pants: The pants Rugal obtained during RT: Solid. See the Rugal's Pants page for details.
Syndicate Relations
The Syndicate has crossed paths with numerous other Multiversal entities.
- The Eternals: The Syndicate has a relationship of guarded neutrality with the Eternals; while the Eternals suspect Rugal of stealing some of their knowledge, they've been unable to actually pin anything on him...and he has proven most useful to them, both by helping destroy the Shagohod-class assault platform terrorizing the Eternal City during King Vire Agraumar's attack, by offering the Eternals a small amount of aid during their restoration operations, and by detecting and dealing with a number of minor Void incursions within his sphere of influence (and insuring that the Eternals knew about it).
- The Endless: While the Endless are reluctant to deal with the Eternals, they have strong relations with the Syndicate; Rugal has proven to be a most reasonable and capable supplier for the many types of goods that their Pilgramage Fleet needs; even better, Rugal is quite willing to accept the resource that the Endless have an abundance of--knowledge--in exchange for his services.
- Diamond Enterprises: To be edited in at a later time.
- Amethyst: Amethyst's Delivery Service and the R Syndicate have a veiled enmity toward each other. Amethyst follows the Eternals' Multiversal Trade Laws closely, while Rugal has no qualms about obtaining or selling prohibited and illegal wares. The two have rarely come into open conflict, although Amethyst occasionally kicks himself for selling the cursed artifact that has become Rugal's Pants.
- The Void: Rugal is completely opposed to the Void, and will not knowingly deal with emissaries of the Void under any circumstances. Though not above occasionally stirring the pot and triggering minor wars, Rugal realizes that the death of the entire Multiverse includes his own end, which is something he strives to avoid. He will put aside all rivalries to deal with a Void incursion, if necessary.
- Entropy Inc: Rugal is likewise opposed to Entropy's goals of destroying the Multiverse; though not above causing small pockets of planetary-level chaos, Rugal knows that Multiverse-level chaos would be terrible for business.
- Other Entities: Rugal's relations with other entities are unknown. Feel free to amend as necessary.
