Society of Leonidas

Society of Leonidas
This!!! Is!!! A Society!!!
Leader	The Directorate
Founded	Renaissance
Founder	Dominico Serianni

The Society of Leonidas is an eccentric mystery cult whose history dates back to the ancient world. Their Assassins are trained to put the Society above all things, including their own lives, but the goals of the Society are frustratingly vague and known only to a few at the center of the order. They're the largest Society, and their practices established many of the codes and traditions of the Shadow.

History

Said to have originated with a society dedicated to King Leonidas in the ancient Greco-Roman world, it was painstakingly reconstructed in the Renaissance by a Venetian scholar by the name of Dominico Serianni. The ancient cult ostensibly acted to defend the world from chaos through decisive action against people responsible.

Backed by wealthy patrons, Serianni's society began removing corrupt officials in the Catholic Church, as well as the subjects of vendettas among Italian city-states. They expanded towards sizing ships and manipulating the economies and politics of the Mediterranean.

As their wealth increased, their influence expanded into the Ottoman world, and seized ships returned to Venice laden with antiques believed to have once been part of the original Society's treasure trove.

Organization

Given the age and wealth of the Society, their extended membership is also extensive.

• Clients are those outside the society: wealthy allies, employees in front operations, and families of Assassins.
• Assassins are those who have undergone training in the Agoge and initiation into the cult.
• Preceptors are those with the training and experience to instruct other Assassins.
• Masters are those who have undergone the third initiation, to whom all the Society's secrets are laid bare.
• The Directorate, or the Wise Masters, are the triumvirate which decides the direction of the entire Society.

Some sub-groups and sects include:

• Adherents of the Blessed Master follow Blessed Master Adrastus with an intensity that concerns the Directorate.
• The Coalition on Modern Warfare eschews the Society's obsession with ancient trappings in exchange for an obsession with modern armaments: even when entirely inappropriate for the mission, they try to fit in a helicopter or tank into plans somewhere.

The Secret

The true purpose of the Society, as determined by Serianni's research into the original cult, was to protect the world from Anomalies that plotted to invade or bring about the end of the world. This would be accomplished via certain World Treasures, super-science creations from the ancient world.

In the early 1900s, a schism formed when a group of Assassins following Wise Master Thomas Derringer found decisive proof that Serianni was mistaken: a separate unnamed organization bore the responsibility of accumulating World Treasures. He called the current Directive greedy pretenders and left.

Background Information

• The Society, particularly during the Renaissance, is quite similar to both the Templars and the titular Assassins from the Assassin's Creed series of games.
• The modern Society draws some inspiration from the Fraternity, the ancient order of assassins who serve the Loom of Fate from the film Wanted. Their goal of maintaining order in a chaotic world through targeted assassination also invites parallels with HYDRA from Captain America: The Winter Solder and other MCU films.

References

• TC: Trinity Continuum: Assassins Rulebook, p. 50-55