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Triads
The term 'Triad' was given by the Hong Kong government to Chinese secret societies based on the triangular symbol which once represented such societies. The symbol is the Chinese character 'Hung,' encased in a triangle, representing the union of heaven, earth, and man. So Triads even today are sometimes referred to as the 'Hung Society' or the 'Heaven and Earth Society.' Get it right, or you'll get beaten roughly with plastic lawn chairs, I've seen it happen. The Triads, and depictions in the movies.
The purpose of these societies, it is said, was the overthrow of the Qing empire and the restoration of the Ming. The character 'Hung,' in addition to meaning the most auspicious and lucky color 'red,' also alludes to the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Hung Wu. Because of the treasonous nature of their enterprise they developed secret forms of communication and elaborate initiation ceremonies to impress upon new members the need for absolute loyalty and secrecy.
Triads have a rather elaborate history which is partly based on reality, partly myth. It involves not only a struggle against the Qing dynasty, but a retreat to the Shaolin monastery and the eventual famous burning of the monastery are an integral part. Only five survived the fire, and these are said to be the 'Five Ancestors' of modern triads. They go on to have a number of adventures which are still remembered by triad officials and sometimes represented in initiation rituals.
Triad origin mythology holds that when they recruited thousands of people to their cause, including Sun Yat-Sen, the Qing Dynasty was finally defeated. Whatever the cause of the collapse of the Qing, and whatever the triad's involvement, when it at last fell, triad societies no longer had a dedicated cause and so realigned their purposes. Some became (and in fact had been already) devoted strictly to criminal activities. Others were martial associations. Still others were like labor unions and trading associations. Many were some combination of all of these. Joining a Triad did not mean that you were a criminal, and there were many advantages to membership. The greatest advantage was that by joining the Triad you were joining an international fraternity of like-minded individuals who could then offer assistance and protection to you when necessary. Just like people who put down their fraternity affiliation on a resume these days in the hopes that their prospective employer also happens to be a Phi Beta Kappa.
It is important to note that the Triads are not synonymous with Chinese criminal syndicates. That is to say, not all syndicate members or criminals are automatically triad members. On the other hand, all triad members are criminals, if only because membership alone is considered a criminal offence under Hong Kong's 1994 Organized & Serious Crimes Ordinance. But even though everyone who is part of a triad is breaking the law through membership alone, most triad members are not otherwise criminally active. So membership in a given Triad may be estimated at 20,000, but only 2000 of those would be designated as 'active' -- i.e., engaged in criminal activity. On the other hand, a small street-level gang may have no Triad affiliation at all. Children who grow up to enter a street gang have usually made some triad contacts and it is likely they would join for the protection and status membership provides. When it comes right down to it, it's just like the fact that not all Republicans are NRA members, and vice versa, even though there is a very strong relationship between the two.
The triads then are not at all like the Mafia. The Mafia is known for strong familial ties, and a rigid pyramidal hierarchy. Triads on the other hand, are loose affiliations in the extreme. Although there is an hierarchy to Triad leadership, those lower on the ladder have much more freedom of lateral movement. In fact, rarely are the movements and activities of smaller gangs directed by the leaders of a triad. Triad members do not typically have to secure permission from the head of a triad in order to engage in a criminal activity, even if the activity involves partnering with people who are not members of the triad or are even in fact members of a different triad. So how does it all work, then?
Joining a triad can be a great advantage to a person who wishes to engage in criminal activity. Immediately upon entering a triad, they will have greater access to resources and be able to more easily partner with other members of the triad to pull off their money-making schemes. Not only that, claiming membership in a large criminal fraternity backs up an individual criminal and increases his status. Victims of extortion are much less likely to protest when they feel that the powerful and mysterious triads, who have tentacles all over the world, are leaning on them, as opposed to just feeling picked on by some 14 year old punk without much in the way of future prospects. The street punks themselves find greater self-respect in the fanciful idea that they belong to a fraternity of noble warriors whose history extends back hundreds of years. Although there is not necessarily a direct benefit to senior members of triad fraternities from the actions of junior members, benefits do move upward especially through monetary and other gifts given by junior triad members to their seniors on special occasions such as the Chinese New Year and other holidays.
Although triads originated in China, Hong Kong is the undisputed capital. Triad activity is most concentrated there. Triads do have international scope, however, with members in nearly every country in the world, especially strong in China, southeast Asia, and the United States. Triad criminal activity includes but is not limited to street-level crime like gambling, extortion, and prostitution, and international activities such as narcotics trafficking, counterfeiting, and smuggling goods and people.
In Hong Kong, it is estimated that there are 50 triad societies with a total membership of at least 80,000. Of these societies, about fifteen are criminally active. What follows is a list of the largest triads operating in Hong Kong:
Sun Yee On: The largest triad in Hong Kong with an estimated 25,000 members. In addition to activities in Hong Kong, intelligence reports since 1994 seem to indicate that they dominate the government of Guangdong Province on the mainland.
Wo Group: There are around nine subgroups in this triad grouping with a total membership of around 20,000. Different subgroups have been known to 'specialize' in different activities, the Wo Shing Yee controls dockworkers, the Wo On Lok specializes in loan-sharking, the Wo Hop To runs protection rackets, and so on. The original Wo group triad was the Wo Shing Wo, and it is the longest established triad in Hong Kong.
14K Triad: Also with roughly 20,000 members, the 14K originated with the fight by the Guomintang against communism. Chiang Kai-Shek ordered that a league of all triad societies be established and used to fight communist forces using guerrilla tactics. The '14' in the name refers to the address of the original headquarters of this effort. There are over thirty subgroups to the 14K, and it remains one of the most powerful triads internationally.
Big Circle Gang: Former Red Army Guards and PLA soldiers form a sort of loose affiliation of gangs, though they are not technically a triad society. They enter Hong Kong illegally and are known for violent armed robberies of jewelry stores, banks, and gold dealers. Often they are equipped with military weaponry such as assault rifles and grenade launchers. The name may derive from re-education detention camps in China to which Red Guards have been sent or escaped from, and which are marked on maps by a large circle.
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1. Always be loyal.
2. Never disobey a higher rank than you.
3. Never state that we are better than any group. We aren't here to brag.
4. Even if the order is (in your opinion) completely ridiculous, don't disobey it. Attempt it to your best ability.
5. Do not reveal any of the Triads' secrets to anyone outside of the order.
6. Always stride for improvement.
7. Do your best to attend any meetings or training that the high ranks may schedule.
8. Respect everyone inside and outside of the Triad, if they respect you.
9. You need to follow all official Argonath RPG rules.
10. Never talk behind the back of a fellow brother.
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Dragon Heart
Taylor Triad
Golden Katana
Miki Triad
Lion Spirit
Freestyler Triad
Red Dragon
Deutch Triad
Maor TriadT
Vitaly Triad
White Soul
Domic TriadT
Batwoman TriadT
Extremetel TriadT
Admiral TriadT
Jumbo
Storm
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Unassigned
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Unassigned
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The Triads Headquarter, Los Santos.
Location for main operations.
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Binco Idlewood, Los Santos.
Clothes shop.
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Victim Rodeo, Los Santos.
Clothes shop.
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Didier Sachs Rodeo, Los Santos.
Clothes shop.
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