In desperate times, criminal activity thrives. Small nomadic gangs began forming, usually made up of ten to fifteen people—often several households banding together simply to survive. Over time, some of these gangs grew larger and more organized, now numbering up to 250 members. These groups call themselves Syndicates. They reject the label of “criminal,” believing they are merely surviving. Yet, they have increasingly raided and looted homes and farms in outlying hamlets. Assaults and thefts of food, equipment, and fuel are rising, and occasionally, people die defending the modest stockpiles they have managed to gather.
The outer zones have become especially lawless. In response, communities have begun appointing Community Marshalls to protect vital crops and provisions. Syndicates, being nomadic, do not stay in one place long. When they encounter each other, the outcome varies: some groups pass peacefully out of mutual respect, while others clash violently, with the victor taking spoils and sometimes recruiting new members.
Several Syndicates have evolved into semi-permanent communities, living in shanty villages far from civilization, venturing into populated areas only to raid or scout for opportunities. New, smaller Syndicates continue to emerge across different zones, but the largest and most notorious are:
Guǐ (Ghost) – 鬼
Grove 0 to Grove2 – Central City
Known for Tech, Water production, Hov transport, black market trading
Shāyú (Shark) – 鯊魚
Grove 3 to Grove 7 – Coastal based
Known for: Drug (Cyberwolf), kombu farming, black market trading
Kuro – (Black) – 黒
Grove 12-Grove 18 – Rural based
Known for Food; vegetables, Pabulm production, black market trading
Ōkami – (Wolf) – 狼
Grove 25-Grove 30 – Northern highlands
Known for self-sufficiency, arts, construction knowledge.
The syndicates have adopted kanji symbols as an effective way to mark products, identify members, and communicate territory ownership, if you see the symbol, you know who is in charge.
Syndicates and Communication
Communication in the current time is less of a barrier. Syndicates quickly adapted Mother technology to provide better means of communication. Although external devices are available, many prefer to have a small comms chip implant which enables survivors from all races to communicate clearly, no matter what old-world language is spoken. Many survivors either fear or cannot afford comms implants, and as a result, a new combined language has emerged known as basic. It mainly English, but combines many words and phrases adapted from Japanese, French and Mandarin.
Dan Verkys 