Mafia
01-10-2016, 09:12 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-27-2016, 07:33 PM by Basileus.)
TODAY IN PERSON, TOMORROW IN A GRAVE Interested? Read on... What is Cosa Nostra? Literally "our thing" Cosa Nostra is a loosely connected network of criminal organizations built around racketeering, extortion and espionage. This particular take on it also dabbles in slave trade, the arbitration of disputes between Cosca groups, kidnapping for ransom and contract killing, although they're opportunistic criminals so the limits are few. What is a Cosca? In a nutshell a Cosca ("clan") is a band of wolves who claim authority over several packs and their territories. More often than not the wolves in a Cosca are also members of the packs whose land they claim. Their roots in these packs are often extensive and powerful, and because of this even if a pack wanted to rid itself of its Cosca it would find it very difficult to do so without collapsing its own infrastructure. Membership isn't hereditary but it isn't uncommon for members to also be relatives. What is a Mafioso?
A mafioso is a "made man" that is, a wolf who has been tested and accepted into the ranks of a Cosca. The word itself is a name given to the members of a Cosca by outsiders and not the Cosca itself. The mafiosi prefer to call themselves "men of honor" or "men of respect" and rarely - if ever - use the term mafioso to describe themselves. When referring to one another they are more likely to call their companions "paesano" if they're talking to an equal or "padrino" if they're addressing a superior. What is the code of conduct?
The mafiosi follow a strict code of conduct. A Cosca's power is connected to its reputation and for this reason adherence to the code of conduct is crucial. Each made man is expected to uphold the values put forth by the Capofamiglia ("Boss") and disobedience and/or unbecoming behavior is something that isn't taken lightly. In the Cosca warnings alone are something to be feared. Honor and reputation are tied directly to a man's power and willfully overstepping your bounds is a fantastic way to stunt not only your career but your life expectancy. The rules are simple:
Of course, those are the spoken rules. It's understood that on top of following those rules mafiosi should handle themselves in a way befitting a man of respect. There is a certain amount of chivalry among these criminals and they pride themselves on being above the common thug in both appearance and presentation. Forget sagging pants and bandannas, these baddies are of the suit and tie variety. They say "yes, ma'am" and "no, ma'am" and hold the door open for sweet little old ladies while on their way to whack someone. To an extent this is probably a facade; get a mafioso behind closed doors and he just might be someone else entirely.
What is Omertà?
Omertà is the oath of silence and secrecy that each and every mafioso must take to become a made man. It forbids the mafiosi from betraying their fellows to outsiders. To take it one must commit murder. There is no greater sin than breaking Omertà and the penalty for doing so is always, without exception, death. So severe is the penalty that it is common practice to murder not only the oathbreaker, but his immediate family. To break Omertà is to forfeit not only your life, but the lives of your mate and children. There once was a man named Enrico who, for reasons that have yet to be determined, betrayed his Cosca. Once his betrayal was found out the order came down that he needed to be removed. The task of knocking off Enrico was given to Basileus and after Enrico caught wind of the scheme and fled, Basileus followed. Unbeknownst to Basileus all hell broke loose days after he left. The information given by Enrico to one of the Cosca's rivals brought it to its knees and its members were forced to flee or risk falling with their slain brethren. For reasons up to the adopter, some members found their way to Alacritia.
And their meanings if Laz can find them
Who can I adopt?
Any soldato or associate you can come up with. I don't care about name or family or any of that jazz. That's up to you. You can also try out for a capodecina, but I'll be very picky with those because there aren't many of them left. Everyone else, the capofamiglia, the capo bastone, the consiglieres and almost all of capodecina are now D-E-A-D stone cold, never to rise again DEAD, okay? But Laz, you ask, if all the important people are dead why should I want to adopt from you? Because the most interesting, most lively, most active people are in the lower ranks. They are the movers and the doers, the feet on the ground. They're the most fun, I swear. They are the guys that break the kneecaps. Fun, see? They do all the dirty work while the higher ranks grow fat and. There are no serious guidelines for the appearance of Cosca members as they come from all over. Any eye color, coat color and pattern is acceptable although you should keep in mind that wolves with earthy or muted colors would do much better (and probably be preferred) than gaudy, brightly colored wolves since a lot of what they do requires them to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Couple things worth noting. One, as some of the above suggests, the presence of women in Cosa Nostra is almost unheard of. I might consider a woman but she'd have to be undeniably special. Understand that, exceptional or not, she's probably be pretty heavily discriminated against in the past and is probably just an associate. And two, homosexuality is probably frowned upon in this society and people who fall on the LBGTQ spectrum and are open about it would also probably get the same kind of treatment as a woman in the cosca. You can apply with whoever you want, I'll consider all apps, I just want you to be aware. If you want to buck the system, be my guest! It has to start somewhere, right? Code: MAFIOSONOT currently accepting apps for Scarlatti who are also in the Cosca. Also up for adoption are members of the Scarlatti family. These are Basileus' relatives and as their name suggests the color red is very common in their family. Any eye color is acceptable and muted coat colors are preferred. No complicated patterns, please. These wolves can also be part of i Fratelli Rossi. Because they are part of Basil's family I will be very picky with these guys! Code: SCARLATTI |