The Consortium
The Consortium
The Consortium, as it is known today, traces its origins back to the year 16668, a pivotal period in the history of the continent. The once thriving settlement of Ameresh had been razed to the ground by the relentless Shadowclan Orcs, leaving its inhabitants without home or livelihood. Survivors flocked to the relatively safe haven of Tilverton, amongst whom was a stalwart and enterprising Mercadian merchant, Kyle Arinson. Recognizing the desperation of these displaced souls, Arinson embarked on a mission of mercy. He strove to band together a select group of merchants to aid the struggling survivors, using their collective wealth and influence to provide the refugees with food, shelter, and employment. However, due to the dire economic climate and the burgeoning fear of the encroaching Orcs, Arinson's noble initiative met with limited success. With desperation driving his decisions, Arinson took an unexpected detour into the darker paths of Tilverton. He enlisted the aid of the city's criminal underworld, trading in the legitimacy of his merchant status for the ruthless efficiency of organized crime. This marked the birth of the Consortium, a group far removed from its initial philanthropic vision, yet indomitably potent in its scope and reach.
Arinson took up residence in an ancient fortress located in the southern reaches of the continent. From this formidable bastion, he presided over the Consortium's operations, maintaining a firm grip on his lieutenants and the myriad illegal activities that fueled the group's coffers. Wild Bill and Mick O'Malley, Arinson's most trusted underlings, oversee the strongholds in the strategic pass near Mercadia and the western front of Tilverton. Despite their distance from the fortress, they operate under the unyielding shadow of their leader, well-aware of Arinson's formidable reach and merciless retribution. Arinson's Consortium deals in a nefarious mix of smuggling, intimidation, and slavery, operating with a ruthless efficiency that guarantees a steady stream of income. They rule through fear and influence, their insidious operations penetrating every corner of the southern continent. The group, while predominantly human, does not explicitly restrict its membership based on race or species, making it a diverse criminal empire. From his fortress, Arinson rarely travels to his holdings in Tilverton and the pass near Mercadia, preferring to conduct his operations from the comfort and security of his stronghold. The criminal underbelly of the southern continent is now under the sway of the Consortium, and though it has strayed far from its original mission and goals, it remains a force that commands respect and fear in equal measure.
Notable Quotes
A lone candle flickers, casting dancing shadows upon the parchment before me. It's a quiet night, save for the distant din of the night markets of Tilverton, their echoes a soft reminder of where I've come from, and the path I've tread. The smell of fresh ink is nostalgic, a quaint remembrance of my humble beginnings in the Kingdom of Mercadia. Once, I was naught but an honest merchant, dealing in linens and spices, my world no larger than the city gates. Little more than a mouse within the grand theatre of the world. Then came the fall of Ameresh, the march of the Shadowclan Orcs, the cataclysm that uprooted us all. Fear drove us, a teeming mass of humanity all in the same boat, fleeing for the supposed safety of Tilverton. In that chaotic exodus, fear twisted into desperation, and desperation became the mother of all transformations.
In the underbelly of Tilverton, amidst the thieves, con men, and murderers, I found not merely survival but a new way of life. I was no longer a mere merchant but a man of influence, a leader amongst the outlaws. The Consortium was born from that desperate struggle, a phoenix birthed from the ashes of a ravaged land. My path was steeped in illicit dealings: smuggling, intimidation, slavery. My hands, once used to count gold coins and measure lengths of silk, now oversaw operations that darkened the souls of men. I built an empire in the shadows, a network that spread its tendrils across Mercadia and beyond. We were invisible, untouchable, feared. The Consortium thrived, and so did I. I became cold, calculating, ruthless. A mirror to the world that had fashioned me. Every night, I lay on a bed of wealth and power, and I reveled in it. Yet, as I sit here, with the echoes of my past whispering in the wind, I can't help but reflect on the man I was before the fall. An innocent soul with a heart full of dreams, a merchant trading in hopes and smiles. I remember him with a chuckle, a bitter laugh resounding in the silent night.
Weak, yes, he was weak. But he was also genuine, unburdened by the weight of guilt and power. But he is no more. In his stead, stands a king of the underworld, his throne built on shadows and secrets. Regret? No, not for a single moment. I simply look back, gaze upon the road I have taken, the fires I have walked through. I do not yearn for a return, not to the innocence lost nor to the naive hopes crushed. It is merely a reflection, a nocturnal meditation on the nature of life. For in the end, we are but creatures of circumstance, shaped and molded by the world around us. I am a product of my time, a child of war, and the king of thieves. And despite the darkness that surrounds me, I find satisfaction, even a perverse form of joy in this life I have carved out of chaos. I was Kyle Arinson, the merchant of Mercadia. Now, I am Kyle Arinson, the leader of the Consortium. Two faces of the same coin, spun by the whims of fate. How amusing. How utterly fascinating.
The candle burns low. It is time to put away these musings, to step back into the shadows, where kings are made, and empires rise. The night beckons, and the Consortium awaits.
~An undated journal entry from Kyle Arison's personal journals
Bosses
Mick O'Malley: Arinsons' lieutenant in Tilverton
- Disarms his opponents
- Can stun his foes with a kick
- Uses explosive charges
Wild Bill: Arisons' lieutenant in the Mercadian Pass
- Disarms his opponents
- Can stun his foes with a kick
- Uses explosive charges
Commander Arinson: The leader of The Consortium he resides in Fort Arinson
- Uses special moves
- Can stun his opponents
- Summons reinforcements
