The Cardian Syndicate is a custom Hunter Conspiracy within the world of White Wolf's New World of Darkness: Hunter the Vigil game. Cardians are members of a global criminal organization named so after their ranking system, which divides members into suits and numbers. They fight against supernatural creatures and monsters in order to protect humanity, though their methods may not always be 'lawful'.
The Prague division has jurisdiction over all of East Europe. There's a very high contrast among Prague's team members, ranging very highly with age, nationality, occupation, personality, and even height, arguably presenting one of the most diverse Cardians teams.
The campaign started in January 2015, and is currently ongoing.
Player Characters
- "The methods we use are... at times, questionable. But what we do makes a difference, and that is what matters."
Previously a quiet churchmouse of an altar-boy-going-on-priest from a tiny rural town in Italy— now the team's resident religious kid after his father's nasty run in with a murderous ghost possession. Inspired by the team's heroism, Enzo willingly joined the Cardians to both be near his father while in the process of exorcism, as well as to maybe learn how to do some good of his own in the world. Unfortunately, with his father no longer a constant presence to affirm things as right or wrong, he doesn't have as much confidence in the choices he makes lately.
- Apologises a Lot: Every. Other. Word. Even if he doesn't know what he's apologizing for, he's probably sorry.
- Blind Obedience: First and foremost to his father. But in his absence, this has been passed along to the next available respected authority, though still keeping mindful of what his father likely would and wouldn't approve of.
- Does Not Like Magic: If it's not human, it's not to be trusted. This occasionally brings up a few conflicts when dealing with magic-using NPC's or allied monsters... Not that he'll outwardly say anything on the matter (see below).
- Extreme Doormat: Maybe it's the potential of praise or just not seeing a reason to say no— But whatever the task, he'll probably do it no questions asked. Unless it conflicts with rules set by someone further up on his personal chain of command list, of course.
- Jumped at the Call: Thus far the only member to have actually asked to join once finding out what the Cardians was all about. Granted, he believed the group was a do-gooding supernatural eradicating bunch of professionals. The whole 'glorified crime ring' thing wasn't mentioned at orientation.
- Missing Mom: Enzo's parents taught him all sorts of things growing up! Languages, religion, manners, gardening, braiding, miscellaneous pagan lore... too bad his mom mysteriously left for totally unknown reasons. They disagreed on how to raise their kid. Giuseppe doesn't talk about her much.
- Preacher Man: He's yet to be officially ordained in the practice, but to follow in his father's footsteps has been his plan for as long as he can remember.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Subverted despite his albinism. Though he has a port wine stain on half of his face, everything doesn't much help the deformity flaw.
- The Quiet One: Only really speaks up if the mission calls for it, or when there's few enough people on the team that his aversion of crowds and attention doesn't kick in too much.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Morality 8 means a rather guilt-ridden roll any time he inadvertently (or intentionally) does anything to causes any grave harm to another person. 'Person' being key word.
- Toxic Friend Influence: Foley.
- Weapon-Based Characterization: His weapon of choice is a staff. Does well with his nonlethal technique of choice should things get too hot to handle.
- "I play my role, and you play yours. If I don't like it, I'll shoot you, and if I win, I win. I'm afraid it really is just that simple."
Formerly a high ranking member of the Birdcage, an international, extremist anarchist group, Chifuyu entered the Cardians with an impressive combat ability. Although she grew up with the violent ideals of the Birdcage from youth, she's been slowly starting to question their methods up until she encountered cultists and was forced to join the Cardians. Her true undying loyalty lies with her 15-year-old brother, Yuki, whom she will do anything for. She maintains a very realistic outlook on life and does not tolerate nonsense or gaps in discipline.
- Being Personal Isn't Professional: Feelings get in the way. That being said, her attachment to her brother is easily exploited by those who know of it.
- Combat Pragmatist: You gotta do what you gotta do to survive. A split second might be the deciding outcome, and you better damn well make use of it.
- Everyone Has Standards: Chi comes off as very harsh, and she is not afraid to kill someone if she has to, but she is strongly against killing bystanders if she can help it, as well as someone who does not deserve it.
- Jerkass Has a Point: She wouldn't be making the point if it wasn't going to benefit her or the people around her. They can thank her later.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She comes off as extremely harsh or violent, but she does try to help teammates, and is still capable of compassion; some members have seen hints of this.
- Knight Templar Big Sister: There's quite the age gap between Chi and Yuki, and considering Chi lost her parents during her childhood, she is effectively Yuki's mother figure, and is appropriately protective of him.
- Meaningful Name: Chifuyu means 1,000 winters, with Chi represented by the kanji for 1,000. Coincidentally, Chi can be represented by the kanji for blood as well. Her brother's name, Yuki, means snow.
- Older Than She Looks: Being only 5 feet tall does not help convince other people that she is 26.
- The Ace: Because she was a high ranking member of a previous organization, she has comparatively more combat experience and composure than the rest of the team, and it's shown.
- The Gunslinger: She primarily uses rifles and pistols, although she is capable of close combat.
- The Unfettered: It's a tough life, more so than you know.
- Trigger-Happy: Just point and shoot.
- Undying Loyalty: Yuki.
- When She Smiles: You've done well.
- "I'm ready to play the game. More than ready."
Deaf since infancy and developing epilepsy at age five, Foley has always felt as if he had something to prove to the world. His strong sense of pride has defined his presentation within the Cardian organization as someone rational, adaptive and most importantly, capable. This same sense of self however can make him somewhat difficult to deal with; self-aggrandizing, argumentative, condescending, sarcastic, the list goes on and on. Regardless, Foley defines himself by his own sense of agency and has begun to truly flourish within the Cardian structure.
- Disabled Snarker: And if someone snarks back at him, even better.
- Disappeared Dad: Not a lick of information has been found as to Foley's father's whereabouts since leaving the graveyard. The main reason he continues to stay loyal to the Cardians is in the hopes of their resources being used to find him.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!
- Handsome Lech: Once he's done proving how smart he is to everyone, Foley's core, driving motive is going to become apparent very quickly. Most of it is bravado rather than a result of any actual experience...
- I Just Want to Be Badass: Deconstructed. Foley is a whole mess of masculinity-, intelligence-, sexuality- and disability-related problems come face-to-face with an ego forming confrontation.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: Subtler since he has not had to defend his competence to the team, but shades of it have been made evident.
- Mommy Issues: See below.
- My Beloved Smother: The Jungian variety of the trope. She received an intense sense of gratification and identity out of taking care of her disabled son, to such a degree that she is the direct cause of his epilepsy. Qualifies as an Abusive Parent of the Munchausen by Proxy variety.
- Psychic Link: A one-sided link with the woman from the flower garden. He seems to be very, very fond of her.
- The Smart Guy: While more physically competent than most examples of this trope, he doesn't qualify for Genius Bruiser. Yet.
- The Speechless: Being deaf since birth, Foley has never heard a proper voice in his life. He can vocalize, but he has never learned how to speak. This is a point of embarrassment for him.
- "I can handle myself...just gotta keep a happy smile on... I have to stay strong.."
Tabitha has traveled many roads and slept in just as many alleyways, barns, and train cars. After suffering horrible abuse and mutilation from her mother, whom suffers from an extreme case schizophrenia, Tabitha ran away from home and chose the life of a vagabond. When she was 17, she found a little fuzzy potato of a puppy in a barn she decided to sleep in for the night. Finding he was abandoned, she kept and raised the pup, calling him Orion. Orion and Tabitha had been inseparable since then, their bond had grown so strong that Tabitha could mentally empathize with him to the point of understanding his barks in the human language.
- Artificial Limbs: Tabitha has two prosthetic limbs, both on the right side of her body. She is left handed.
Aces
This Roleplay provides examples of:
- Almighty Janitor: Cecily, the friendly sunglasses-wearing janitor of Prague. If several of the player characters' tutorials are to be believed, Cecily is more than what she appears to be.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Chifuyu 'Chi' Hanemiya comes off as extremely harsh or violent (as expected for a former anarchist), but she does try to help teammates, and is still capable of compassion; some members have seen hints of this.
- The Quiet One: Enzo Mckentzie-Salvai only really speaks up if the mission calls for it, or when there's few enough people on the team that his aversion of crowds and attention doesn't kick in too much.
- Tap on the Head: Enzo abhors killing, and so whenever he is forced into combat, he focuses on knocking out the opponent with blows from his staff instead.
