Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 spellweaver Oct 07, 2004 13:38:45	------------ MY PLAYERS KINDLY KEEP OUT --------------------- ------------ WARNING! SPOILER AHEAD! DM MATERIAL FROM GAZ 1 --------- Just something for my campaign, hope you find it interesting... :-) Jesper Thieves’ guilds of Karameikos Code of the Thieves Established centuries ago, the Code of Thieves is more or less honoured by all the three major thieves’ organisations in Karameikos. Generally, it states a number of rules and failure to abide by them can mean anything from punishment to expulsion or death. The rules generally are: • The Rule of Loyalty Any thief must be loyal to his guild and his guildmaster. To rat out another thief of one’s own guild or to sell out information about the guild’s operations is betrayal. • The Rule of Tithe Any thief must pay a fixed percentage of his take to the guild. Usually it is around ten percent. If a thief stages a coup which preparations drain the guild’s resources the percentage may be higher. • The Rule of Order A thief must respect the chain of command in the guild. Promotions are given to those whom the guild leaders feel deserve it. A thief can expect training, information, equipment, fencing of goods, assistance from other thieves and the general protection of the guild from the law and other rival organisations. The Iron Ring The Iron Ring is a criminal organisation primarily involved with slavery and spying in Karameikos, the Five Shires and Minrothad Guilds. It is based out of Fort Doom and operates with the blessing of the Black Eagle Baron. His court mage, Bargle, uses the network as spies and part of the income from the sale of slaves in Thyatis and indentures servants in Darokin is paid as “rent” to Ludwig von Hendrichs. The Iron Ring is well connected to certain rebellious Karameikan and Hattian nobles and sometimes elements of the Storm Soldiers take over, when operations have a military scope rather than a covert one. The leader of the Iron Ring also lives in Fort Doom and is a close ally of Bargle and von Hendrichs. His name is unknown except in the innermost circles of the organisation, but he is sometimes referred to as the Iron Master. The Iron Ring has always had a close association to the cult of Leptar, the Slave Lord – the Immortal patron of Slavery. Most members of the Iron Ring are Leptar cultists and carry his sacred tattoo. Priests of Leptar often operate as lieutenants to the leaders of local Iron Ring operations. The Veiled Society The Veiled Society is a criminal organisation operated by a strict patriarchal Traladaran family hierarchy – the Radu family of Specularum. Anton Radu is not only the secret leader of the Veiled Society but also the leader of Specularum’s Merchant Guild. His ambition is the total domination of Karameikan economy and wealth and resources to one day challenge the rule of Duke Stefan. Not because he wants to liberate the people, but because he lusts for power and control. The Veiled Society is primarily engaged in extortion and racketeering. The merchants of most districts of Specularum learned long ago that unless they pay a tribute their shops might “accidentally” burn down or their children be kidnapped. Via his position as the leader of the Guild of Merchants, Radu controls the trade in legal goods. But the Veiled Society also controls most smuggling in and out of Karameikos and makes a hefty profit off illegal goods. In the last few years, however, the Kingdom of Thieves have begun to take an interest in the drug trade in and a confrontation over this issue is brewing. Lastly, the Veiled Society sponsors and encourages a number of bands of Traladaran “freedom fighters” that are little more than bandits and cutthroats operating under the pretence of trying to free their people from the Thyatian oppressors. Radu uses these bands to destabilise the government in various regions and pave the way for his own revolution. Anton Radu is very intelligent and always makes sure that none of his crimes or those of the society can ever be traced back to him. He is not above cold-blooded murder to protect his interests but prefers making people his tools, e.g. by kidnapping their loved ones. The Kingdom of Thieves The Kingdom was established only a few years after Duke Stefan’s occupation of the country and be found all over the country. From 984 until 996 the Kingdom of Thieves was run by Faramere of Landfall. He was a charismatic rogue and formed the guild into a professional organisation of cat burglars, forgers, pickpockets and fences. Although it was a criminal organisation, the members restrained from using violence whenever possible. In the spring of AC 996, Faramere was killed during a daring heist. His lieutenant, Tungort Bloodshadow, immediately took over and installed a handful of murderous desperadoes and his chief henchmen. When Tungort took control of the Kingdom of Thieves things changed. The guild rapidly spread to other areas of income, including prostitution, illegal gambling, drug trade, piracy, kidnapping and even assassinations. Some of his most trusted helpers include Zarskel – a toady necromancer of ill repute – and Gunthar Blümenfelt, a Hatian assassin who collects trophies from his many victims. Tungort’s leadership has brought a feeling of paranoia to the guild. As the thieves’ operate they feel monitored by their leaders and disloyalty is punished in the most cruel imaginable. A few thieves have tried to defect and their bodies were later put on display in the guildhall. Today, Tungort runs the Kingdom with an iron hand. The wealth of the guild has increased dramatically with the expansion of the guild’s activities and Tungort is contemplating taking on the Veiled Society, who still controls the waterfront and the lucrative drug trade. But attempts at finding out who the Society’s leaders are have thus far been foiled, despite the use of torture and divining magic, because of the Society’s habit of using hoods and cloaks during most meetings. Any “lone wolf” rogues operating in Specularum were driven out a long time ago but recently a rumour has begun that a number of Faramere’s old companions, who never acknowledged the legitimacy of Tungort’s succession, are in the city planning something. Fearful whispers say that maybe Faramere was betrayed and ambushed that night on his fatal heist. Whatever is going to happen, blood is sure to flow before it is over…
#2 Hugin Oct 17, 2004 23:33:57	Very good write-up Spellweaver. I can foresee some of this IMC in the not-to-distant future.
#3 spellweaver Oct 18, 2004 6:38:46	Very good write-up Spellweaver. I can foresee some of this IMC in the not-to-distant future. Thanks! I always felt that the Kingdom of Thieves was a little too rosy and uncomplicated. At the same time I didn't want Petja to belong to either the Iron Ring or the Veiled Society. So I came up with this "alternate" KoT. As you will later read in the stories from my campaign, Petja left Specularum for a reason and he has some scores to settle in the near future... :-) Jesper