Shaitan

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Shaitan is a criminal syndicate that operates on a global scale. Generally speaking, rather than running criminal operations themselves, Shaitan provides magical support to other criminal enterprises, usually in the form of mercenary sorcerers, or summoned creatures given to obey for a specific time.

They are known, however, to operate criminal enterprises that target esoteric and magical beings in the world, however, from lore-heists where they raid and steal occult works to thievery of magical artifacts to protection rackets that involve hexing a wealthy target and then charging them to remove it.

Organization

The Shaitan (Leader)

At the top of the pyramid is the Shaitan, the shadowy leader of the entire syndicate. Rumors claim he is either an incredibly potent sorcerer or perhaps a magical entity of some sort; the Zodiac Society claims to have evidence that this is an ancient jinn who escaped imprisonment from a Solomonic vessel nearly 1200 years ago.

The Caliphs (Lieutenants)

Regardless of who they may actually be, the Shaitan does not interfere with the day-to-day operations of the organization, largely leaving that up to the caliphs, as long as they continue to succeed and empower the organization. Rumors claim that the Shaitan mostly acts to keep the various caliphs in check, and to stir the pot occasionally to keep their rivalries at a boiling point sufficient to keep any of them from making a bid to take over as the Shaitan themselves.

The Caliphs are each mob bosses in their own right, and their gangs make up the rank and file of Shaitan itself. They tend to have specific specialties: one may specialize in dealing with a specific criminal syndicate or underworld element, while another specializes in recruitment, or in lore-heists.

Known Caliphs – all of whom are wanted by international law enforcement agencies and more than a few esoteric folk – include:

  • Nonna Strega, an elderly witch whose bloodline includes long affiliation with the Mafia. The matriarch of a clan of witches spread throughout the Mediterranean.
  • Hebigami, or just "the Snake", is a mysterious figure who specializes in dealing with Yakuza. They specialize in wardings and serpent-magics, including the ability to send serpent spirits to possess targets to torment or control them.
  • Magister is a black-clad magician who specializes in recruitment and training of Shaitan-aligned sorcerers, initiating them into service and giving them access to powerful, rare spells. In exchange for gaining such power for themselves, they are bound by oaths to use those powers as the syndicate requires.
  • Emery Carbonnell is a British national who specializes in cursing and hexing magic. Emery's faction runs most of Shaitain's hex protection rackets, and provide back-up to other operations when needed.
  • Sister Agnes is a sorceress who dresses as a nun, and who operates as Shaitan's magical security specialist. Her faction focuses on warding all Shaitan location assets and providing the scrutiny-bypassing wards that protect most top Shaitan syndicate operatives.
  • Shaitain has seemingly always included a figure known as The Faustus. Intelligence seems to indicate this is a title rather than an individual, and is one who specializes in the summoning of demons and other entities in large numbers and for extended periods of time.