The Triads
The Triads are criminal organizations based in Mishiman society, operating in the tradition of the Yakuza of old. There is no particular order to these organizations, though they each have their own particular area or areas of influence. (These areas, however, may cross, and when Triads infringe upon each others' "turf", bloody gang wars erupt as a result, lasting until both sides are exhausted, or one gang or the other is destroyed.) The Triads are tolerated by what passes for Mishiman law enforcement, so long as they don't disturb the peace too much, and so long as they pay tribute to the local Mishiman lord.
In Luna City, this gives rise to a peculiar problem, as the Triads will have bases of operation in Mishima-controlled areas - where Mishima won't touch them - but their activities are not restricted to these areas. Quite often, for instance, a Triad might have dealings in Capitol-owned territory, but Capitol security forces can't stamp out the Triad, because its base is safe within Mishima territory. Despite pledges of cooperation and concern from Mishima officials, many of them are quietly on the take from the Triads, and if they do make any shows of moving against the Triads, odds are that it's to bust some petty criminals who stepped out of line and gained disapproval from their higher-ups in the criminal hierarchy.
The existence of the Triads is not exactly secret, though there's a common misconception that instead of multiple Triads, there is some large, unified organization known as "The Triad" - and that's invariably how it's presented in popular fiction. This is primarily because there are three major Triads, leading to some confusion and a tendency on the part of half-informed fiction writers to think of the organization as a collection of a triumvirate of three potent criminal organizations working together as one.
Triads are found everywhere in Mishima-controlled areas. Each Triad has its own territories, its own secret signs and codes, and its own areas of influence. They are criminal organizations of considerable power and wealth. They are well known for their greed and viciousness.
Each Triad has a distinguishing symbol. For example, this could be a Black Dragon, a Golden Eye, or a Crimson Lotus. A member of the Triad will have this symbol tattooed somewhere on his body in special "psychoactive" inks. These unique inks were produced during an earlier, more technologically advanced era, and are not to be found outside of the Triads -- These inks render the tattoo invisible until the wearer wills it. (Or, at least, that's the way it's supposed to work. The inks are based off of body chemistry, not some sort of mystical link to the mind.) The Brotherhood has developed a chemical bath technique that renders all these tattoos visible when the subject is immersed, but this doesn't do much good unless the criminal is caught first.
Each Triad has many sub-divisions, organized into territories each governed by its own boss, and each of these territories is sub-divided into smaller fiefdoms governed by his henchmen, forming a mirror of Mishima's feudal hierarchy amongst the Samurai class. These bosses attempt to monopolize whatever particular area of crime their Triad specializes in, and it's quite possible for other Triads to operate in the same area, focusing on other vices, without much in the way of conflict.
The secret of the success of the Triads is that they work closely (and covertly) with Mishiman authorities, often acting as unofficial intelligence agencies for the local rulers. They perform tasks for those who would rather not get their hands dirty, such as robbery, murder, sabotage and espionage.
The other part of this success is that, like another shadowy mirror of Mishima culture, the Triads are held together by strong bonds of "family" loyalty. Those who are inducted into the Triads put aside old obligations, and swear total loyalty to the Triad, making the most binding of oaths. Breaking these oaths earns you a visit from the Tattooed Men - trained killers who have their entire bodies covered in ornate tattoos. The Triads are also quite skilled in the arts of brainwashing, and members are conditioned not to divulge secrets under any circumstances. This conditioning makes them highly resistant to even the most extreme forms of torture, and even to mind-probing by means of the Art.
Of course, the Brotherhood suspects that the Dark Symmetry may be active with some of the Triads, and the Inquisition has a whole department devoted to monitoring and eradicating them.
Major Triads
The following is a short list of some major Triads, and their areas of influence.
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