For a conspiracy to be used effectively as the primary foe of the characters, their relationship must be defined. In many cases they will be unaware of the true agenda of the conspiracy in regards to the Cell, but not always. Below are several different designs the conspiracy may use on the Cell. These can be the aims of the entire conspiracy or just the desires of a sub-group within the conspiracy.
Destruction
The most obvious aim for the conspiracy is to destroy the Cell. The characters may know some or all of the truth about the conspiracy. This makes them a threat to its current and future goals. This may simply mean the elimination of the members of the Cell or the destruction of every- thing they ever held dear.
However, this destruction doesn’t have to be physical in nature. Instead, the conspiracy may attempt to destroy the Cell’s credibility and social standing. This can be a much more effective and insidious way to neutralize the Cell, as it pits them against the very society they are trying to save.
Knowledge of the conspiracy isn’t the only reason for it to attempt to destroy the Cell. It may be because one or more of the members of the
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Cell are a part of a special bloodline. Perhaps they or their heirs are the culmination of an ancient prophecy that will destroy the conspiracy or even the world. The Cell may or may not be aware of this fact, mak- ing things that much more interest- ing, particularly if this information is revealed over time.
Manipulation
The conspiracy, by its very nature, is secretive and manipulative. It only stands to reason that it would try to manipulate the members of the Cell towards their own goals. It might use them as a weapon against deadly rivals or even as a means of dealing with troublesome members within its own ranks.
The manipulation of the Cell can be done directly through mem- bers of the conspiracy or indirectly via intermediaries who are unaware that their actions benefit a secret and
malignant organization. Regardless of the means, the results are typically the same. The Cell is often fed information to steer them in one direction or another.
False recruitment is one way to use disinformation to lead to the Cell being misled from their true course. Typically it is done to make the Cell believe that they or one of their members has been seen as trustworthy by the conspiracy. This is almost never true and usually means that they are being set up for a fall.
Generally it begins with one or more members of the Cell being ap- proached by member of the conspiracy. They might appear in their true guise or keep their true identity hidden, but their offer is always the same, your heart’s desire in exchange for loyalty.
The recruitment may be a single exchange, such as some information for a single job; however, it may actually be the first step towards a long- term relationship. This approach is only ever used on those that he con-
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spiracy believes they can turn. The end result is always the same. When a Cell member is turned, they are betrayed by one of their own, ending their threat to the conspiracy.
Often, a powerful conspiracy will see the emergence of a Cell as an opportunity to draw out and destroy real threats to their power. The Cell will be set up as a lightning rod to draw out the true threat. This always occurs in stages and can sometimes lead to the destruction of the Cell.
The first step is typically the recruitment of the Cell. This is generally done without the knowledge of the Cell, often coming in the form of a trusted friend or mentor. They are then given a task and the threat is noti- fied in some manner that the Cell now works for the conspiracy. To send that message home the Cell will be attacked by lesser pawns that seem to have ties to one the conspiracy’s enemies. This often leads the rivals to act, which draws them out into the open and leads to their destruction, often alongside the Cell.
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Protect the Cell
On a rare occasion, the conspiracy may act to try to protect the Cell or a specific member of the Cell. This is very rarely done for altruistic reasons and is more often spawned by some benefit it sees in the contin- ued existence of the Cell. It may also benefit the members of the Cell but rarely is this true.
Typically the Cell will be unaware of their mysterious benefactor. Their lives may just seem blessed as things just go their way. Aid always arrives in the nick of time and they are never truly in any legal trouble.
There are primarily three reasons for the conspiracy to desire the continued existence of a group of people hell bent on destroying it. The first may be that they are seen as an asset and are being groomed for re- cruitment. It may be because one or more members of the Cell are from a special family line that is important to the conspiracy for one reason or another. Finally, it may be that the characters are a part of an important prophecy, which will result in the culmination of all the conspiracy’s plans coming to fruition.
Activities
The conspiracy is an organization always in motion. It is never sim- ply sitting around waiting for the Cell to show up and disrupt their activi- ties. It is always working towards an ultimate goal by whatever means nec- essary. This covers a variety of activities that are completed by members at all levels of the organization. Below are some of the most common actions that the conspiracy may take at any given time. Use them when construct- ing episodes.
Assassination
When the threat to the conspiracy becomes dire, it will make all ef- forts to eliminate it. To avoid the attention of society, these assassinations are typically disguised as accidents. The key to this is to make the accident not seem too unusual; however, if an accidental death is not possible, the conspiracy will instead frame a patsy for the assassination.
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Counterespionage
All organizations are ripe for infiltration and the conspiracy is no exception. It must keep constant watch for infiltration by rival organiza- tions and the Cell. Those members that are assigned to counterespionage activities are often put in the difficult position of watching their own col- leagues. In most cases, this individual’s activities are known only to a select few within the hierarchy.
Disinformation
Disinformation is the spread of false intelligence in order to conceal the true aims of the conspiracy. It is perhaps the most important task given to members of the conspiracy, as the spread of disinformation covers up its activities. This is typically accomplished through the effective use of rumors and manipulation of the few formalized information networks, such as the ravens used by the Orthodox Albinican Church for communi- cation.