Cryptopoly

An important asset to achieve this is the Cryptopoly a network of affiliated occult organisations with influence throughout all spheres of sleeper life. The conspiracies that make up this network each have a different name, but all are headed by an Illuminate who reports to a Silver Ladder caucus. A Silver Ladder is not limited to their own Allies, Contacts, Resources or Status, but can access any of the resources available in the Cryptopoly -- provided they share their assets in turn.

Note that Illuminates will help mages from any order provided they use a code word or secret sign to indicate they are "enlightened" Pentacle mages, and provided they don't ask for anything that the conspiracies rulers wouldn't allow (Silver Ladder, p.60). Mages could take Allies (Cryptopoly) to represent this. The ruling Ladder caucus is, of course, always informed.

OOC Note

Note that "Basic information about the kinds of merits that are within a character's cryptopoly is normally freely shared by and with all Thearchs in good standing." (Addendum: M:tA, section IV.5.). This page can be used to share that basic information (i.e. the list of assets available and which VST to contact to barter for them), but avoid revealing too much OOC information. Non-Silver Ladder PC's should consider this as out-of-character information.

Benefits

The Silver Ladder mastered the skill of delgation of responsibility. Rather than directly taking something like Resources ••• (for 12 XP) themselves, they are far more likely to take Illuminated Retainer ••••• (a simple cost merit -- see Addendum M:tA section IV.A.14.a., so only 10 XP) and build a Cryptopoly conspiracy that has 10 dots to spend on Allies, Contacts, Resources, Status and their own less powerful Retainers.

At the cost of only indirect control this allows, for example, the Silver Ladder to get the benefits of an Illuminated Retainer with Resources ••••• plus Allies (criminals) •••••.

Note that although the Illuminated Retainer may have multiple merits, you can only request them to use one of them per downtime (as you can only hand off one action to the Retainer).

The other consideration is that the Retainer's merits also become part of the Cryptopoly and they may act on behalf of other Silver Ladder characters, although this sharing of resources is considered an overall benefit.

For examples of what types of things are possible at various levels of influence see the Influence Guidelines.

Available Cryptopoly Assets

Please contact the VST of the relevant city if you wish to barter for access to assets.

• Each occult conspiracy (cell) within the Cryptopoly is known by it's name (e.g. "Sisterhood of the Triple Moon", "Bunker Hill Boys", "New Jersey's Spiritual Housing Pact".). It will also have an ideology and practial and estoeric goals.
• The conspiracy will be headed by one (or more) Illuminates, who could be PC's (if Awakened), or otherwise Sleepwalkers or high Wisdom characters. They usually have at least Occult ••••.
• The conspiracy will then be controlled by a local Silver Ladder caucus cabal, or even a powerful individual.

Example (from Silver Ladder):

Organisation	Merits	Description
Sisterhood of the Triple Moon	Resources •••• Contacts •• (Essex Country's local governments)	A neopagan conspiracy that believes the Hierarch of Boston is a god who is prophesised to raise his servants to divinity. Its practical goal is to purchase valuable real rural estate, especially around ley lines and supernatural phenomena. (Its esoteric goal is to guard strange places for the use of mages alone -- not necessarily revealed.)

Armidale

Organisation	Merits	Description

Brisbane

Organisation	Merits	Description
Children of the Earth	Resources ••••• Allies (bureaucracy) ••• Allies (industry) •	The Children are a philanthropic charity set up by an entrepreneur who made her money in the dot-com boom. It partners closely with government and businesses to deliver various programs “for the betterment of mankind”.
Eve's Supplication	Allies (health) •••• Allies (high society) •• Allies (legal) ••••	Eve’s Supplication is an exclusive sorority and professional development group for women only. It recruits alumni from the best and brightest lawyers, doctors, and other high society professionals, offering a place where they can get encouragement and support from other likeminded females.
Foundation for Rational Inquiry	Contacts ••••• (church, media, occult, police, street) Allies (university) ••••	The FRI is devoted to promoting scientific skepticism and resisting the spread of pseudoscience, superstition, and irrational beliefs. Currently based in the University of Queensland, its goal is to become Australia’s premier academic body for investigation of claims of the paranormal and set up research units in the other major universities.

Melbourne

Organisation	Merits	Description
Conscientia	Allies (Politics, Police, Occult, Religion) •• Allies (University, Transport, Arts) • Resources ••••	Conscientia is an undergraduate secret society at various Universities in Melbourne, Australia. It is publically known as a networking group with very exacting standards. The society has the goal of connecting people in power with each other to build a better tomorrow, and its Alumni remain in close contact. Rumor has it that a lot of the positions of power were filled through the connections garnered via the group, and that occasionally favors are called back.

Perth

Organisation	Merits	Description

Sydney

Organisation	Merits	Description

Summary

For examples of what types of things are possible at various levels of influence see the Influence Guidelines.

Summary of Cryptopoly influence across areas:

Resources
••••• ••••

Area	Allies	Contacts	Status
Bureaucracy	•••
Church	••	•••••
Finance
Health	••••
High Society	•• •
Industry	•
Legal	••••
Media		•••••
Occult	••	•••••
Police	••	•••••
Political	••
Street		•••••
Transport	•
Underworld
University	•••• •

Relevant Addenda

I. ERATTA AND ADDITIONAL BOOKS

X. Silver Ladder (WW40105)

2. All Cryptopoly cults require Approval from the lowest-level ST whose authority extends over the cult's entire scope of influence. Social merits for these cults require the same level of approval as Merits belonging to PCs.

IV. MERITS

A. Merits Affected by the Addendum

5. Cryptopoly [Silver Ladder]: A Silver Ladder PC – Awakened or not - may consider any or all of his Social merits as part of his Cryptopoly. Other Silver Ladder PCs may barter for use of these merits, and he may barter for use of their Cryptopoly merits. Regularly denying such requests unless they are unbalanced or significantly disadvantageous is considered a Sin within the Order. Basic information about the kinds of merits that are within a character's cryptopoly is normally freely shared by and with all Thearchs in good standing.

14. Illuminate Retainer [Silver Ladder]

a. Created as a ●●●●● Retainer using the alternative creation template on p. 63 of Silver Ladder. They do not gain any additional XP by virtue of being a ●●●●● Retainer. (Please note that PC Illuminated Proximi are generated as a normal character.) However, the merit becomes a simple cost, rather than graduated cost merit.

i. The PC can ask the retainer to take an action to use one of its social merits on their behalf per downtime.

ii. All merits held by the Illuminate Retainer are held as part of a Cryptopoly, so can also be accessed by other PCs as noted above

Note: The template on p. 63 is specifically for Illuminated Proximi; the details for regular Illuminated Retainers are on p. 60.