The Heart of Crime, usually referred to as the Heart, is the foremost organised crime group in the world. Its name is a stark contrast to how brutal it can be; if anything, those within the organisation prefer the contrast. From the often showy crimes attributed to it on the news, it may not be obvious that the Heart is a cohesive, careful organisation that tends to pick battles it decides are worth fighting, and is happy to (at the very least) abandon those who throw all sense of caution to the wind. Although it welcomes those interested in all aspects of crime, from making money in the easiest possible way to causing chaos, the satisfaction of a heist well done to running a sham business, the Heart does not abide those who make too much of an unnecessary mess. Many of its most successful jobs have either not been noticed (not all those paintings are as real as the public thinks), or been orchestrated such that the victims have chosen not to report (blackmail is, after all, a nasty business). Only the bosses have a better idea of exactly how much crime the organisation is involved in - most of its operations are kept localised, or between only the relevant members and their superiors. It is also unclear exactly how many smaller criminal enterprises the Heart has absorbed or dismantled, but from various sudden disappearances of such groups, it is clear that heroes are not the only ones the organisation is willing to fight.

The Heart can be flashy, but not where it counts: despite being in operation for nearly a decade, its centre of operations remains unknown, and its core members have yet to be captured.

Throughout the ages, plenty of people have seen that slaving away all day at some boring, meaningless job is a lot harder and considerably more of a time-waster than embracing that old virtue greed, and shoving aside those schlubs who haven't seen the error of their ways to achieve a much more satisfying profit. About fifteen years ago, there were three such organisations taking those easy, greedy shortcuts: the Elsewhere, a small group of brutal aliens taking from those they pleased; Ichiban, led by a man with a magic book and a penchant for destruction; and an unnamed group, sneaking through the shadows to steal objects of value.

Inevitably, working in the same sector, and sharing certain values, these three groups ran into each other with increasing frequency. They would arrive at a choice location to find the loot already stolen by one of the other two groups, or get there just in time to fight each other for the right to the prize. All three groups were growing stronger, but that little block consisting of their two rival groups was stopping them from reaching their potential.

The change came eleven years ago, when all three had arranged different heists to steal the same diamonds. But they weren't the only ones who knew about the heist. An information leak had attracted a few heroes. Who threw the first punch was unclear, but as the top-ranked agents of the three groups faced off against their common enemies, it became very clear very quickly that the three group styles worked together very well indeed. Alone, they would have lost. Bickering, they would have lost even faster. But together, victory was easy.

When the idea of working together more often was proposed, it took some time to iron out all the kinks and get rid of dissenting members. It wasn't easy, but when the Heart was finally solidified a year and a bit later, the results spoke for themselves. The dissent may not have been silenced, but it became more of a mutter than a shout. The three leaders of the original groups took on the mantle of co-leaders of the new organisation, running divisions within the overall organisation instead of their own groups.

There have been attempted secret backstabbings and grabs for power since then. Anything less would be rude; a lack of acknowledgement that their co-leaders are worth backstabbing. But, of course, nothing can be admitted directly; an open bid for power from one division would bring the wrath of the other two down upon it. And so, the Heart has remained stable. More or less.

Since the merger, the Heart quickly became a household name. Although they aren't the only crime force out there, they have a reputation for getting rid of those competing a bit too directly, or putting them in a position to leave the business. Despite recreational backstabbing within the organisation, the Heart divisions cooperate successfully on jobs, particularly when it comes to big scores, taking out sources of meddling heroism, or external villains attempting to claim their loot.

Run by Alpha, Bone Script is the Heart's division in charge of muscle. Originally formed from members of the Elsewhere, there are still a number of the original aliens, the Enos, seven foot tall in full-body suits, and frighteningly strong; but these days, it has become considerably more diverse, taking on board anyone good enough in a fight. Not all scores can be reached by more subtle methods - some are under heavy guard, some might attract unwanted attention, and some could present an unwanted risk. If something needs punching, Bone Script is the one for the job.

Distraction, destruction and general chaos fall under the domain of the Promptuary. This division's flashiness is usually the reason why the Heart makes it into the news, but make no mistake: the Promptuary is not a mindless chaotic force. Thanks to the leadership of One, that chaos is coordinated to achieve the best effects. Those that get caught are usually the more stupidly reckless, or unlucky enough to meet a more powerful opposing force.

The Heart's stealth division, Senary is in charge of gathering intel and subtle infiltration. If a heist is on the agenda, this is the division to organise and execute it. Their most successful operations have been those where, to this day, the victims still don't know anything has happened. Senary's leader, Prime, may remain an enigma, but their success at information-gathering has weeded out informants and led to undeniable profit on a large scale. Very few members of this division have been captured, and so public knowledge is minimal.

(see Minor organisations)

Not quite part of any one division, the CRUSH is a branch of the Heart specialising in petty crimes. Members are usually criminals just starting out, with aspirations to make it to a higher rank in the Heart, or those who just happen to enjoy petty crime. They are generally left to their own devices, but there are rather unpleasant stories about those who have accidentally, or intentionally, interfered with crimes originating in the main body of the Heart.

The official title reserved for the three division heads/co-leaders of the Heart. Should one boss decide to give up their position due to retirement, being murdered, etc., the now leaderless division must nominate new candidates. The other two bosses must come to an agreement, but the exact details beyond this are unknown to most. After all, despite various attempts to remove them, all three original bosses remain.

(OC Note: This rank is not available to players at game start)

Often referred to as 'the hands'. Considered the advisers of the bosses of each division, the hands are privy to many of their division's secrets, and often put in charge of a sub-division or elite team of their own. Only a handful are chosen by each division boss. Due to how frequently the hands are targeted by schemers within the organisation, and how infrequently they are replaced, the hands are respected as a force to be reckoned with.

(OC Note: This rank is not available to players at game start)

Skippers are given a certain amount of respect and prestige within the Heart. Many have their own crew, though some prefer to work solo. Although a skipper is expected to report to at least one of the hands, they are privy to more secret crime information - a hand may well delegate an important job to a skipper if they determine the skipper is appropriate for the job.

(OC Note: This rank is only available to players with the Rank (+2) Trope)

The ranks below skipper are variable, and often determined by the division, subdivision, and type of work involved. Several subdivisions are notorious for letting members choose their own rank name; many are flexible and change with some frequency, while others (such as those in Senary), are kept secretive.

(OC Note: In practice, players may define their own rank below that of skipper, and GMs will let you know if there are any issues)

Although not officially part of the Heart, an associate is an outsider who has proven themselves at least somewhat trustworthy. Should a job needing a certain expertise not found within the organisation arise, an associate may be called upon to assist in exchange for their fair share of the profit. Associates range from information brokers to independent criminals. Although many have helped with no issues, there are stories of associates who have violated the Heart's trust meeting very nasty ends.

(OC Note: Available to players at game start)

Wanting to avoid detection from interfering do-gooders, the Heart has no single HQ. Instead, they have various small bases throughout the world, the locations of which are generally unknown to all but the local operatives and the elite higher-ups; only the bosses are said to know all the locations. The bases that have been discovered by outsiders appear to be innocuous buildings from the outside, ranging from pastry shops to apartment complexes to old castles. The observant eye can pick out hidden passages and a whole range of tech, both for snooping and weaponry, but exactly how much is stored in a given base is hard to determine at first glance.

Some bases in Capital City have been discovered by outsiders and subsequently abandoned, but from the level of the Heart's operations, it is clear there are many more hidden behind harmless facades.

The man in charge of the more chaotic group in the Heart, One appears pretty ordinary at first sight, except for the large tome he is never seen without. Mild-mannered and soft-spoken in more mundane situations, it can initially be difficult to fathom how he could even run a division like the Promptuary. But when the destruction begins, he comes out of his shell, becoming cruel and manic as he blasts anything in his way with disintegration magic.

An alien from the so-called Homeplanet, Alpha's grasp of the languages of Earth is a little shaky. Of course, being a true master of communicating through brutal acts of violence, seeking improvement has never been a priority for her. When the Heart needs brute force, Alpha happily delivers, and has loyal Homeplanet followers ready to follow commands (exact numbers unknown). Or to be more accurate, a range of loyalists and one son with his own ideas.

The rather petulant teenage son of Alpha, Beta is much more interested in the various Earth trends than this business of crime. Currently, he fancies himself a noble thief, taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Or that's what he would be doing if the poor didn't generally run away in fear or get crushed by debris when he breaks through their walls to deposit his ill-gotten gains.

Always the organiser, never the incriminated, Prime operates from the shadows of the Heart, delegating tasks and leaving encrypted messages for trusted henchmen to decipher. Aside from the other two bosses, almost no one has actually met Prime directly, though many have appreciated the results of working with them.

Prime's right hand woman, and working face in the Heart. Behind the dour poker face, it's hard to tell what she's thinking, except when someone insults her boss. Careful and loyal to a fault, she gets the job done.

Below are some opinions that are generally accepted within the Heart. Although it is unlikely everyone within the organisation shares the opinions below, it is a reasonable indication of the majority's feelings.

”We are not fond. We've lost enough good people (and others) to them already.” - One, Boss of the Promptuary

By definition, the Heart steps on SPEAR's toes. Investigation is inevitable, arrest is inevitable, but with political radicals about to distract them, we avoid giving SPEAR a good reason to change their focus. We have better things to do than go head-to-head with SPEAR.

”They're kinda doofy. Does anyone actually take them seriously?” - Grantling, new recruit

We do not care for politics. Messy business, and not much to be had for all the work. But watching them make SPEAR run around? Priceless.

”Seeing people like this, doesn't it make you want to give them a nice, loving punch in the face?” - Katernium, Bone Script Skipper

Interfering do-gooders, some far greedier for adoration or acknowledgement than they would admit, are amusing. They would be a lot more amusing if they didn't make jobs that bit more unnecessarily complex. And at the top of the heap sits Garuda. We are not fond.

”Shiny.” - Beta, (honorary) left hand of Alpha

Plenty to be had. The only question is, where to start?

”Brainwashing.” - Duo, Prime's right hand

They must be hiding something. Or, more likely, several somethings. But are those somethings worth our time?

”With the number of heroes that'll inevitably show up, we'll be the heart of the party.” - Megasquid, Promptuary decoy

What better way to get to know one's enemies than seeing a whole bunch of them gathered together in one room, attempting to work out how to take you down? And that aside, with all those scientists and corporate types milling about, they will make plans, and we can then steal the results of those plans.