Concord

Formation

With the massive, pan-world military of the Confederacy shattered, the only unifying force that kept the former superfaction of villains and warlords in check had suddenly disappeared, and plunged its territories into chaos. In the ensuing confusion, formerly united Confederate leaders and worlds set upon each other in a frenzy of war and conquest, attempting to seize the assets of their allies they had previously depended upon, or had coveted for a long time, and built up a great enough power base to rise up as the Confederacy's replacement as a dominant power in the Multiverse.

However, many worlds and organizations were uninterested in the prospect of another superfaction, no longer seeing the need, with the Union shattered beyond repair. Instead of going to war, these worlds swiftly began banding together in pacts of mutual alliance, in order to benefit from the same shared resources, trade, and stability they had previously enjoyed. Attracting worlds from beyond the Confederacy's former reach, these nations solidified under a single governing body, and adopted the identity of the United Legacy of Multiversal Prosperity, colloquially referred to as simply “the Legacy”, and gathered under a loose but effective rule of powerful and well connected agents, dubbing themselves the Assembly of Wisemen.

Not desirous of another disastrous attempt at a Multiverse wide super-military, the Wisemen nevertheless saw the need for a buffer against the volatile elements of conquest that surrounded, and so gathered up as many remaining, viable, military and economic strongholds that the Legacy could part with, and offered full ownership of the entire package to new and separate leadership, with no strings attached save for one: to keep all hostile elements away from the Legacy, and let it self-govern in peace.

This allowed the Concord to surface immediately in the wake of chaos left by the collapse of the old powers, dramatically more prepared and able than its alternatives, and with a vastly more flexible line. Through its quick and efficient means of propagation, and its non-national structure, the Concord was able to explosively increase in size through countless groups and governments signing on for its powerful, hands-off protection and expertise, and incorporating large numbers of illustrious contractors for its access to resources with few questions and fewer limits.

Methodology

In the Multiverse, two things are undeniable, and that is both its nigh-infinite scope, and the existence of the individuals within it that are talented and resilient enough to earn the moniker of Elites. When it comes to the Concord's vision of the Multiverse, which is worth more consideration is hardly a question; the absolute motto is that exceptional quality is always more valuable than exceptional quantity. For members of the Concord, it is impossible to look at the Multiverse realistically and fail to see that truth. When there exist warriors who shatter mountains and rout armies, is it any question what wins battles? When one can find mages who twist the fabric of reality and engineers who bend science in ways deemed impossible by their peers, is there any denying who it is that furthers the march of progress? When there are adventurers who make livings out of exploring the primordial depths and slaying horrors as old as worlds, where else should one look for where wealth and power flows into the Multiverse? To be certain, without the common people, there would be no Multiverse, but it has been proven, time and time again, that without the champions, visionaries, heroes, and even villains amongst them, their existence would be perilously short. To the Concord, it is plain of day that everything great is accomplished by someone great, and that too often is the Multiverse deprived of their contributions by the petty concerns of the mediocre and close-minded.

Accordingly, the Concord has little interest in expanding its power and influence by harnessing the resources and manpower of millions of worlds, as its predecessors did. The Concord knows it is vastly more efficient, and more effective, to look for the right talent, give them everything they need to succeed, and benefit from the best their world has to offer through them, rather than bothering with painstaking integration and administration, or resorting tedious military campaigning. Looking beyond the concerns of accumulating wealth or vying for territory, the Concord sees the pursuit of the Multiverse's inherent, fantastical greatness as a worthy pursuit in of itself, if not the most worthy of all, and instead pushes for the evolution of science and magic, the loftiest heights of martial prowess, the accumulation of understanding and knowledge, the mastery of the most unreachable corners of the Multiverse, the hypothetical perfect form of government, the cure for death, the invincible fighting style, the catch-free wish, and all the other holy-grail-pursuits that its members bring to it.

The Concord is perfectly transparent in its belief that no, Joe Plumber does not get to vote on how the demigod king works to bring prosperity to his nation, nor does the inventory of the immortality serum have to listen to the demands of a board of scientific inquiry about the economic ramifications. Though the Concord discourages its members from outright misanthropy or abuse of ordinary people, its ideology is founded on the idea that some individuals are simply are more important than the rest, and because they have more to give to the Multiverses, their goals and their concerns, are likewise more relevant. Moral judgement is rare and relatively accommodating, and the freedom of the individual member, and their right to support from their peers, is considered paramount to the Concord's production and accumulation of outstanding ability. Thus, the Concord strikes an important place in the balance of power in Sector Zero, rejecting the ideals of the Commonwealth that the future of a nation should be determined by the common masses, while disposing of the extremist ethical ideology of the Watch, and adhering to the rule of law championed by the Paladins only so far as it is decided by the “right” people, without claiming totally disassociated neutrality like the Syndicate, or indulging in outright antipathy for ordinary people. It is the mechanism by which the influence and freedom of the talented, powerful and brilliant few is perpetuated, and by which the Multiverse is enriched by it

Structure

As opposed to the Legacy, the Concord is not a nation. There is no Concord border, no Concord GDP, and no Concord anthem. The Concord is an organization almost entirely bankrolled by the Legacy, supported with the collective funds of the many worlds and nations that benefit greatly from the existence of a powerful Elite organization, instead of its own internal infrastructure. Rather than building up shared territory with factories, fortresses, and standing armies, the Concord operates as a flexible and efficient conglomerate of political, scientific and military elements, analogous to a powerful, globalized PMC, but without a corporate structure or strictly for-profit model.

With no need to make a bottom line, the Concord is an attractive offer to nations in need of internal stability, a big stick to scare away dangerous neighbours, specialist skills and consultation, or an exceptionally effective task force to achieve their ends, no questions asked. A governing body need only sign on the dotted, line, allow the Concord to install warpgates, bases to supply, treat and house any personnel that arrive, and recruiting stations to pick up support on-site, and then the associate government need only pay the expenses to support them; vastly less expensive than building up their own Elite forces, and without interference in the day to day affairs of the nation, as in many alliances with the Commonwealth.

Because of this structure, the Concord actually operates mostly above board, relatively transparent in its methods and affairs, rather than as an unsavoury, clandestine organization. Its accountability largely falls to its signers, where local and national efforts are concerned, and entirely internally, where its own members are. As judgment of a member's ambitions and issues is meant to be rare and accommodating, and the faction's leadership is not in the habit of policing what is “correct” for its membership to follow, save for the most egregious of cases, conflicts always err on the side of protecting the Concord's membership and interests first, which makes it an attractive option for those who anticipate they will come into conflict with others during the course of pursuing their ambitions.

The Concord, overall, has little in the way of explicit hierarchy. Social and political advantage is to be turned outward from the faction and used for its gain, not to climb ladders from within. Formal advancement is done on a strictly meritocratic basis, to meet the needs of managing larger bodies of members with similar skills and experience. Otherwise, the internal wiring of the Concord is comprised of webs of alliances, mentorships, pacts, and agreements, to allow members to support one another with quick and fluid access to talent, resources, and combat ability. The culture is that any one part of the Concord should be able to expect others to assist them when they need it, and that responding to such a call should be well rewarded.

Operations

Thus, the Concords interests are diversified between expanding the influence, and performing the functions, of the faction itself, and empowering its member Elites, referred to internally as Partners, to achieve their individual goals and ambitions. The faction knows that it benefits as a whole by the refinement of its members' skills, the growth of their powers, and the recognition of their intelligence, and so puts the development and ambitions of its Partners first, and then compensates them accordingly for their efforts in turning the wheels of the Concord's expansion and accumulation of power. Its leadership consistently operates by the principle that weight of numbers and support only goes so far, and that all great things are accomplished at risk and difficulty that is only achievable by the most remarkable talent. The best thing a Partner can do it further their careers, is to network with their peers, exchange their efforts, skills, and resources, and recruit the right Elite for every job.

Within the Concord, professionalism, resourcefulness, and success by any means are highly valued, whilst aimlessness, excessive compromise, and slavery to procedure are frowned upon. Based on the Partner's level of accomplishment, the Concord is often happy to offer various degrees of powerful, factional resources to an individual's ventures, so long as the Partner can credibly guarantee a return investment for the faction. Depending on these factors, a particularly ambitious Partner in good standing can obtain the potential to change the face of worlds, and that suits the Concord just fine. Even if they stir up enemies in doing so, these opponents to progress inevitably wind up staring down the barrel of the Concord's figurative gun, in terms of sheer force of military might it can project with ease. The only way for a Partner to truly lose the Concord's support, is to become a liability to its operations or its image, withdrawing support only for disasters that threaten the faction or its benefactors, or else diversions into the kind of outright evil that draws more ire than it accomplishes anything of use.

Broadly, the Concord's Elites usually fit into one of three divisions, which prioritize a certain subset of talents, objectives, and hooks. Membership is not strictly defined, nor especially limiting, leaving it up to the individual Partner to decide which one they would most benefit at any given time.

The Brilliant

Simply put, the Paladins have strict policies on the subject of science and spellcraft, and tightly regulate the development and distribution of technology and artifacts. The Concord does not. In stark contrast to vigilantly watching the flow of goods and information between worlds, and carefully judging the overall level of development of cultures, so that Multiversal stability is preserved, the Concord acts with interest in refining all fields of study and craft to their highest potential, so that it, and by extension, the Multiverse, possesses the most powerful magic and technology in existence, and gladly allows its propagation where its members desire, and in some cases, selling it to the highest bidder. Whether it brings about a golden age or nothing but turmoil, knowledge is achieved either way.

The Brilliant are the group that focuses on perpetuation of Multiversal understanding, letting the most capable, intelligent, and resourceful members of its myriad worlds lead the way, and spearhead the advancement of science and magic. Whether it be means to create infinite food, or the means to wipe cities off the map, the Concord is there to provide promising projects with everything they need. With the support of the other divisions, one of the Brilliant has access to all manner of rare materials, and advanced facilities. If they wish to uplift an entire society by eliminating scarcity, the Concord will find them exactly that. If they wish to demolish a fortress to test a weapon, the Concord will point them at one. These testing grounds are purposefully selected, rather than being subject to random whim, which ensures that the Brilliant's efforts either secures or destabilizes another power base at the same time as improving their work, serving a productive purpose no matter the outcome. This policy leads to the Brilliant being largely populated with researchers, scientists, sorcerers, artisans, programmers, enchanters, and similar.

The Mighty

The Mighty is the home of those who pursue paths to power. Warriors, martial artists, mages, supers, champions, and mercenaries alike make their home here, sharpening their skills, training in their styles, augmenting their abilities, and securing the mightiest weapons, spells and techniques. The definition of power is broad, however, and so many with a political bent find their way here, including kings and queens, emperors and empresses, and and even warlords and dictators of all stripes. Those that wish to build their power through conquering lands, amassing wealth, and strengthening their people, are welcome to do so. On occasion, the Mighty sometimes take in sme of of the Multiverse's most dangerous killers. Theirs is a craft that may be honed as any other art of conflict.

For these reasons, the Mighty have access to the most advanced training facilities still extant in Sector Zero, as well as some of the best partners to test themselves against: each other. Once they feel they are ready, the Concord has no shortage of either enemies or prized targets, and wields these Elite forces with impunity, allowing them substantial free reign to test their mettle. After all, defeating powerful foes, annexing territories, and flattening militaries, only heightens the Concord's dominating image, and draws more support. As the Concord's most capable fighters, strategists, and sometimes even assassins, the Mighty are ideal to call upon in any number of situations, as the Multiverse is always full of strife. Exploration is frequently dangerous, acquisition is nothing without muscle, and the Concord's more complex and delicate projects is always a priority. Even a diplomat needs guards. With the aid of the other divisions, the Concord as a whole will usually makes its best efforts to acquire the equipment, knowledge, and instruction that one numbered amongst the Mighty believes that they need to attain perfection of their art.

The Fearless

If the Concord is to maintain its position of dominance, it must do so through its far reaching presence, comprehensive intelligence, top of the line resources, and its web of allies and client nations. These things cannot be done from the comfort of an office, nor the depths of a lab or the front line of a battlefield. The Concord must make use of vast numbers of Partners willing to put themselves on the vanguard of its vanguard, and actively perpetuate its progress towards its aim of becoming the greatest power in Sector Zero, and as per the faction's policy, the ones suited to the most important, and the most risky, of these tasks, are Elites; their best of the best.

The Fearless is the name for those who cast themselves to the furthest reaches of the Multiverse, navigate its chaotic nature, and plunge feet first into the unknown. Attracting all kinds of adventurers, explorers, special forces, investigators, heisters, hunters, diplomats, spies, missionaries, and heroes, the Fearless are those who specialize in finding their way around the Multiverse's infinite worlds and infinite crises, whose greatest wish is to see it all, know it all, and triumph over all of it. Sometimes simple wanderlust or craving for adventure draws an Elite into the Fearless. Sometimes it's because they've set their sights on a goal of legendary significance, and need all the help they can get. Sometimes it's because it's what they're already good at, and the Concord's handsome rewards for their work are too good to pass up. Many even sign up sheerly out of appreciation for the Concord's message, and a burning desire to show the Multiverse what they can do. No matter the reason, the Fearless are relied upon as the Concord's ears, eyes, and open hand into Multiverse, though on more than one occasion, some of the Fearless have been relied on as hands that snatch treasures or stick knives in backs, rather than shake hands in friendship.

Headquarters

In stark contrast to the superfactions of old, the Concord does not call a pan-universal super fortress as its home. As a decentralized entity, the Concord has no need of a military capital and nexus of armies, nor is it in significant need of infrastructure to support its machine. Instead, what the Concord calls its central headquarters is a statement to potential clients and members; a physical demonstration of its wealth, power, and disassociation from the constant, wasteful and paranoid military high alert of the past.

This statement takes the form of the Grand Dorado Metropolis, and its central executive tower complex, the Elysium Apex. With all of its construction sourced from a single world, the Grand Dorado Metropolis represents the traditional ideal of the ivory tower, cut and grown into an entire city, every inch of which can be considered nothing less than five star luxury space. Most of its urban area is broken up into the Dorado Gardens, and exists to play host to a large transient population of diplomats, dignitaries, VIPs, bureaucrats, and other world government representatives, or even world rulers, as well as the Concord's various Elites. Rare is the person who lives there on a permanent basis, as the Dorado Gardens require their city-like size simply to provide accommodations, amenities, care and entertainment for the sheer number of visitors it gets.

Most long-term Grand Dorado residents are those who work at the Elysium Apex at the center of the metropolis, which is where business is actually done. The Elysium Apex is the favored place for the Assembly's meetings with the leaders of the Concord, as well as clients wishing to sign contracts with the Concord, or those petitioning for high-level Concord assistance. It is commonly understood that the Apex does not fulfill the role of the Concord's DEFCON 5 position, but functions as a convenient gathering point for upper management and important business that serves to overwhelm and impress with its sheer affluence and success. Instead, order is kept within the city by a private military reserve kept around on a semi-permanent basis, as the job pays exorbitantly and is considered a high honor, being posted by selection only. Furthermore, the Concord especially caters to Elites with significant combat experience, as the sheer number of Elites in the area at any given time makes it an unappealing target to attack.