The Syndicate
The Syndicate
The Syndicate, (also known as the Cardona Syndicate) is a group of players who associate with each other based on 6 core principles:
- Voluntary Association
- Genuine Value
- Optimistic Vision
- Universal Wealth
- Collective Power
- Generosity
These principles were thought up and agreed upon by the founders and apply to all official members of the group. The full version of the core principles is available later in this article.
Origins
The Syndicate started as a group of four players, (The Founders) who form the core of the group. These players started on the old world of Liberty and within a few months, accumulated over 50 million dollars of combined wealth, and started construction of a brand new city in the southern desert called, Midas Bay. The Syndicate also influenced labor costs in Liberty by instituting a private minimum wage for manual labor. They specialized in contract labor and bulk goods, a service that was not utilized as frequently as chest shop marketplaces.
The Syndicate moved onto Finite Frontier soon after it was founded and is still in the early stages of development. They continue to specialize in bulk goods and contract labor, but have announced plans to expand their base of operations into other markets.
Structure
The Syndicate consists of a core group of 4 players, (the Founders,) who maintain the vision and principles of the group. There are two additional levels of formal involvement players can have with the Syndicate, members, and associates.
Syndicate members are officially recognized by the rest of the Syndicate as joining with them in complete unity with the 6 guiding principles. If a player is a member, they are given special discounts and services only available to other members. A member is required to adhere to all 6 principles of the Syndicate, lest they risk having their membership revoked by the other members.
Syndicate associates are players that don't necessarily adhere to all of the 6 principles, but still want to maintain a relationship with the Syndicate and participate in their trade network. Associates are granted discounts below market rates on many items, and are subject to basic protections and aid given by other participants in the network.
Violating one of more principles may not bar an associate from participating in the Syndicate trade network, but the final say on what results in a revocation of a player's associate status is determined by the Syndicate's Internal Arbitration Group (IAG.)
Unifying Principles of The Syndicate
Voluntary Association: For people to flourish, their agency must be respected above all else. All people have the right to control and enact their agency through their contemplation and resulting actions. We shall never endorse nor tolerate violations of others agency by means of coercion, extortion, manipulation, or threats of abuse.
Genuine Value: Growth for the sake of growth is vanity. When things are created with people in mind first over profits, the results often are striking. Long term profits and wealth always follow from creations of genuine value. We shall never participate in Ponzi schemes, fraudulent dealings, wild speculation, market manipulation, or coerced monopoly control in order to create meaningless bubbles of false value.
Optimistic Vision: Pessimism is the root of despair and if left unchecked, can infect the roots of a great idea, killing it’s potential. Measured and realistic optimism seeks to uplift others and inspire great visions for the future. We shall never seek to cause panic or fear in the markets or its practices. Rooted in careful and realistic expectations, we shall always strive to inspire and move towards ever grander visions for ourselves.
Universal Wealth: The greatest ideas create wealth for everybody, not just the conceivers, owners, or creators. Together the few should create value for the many, and the many should create value for the few. Our wealth ought to build each other up and provide new and greater opportunities for everyone. We reject the idea that some should be less wealthy, instead, we say that all should be wealthier.
Collective Power:Together we are more powerful than we are alone. A single strand can scarcely support a small weight, but together a thousand strands can lift a massive boulder. Respecting the individual allows the deepest bonds to form. Voluntary association will always build stronger ties than coercion, and the ropes of friendship and trust that we build will become ever more resilient.
Generosity: In order to give to others, we must first create and grow what we have been given and what we have earned ourselves. Just as others have given to us, we ought to give back whenever we can. Generosity with what we have only serves to bring us closer and make us better. To gain is easy, but the truest freedom is to be able to let go. We shall never become misers with our wealth, we shall always strive to be giving and generous, recognizing that not all things must generate profit in order to be profitable.
Old Builds
Below are some examples of the old city of Midas Bay in LMC. Various players including the Founders were involved in construction. The shaders used are Silder's Shaders, Medium.
