Murder incorporated

Summary

Not ascribing to any single faith, Murder Incorporated is a league of assassins, spies, murderers, and espionage masters who have been networked across the wasteland with a single goal: the greater good at all costs.

After the Hiway War, the former members of the Guild in Bravo escaped the destruction of the territory with the help of a few “concerned citizens”.   The remnants of the faction were scattered to the winds, but a flame was kept lit by the secretive members of the Widows of the Lone Star.  By honing their assassins into a group known as the “Veiled”, the secret society was kept in waiting until the right moment.  Though the Widows are not the only remaining members of this former organization, they remain the first to answer the call of Murder Incorporated in the San Saba Territories.

  • This is a CVC faction, and involvement in this group will involve CVC activity.

  • Joining Murder Inc. requires you to opt-in to the SES System at the start of each game. You cannot be a member of this faction without joining the SES.

  • NOTE: This faction utilizes concepts found in the Murder Inc. Support Doc published by DR:CT on their website here, and credited here. We have also included several ideas from Tom Kelly and our friends at DR:NY in the organization of the faction within our game.

Key Phrases

  • CvC, Murder, Ethical Dubiousness, The Ends Justify the Means

Why Should I Join?

Murder Inc. is a faction designed for those that want to embrace CvC and the stealthy life of the assassin. Their primary focus is on eliminating major threats to the San Saba by any means necessary, quietly guiding the future of the region with careful murders. The faction are not “the good guys” and instead embrace the evil they perform in the service of a greater good. If you want to play an ethically dubious assassin, a secret agent in disguise, or a shadowy graverobber dealing with undead monstrosities and their masters, this faction is for you!

  • NOTE: This faction is a CvC focused faction and requires you to opt into the SES System to join or participate. You must also provide a phys rep for a mask that is used as part of your disguise.

Faction Objectives

Rebuilding a Mission - The major goal of Murder Inc. is to re-establish themselves as a new force in the San Saba, a tool for the greater good. This means finding someway to organize themselves, recruit new members, and establish a structure that can avoid the pitfalls of the past.

Guide the Future with a Subtle Knife - The members of Murder Inc. take upon themselves the responsibilty of eliminating the threats to the San Saba that must be dealt with quietly and permanently. They are not indiscriminate killers, but rather precise and specific instruments of their peculiar brand of “justice”.

Casted Characters (NPCs)

  • Miss Clauthia

  • Mx. Lackey

  • Atrophy

  • Daniel the Quiet

Variations from the source material

The DR:TX version of Murder Inc. differs slightly from the source material found in the Murder Incorporated doc on the DR: CT website, found here.

  • We will NOT be using the listed “families” in the Murder Inc. Support Doc. Instead, our “families” will be existing NPCs and NPC factions within the DR:TX game. The first known “families” in DR:TX are the Lovelace Family and The Veiled.

  • Players cannot teach another character the Murder Inc. Society Membership skill, at this time. You may only be inducted into the organization by an NPC sponsor in DR:TX after passing a test or personal plot request.

  • This is a separate organization from our other CvC Faction, the Red Ledger. You can be a member of both factions, but you may find your loyalties occasionally tested…

  • The Widows of the Lonestar will NOT be the only way to interact with Murder Inc.

    • There will be additional NPC sponsors, “families”, and more in the future, as the faction grows in influence and scope. There are already members in other existing factions you can learn about in game if you are diligent, but it is a secret society after all!

    • If you want to join Murder Inc., but don’t want to be a part of the Widows, submit an Personal Plot Request so we can include your ideas into a different NPC sponsor to the faction.

  • We will be looking at choosing PLAYERS to be our Blade of Shepherd’s Chosen, a group of the Sainthood of Ashes faith that serves as a check on the conscience of those that would eliminate a threat during the rite of the Honor Hunt. If you are interested in this role and have a character interested in Murder Inc. with this faith, let use know at info@dystopiarisingtx.com.

The Rules of Joining Murder Inc.

These are the traditions, steps of joining, and play expectations of this group:

  • The rules for Society Membership are found on page 106 in the DR Corebook.

  • You must have at least Basic Criminal Influence to join Murder Inc. The only way to find out about an secretive organization of assassins is to already be a criminal!

  • You must have Proficient Stealth to join Murder Inc. OR the ability to be disguised by a friendly ally using the appropriate item effects.

  • Joining this faction will be considered to be opting-in to CvC in DR:TX, and you will be required to join the SES System at the start of each game.

  • Members of Murder Inc. must wear a physical MASK during official meetings of the faction. Failure to do so could result in violence directed at your character by other characters or NPCs. In game, this will be represented by the Many Faced Mask item card.

  • Trying to attend a meeting of Murder Inc. without being a member is a dangerous and character deadly prospect — you have been warned!

  • Performing the Murder Dive procedure without the blessing of the Widows will have potential ramifications — you have been warned!

  • If you have both Proficient Widows Society Membership AND Murder Inc Society Membership, you are considered to be a member of The Veiled, a subfaction of the Widows of the Lonestar.

Subfactions

Murder Inc. is separated into three subfactions. Each subfaction espouses a preferred method or philosophy of how they approach their goal of eliminating threats to the wastes, and you must select one of these subfactions of Murder Inc. when you gain the skill. This will look like “Society Membership: Murder Inc (Adherents of Betrayal)” on your sheet in the Notes section.

  • The Adherents of Betrayal — The known NPC of this faction is Clauthia Lovelace, played by Aesa Garcia. One of the more prominently known members of the trio of Widows, Clauthia maintains a network of spies and informants throughout the Lone Star. She traditionally meets for afternoon tea on the weekends, and engages in the idle gossip and rumors that make up her trade. Their members wear a bauta mask when performing the tasks of Murder Inc.

    • Clauthia will be able induct willing characters into a subfaction that specializes in dealing with targets that cannot be easily assassinated, but must instead be dismantled and destroyed through subtle manipulation and economic influence. With their influence and power, Adherents take down these titans of industry -- taking all that they have before killing them in the night. If you are craving a political faction that works on a larger scope to influence the San Saba, this is a perfect philosophy for you.

  • The Silent Knell — The known NPC of this faction is Mx. Lackey, played by Sadie Hawkins but they have been known to appear in different disguises and are periodically seen played by other Guides or STs. One of the most obvious agents of the Widows, this member of the Veiled is normally assigned to handing out tasks and missions to others of criminal intent. Always dressed sharply, they play the role of the servant in public but operate with much more independence outside the sight of the other Widows. Their members wear a featureless blank mask when performing the tasks of Murder Inc.

    • Mx. Lackey is a master of disguise and inducts members into a subfaction that prides itself on secretive assassinations and making their kills appear to be accidents. These assassins, spies, and informants normally take out delicate targets -- ones that have amassed too much power and would become martyrs if their deaths were known to not be accidents. Disguises, poisons, and more subtle tools of misdirection are their specialty and they abide by a code of secrecy even more strict than the other elements of Murder Inc. If you are craving a chance to be a disguised secret agent or stealthy assassin, this is the philosophy for you!

  • The Watch of the Bone Chapel - The known NPC of this faction is Atrophy, played by Shan Lind. While all of the Widows understand what it means to be invisible in society, Atrophy has perfected the role of shadow. Atrophy trains new recruits to the Veiled and determines most assignments that require an assassin, even if the target is already dead and within the Grave Mind. No traitor to the Widows has escaped the wrath of Atrophy and tales of her deeds are ghost stories told to new recruits. Their members wear a plague doctor mask when performing the tasks of Murder Inc.

    • Atrophy is a Graverobber and master of the Murder Dive, and inducts members into a subfaction that deals with undead threats and challenges to the natural order of the Mortis Amaranthine. Their group focuses on eliminating some of the worst threats in the wasteland -- those who have learned all that they could about the Grave Mind and have used their knowledge to the detriment of society. This includes wayward Graverobbers, Grave Attuned, and even Techno Savants who have discovered ways to manipulate the grave that could spell disaster for others. If you want to embrace the life of the “gravehead” and fight powerful undead monstrosities and their masters, this is the philosophy for you!

The traditions of Murder inc.

There are a number of common traditions of this faction in the DR:TX game.

  • The Rite of the Mask — This is a tradition of the Widows, and requires the prospective member of the Veiled to construct their own calling card - a signature mask that will hide their identity while working on the tasks of the faction. Traditionally, this mask can include a black veil that can conceal your identify or one of the more specific masks favored by the subfactions. Members of Murder Inc. must always were a mask while on mission, and failure to conceal your identity can be a transgression worthy of death.

    • This rite will require you to complete a challenge to craft or buy a suitable Many Faced Mask item card, so you will need an appropriate phys rep for this item. The use of a blueprint for this item will be traditionally made available as part of this task.

  • The Blooding — When new members are brought into the fold, there are a series of initiation rites that they have to undergo. While the Lovelace Family has their own rites, there is one universal one that everyone must undergo: being blooded.  Becoming blooded involves participating in a kill with the rest of the “concerned citizens”. This is an opportunity for the family to teach the new member how a kill is normally done, and also allow them to show the family what they’re capable of. Normally, the new member either does the first or final strike on a target. For families that focus on gathering information or creating dossiers, being blooded can mean something different. Instead of doing the actual kill, a new member instead prepares enough information for others so that a successful strike can be carried out.

  • The Honor Hunt — Honor Hunts are saved for the worst that humanity has to offer, and task the members of Murder Inc. with assassinating a priority target. Honor Hunts are called by one of the leaders of a family within the San Saba and are voted on by the collected members of Murder Incorporated. The person that calls the hunt will make their case for why that target must die, as well as provide intel and research that is available. Each member is expected to work together to complete the Honor Hunt within three months. If they fail, it’s viewed as a slight on them and their family and other members of Murder Inc. in the area may look down on them. A vote must pass a majority before a Honor Hunt is called, and can be vetoed by the Blade of the Shepherd’s Chosen.

    • At the formation of Murder Inc. in the Sunken Saints, it was also decided that the “one and done” rule for both targets and Honor Hunts should be instituted. Whenever a person is hunted, they are killed once and then are not hunted again – as long as they learn their lesson. A target may not be chosen twice without significant provocation.

    • Note: The “one and done” helps when players engage in CvC so that it’s not a continuous back-and-forth until someone loses their character. Keep in mind that with casted characters, this matters less – though the DR:TX staff finds it important to be transparent with players of our future plans for that casted character, or if we know other players that want to engage with that casted character.

  • Voting in the Faction — Following an example of the Murder Inc. faction of Requiem (DR:NY), when the faction decides to declare an Honor Hunt, you will be able to VOTE for or against that hunt using your levels of Criminal Influence:

    • Basic Criminal Influence gets one vote

    • Proficient Criminal Influence gets two votes

    • Master Criminal Influence gets three votes

    • The Inner Circle PFA will add one vote you can cast. For example, a character with both Inner Circle and Master Criminal Influence will get four total votes.

  • The Blade of the Shepherd’s Chosen — For families that hold to the old traditions of Murder Incorporated, they have a member who is also part of the Blades of Shepherd’s Chosen. This Sainthood-only group is responsible for determining whether an Honor Hunt is warranted or not. For these families, an Honor Hunt is proposed by leadership. Then, the Blade researches the individual and determines whether or not the Honor Hunt should be officially called. If the Blade decides that the Honor Hunt isn’t warranted, then they can veto the hunt. Having a Blade of Shepherd’s Chosen often helps families keep on the right path, and puts a check on leadership that has become too corrupt.

    • In DR:TX, this role will normally be held by a player. However, the ST staff reserves the right to step in as the Widows to influence a vote or stop a Honor Hunt.

  • Forever Sharpening the Blade - The Traditions of Murder Inc. are unique to each chapter but they are not set in stone. The nature of the society and their focus on avoiding the corruption of the past means that this can and will change over the course of play. When a new rule or tradition is introduced, it must pass a vote of all members of the faction and can be vetoed by a member of the Shepherd’s Chosen similarly to a Honor Hunt. When a major change occurs in this manner, it will be recorded on our website for the future.

Key Story Points

This is a new faction within the DR:TX game. As more major story points are developed, they will be included here for continuity.

  • The Widows Light the Candle - Following the call to arms and reformation of the society during the events of Dead Waters in the Sunken Saints, the Widows of the Lonestar have once again stepped forward to guide the society into a brave, new world. The three Widows have emerged as leaders of their own “family”, the Lovelaces. Even as other competitors join their midst, the Widows have secured a sizable influence on the murderous faction by keeping a candle lit in the darkness for the Guild since the Hiway War.

Society Membership Buy Lists

There are no currently available public buy lists of this faction. Any items will be made available during official meetings of this faction. These meetings will be communicated in the Criminal Influence Check-In sheet available at our Post Office before the start of game.