Where are they now: The Seraphim, My campaign Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Outline Switch to: Standard Switch to: Linear+

[The Jake]

It's all but stated in System Failure that CATCo died because the Seraphim hardly put up a fight. Here's what I'm planning for my campaign but I wanted to spring board some ideas. This explains my ideas around why the Seraphim all but permitted CATCo to be destroyed.

My view is that as of 2064 when Cross died, CATCo began to be systematically fall apart. My theory is that when this happened, upon the death of Cross, the Seraphim would have been largely factionalised.
The key factions are:
- Those loyal to Cross
- Those loyal to CATCo (as distinct from loyal to Cross)
- Those loyal to themselves.

Upon the collapse of CATCo, those loyal to themselves become the 'Fallen' (I think they're referenced as that in SotA:2064).

LOYAL TO CATCO
Those loyal to CATCo would try to ride it out and support the company assuming CATCo is Cross and that supporting the company would be inline with their wishes (whom they would answer to after his death is a very good question - Jean-Marie Cross?). Act as if everything is business as usual (BAU). These guys I'm assuming would be heavily targeted in the corporate war for either infiltration, extraction or otherwise utter destruction. I would surmise that either way by 2070 the Seraphim as it was once known ceases to exist and anyone in this camp would pay the ultimate price. This group would represent the majority of the Seraphim.

LOYAL TO THEMSELVES
Those loyal to themselves would rapidly realise when the ship is sinking and most likely look to bail. Some may jump across to other agencies or other megas. Maybe Ares or another corp snatched up a significant number of ex-Seraphim. If so is this documented in any sourcebook anywhere? Either way I suspect that those that did jump ship probably would represent the majority of the survivors. Of which there would be very, very few.

LOYAL TO CROSS
Those loyal to Cross would realise that the company is going down without a strong leader like Lucien to steer the boat. They would have little faith in Jean-Marie and realise that he is not Lucien and not feel any particular loyalty to him or the company in its current form. My theory is that they would probably look to bail to avoid being destroyed or caught up in the corporate war. At the very least realise at a certain point ahead of the rest of the company the inevitable outcome.
They would want to cling to power as well as survive. A group of this size/influence doesn't give it up easy after all. I'm banking that this would be run by a very small but elite inner circle of very, very high ranking Seraphim agents. They would probably hand-pick current lower tier Seraphim agents and spot them for recruitment into this new Syndicate (I'm calling it the Syndicate for now until I can think of a better name). They are a fraction of the size of the Seraphim (I'm aiming to around 1/3) but they are the creme-de-la-creme. Top agents, highly skilled and most of all, loyal to perpetuating the Syndicate - with all the zeal you'd expect of the original Seraphim.

In my campaign, one of these key conspirators is a high ranking Seraphim handler and trainer who has access to the corp's training database and access to ops files. The Syndicate would be funded by several methods:
- siphoning off various funds out of CATCo during the height of the Crash 2.0
- selling off key data on Seraphim agents and operations to Ares (or other interested buyers). In particular, on agents who they have no intention of recruiting.
- possibly branching out into the shadows/black market (moving into selling intelligence data like Aegis or supporting intelligence activities of other organisations like the Vory).
- manipulating the war to siphon out and/or control key areas of CATCo that Seraphim had a vested interest in maintaining.

Why would they hold onto key R&D or business units of CATCo? If so, how? My reasoning is because they want to create more agents. In my campaign they would focus heavily on any tech that could allow them to produce/mass produce or train skilled operatives (full VR environments + cloning tech is a key example). They would do this through multiple fronts and shell corporations, buying up and snatching key assets of CATCo during the war with Ares. This isn't essential to the idea but I do plan on having this feature as a key threat. By 2070 I plan on having this group demonstrate the ability to mass produce vat based clones with all the training of a veteran agent (with the Syndicate being able to cherry pick the skills these guys have, although they will have various flaws that can be exploited).

For what purpose does the Syndicate exist?
Well that's where I get stumped. I think the idea of a former corporate sponsored intelligence agency going rogue, with strong ties to at least one government (Quebec) and world reaching ties/influence makes for an excellent villain and deus ex machina. I'm just running into problems trying to work out what their ultimate goal would be? Just a general lust for power? Wealth? Global domination?

Any ideas/thoughts/feedback would be welcomed.

- J.