TSW-1-Conspiracies
There are many organizations in the Secret World that are aware of the dangers that threaten humanity, and seek to either capitalize, control, or destroy them in their own ways. They have all existed for some time in various forms, evolving into their modern forms by adapting to the changing world. The four major conspiracies (listed below) are members of the Council of Venice, the local occult equivalent of the United Nations that has long since set the rules of the Secret War they wage against both threats to the world and one another. This includes policing the actions of the conspiracies, should they go beyond the gentleman's agreement that is the rules, and any subordinate cabals within a conspiracy that may go rogue.
The Knights Templar - Descended from the ancient holy order, the Knights Templar work within the shadows in order to cleanse the world of the corrupt and evil. They have an ancient enmity with the Illuminati, with whom they have clashed in various forms over the centuries, and their old guard tends to be archconservative, but their goal is to do what they can to save the world Even if they are pragmatic enough to understand that they can't save /everyone/, and that sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. The Templars are nominally Union-aligned but one might find them in the Syndicate as well.
The Illuminati - The Illuminati are descended through the ages from ancient origins of cabals of powerful mystics. Always, they come to the same conclusion, that they are the Enlightened Ones, and meant to guide the world from the shadows. The most modern iteration of the Illuminati, however, takes a very modern outlook on the situation. Embroiled in competition with the other conspiracies and exiled from Europe, the Illuminati make their bed in the New World, having learned bitter lessons from their conflicts. They are hungry for power and know well the value of having a personal network of assets to come to your aid. They are less concerned with the fine points of saving the world as they are with ensuring that they're the ones on top when all is said and done. Many Illuminati agents will find common cause in the Syndicate or Confederacy depending on their personal opinions about how much is too much. But Sex, Drugs, and Rockefeller is alive and well in the Illuminati, and they intend to be here to stay.
The Dragon - A synthesis of modern chaos theory and ancient Eastern thought, the Dragon works to control the upheavals in the world through the use of subtle control and change. A typical Dragon operative is usually told to go somewhere and do a specific thing and not informed as to why. Sometimes they dispense even with giving direct orders. The handlers of the Dragons expect to be obeyed Except when they expect to not be obeyed. The leaders of the Dragon attempt to take all factors into account. For this reason, you might see members of the Dragon in any faction. The only thing you can be sure of is that even if the Dragon is helping you, they are also helping themselves.
The Phoenicians - The Brotherhood of Phoenician Sailors has a turbulent relationship with the rest of the Secret World. Based out of the secretive floating city of New Carthage, the Phoenicians are primarily involved in peaceful trade across all borders, be they physical, metaphysical or philosophical. Because of an incident that none of the conspiracies seem willing to talk about, the Phoenicians are barred from participating in the remarkably organized warfare that occurs in the Secret World (and, as a result, cannot profit from it), but they continue to subtly fight the Council's enemies and protect the secrecy of their world all the same. As Phoenicians are primarily concerned with shipping, commerce and subterfuge, they are most commonly seen in the Syndicate or avoiding taking sides altogether.
