The Syndicate
By Robert Ingdahl
Introduction by Anders Sandberg
Late this evening, while I was busy studying the Cabala,
the doorbell suddenly rang. Hard. Outside, I found Robert
Ingdahl. He gave me a disk, and disappeared. The
following seems to be a description of the Syndicate,
both in general and the Stockholm construct in special.
Several things are worth noticing. One is the consistent
use of dollar signs instead of 's'. It is not a random
pattern, but seems to convey they "syndicatiness" of
certain words, their intrinsic connection to the paradigm
of the convention. The general style of writing seems to
reflect the nature of the Syndicate; arrogant, selfish
and cynical. Proponents of Political Correctness will
probably faint.
The author seems to fit the image of the typical
syndicate member: dressed in Italian shoes and costume,
with a red tie, new and expensive clock and sprouting
capitalistic views. He is indeed a student at Stockholm
School of Economics, and most of the persons he mentions
as members in the Syndicate are really prominent
citizens. Is he really a representative of the Syndicate,
and why would he leave this information to me? His views
seems to fit quite well, and some of the descriptions of
Stockholm in text seems eerily true.
And why would he spread this potentially damaging
information? Does he want to defect? There are also the
explanation from the author, that he had a secret desire
to be a villain in peoples chronicles. A case of
masochism? Or perhaps this is an attempt to spread subtle
misinformation to the Traditions? Or even more spooky,
perhaps the Syndicate doesn't even care about if it gets
out...
THE $YNDICATE
You cannot $erve both God and Mammon
Claimer: The characters and events described in this file
are not fictional, any resemblance between the characters
and any person; living, dead or undead is purely
intentional, so sue me!
I carefully lit my last Cartier cigarette with my silver
plaqued Stockholm School of Economics Zippo lighter. I
took a look at the emblem engraved on it: the wand of
Mercurius, the Roman god of merchants and thieves,
surronded by the twin snakes and laure ls. I owed much to
my school, the best damned business school in Europe, for
opening my eyes to the only true pleasure in life: making
money. When I first passed between the school's huge
bronze doors on Sveavägen 65 I was just a scared kid but
now after three years of hard studies I was a shrewd
businessman, well versed in the art of doing business.
AH, the sweet aroma of EXPENSIVE cigarettes, the aroma of
success. I savored it and opened the huge bronze doors.
It was late, I had been studying for my exam in
economics and had not stopped until I was completely sure
of passing it with the highest possible grade as I had
done with all the other exams. Now I would return home to
my six- room apartment on Östermalm and Carolina.
Carolina is my girlfriend, sh e is from a very wealthy
family and she is naturally one of my fellow students. I
would not consider dating another kind of woman, they
generally do not understand the importance of power and
money and they only discuss futile subjects like world
peace, e cology and women's liberation. At least with
Carolina things are straight: I covet her money and she
covets my great potential as a businessman and we do not
make ourselves any stupid ideas that our relationship is
based on romance and love or shit like t hat. But I must
admit that she's a really good fuck for the money and
even a stressed businessman needs some good pussy once in
a while and good pussies are hard to buy these days if
you do not know where to look (the Stockholm School of
Economics of course). She got really hot when I
announced to her that I would buy the apartment with the
profit I made from my Astra shares that I sold when they
were at their peak but our night of passion did not take
me as high as the moment when I learned that I had ma de
a million SEK on the deal. I grabbed a firmer grip on the
handle of my leather briefcase and descended the stairs
of the school.
An old bum laid on the stairs, blocking my
way. " Get out of my way, you parasite" I yelled at the
lazy bastard and kicked him hard in the chest. He
growled, rose up and left. I have never had any
compassion for the creeps that live off my hard- earned
money. I do not understand why the government keeps them
living, feeding them with the ridiculously high taxes it
steals from the few citizens that work for their living.
At least in business the rules are clear: if you do not
work you will go broke and get out of business. The
business world isn't for the weak, but I am strong. I am
a predator in the jungle and I always get my prey. I went
to my Porsche Carrera, some may think that it is a car
that is out of style but money and success can never go
out of style. Yuppie isn't dead, Yuppie lives!
I took my
keys from the pocket of my new Armani suit and was just
about to open the door when a black limousine with
mirrored windows slid up beside me. A chauffeur in a
black uniform stepped out and said to me " Mr. Ingdahl, I
presume?". I nodded a yes. " Mr. Nilegård would like to
speak with you" he replied and opened the door to the
back seat of the limousine. I was stunned, Percy
Nilegård, the famous international stock broker and
entertainment- industry magnat would like to speak with
me! It was a opportunity that all the graduates from the
Stockholm School of Economics would cut off their right
arm for and now it was offered to me, a student that
still had a full year to my graduation from the best
business school in Europe. Carolina's pussy could wait!
I was a bit nervous as I climbed into the limousine but I
hid my feelings completely with my charming white-teeth
Italian smile that has many times fooled my opponents to
lower their guard in order for me to rip their throats
(financially speaking, of course). There he was, Percy
Nilegård, a man in his fourties with neatly cut bl ond
hair and a squared jaw. He wore an expensive tailor- made
grey business suit and expensive Italian shoes. I could
not fail noticing the Rolex watch on his wrist and his
designer eyeglasses. He finished a conversation with
someone over his Ericsson mob ile telephone and looked at
me. We firmly shook hands and introduced ourselves and
the limousine started driving down Sveavägen to Sergels
torg past the imposing, but now dark, corporate
headquarters.
" Mr. Nilegård, I am very honoured to meet
you. I must congratualate you on your last deal when you
wrenched TV 4 out of the control of Jan Stenbeck ",
always good to start a conversation with a powerful man
by flattering him, I thought. " Oh, dear Mr. Ingdahl,
that was ye$terday'$ new$, would you like some Chiva$
Regal?" he replied with a smile worthy of a shark. "On
the rocks, please". " Now, lets get down to bu$ine$$. I
have an offer to make you, Mr. Ingdahl". My tension
disappered, Percy Nilegård was about to make me an offer,
perhaps he wanted to recui t me to his prestigious
company: Nilegård International Holdings with offices in
Stockholm, London, Frankfurt, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong,
Sydney, Paris, Brussels and Milan. If so, a prosperous
and wealthy future awaited me. " Very interesting, Mr.
Nilegå rd, I am deepely honoured. What kind of an offer
do you have in mind?". He lit a hand- rolled Havana and
looked at me with a serious look in his eyes and said to
me in a solemn voice " Mr. Ingdahl, I am offering you a
place as a full member of the $yndica te". I was stunned,
had he gone mad, there was no entity called the Syndicate
or perhaps..? My curiosity got the better of me and I
asked "Mr. Nilegård, I'm sorry but I do not understand.
Would you please explain to me what the Syndicate is ?"
THE HI$TORY OF THE $YNDICATE
- Pecunia on olet!
Emperor Vespasianus
The $yndicate has always exi$ted, in one form or another,
since the Market has always exi$ted. Once upon a time the
Market was very restricted since its was restrained by
the past's paradigms. World- wide trade was impossible,
not only because of insuffic ient means of transportation
but also because of the inadequate barter system favoured
by the fools of the Tradition. The Traditions tried to
focus the Sleepers' attention on spiritual and
transcendental goals that the Sleepers could not grasp.
This force d the Sleepers into a primitive agricultural
economy where everyone was supposed to be self-
sufficient and wary of strangers. The result was often
starvation, low quality of life and a spiritual
insatisfaction since most could not perceive the
mysteries of the wizards and the priests. But our
predece$$ors in ancient Rome found another way: the
matherialistic way. Matherial gratification is easily
under$tandable even by the $leeper$ and the act of
gaining matherial gratification does give a $pritual
$en$e of accompli$hment a $en$e of meaning to this
existence. They started to lead the Prime- flows into the
matherial world and $trengthened thus their paradigm$ and
suddenly trade on a large scale was po$$ible in the whole
Roman Empire. Sure, the $yndicate was weak then, the
Traditions still decided most of the paradigms but our
predecessors had managed to create this hole in the
system. Unfortunably, the powerstruggle between the
Traditions destroyed the Roman Empire and Europe was
again thrown into a dark era. But we emerged again
during the Renaissance.
The merchant houses of Medici in
Florence and Fugger in Antwerp were largly controlled by
u$ and they $tarted to rip the old economic system of
barter and self- sufficency to pieces. As the kings of
Europe strengthed their power they were able to gain
peoples trust in order to make coins that were generally
accepted by most merchant$. This enabled u$ to start
bank$ in Italy which gave u$ even more control on the
economy (and thus reality). People began to loose faith
in God and started to covet their matherial needs instead
and the ideal of hard work and matherial rewards was
highly praised.
On Sicily the predecessors of the
Mob$ter$ evolved from unemployed bands of mercenaries as
finally the paradigm$ had evolved to the extent that
organized crime was profitable. Make no mistake, the
Mob$ster$ are not that different from u$ Bu$ine$$men.
They do Bu$ine$$ too, but they have always $pecialized in
Markets that are restricted by at first the Traditions
and now by the New World Order so they have to u$e a
different $trategy than u$ but that's the whole
difference! In the dark ages crime was limited to petty
things as highwaymen and chicken thieves but the new
paradigm$ now allowed the Mob$ter$ to engage in more
lucrative $ector$ as large- scale pro$titution,
racketeering and $muggling. There is no clear border
between our activities either, just look on the slave
trade that were one of our most lucrative trade$ but now
ha$ to be administrated by the Mob$ter$.
In the 18th
century the time was ripe for the foundation of another
bu$ine$$ flow: the Economi$t$. The Economi$t$ were
founded by Adam $mith, their task is to make the economy
predictable and quantifiable. Soon we were able to direct
the flow of the economy the ways that suited our end$. If
economy is a predicatble $cience you can wield an
enormou$ power since your are then able to decide what is
profitable or not and if something is not profitable
there is no use in doing it. The Market ha$ then become
the sole $tandard which everything i$ mea$ured with and
we are then able to decide the course of our A$cention.
$YNDICATE BU$INE$$ FLOW$
The Economi$t$
- In the long run we're all dead.
John Maynard Keynes
The Economi$t$ are primarily concerned with the
contruction of new economic model$. By these model$ the
$yndicate is able to command the economy. The $yndicate
can by ITSELF decide if our activities are profitable or
not and they can use this again$t thos e who are opposed
to u$. They $trive to make every endeavor of mankind
quantifiable by economic $tandard$ in order to make
profit the sole measure of $ucce$$. Economics is a
powerful kind of magick but its effects are not clearly
visible since it deals wi th the distribution of
quinte$$ence in the economic pattern$ but when theses
pattern$ are fuelled the effect$ on world economy are
clearly felt. The Economi$t$ are usually found at
univer$itie$ and Bu$ine$$ $chool$.
The Bu$ine$$men
- The Market demands it!
Swedish currency broker on the currency crisis of 1992
Our Bu$ine$$ flow i$ primarily concerned with controlling
and $upervising the flows of quinte$$ence in the economic
pattern$ that the Economi$t$ create with their theories.
We control the stock markets of the world and all the
major corporation$. Our majo r task is to make the
$leeper$ under$tand that only matherial gratification is
de$irable and that they should live only to get the
$ati$faction of working. To work give$ them a $en$e of
belonging and a meaning to their exi$tence and thus they
reenforce ou r view of reality and believe me, it is easy
to make people appreciate matheriali$m since it's easy,
quick and understandable.
The Mob$ter$
- I don't know anything,
- I didn't see anything,
- I didn't hear anything,
- I wasn't even there, and if I was there I slept.
Sicilian to an investigating policeman.
The Mob$ter$ are involved providing goods and services
that do not directly lead to A$cention but are still
demanded by the $leeper$ and the we are still not able to
reduce the demand. Sure they do profit$, enormous
profit$, but generally these goods and services do in the
long run deviate the $leeper$ from our materialism. But
if they u$e the Mob$ter$' drug$ and hooker$ the customer
will only get drunk and exhausted and avoid the
intoxication and orgasms that will get them closer to the
Cult of Ecstacy's Ascension. You might $ay that they
cover up the quinte$$ence leaks in the $y$tem.
THE $TRUCTURE OF OUR BU$INE$$
Our $tructure is strictly hierarchical but the ways to
the top differ from bu$ine$$ flow to bu$ine$$ flow. The
Economi$t$ start as re$earcher$ after a period as
a$$i$tant and advance to re$earch directors. A good way
to advance seems to be to produce u$ef ul new theorie$
that enable u$ to make larger profit$ by spinning new
bu$ine$$ pattern$. We bu$ine$$men start out as MBAs after
a period as trainee$ and advance to the title of CEO by
controlling the flows of quinte$$ence on the Market well.
The Mob$ter$ start out as brutes a period as $oldier$ and
advance to Godfather$ when they manage to dominate the
"illicit" Market$. Note that the names do not really
reflect the power of the Bu$ine$$ a$$ociate. A trainee
could be the CEO of IBM and a $oldier could be Toto
Riina. I have heard some rumors that there is an
executive board that lead$ the $yndicate.
EXTERNAL BU$INE$$ RELATION$
- Business is war
Japanese proverb.
- Iteration Xmas
- These idiots think that machines are the path to
A$cention, fools! Machines can only interact with each
other by the same way as human$ but they cannot make the
important per$onal connection$ that people can make and
cannot bypa$$ the $y$tem. Machines are just tool$. Still,
we market their product$ $ince they are u$eful as good$
on the Market and we can make big profit$ on them but as
soon as we $pot one of their products we do not have a
need for we declare it as unprofitable or undemanded by
the Market and they will not get it out to the $leeper$
and what good does it do then? The problem with these
grease- monkeys and the procastinators is that they do
not under$tand the power of the Market and that they mu$t
$ubmit to it.
- Procrastinators
- They too create profitable product$, but we guard them
clo$ely with our corporation$ and make unwanted products
unprofitable at will. We have a lot of power over them
since most of their ludicrous, time- wa$ting projects
have to be financed by corporate $ ponsor$ and I if we so
plea$e we simply cut their fund$ and they can try
experimenting without re$ource$. Still, do not
undere$timate them.
- Void Goal Engineers
- These clowns make me laugh, they actually think that life
in $pace is going to bee $OO much different from that on
Earth. There is going to be trade between the $tar$
because $omeone always desire$ what another can provide
and the $yndicate will be there grabbing the profit$. We
will only allow $pace travel when we find it profitable,
to what u$e is a satellite if it doe$ not allow world-
vide communication$ or $atellite TV?
- New World Disorder
- Our worst enemies. They think that their bureaucrats can
defy the Market and allocate resources as they please.
HE,HE ju$t look to what happened to the Soviet Union.
Still, they hold u$ down with their pathetic attempts to
restrain some Market$ and by tel ling the $leeper$ that
our A$cention is cruel and that only the state can take
care of the week. But why protect the lazy bastards that
cannot fend for themselves, why finance a business that
cannot raise any profit$? It will only stop humanity to
reach A $cention if the illuminated cannot ri$e above the
rabble and it will lead to a chaos when a frustrated
humanity cannot progre$$. But the days of these fools are
counted, we will cru$h the states by $pecualting against
the currencie$ showing the world that the Market does not
put any faith in these unprofitable institutions and
besides, they are bringing down themselves by the
governments ever- increa$ing budget deficit$. The
deficit$ are growing because everybody want$ a free lunch
and the bureaucrats are giving them it so far and we take
their $ub$idie$ with joy because we know we are ruining
their financial $tatu$.
THE OTHER FOOLS
- Money isn't anything.
- Ha, that is said by the poor to comfort themselves!
Conversation between Louie and Uncle Scrooge in Donald Duck
- Akashic Bonsai- trees
- They have grown somewhat more powerful in the we$t
recently but they are not a real danger. Who would like
to live as a monk all his life? We $hare their philosophy
of discipline over the mind in order to do things better,
and that i$ making money and thu s we were able to gain
firm control of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and parts of
the rest of the Far Ea$t. People could ea$ily direct
their energy from shitting in a rice field and plowing it
with a buffalo to do bu$ine$$ by u$ing the same
di$cipline and th us our power is increa$ing rapidly in
this Market. They may sit and rot in their monastries
while we rule the world outside.
- Celestial Airheads
- You cannot $erve both God and Mammon they say, we know it
is wrong. You can make enourmous profit$ by providing
religiou$ services, ask any of our TV preacher$. Still
true religion mu$t be battled and it is very ea$y to do
so. Even if you are pious and de vout to a deity you will
not get any material reward$ in this life and material
reward$ are tangible and easily mea$ured and we have made
sure that people de$ire material reward$. $pend for
$alvation!
- Cult of Idleness
- Some of our best cu$tomers, they buy our drug$, alcohol,
birth control devices and listen to our mu$ic. They are
not a threat to our A$cention since they are materiali$t$
like u$ but they waste their time and time is money. They
are hedonists that do not know the true plea$ure$ in
life, making $. Without money you cannot get plea$ure
since no one will give you a record, a song or a bottle
of scotch just of pure friendline$$. Plea$ure has a price
and that price i$ money. Sure they try to influence the
mass es to give in to unprofitable pleasure, look at MTV!
But then again gue$$ who ownes MTV and show$ all those
cute commercial$ about all those marvellou$ good$ you
just HAVE to buy.
- Dreamers
- Drumming dreamers. Nature is a re$ource to exploit for
raw matherial$ otherwise it is unprofitable. We destroy
the native peoples by purchasing their land and driving
them off in order to u$e the re$ource$ and natives are so
easily $educted by the Market. When all tribal societies
are gone the dreamers will lose their power completely.
- Euthanize us
- They give away death for free! They kill people just to
give them another chance, we know better. Death should
only be given to those who stand in the way for your
profit$ or the ones some one pay$ you to kill (there is a
Market for that too you know). They $hould be euthanized
themselves since they are not profitable but we will bill
them in the afterlife since there is no such thing as a
free lunch.
- Order of Balderdash
- Silly old fools reading books some crazed rabbi wrote
centuries ago since he had nothing better to do. But they
have to buy those books of arcane balderdash and we are
happy to $upply them if they pay our price. Their
hierarchical order has in$pired our own organization but
we u$e it more efficently in our corporation$ and our
organized "illecit" bu$ine$$ and some of their symbolism
is u$eful if adapted to economic$ in order to explain the
Market. They have not understood Mercuriu$' truth.
- Sons of Ego
- Even worse than Iteration Xmas and the Procrastinators.
The goods they produce are totally unprofitable since
they were create only to please their creators and a good
must be produced to $ati$fy a demand otherwise no one
will ri$k his capital in the project and without capital
you will not be able to do anything.
- Vagina
- Return to your basic urges, pff. We know the basic urge$
of humanity and it is certainly not running around in the
woods and splashing menstruation blood on trees. The
basic urge of humanity is getting the re$ource$ to enable
it to do what it wishe$ and t hose re$ource$ come with
commerce. If the body ever gets in the way you will loose
the race for profit$ so it must be carefully controlled.
- Virtual Nerds
- TRAITOR GEEKS! They think that they will get anywhere
with computers and information networks but information
is a commodity and if you want information you have to
pay for it. We will $uffocate them soon since we control
all the corporation$ that produce hardware and software
and we are getting the Market to demand $tandard$. When
companie$ adopt $tandard$ it will put a clear limit to
what can be done with hardware and software. $uddenly,
everything is not possible with computers since only
profitable co mputer$ are worthy to get produced and
marketed. Then we will get the petty bureaucrats of the
New World Disorder to do our work done for u$ (and the
fools will even do it for free!) by affirming the owner$'
legal right$ to hi$ information through copyrig ht$. And
finally, I just ask, who do you think own$ the phone
company? If they wish to use its $ervice$ they will have
to pay for them.
OTHER ENTITIES
- The Kindred
- It was a pity that we decided on a symposium to exclude
these creatures from the reality since they $hare much of
our mentality. They are bu$ine$$men even in their $ocial
interaction$, they do not give anyone anything for free.
Of course we do some bu$ine $$ with them, particularly
with those companie$ controlled by the Ventrue and
Giovanni clan$. They are ruthle$$ bu$ine$$men though they
are a bit too emotional sometimes (all those frenzies and
stuff). The Tremere are a bit tragic, they really should
get rid of that thaumaturgical balony and get into
bu$ine$$ since they have the nece$$ary organization for
it. Some of them would have become excellent members of
the $yndicate. Still, my advice to you is to $uck them
dry at the first opportunity, financially speaking of
course.
- Environmentalist Fleabags
- These dogs are as stupid as the dreamers but they are
certainly more violent. My old bu$ine$$ a$$ociate: Adrian
Newberry, CEO at Pentex Corporation, has told me what a
pain in the a$$ these lupines are. They really do believe
that we should all go back to the stone age and that
bu$ine$$ is evil. But they have not realized that a clean
environment is a commodity and mu$t be bought for a
price. Unfortunately they will dismiss this argument as
"tainted by the Wyrm" and mu$t be dealt with in a more
firm way l ike building a nice and profitable $hopping
mall on their nodes and $tripping it of all its
quinte$$ence.
- Gauze Bandages
- Mummies are a good $ubject for a film that can bring you
great profit$ but nothing more.
- Tinkerbells
- Exclude these silly creatures from our reality, they are
not profitable.
- Chain Rattlers
- Ghosts are just a creation of the Maulers. $top them at
the Barrier, people must concentrate on their live$ here
and now not on the aftermath.
- Maulers
- These insane mages must be de$troyed at all costs. They
only bring chaos and we must protect the Market from
chaos at all co$t$.
- Nefarious
- We must keep these Demon Hordes away from our reality
because they are better bu$ine$$men than we are. They
have even made souls a commodity that can be bought and
$old. We must protect ourselves from unfair foreign
competition. We must maintain our monop oly on the market
of $oul$ beause people must $erve u$, not demons, and the
profit$' of this market are to important to be lost.
FOCI
All of the conventions specialize in spheres although not
as completely as the fools of the traditions. The Void
Goal Engineers are specialized in Spirit, the
Procrastinators are specialized in Life, Iteration Xmas
is specialized in Matter, the New World Disorder in Mind
and we in the $yndicate devoute ourselves to the $phere
of Prime, the flow the encompasses everything and whose
$ymbol is the Market.
The Economi$t$
Calculator- Correspondance
Calculations- Prime/ Matter/ Forces
Wristwatch- Time
Textbook- Mind/ Life
Glasses- Spirit
Eraser- Enthropy
The Bu$ine$$men
Mobile Phone- Correspondance
Ripping a contract- Enthropy
Money- Prime/ Matter/ Mind/ Life
Wristwatch- Time
Glasses- Spirit
Lit Havana cigar- Forces
The Mob$ster$
Mobile Telephone- Correspondance
Weapon- Enthropy/ Mind/ Forces
Money- Prime/ Matter
Wristwatch- Time
Black sunglasses- Spirit
Dead Canary Bird- Life
ROTES
$trengthen Economic Pattern (Prime 2 Correspondence 3)
This method is very a powerful tool to introduce new
economic pattern$ or helping already existing pattern$.
By causing an influx of quinte$$ence into an economic
pattern, its existence is $trengthened. It will become
more real, investors will flock, $mart people try to
conform to it and the Market responds favourably to it.
This is usually the method new technologies are
introduced or our corporations are kept strong. The
method usually requires some time to work, but it is very
efficient. To make it coincidental, the re$ponsible
manipulator$ work together to create a favourable
climate, inve$t prime-infu$ed money and make the right
per$on$ interested. Usually it is a good idea to take
enough time to be careful, since an imperfection in the
pattern may grow due to the influx of quinte$$ence.
Infu$e Money (Prime 2 Matter 2)
This method is often used to infuse money (usually ca$h,
but account$ can be infused using Correspondence) with
quinte$$ence. They will $tore it, and slowly relea$e it.
This will cause the money to be more real, having a
greater impact on the market. Since the quinte$$ence
leaks out after some time, the effect will not last many
tran$actions, giving it a localised effect. Using Time
can increase or decrease the delay.
Weaken Economic Pattern (Prime 4 Correspondence 3)
This method is u$ed by the Economi$t$ or sometimes the
Bu$ine$$men to get rid of economic patterns which are
unsuitable. The Economi$t simply $tart to pull out the
quinte$$ence of the pattern, dispersing it into the
Market. The economic pattern will start to di$$olve as it
become less viable. Inve$tments will stop, $mart people
will leave the sinking ship. Normally this is easily done
coincidental by just manipulating the market in the right
way.
Progno$i$ (Time 2 Correspondence 2)
This method is very often used to find out future trends
and events. By simulating the Market on a computer, or
u$ing other method$ of analy$i$ developed by the
Economi$t$, the future can be predicted to a large
extent.
Time to think (Time 3)
This method was developed to help stressed Bu$ine$$men to
get an edge of The Floor. It will accelerate the local
time for the u$er, giving him the chance to find out what
is going on, react to it and take mea$ure$ before anybody
else.
Market Lag (Time 3 Mind 2)
While the above method speed up the u$er, this method
slow$ down the reactions of others. They will have a hard
time reacting accurately to the flow of information and
make their moves before it is too late.
Pulse of the Market (Correspondence 3 Mind 3)
This method is very useful. It gives the u$er a overview
of the Market or a specific a$pect of it, like a
corporation. The u$er can see the economic link$, the
information flow$ and the feeling$ of those involved.
This can be coincidentally done using a large
information- retrieval $y$tem with the relevant data
about the Market (like a computer network or a economic
library with relevant magazines).
Magick Bullet (Prime 2 Entropy 2)
With this effect the Mob$ter$ are able to make a bullet
ricochet in a seemingly improbable but fully
coincidential way. Bullets may attack multiple opponents
one extra for every succe$$ rolled on the Dexterity+
Firearms roll. It was u$ed in a good way to blow the head
off that New World Order sucker J.F. Kennedy.
Trace Transaction (Correspondence 3)
This method allow the u$er to trace the true course of a
transaction even when others are trying to hide it.
Untraceable Tran$action$ (Mind 2 Prime 2)
This method is u$ed to hide a tran$action or make it
untraceable. It will either create false leads sending
tracers on a wild goose chase through the economy, or
just make it harder to find the true link$. This method
is ea$ily made coincidental by attempting to hide the
transaction using normal means, which is the most common
usage anyway. [ Each succe$$ will increase the difficulty
in tracing the tran$action with one ]
BU$INE$$ A$$OCIATE$
$tandard Economi$t Re$earcher
These mages are generally found at universities and
bu$ine$$ $chools where they are constantly researching
new economic theorie$ that will help the rest of the
$yndicate to pur$ue their plans. They are generally not
active in the Progrom$. They are often extreme academics
and are quite boring but their work is very u$eful.
E$$ENCE: Pattern
NATURE: Architect
DEMEANOR: Jobsworth
ATTIBUTE$: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma
2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2, Perception 3,
Intelligence 5, Wits 4
ABILITIE$: Alertness 3, Awarene$$
4, Dodge 1, Expression 4, Subterfuge 1, Research 5,
Etiquette 2, Culture 5, Enigmas 3, Investigation 2, Law
4, Linguistics 4, Occult 3, Computer 2
$PHERES:
Correspondence 3, Enthropy 3, Prime 3, Mind 2, Time 2
BACKGROUND$: Allie$ 3, Avatar 2, Library 5, Mentor 3,
Arcane 1, Influence 1
ARETE: 3
WILLPOWER: 7
$tandard Bu$ine$$man MBA
We are generally found in the major corporation$, the
largest financial in$titution$ and nearly everywhere
where bu$ine$$ is done. We always try to make people like
us and create good- will so we can conduct our bu$ine$$
in peace.
E$$ENCE: Pattern
NATURE: Director
DEMEANOR: Autocrat
ATTRIBUTE$: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma
4, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3, Perception 3,
Intelligence 4, Wits 4
ABILITIE$: Alertne$$ 3, Awarene$$ 3, Expre$$ion 3,
$treetwise 2, Intimidation 2, Subterfuge 4, Intuition 3,
Athletics 1, Drive 1, Leadership 3, Research 3, Etiquette
3, Culture 3, Investigation 3, Law 4, Linguistics 4,
Computer 1
$PHERES: Correspondence 3, Enthropy 2, Matter 2, Prime 2,
Mind 3, Time 3
BACKGROUND$: Allie$ 5, Avatar 2, Mentor 3, Influence 4
ARETE: 3
WILLPOWER: 8
Mob$ter Brute
- I'm a businessman. These are my associates.
King James about himself and his gang in the movie Trespass
This is the most visible type of Mob$ter. They generally
control the "illecit" market$ and report back to their
$uperiors. They are quite bu$ine$$like (although a bit
uneducated) most of the time but do not get on the bad
side of the since they can be com pletly ruthless
E$$ENCE: Pattern
NATURE: Director
DEMEANOR: Bravo
ATTRIBUTE$: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma
2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2, Perception 3,
Intelligence 3, Wits 4
ABILITIE$: Alertne$$ 4, Awarene$$ 2, $treetwise 5,
Intimidation 4, Subterfuge 3, Brawl 4, Dodge 3,
Athelitics 2, Drive 3, Leadership 3, Firearms 3, Melee 3,
Stealth 2, Technology 3, Culture 3, Investigation 3, Law
3, Linguistics 2, Medicine 1
$PHERES: Correspondence 1, Forces 2, Enthropy 3, Prime 1,
Life 3, Mind 2
BACKGROUND$: Allie$ 5, Avatar 1, Mentor 3, Talisman 2,
Arcane 2, Influence 3
ARETE: 3
WILLPOWER: 7
$yndicate $niper
- What's up? Do you wanna die to night by the $yndicate
$niper on a fly by?
MC Donald D "Fly By". Rap from Ice-T's album O.G.
Original Gangster
These are our a$$a$$ins. They are some of the most
dedicated Mob$ter$ in the $yndicate. Usually we only u$e
mundane killers to deal with opponents but when an
awakened opponent is particularly dangerous, well-
defended and absolutely has to be physically eliminated a
$yndicate $niper is called for. They use a variety of
methods: poisoning, strangulation and explosives but
their favourite method is using a sniper rifle and the
feared Magick Bullet- effect. They are very low- key and
professional murderers
E$$ENCE: Dynamic
NATURE: Perfectionist
DEMEANOR: Curmudgeon
ATTRIBUTE$: Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 3, Charisma
3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 5,
Intelligence 4, Wits 5
ABILITIE$: Alertne$$ 5, Awareness 4, Streetwise 3,
Intimidation 3, Intuition 4, Brawl 5, Dodge 5, Athletics
5, Drive 4, Etiquette 4, Firearms 5, Melee 5, Stealth 5,
Survival 4, Technology 4, Culture 3, Linguistics 5, Law
2, Medicine 3
$PHERES: Correspondence 4, Forces 3, Enthropy 4, Matter
3, Prime 3, Life 4, Time 2
BACKGROUND$: Allie$ 2, Avatar 3, Mentor 4, Talisman 4,
Arcane 4
ARETE: 4
WILLPOWER: 9
"Well, I think that you have learned the basic$ now"
Percy Nilegård, the famous international stock broker and
entertainment- industry magnat said to to me when the
black limousine stopped in front of the Stockholm School
of Economics. I stepped out of th e limousine and Percy
Nilegård said to me, "I hope to see you on our little
bu$ine$$- meeting on wednesday". I firmly replied " Yes
Ma$ter!" and went to my Por$che Carrera.
APPENDIX:
THE STOCKHOLM $CHOOL OF ECONOMIC$ BU$INE$$ COMMAND
CENTRE:
CONSTRUCT OF JOSAFAT F. ALIDON CITY
- I think this business school has lost its
possibilities.
Salvatore de Gennaro, Disciple of Euthanatos
This construct was created by the Syndicate to control
the Market in Sweden but the addition of the chimarae of
Josafat F. Alidon has made it a very important construct
indeed to the Syndicate since they can try out important
experiments in economics ther e without endangering the
Market in the real world. The Stockholm School of
Economics tries to seem as a very friendly and
progressive institute of learning that produces empathic
and cordial businesspeople but that is just a facade, it
is only concerned with pure, unhealthy greed.
AMALGAMS
The construct is commanded by the council of three. It is
composed by the leaders of the three business flows. The
three leaders give the other mages of the Syndicate much
freedom of action, it is just a coordinator of the
activities of the Syndicate in S weden but those few that
do not follow the council's recommendations are firmly
reprimanded. The amalgams are very loyal to each other
but there is a fierce competition between the individual
members of the amalgams.
THE COUNCIL OF THREE
Members: Staffan Burenstam- Linder (Economi$t- Master),
Peter Wallenberg (Bu$ine$$man- Master), The Pellican
(Mob$ter- Master) Background: These three mages serve as
coordinators of the construct. They have initiated a
secret war against the New World Order's dominance of
Sweden. They are extremely powerful and completly
callous.
THE ECONOMI$T$
Members: Johan Myhrman (Master), Lars Bergman (Master),
Harry Flam (Adept), Bertil Ohlin (Master), Anders Vredin
(Master), Stefan de Vylder (Adept). Background: This
amalgam is concerned with the creation of economic models
that enables the other business flows to operate
according to the principles of the Market. It is
constantly testing various economic models in the Horizon
Realm and the models who se results furthers the ends of
the Syndicate are made public and thus "real". The status
of this amalgam is a bit lower than one might think since
it was purged by some infiltrators from the New World
Order in the 80-ies and still view upon with a bit of
suspicion by the other amalgams.
THE BU$INE$$MEN
Members: Percy Nilegård (Master), Jan Stenbeck (Master),
Gunilla Ahrén (Master), Sven- Olof Johansson (Master),
Curt Nicolin (Master), Josafat F. Alidon (Adept), Robert
Ingdahl (Disciple), Peter Ahlgren (Disciple), Carolina
Manhusen (Disciple) Background: These mages supervise the
legal Markets in Sweden. They completely control all the
major corporations and financial institutions. They also
have considerable power over the medias that Percy
Nilegård and Jan Stenbeck have succeded in wrenching from
the New World Order that previously had a complete
domination in that area. They have succeded in making the
Sleepers believe that Swedish corporations are very
humane and friendly entities and that all business in
Sweden is conducted in a very legal and ethical way. The
real truth is that collusions, dirty tricks and straight
out gangster methods are used every day in order to make
a few ever growing corporations even more powerful.
They
have been quite successful in ruining Sweden's economy by
raising the price levels of virtually every good through
secret monopolies and by speculating against the Swedish
currency. Their ultimate goal is to bring the country to
the brink of desperation where the only possible solution
will be to give the almighty Market free reins.
Gunilla
Ahrén works on another horrific plan to turn all women
into greedy corporate bitches that do not care about
their families. Her organization is called "Ruter Dam"
and corrupts women into believing that a business career
is the o nly measure of happiness and success and that
women are "bogged down" by their husbands and children.
The women in "Ruter Dam" become increasingly callous and
obsessed with their careers and they abandon their
children at day- care centers where they do n ot get the
warmth and affection that can only be given by a mother.
The children of these callous career- pursuing women
become convinced that a career is the most important
thing in the world (since their mothers could abandon
their own children for it) and they seek comfort in money
and power, exactly as their parents do.
THE MOB$TER$
Members: Mohammed Al- Buloushi (Master), Sven Rydman
(Master), Igor Baluchov (Adept), Katarina "Madame Noire"
Beckman (Adept), Domenico Ritella (Disciple) Background:
This amalgam control the Markets made illegal by the New
World Order such as drugs, alcohol, prostitution, weapons
and tax evasion. The NWO did not wish to condone
criminality in Sweden since criminality is a form of
rebellion against the stat e ( as the "criminals" don't
give a damn about obeying the state). To resolve this
problem it has often collaborated with the NWO not
opposing it when it made some markets illegal and this
has been a very successful tactic since the underworld
then gained total monopoly on some very lucrative
markets. The Mob even condones the NWO's "war on drugs".
The government has cathegorically declared all
recreational substancies as evil and utterly distructive
to the users. The users are then forced to buy them fro m
the Mob and since all persons involved in drug deals
(even the buyers) are declared to be to most vile and
horrible of criminals, the Mob's influence increases for
every young person that wants to try a puff on a joint.
The Mob has even bribed some policemen and members of
the parlament to start a campaign against all forms of
pornography and to declare it as demeaning to women and
dangerous since it always incites a wish to commit rape
in the reader. The reason for this campaign is that
Sweden earlier had very liberal laws concerning
pornography and anybody could produce it and its immense
profits passed the Mob by. Now the Mob can gain a
monopoly by being the only supplier of pornography.
NODES
All the four nodes of the construct are situated on the
HUGE Sveavägen avenue on a single ley line. The first is
the immense Scandinavian Airline Systems (SAS) Corporate
Headquarter that is placed upon a captured Get of Fenris
caern at Frösunda. The secon dis the Wenner- Gren
Business Center sky scraper at the beginning of
Sveavägen. The third is the Stockholm School of Economics
proper and the last one is the Öhrström glass- pillar at
the end of Sveavägen. The glass- pillar is a monstrous
piece of art th at steals the life- blood quintessence of
the city of Stockholm. The nodes capture a great deal of
the quintessence produced in Stockholm and puts it in the
greedy hands of the Syndicate leaving Stockholm a grey,
dismal and lifeless place were people beco me dull, grey
and only caring about their work. This fits the Syndicate
fine since it needs callous persons without imagination
that do not give a damn about each other as workers in
the Syndicate's corporations.
THE HORIZON REALM
It is quite unusal for Syndicate Command Centres to have
a horizon realm but the Stockholm School of Economics
obtained one by pouring quintessence from its powerful
nodes into a chimarae created by Josafat F. Alidon, a
callous and calculating American businessman in order to
have a testing facility for the experiments of the
Economic$. The construct's season is summer. The realm
seems like city from the 21 century but it is very grey
and dismal
Environment
The realm seems like a metropolis of the 21 century. In
its center, enormous black corporate skyscrapers
surmounts the habitation blocks of the poor. The
skyscrapers are in peak condition and all the Syndicate
mages that visit the realm live and stay with in the
perimeters of the corporate area. The highest and most
magnificent of the skyscrapers is that of the Alidon &
Muur Corporation. Outside the heavily guarded walls of
the corporate center the habitation blocks of the poor
stretch in every direction. The streets here are dark
and brooding. The poor work almost as slaves in huge
well- guarded factories that pollute the air with all
kinds of toxins. Criminality is rampant in the desperate
masses and the Mob can try out new kinds of drugs,
organizations and techniques here without fearing of
destabilizing the real Market and without a police force
disturbing them. Corporate helicopters fly through the
smoke- filled skies and heavily armed corporate gunships
are always ready to without mercy put down any rebellion
among the poor. In the corporate center the Bu$ine$$men
can fine tune their financial warfare abilities in "mock
corporate wars" and learn how to best make use of
monopolies. The Economi$t$ can observe the response of
the realm's society on the various constantly changing
"laws of economy" and then apply the best results to the
real world. The Syndicate's dream is to expand this
reality to Stockholm proper.
Denizens of the realm
The denizens of the realm are apart of the Syndicate mages
and their acolytes products of Josafat F. Alidon's
perverted dreams of power and wealth. They have been made
more "real" by the enormous amounts of quintessence that
the Syndicate has stolen from Stockholm. They are
underfed, desperate and often violent. They are driven by
an unnatural greed but are generally very afraid of the
powerful corporations and the seedy Mob. Most of them
work in the factories but many make their living by
selling drugs, s elling their bodies and robbing others
of their possessions (even the corporations' property is
stolen but the Syndicate likes this since it gives them a
testing ground for new inhuman security systems). They
live in a virtual hell of poverty and despair and the air
is nearly unbreathable by the pollution. The realm's sun
is considered by most to be a legend since it is always
covered by smoke.
Magickal Ratings:
It is quite similar to the rest of Stockholm but with
Time 2, Enthropy 1 and Life -1 (the realm lacks animal
life)
CONSTRUCT DESCRIPTION
Alidon & Muur Corporate Headquarter Skyscraper
The realm is controlled from this menacing, well- guarded
skyscraper. Inside there are personal quarters with all
kinds of luxuries provided for the mages, extensive
computer libraries and a well- supplied armory for the
security guards. Offices for the E conomi$t$' and the
Bu$ine$$men's research are ampious and well- equipped. It
is impossible to go anywhere in the skyscraper without a
proper ID- card.
The Stockholm School of Economics
This is the actual construct. The SSE is Sweden's most
prestigious business school well on the pair of Harvard,
Bocconi and others. The admission requirements are
enormous and only the elite is admitted. The students are
then required to perform study res ults of an inhumanly
high level or else they are kicked out. The objective is
to force all the students to value their studies more
than anything else and to completely submit to the
Syndicate's propaganda about the nature of the world.
After a few months most students have become callous
busy- bodies that are enforcing a cut- throat competition
among themselves and are only interested in gaining money
and power at all costs. The most successful are often
selected as acolytes of the Syndicate. After
theirgraduation these Masters of Business Attrocities are
thrown into the corporate world where they quickly gain
positions of great power and influence. They learn that
they must always keep up a friendly and humane facade to
others and they generally make a very good impression on
most people but if someone gets to know them better their
true nature of greed and corruption will emerge.
The
school is an fine large building built in 1924 and it is
guarded by a state of the art security system and many
security guards in civilian clothes. It is worth noting
that the SSE's computer system is not plugged into the
Net. Headmaster Staffan Bure nstam- Linder greatly fears
Virtual Adept infiltration.
SERGEL'S SQUARE
Here the downside of the realm emerges. Sergel's square
is a large square in the middle of Stockholm and here the
Mob can perform its activities in the open since the
police always looks the other way to the most important
operations. It is almost a Stock holm School of Crime
since most young criminals from the impoverished suburbs
of Stockholm gather here. The most callous and devious
elements of these are put through a series of tests
(escaping the police, killing someone for the Syndicate,
managing a dr ug deal and so on) and those that survive
might become acolytes or even Mob$ter$. The whole square
almost reeks with moral filth, corruption and insatiable
greed.
HISTORY
The Construct was started in 1909 at a different site. In
1924 it moved to its present site in order to steal the
quintessence of the Sveavägen ley line. It has been quite
successful in doing so and it has accumulated much power
and resources. In 1988 the chimarae of Josafat F. Alidon
was discovered by coincidence and the American was
invited to join the Syndicate. Since then the constructs
power has risen astronomically and it decided to wrench
the control of Sweden's reality from the New World Order.
The struggle is far from over but the construct is
certain that their secret, unofficial war will succeed.
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
On the surface it maintains good relations with all the
other conventions in Stockholm but it is secretly waging
a war against the NWO to usurp its power. Its enormous
supply of quintessence gives it much power over the
others.
STATUS: 4
REPUTATION: 1
POLICY REGARDING OUTSIDERS
All Syndicate mages are always welcome but mages from
other conventions must obtain permits to visit the realm.
The realm uses Rogues on a regular basis but the
Syndicate keeps a watchful eye on them.
ALLIES AND ENEMIES
Two other Syndicate Command Centres are allied with the
Stockholm Construct. It has many enemies, especially in
the Traditions but most are too weak to pose a serious
threat.
RESEARCH CAPABILITIES
Excellent, especially in studies in the Sphere of Prime.
The mundane library is Scandinavia's finest and largest
in business and economics. Many fine tutors can be found
but tuition is only given to the most ambitious of
students since it requires an enor mous dedication.
STORY IDEAS
The dominant theme is how greed and ambition can pervert
people. The atmosphere is brooding since these talented
and skillful members of the elite of Swedish society are
trying to make themselves more powerful and rich on the
expenses of the masses that p ut their trust in them. It
should show the players how meaningless the existence in
the Technocracy's perverted utopia actually is as they
see that everyone is searching for meaningless matherial
gratification and not trying to reach true happiness and
sa tisfaction.
ROBERT INGDAHL
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Anders Sandberg / nv91-asa@nada.kth.se