Articles - Interview with Leader of Clan Anarchist Syndicate

Just as I was going to retire for the night, I tried one last time to contact Mr. Toady "Toadman538" Houston, Leader of Clan Anarchist Syndicate. I was in luck this time, he finally agreed to meet me for an interview. We met at the fire room inside 'Reet's Retreat' (you all know by now, my favorite place in Rubi-Ka).

I had tried to interview Commander Redruum for months, with no replies to any of my COMM messages even when he appeared to be available, a few weeks later I gave up on an interview with him. This week I decided to interview his successor, and after a few days of trying, I finally got the leader of the well known clan organization to meet me. CAS is listed by many Omni-Tek Departments as a 'terrorist' organization with ties to Dust Brigade, even some clans believe this to be true. In this first ever interview with the CAS leader, I asked tough questions.

From their relations and support to the nefarious (and now defunct) Red Freedom, their relation to the Council of Ares, the feud which lasted almost 2 years between former Commander Redruum and the Wagner family (which leads Mercury Dragons Clan), dishonorable conduct by CAS members which lead to the decline of the Atlantean Pact alliance leading to the founding Clan (Constrictor) and Mercury Dragons Clan to withdraw from the alliance, and other rumors and facts from the dark past and present of Clan Anarchist Syndicate.

He was humble, and admitted he had little knowledge of the history of his own clan, and that he even did not remember when he had taken charge of his organization (neither did a member who was with him), yet he showed that he cared enough about the organization to try and continue to keep it together, with the hope that Commander Redruum would return to lead it back to it's former glory.

You'll see that he is inexperienced, but that perhaps, Clan Anarchist Syndicate may be in better hands now than before, with a leader without a tainted past, eager to keep things clean, without the aggression which their former leader was known to have toward anyone he thought as a possible enemy.

The interview has been edited to remove unrelated and disruptive chat from patrons. CAS Veteran member John "Leukanjj" Kellyjr was present during the interview, and he made a few comments in support of his leader.

The interview lasted 55 minutes.

01:31: Toadman538: Hiya Noticiero.
01:31: Noticiero: Thank you for coming Mr. Toadman538.
01:31: Toadman538: No problem.
01:31: Noticiero: Security escort?
01:31: Toadman538: No.
01:31: Leukanjj: More like tag along.
01:31: Leukanjj: And what the hell, how did I find you?
01:31: Toadman538: Yeah.
01:31: Toadman538: Leuk always finds me.
01:31: Leukanjj: Oops.
01:32: Noticiero: I have quite a few questions for you, I hope you're ready.
01:32: Toadman538: Ha ha, ok. I'll try.
01:33: Noticiero: Lets got back a bit. In 29475, your clan was affiliated with Miss Portman, a former CoT Commander. She formed the alliance called Red Freedom. At that time your leader was officially given the title of Commander...
01:34: Toadman538: Yep.
01:34: Noticiero: Even when her plot to kill CoT Councilman and Spokesman Henry Radiman was revealed, your clan remained in Red Freedom. Any idea why was that decided?
01:35: Toadman538: Hmm...
01:35: Toadman538: Well, I was not big into politics then. I don't really fully remember hearing about those assassination attempts.
01:36: Toadman538: I guess mainly Redruum wanted things to turn out good and decided to stick with it.
01:36: Noticiero: Other clans in RF immediately removed themselves from the alliance, yet Clan Anarchist Syndicate remained and supported Portman, to the moment she was captured by Omni-Tek forces, and moved to a penal colony.
01:36: Noticiero: I see.
01:37: Toadman538: Those maybe were rumors.
01:37: Toadman538: About the assassination.
01:37: Toadman538: I don't remember really. Redruum was more involved with that.
01:37: Toadman538: But we meant no harm to Radiman.
01:38: Toadman538: If Portman did, then that was her own fault. We still wanted to stick with the good ideals of RF.
01:38: Noticiero: After Portman's arrest, the only remaining Red Freedom clan, yours...by the words of your own former leader, was associated with Dust Brigade. He stated this for months, until the dusters attacked clan towns, and he retracted his words. Was you clan ever involved with Dust Brigade?
01:38: Toadman538: Well at first it seemed like dust brigade was on our side.
01:39: Toadman538: There were rumors of them killing omnis.
01:39: Toadman538: I think.
01:39: Toadman538: And as soon as we figured out they killed clan too, well, we didn't want any business with that.
01:39: Toadman538: We were kind of disappointed.. would have been nice to have a strong force like them fighting for us.
01:40: Noticiero: So your former Commander was boasting a relation, which never really existed?
01:40: Toadman538: Well I don't know the specifics.
01:40: Toadman538: You'd really have to talk to him about that.
01:40: Noticiero: I see.
01:40: Toadman538: But...
01:40: Noticiero: I tried, but I get no answer from his COMM for the last two months.
01:41: Toadman538: He may have said a "relationship" just meaning/hoping about the affiliation being a good thing for us.
01:41: Leukanjj: Sir, redruum has been missing for quite some time.
01:41: Toadman538: But yes, he's been missing.
01:41: Noticiero: Lets move to more recent times.
01:41: Toadman538: Ok he he.
01:43: Noticiero: At the end of last year, CoA was formed by Commanders Windguaerd and Redruum. It was meant to be a way to force the Council of Truth into action. Yet your former leader made statements which sounded like a call to arms, against the CoT itself.
01:43: Toadman538: Ah again, I was not really involved with that a whole lot.
01:43: Toadman538: But we meant well.
01:46: Noticiero: Your clan and Mercury Dragons had a very troubled relationship since the days in which both were in Red Freedom. Yet in CoA both clans were in friendly terms, until the end...when Commander Redruum did not want to disband the CoA at the Council of Truth's request with the promise of becoming more active themselves. Is it true he was forced to step away from the CoA by Commander Windguaerd?
01:47: Toadman538: Sorry but I don't know.
01:47: Noticiero nods
01:47: Toadman538: Redruum and Windgard didn't get along well.
01:48: Noticiero: Windguard was the father, I'm speaking of the son. I get confused with the names myself.
01:48: Toadman538: Since red started the CoA and he really wanted some action, he didn't like the idea of ending it.
01:48: Toadman538: Yea sorry, that's what I meant he he.
01:48: Toadman538: The whole family apparently didn't get along with Red.
01:49: Toadman538: CAS tried to be a guild that took action when others did not.
01:49: Noticiero: Now both clans ended up for the third time in the same alliance recently, Atlantean Pact.
01:49: Toadman538: Yeah.
01:49: Toadman538: Wind doesn't talk to me though.
01:50: Noticiero: Is it true that Mercury Dragons Clan and Constrictor Clan, the founder organization of AP itself withdrew from the alliance due to dishonorable actions by AP members, specially your clan?
01:51: Toadman538: I don't know what dishonorable acts you speak of.
01:51: Toadman538: I was never informed there was a problem specifically with us.
01:52: Noticiero: So there was never any issues brought to you about problems with your organization at all?
01:52: Toadman538: Well I get a complaint every once in a while, about a specific person, or such, and take care of it, but other than that, not really.
01:52: Toadman538: I mean, sometimes they would ask us to help defend a tower.
01:52: Toadman538: And I would try to get as many people as I could.
01:53: Toadman538: But I would not call it dishonorable if we could not get sufficient forces from our guild to help another AP guild.
01:53: Toadman538: I think maybe the main thing was that I was never able to make it to AP meetings.
01:53: Toadman538: But sometimes my top advisors would.
01:55: Noticiero: There are quite a few rumors of AP corruption, that you would give intelligence to Omni-Tek department to give them what they need to attack a clan base, so you can then take it and turn it into an AP Notum Base, that some members of AP are too wild and steal and cheat their way to obtain valuable items. What can you tell me about this?
01:56: Toadman538: I have never heard of such things!
01:56: Toadman538: Who told you that??
01:56: Noticiero: How long have you been leading CAS?
01:56: Toadman538: Hmm...
01:56: Toadman538: 3 months? what do you think Leuk?
01:56: Toadman538: More?
01:56: Leukanjj: I wouldn't know, Sorry.
01:57: Toadman538: Maybe 4 months
01:57: Toadman538: But I would never allow that to happen.
01:57: Noticiero: One of your own veterans doesn't know how long you've been leading?
01:57: Toadman538: And if I found out it was happening I would kick whoever did that.
01:57: Toadman538: I think maybe it has to do with another AP guild?
01:58: Toadman538: Well i don't either!
01:58: Toadman538: Exactly.
01:58: Toadman538: Time is strange here.
01:58: Leukanjj: Sir, the time that Toad was passed leadership was unusual times.
01:58: Noticiero: Do you expect Commander Redruum back? and if so, would you step down and allow him to lead?
01:58: Toadman538: I would do it instantly.
01:59: Toadman538: I am not 1/4 the leader he is.
01:59: Toadman538: I am just keeping CAS together and trying to keep our respected name.
01:59: Toadman538: My advisors try to organize raids.
01:59: Toadman538: But yes, I would love it if Redruum were back to lead us.
02:00: Toadman538: But no, I don't know when/if he will be back.
02:01: Noticiero: The name of your clan has been publicly tainted since the days of Red Freedom, most alliances have already agreed to vote against CAS if you ever applied for membership. Even the former founder of the Atlantean Pact alliance regretted inviting you into AP, it formed a split within his own organization at the end before Constrictor left AP.
02:01: Noticiero: How do you think CAS will be able to clean an image they have continued to show for 2 years?
02:02: Toadman538: I don't know where you get this info but plenty of people join us all the time, and I talk to Viision allot, who is very active in AP
02:02: Toadman538: People think we are "tainted" because CAS tries to be active when NO other guild is, and end up failing.
02:03: Toadman538: But at least we try.
02:03: Toadman538: And we have always tried to uphold good standards, or at least I try.
02:03: Toadman538: If other members are "tainting" us then its their own fault, and I do the best I can to remove them / scold them.
02:03: Toadman538: But as far as these accusations, I am actually quite surprised.
02:04: Toadman538: And somewhat disgusted.
02:04: Toadman538: Most of the things you talk about, most people don't even remember.
02:04: Toadman538: When someone comes to me with a complaint, I will always be concerned.
02:05: Toadman538: And act in an appropriate manner, the best that I can.
02:05: Toadman538: I have not talked to one person in the past few months that has said we're a bad guild.
02:06: Toadman538: Redruum tried to do great things for the clans. I am disgusted when people talk poor of him.
02:07: Toadman538: Who exactly do you work for, may I ask?
02:07: Noticiero: Your words would practically insults a good number of well established and respected clans, claiming no other guild is as active as you may have been true in 29475, at the climax of your strength. What CAS is seen now is a fraction of it once was, CoA was an opportunity to prove many people wrong about CAS, it turned out to be another piece of evidence of your search for power, and not what was good for the clans overall. Commander Redruum may have been more experienced than yourself. But I can see you at least have a sense of honor, and have intentions of doing right by your clan and your allies.
02:08: Noticiero: Vault Network is who I work for.
02:09: Toadman538: I'm really not sure what else to say.
02:09: Noticiero: Now with the AP alliance in decline, and the EndGame alliance continuing to expand and be the strongest alliance among the clans, will AP open negotiations with EG?
02:09: Toadman538: I don't know how I could explain to you how we tried to do good, and how it was NOT for power.
02:09: Toadman538: I'ts just in the way people interpret things maybe?
02:09: Toadman538: I don't know, but I am flexible.
02:10: Toadman538: Whatever sounds good and strong for the Clans is good for me, and I'll see what happens
02:11: Toadman538: I have thought about being very aggressive like Redruum once was, in making new affiliations. But I have seen how they ended up with people thinking we did bad things.
02:11: Noticiero: Your words are well spoken, and I believe you mean them in good faith. But the records from Voice of Freedom, Rubi-Ka Times, and information from other clans which I gathered as back as 29475....a lot of history, bad history....could have been bad decisions, misrepresentation, misconceptions, mistakes, call it what you will. In the end, most old and established clans would not think twice about an alliance with CAS.
02:12: Toadman538: That's why we haven't been active, or what you call "the climax of our strength".
02:12: Toadman538: Well sir, that information I believe is biased.
02:12: Noticiero: Do you think you'll be able to show the clans CAS is not as bad as they think?
02:12: Toadman538: You would have to have actually known our entire situation back then to get a full idea of how things were.
02:13: Noticiero: With all respect, apparently I got more information about your past, than yourself. Let us step into the present and future now, which is were you may be able to make a difference.
02:13: Toadman538: In everyday life on Rubi-ka, I always try to do the best I can for the Clans, and I hope my members do the same. I hope that shows the clans we are not "as bad as they think"
02:13: Toadman538: Ok.
02:14: Noticiero: Do you believe the clans will win the war at the end?
02:14: Toadman538: Of course. why else would we stay clan this entire time?
02:16: Noticiero: If that was the case, how should the clans govern themselves in a free Rubi-Ka?
02:16: Toadman538: Well I am not a political man. I am sure Redruum would be able to give you a great answer for that.
02:16: Toadman538: But...
02:17: Toadman538: We'd do the best we can to make everything fair.
02:17: Toadman538: For all people on Rubi-Ka.
02:17: Toadman538: No slavery.
02:17: Toadman538: No tyranny.
02:17: Noticiero smiles
02:17: Leukanjj: No oppression.
02:18: Noticiero: With the decline of the AP alliance, will you end up seeking membership in the EndGame alliance as other former AP clans have?
02:19: Toadman538: Hmm I am not sure yet. I haven't really thought about it.
02:19: Toadman538: I'll see when the time comes, when it becomes clear that AP is not good for us.
02:19: Noticiero: How has the experience of being a leader changed you?
02:19: Toadman538: But I think EndGame sounds good, I see its pretty popular.
02:19: Toadman538: Well...
02:20: Toadman538: I have gotten to experience some of the things Redruum had to, like, dealing with, organizing people, and planning things.
02:20: Toadman538: Before, I slacked off a lot, and just mostly helped allot of people with random things.
02:21: Noticiero nods
02:21: Toadman538: But these new responsibilities are not easy, and I can't say that I am doing the best job.
02:21: Toadman538: But I try to do the best I can.
02:21: Toadman538: That's why I told you earlier I would love to have Redruum back.
02:21: Leukanjj nods
02:22: Noticiero: From what I can see, CAS may be in better hands now. Your former Commander was not very....appreciated in the political or military circles among the clans.
02:22: Toadman538 sighs deeply.
02:22: Toadman538: Well he tried, and I always thought of him as a great leader.
02:23: Noticiero: If you had a chance to change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
02:23: Toadman538: I don't think I'll ever fully understand why some people didn't like him.
02:23: Toadman538: Hmm...
02:23: Toadman538: I would be less lazy.
02:23: Toadman538: Actually get off my butt, and be active and get the ball rolling for some guild activities and tower raids, etc.
02:24: Noticiero grins
02:25: Noticiero: In closing. What would you say to a young clanner looking for an organization to join?
02:26: Toadman538: I would tell him that he's a bit low to join us, but there are plenty of guilds to be formed, and if he can't find one, some day when he gets higher level, he's welcome to join us.
02:26: Toadman538: I don't really know any organizations for lower levels, in particular.
02:27: Noticiero: Thank you for your honesty, and your time Mr. Toadman538.
02:27: Toadman538: No problem.
02:27: Toadman538 shakes his hand
02:27: Toadman538: Take care now Noticiero.
02:27: Noticiero: You too Mr. Toadman538, good luck to you.

Last updated on 12.07.2011 by Windguaerd
Article written by Noticiero
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