There is also Ohgi's group to consider. First you need to come up with a suitable name ("Black Knights" is currently at the top of the list), secure a source of money that doesn't solely come from your gambling or they mysterious benefactor, find a suitable base, make sure the Sutherlands are properly maintained, how to start up recruitment and decide what you want them to do in your absence.
Black Knights is fine. There's the whole "We determine the outcome" motif that's really nice and I want to avoid any obviously hellish imagery. Making our allegiance obvious is a good way to get the Aerial Legion dropped on our heads.
Cash... I have a thought: The Demon City is home to all manner of strange substances that Creation has likely forgotten. If we can be the first to corner the markets on Hell-imports/exports, we could become fantastically wealthy. One of the more desired products in Hell is seashells filled with putty made from a baby's cries (they drive away the Silent Wind). So seashells could be a valuable commodity to trade to Hell. Water is also a forbidden thing in the Demon City, so a smuggling operation (Infernals largely operate outside the law. Just offer large sacrifices to Cecelyne so she doesn't trash our water-shipments) could be phenomenally profitable. Payment from Hell could be rare metals, magical materials, simple currency if they have it and so-on.
I recommend obtaining a small volume of either product for our first trip to the City, to scope out possible markets and make contacts. We can use demons to help obtain and store stuff for our visits, later including in-the-know Black Knights if they're loyal enough.
The downside with this option is that it depends almost entirely on our personal trips to Malfeas, unless we train and equip humans to survive the journey and make the trades. The profit margins could be extreme, though.
That's all meta-knowledge, but we can ask our friendly head-demon what sorts of things would sell really well in the City.
Base... I believe the canon Black Knights hid in the ruined ghettos of Area 11 and serviced the Knightmares with good ol' elbow grease. Not very efficient, but it'll suffice until we get some backing or learn to Shape the environment to our purposes.
Recruitment-wise, I think we're still at "friends" for now. These guys are a tight-knit group of people and it'll be hard to convince anyone to join without some real accomplishments under our belt. See if they can't find "friends of friends" and other disenfranchised Japanese folk. That, and clearing a space for Knightmare repair should be their task while we're out. Moving lots of heavy machinery should keep them occupied.
So, as a vote:
[] Ask Seyrun what sorts of commodities trade well in the Demon City. Obtain as much as you can fit into a suitcase and bring it with you. Scope out possible markets and look for things you could reasonably turn a profit with in Creation.
[] Have the Black Knights search for an untraveled, hidden section of the ghetto to store the knightmares and relevant supplies.
[] Recruit from disenfranchised Japanese via word-of-mouth only.
Good idea/bad idea?
As for C.C., she's throwing in with us for now, but I'm not convinced she wouldn't turn us in (and blow the whole Reclamation thing) to advance her own goals. We've already told her we work for Hell, but that could make us fools in her eyes. Let's not spill the beans about the Solars just yet.
