Obsidian Rose
Objectives
Prosperity for the organization
A return to civilized criminal culture
To seize control of Vale's criminal underworld
Prosperity for the organization and its members is the most obvious objective for Obsidian Rose. Without prosperity, they'll lack the capital to gets things done and project their power and influence. With the ability to effectively operate and project themselves, the seek to return to an era where even the most basic of criminals fllowed some sort of respectable code, doing so by bringing in smaller organizations under their wing and instilling their values into them. Those who don't play ball are either killed or left to starve out through attrition when Obsidian Rose attains its final goal, seizing control of Vale's underworld. This final objective is an unwritten and nobody has yet to realize that that is where their journey is going to take them.
Location
Obsidian Rose is based in Vale with its headquarters set in the basement of a flower shop in the Commercial District. In addition, the organization has several other locations set in the Commercial, Industrial, and Agricultural Districts as well as a handful of agents in the capitol cities of the other three Kingdoms.
Alignment
Obsidian Rose's eye is only set on criminal organizations. It'd rather stay away from interfering with innocent citizens, the Valish government, and Beacon Academy, but especially the latter two since pushing either over the edge could easily result in the annihilation of the organization. Both also bring order and stability to their society, thus darkening the shadow that the Obsidian Rose lives in.
If Vale or Beacon were to come under severe threat, Obsidian Rose would be willing to help them from the shadows.
Operations |
Illegal | Legal |
Limited Arms Trafficking Limited Drug Trafficking Gambling Establishments Information Brokering Espionage Sabotage Heisting and General Thievery | General Transportation and Shipping Bodyguard Services Search-and-Rescuing |
Structure
Leadership
LeadersObsidian Rose is headed by two individuals titled the Carolina Reapers who, when behind their masks, attempt to throw away their identities and sense of self in order to better lead the organization. They rarely interact with their own organization directly, instead choosing to do so unmasked and under different aliases. It is the outer world that encounters them most.
A step below the Carolina Reapers are the Directors which consists of each head from the three divisions listed below. While the Directors also don masks, they are seen more frequently within the organization and less frequently outside of it, and like those above them, they also generally interact with the organization unmasked and under different aliases.
SuccessionEach of the five leaders, unbeknownst to the other four, selects someone who works under them to be their successor. For the Reapers, that encompasses everyone in the organization, and for the Directors, they are able to choose anyone within their respective divisions. Each leader writes a letter for their potential successor which includes the responsibilities and expectations associated with the position and their reasoning for having selected them in particular. After doing so, they seal their letters in an envelope and place them inside of a safe which requires two unique keys, the Reapers having copies of one key and the Directors copies of the other, to open. Anyone is allowed to change their successor at any time. The safe is rigged to send a message to the five leaders whenever it is opened.
The reasoning for this setup is that in case someone were to 'go missing' or get killed, their position would be quickly and easily refilled.
Divisions
RosebudHeaded by both the Carolina Reapers with the Directors acting as second-in-commands; together, they are known as the Five Petals. This division contains all the individuals who are considered the faces or spokespersons of the organization. While it is mainly the leaders at the forefront, they will typically delegate lesser matters to their subordinates within the group. Also in this group are those in lesser administrative positions who deal with the three other divisions and those that oversee the organization's various operations.
StemHeaded by Director Jīvana Kīsāmpa, known as Boa when masked. Stem completely covers the logistics for the entire organization; it transports materials, personnel, and information to even the organization's farthest reaches. Stem is equipped with a defensive fighting force.
RootHeaded by Morgana Fata Hantu, known as Phanti when masked. Root is responsible for importing materials, persons, and information into the organization. Root is not too focused on the importation of materials so its main operations are running Obsidian Rose's information network and recruiting new members when needed. Only operates in small groups or as individuals; have very little contact with anyone but the presiding Director and the Reapers.
ThornsHeaded by Alba Cremisi, known as Scorpio when masked. Thorns is the sword of the organization, performing targeted killings (including internal executions) as well as sabotage. Operates in very small groups or as individuals; have very little contact with anyone but their presiding Director and the Reapers. Individual identities are only known to the Petals.
History
Obsidian Rose was formed in 55 A.C. after a great strife ripped through Vale's underworld resulting in the systematic destruction of a now-dead underground hegemony. Its founders are two members of a group once belonging to said hegemony, and with their organizations' leaderships annihilated and membership scattered and in tatters, they sought to be made anew. They threw away the old practices which led them to ruin, instead replacing them with sensibility. To begin, the two founders, Tauranga Rahi and Reinga Mureora, donned two identical masks and searched for old members of the hegemony and took in those who were considered low profile in that it would be unlikely for other eyes to be searching for or recognizing them.
The initial years of the organization can best be described as modest. Obsidian Rose was set on taking on small jobs (though it wasn't as if they were in a position to take on larger ones) while the two founders instead focused on learning the ropes of proper leadership, getting a better feel of the state of the underworld, and working out the structural details of the group. When all was said and done, they adopted the title of the Carolina Reapers as their aliases when under the mask.
As the organization grew, so too did the responsibilities of the Reapers, and before their grasp on the organization could falter, they partitioned the organization into three divisions (Rosebud not being an independent division) with a Director appointed to head each of them.
Obsidian Rose continued to grow in size and function and the ride up was surprisingly smooth. Tauranga and Reinga, having lost their youth, stepped down and let their successors take the reigns in 71 A.C. and 74 A.C. respectively.