Friday, June 15, 2012

Notable Criminal Organizations of Denethix

An underworld gathering or wealthy gadflies?
Of late the party has been delving into the underworld in Denethix, they've gotten tangled up with the moktar vigilance comitee, run afoul of the peacock syndicate and are in the semi-employ of both the leader of the fist's brute squad (know official as the "Unlawful Detainer, Squatter Rehabilitation & Blight Redevelopment Implementation Team") under Lt. Chang-Tsu. It seems useful to have a table of fabled Denethix underworld figures/organizations available for name dropping...






1D12 Who's racket did you just bust up?
1 The Peacock Syndicate – A new organization, recently arrived in Denethix with plenty of start up capital and access to unique drugs such as Lilac Dreamer, Violaceous and Heliotrope Gray. The drugs they sell tend to be extremely cheap, very strong, and horribly addictive.  All also have mentally debilitating side effects that have allowed the Syndicate to expand into prostitution, street violence and gladiatorial gambling using addict thralls.  The Sangraphage is not pleased and it's only a matter of time before open battles take place between the gangs.  The Peacocks' high ranking members are almost all elves and there are rumors that they work for a Wizard from the far North. Lately the Syndicate has suffered a serious setback, having lost a major drug den and leader to assassins of unknown origin.
2

House of the Lascivious Iguana - This is a monopoly of pimps and other leaders in Denethix's vice trades.  While the majority of their business is legal they are very protective of their monopoly and engage in extortion, murder and kidnapping to maintain it.  They are closely allied with the slavers, and rumored to be led by a council of wealthy men with powerful political connections.
3

Order of the Execrable Sangraphage –Denethix's premier source of mind altering chemicals. While the drug trade is not illegal in Denethix (as with the House above), the violence that comes with it is a threat to social order.   As one of the oldest underworld organizations in Denethix, the Order has appointed itself as the guardians of gray market morality, and affect a world weary patience with newer organizations.  All the while their allies in the Fist and secret underlings work to smash anyone who threatens the Order's control of the lucrative drug and liquor trades.
4

Certopsian Vigilance Society - The moktar community in Denethix has never been welcomed, and most moktars are mearly transiants, but several clans have been forced or chosen to make a permenant home in the city, and these moktars owe allegiance to Morris Hurrow a dapper feline, who made his start as a strike breaker and labor broker by relying on the strength, ferocity and moral flexibility of his people. The Society's public face is Rum-Tom an elderly moktar fixer who affects the aura of a rough plains shaman – Rum-Tum is that, but he is also shrewd, wealthy and extremly powerful for a moktar Holy-Tom having learned many human and elven spells in addition to his plains juju. Not many know it, but Rum-Tum is one of the few practitioners in Denethix that can produce both a bolt of lethal electrics (green) and a searing blast of flame (orange). The society is happy as long as it controls moktar labor in denethix, keeps the rest of the minority communities in fear and is allowed to steadily buy leases to property around the Certopsian Gate.
5

Unlawful Detainer, Squatter Rehabilitation & Blight Redevelopment Implementation Team – This unit of the Fist is growing outside of the control of the Captain. Originally responsible for evictions on the Vizars orders the Team has expanded it's portfolio into extortion murder for hire and rental fraud. They are typical Fist soldiers for the most part and generally loyal to Denethix, they just fail to make much of a distinction between their own benefit and what's best for Denethix. Currently the team's able leader Lieutenant Chang-Tsu, has limited their predations to the poor and downtrodden , but he's just taking the time to train his men,make his contacts and gain resources, perhaps until he's ready to take on everyone - including Feretha
6

The Moilers - Exiles and outcasts like all Dwarves, this group also fancy themselves violent insurrectionists.  They don't like Denethix's human elite, despise Dwarves back in the home Warrens, and vehemently hate other demi-humans - especially Moktars and Elves.  The Moilers aren't especially effective however, and mostly limit themselves to extorting Denethix's Dwarves for protection money and fighting in street brawls.  They claim to have "something big for the Fist" planned, but they've made such claims before and nothing's happened.
7

Boreal Society – A group of Northern Elvish exiles who seek to demonstrate elven superiority and ultimately take over Denethix and transform it into a slave state with an Elven over class. Their lack of resources, and the objections of the majority of the Elven community, mean that the Society stays largely underground, but they do run a few illegal businesses, mostly those that exploit humans in the most awful ways imaginable and sell human meat.  They also will hire out as muscle, and the paramilitary discipline Society members employ makes them dangerous despite their small numbers.
8

Plaindealers – An organization of street proformers, travelling circus folk, buskers, beggars, and illusionists, Plaindealers are all conmen of some kind. They speak in their own cant and are fiercely loyal to one another. The closest thing to a real thieves guild in the Thousand Cities, being a Plain Fellow is a lifestyle with its own rigid codes of dress action and behavior . All plainsmen (and women) deem themselves to be “thieves at law” and swear never to perform honest work, they are conservative in their beliefs and operate as a hereditary caste. Most often they dress in the motley and stripes of circus performers. Their elaborate code is of no benefit to those outside the organization as, just as much as it is a grave offense to break a deal with another Fellow, it is a shameful thing to not get the better of an outsider. The Tsar of the Plainsdealers, Grandfather Moko is rumored to live in humble circumstances with a bevy of his beautiful assassin nieces somewhere in Denethix.
9

The Leon Brothers
Certopsian Import Export Coalition – A crusty society of former Certopsian ranchers and magnates who don't see any reason not to conduct business in Denethix the way the would conduct it on the plains – with bullets, barn burnings and lynchings to seal or break every deal. The Coalition is primarily in the business of extortion, robbing rival trade caravans and smuggling forbidden or highly taxed commodities from the Certopsian. They are trying to break into prostitution, the slave trade and freelance murder, but have been stymied so far by the rest of the criminal underworld. They are led by the Leon Brothers, Fat Wilhelm, Franz “the Hook” F. and Old Bean, who despite his silly name commands the guns of seventy-five desperadoes. The main difficulty faced by the Importers is their non-negotiable policy of moktar and elven genocide, policies that have made them plenty of enemies.
10

Adepts of the Peaceful -A semi-secret society devoted to the practice of Necromancy, they have a public face of being a slightly creepy cult-like group devoted to finding calm, and working with the poor.  Many of those that find themselves in the Adept's missions end up as zombies or skeletons.  The Adepts have discovered that many groups and individuals have a use for disposable, loyal and fearless fighters - even if they are slow and stink of decay.  The Adepts engage in murder and violence for hire, and are rumored to be involved in even seedier things such as the construction of specialized undead automatons for well paying customers.
11

Devotees of the Obstacle Removed - The Devotees are a cult or syndicate of Assassins, they will kill almost anyone if given enough money.  While they proclaim complete devotion to their craft, implacability and confidentiality they are rather a venal and undisciplined lot.  They continue to exist because they fulfill a need for Denethix's elite and are always willing to make accommodations with power. Devotees dress to emphasize their nonexistent monastic like devotion to murder: black cloaks, eye make-up, tight dark leather and strange tattoos, all of which are a sham.
12

Milly LaMoux - Milly is a comically skinny Halfling fence.  Everyone knows Milly and no one is afraid of him. They should be, under a shabby and self-effacing exterior  Milly is ruthless, hateful and extremely wealthy.  Every criminal in town seems to owe him a favor or money and he will call these in without a second thought.  Additionally LaMoux is the godfather of hundreds of halflinf low lifes, street gangers and muggers.  He can call in some small, but top notch talent at very low prices.  Milly also acts as a go-between for the various mafias, brokering deals, storing goods, exchanging prisoners and generally getting a decent cut.  Most other crime lords look down on him, and the street toughs openly mock him, but the intelligent and thoughtful in the underworld know he is a real force.


 

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