Thieves' Guilds in Freehaven


      Shadows and secrecy

         There are no less than five distinct thieves' guilds
 operating in Freehaven.  There are also several other
 "secret" organizations with Rogue members, several of
 whom are, in fact, members of one of the primary
 organizations, as well.

   Although there is no central organization, most of these
 groups recognize the value of the others, and strive to
 keep things peaceful by not stepping on each others' toes.

   Indeed, there is a high level of cooperation between some
 of the guilds.  In other cases, however, certain guilds are
 on the brink of all-out war.  Those who are "in the know" fear
 the coming confrontations.

   Furthermore, about 50 thieves, of all levels, function
 entirely as independent operators, and as long as they
 don't "poach" on an established group's turf, they are
 left alone.

   These organiztions are detailed below:
   Macavey's Band                The League of Shadows
   The Benevolent Order          The Adventurer's Guild
   The Underground               Stared's House
   The Coterie                   The Assembly
   The Word                      The Popular Defense Front
      Macavey's Band Led by Drex Macavey, a Human LE Enchanter/Thief of the Charlatan kit. Macavey acts much like a Fagan-type character, taking in orphans and showing them how to survive on Freehold's rough-and-tumble streets. In exchange, he gets 90% of the take. Fully 100 kids, from 6 to 14 years old, call him "the Boss". 80 are 1st-level, one of the teenagers is 2nd level and the rest are 0-level (give them 1/2 the usual number of skill and hit points, rounding up). This army of urchins, which lives in the crowded and dank cellar below Macavey's knife-sharpening shop in the Bazaar, is the dominant source of cutpurses in the Market, Bazaar and Red-Light Districts. Macavey keeps them in line with a few low-level Enchantment/Charm spells. Although he exploits them mercilessly, those children well-suited to the life of a rogue often come out well in the end, for he has contacts with most of the other guilds, who respect his judgment of a budding thief. Macavey supplements his income by swapping fake gems onto the decorated hilts of weapons that travelers and other outsiders bring in for sharpening.
      The Benevolent Order This ruthless mob is anything but "Benevolent". Mainly supported by a powerful protection racket operating in the Red-light and Harbor Districts, the Order also provides safe havens for individuals on the run from the law (for a fee, of course). If a gaming hall isn't owned outright by one of the members, then it usually winds up paying exorbitant "insurance fees". While the "Order" does not raid businesses that pay the fees, other guilds, and independents, are under no such onus. Although the majority of this guild serve as muscle, a number of specialists are employed, including charlatans, box-men and smugglers. Of the roughly 150 thief members, over 50 could be accurately described as thugs. A number of fighters are also employed, along with a single 3rd-level Invoker, who is brought in for jobs requiring a lot of flash. Independent activities by members are frowned upon, but small-scale ventures are tolerated. Larger operations require both approval of the order's kingpin and a cut of the action.
      The Underground This is a loose confederation of about 30 mid- to high-level smugglers and fences. In addition to making the task of transporting and disposing loot, contraband and fugitives simpler, the Underground also serves as a reference service, helping to ensure that nobody gets pinched by undercover investigators. News and assignments are traded at numerous bars in the Harbor, Red-Light and Merchant Districts.
      The Coterie This group is a kind of "gentleman's club", operating out of the High Quarter. About 25 "gentleman thieves" gather at monthly meetings, seeking to one-up each other by presenting their latest trophies. Each must present at least one trophy each year, and new members are accepted only by nomination. Most are extremely high-level, and have adequate resources to ensure that they never have to resort to ``sustenance'' thievery. The group values rare or unique items over mere monetary scores, and many of the members have cultivated a "signature", by which they mark their scores. Typically, the thief becomes known to the authorities by this name. For instance, Allisander Moonsong is known by the single black rose he leaves at every site. Word that the Black Rose has been in the house is enough to send wealthy homeowners into a panic.
      The Word The Word is a highly secretive, tightly-knit spy network and information brokerage. Dealing only in names and facts, agents have been known to break into a house, map out all the traps and locks, study the precise location of the booty, and then leave it there, only to sell the information for a fraction of the price the loot itself would have obtained. However, since they do only deal in information, the law does not bother very much with tracking them down. Indeed, many of the militias have contacts with the Word, which will occasionally turn over particularly dangerous criminals. The City Council is even considering a resolution to pay the Word for information on the Cult of the Predatory Wolf. Whenever an agent is caught, he is usually supplied with information that he can use to barter or blackmail his way out of captivity. The Word has both deep agents and mission specialists, totalling about 100 in number, scattered about the city. It is rumoured that, in addition to the Rouges, there are a handful of Diviners in the organization. In addition to providing information about potential targets to the other guilds, the Word also serves as a spy-for-hire service for the many diplomatic posts in the North Quarter. No group is willing to antagonize this organization too much, as far too many need its unique services.
      The League of Shadows This assassins' guild is one of many multi-class organizations which contains a large number of thieves. The Guildhouse is located somewhere in the North Quarter, but all of the League's "clients" are dealt with at various locations in the Market District. The League is the only group of organized assassins-for-hire. Prices are steep, but almost never more than the client can afford. The League is one of the few organizations in Freehaven with a monopolistic bent--freelance assassins are dealt with extremely harshly, and other groups which take on such chores are asking for war. The Benevolent Order has a simmering feud with the League over this. Currently, while the Order is permitted to handle killings of recalcitrant customers, they have agreed to direct all inquiries for assassination to the League. The League is run by a 10th-Level Priest of Seli, and counts some 75 thieves among its numbers. At least two-thirds of these are assassins, with the rest specialists and spies.
      The Adventurer's Guild This organization is open to all classes, and about 95 thieves maintain a membership. While all are required to sign an oath not to violate the laws of Freehold, this is enforced primarily by the honor system, and the attitude, "You're only guilty if you're caught," is common. Thieves derive many benefits from guild membership, including contacts, references, special equipment and inexpensive room and board, subject to availability.
      Stared's House This is a group of individuals who believe that the revolution of Stared is not yet complete. About 15 thieves are among the members of this odd, conspiracy-crazed group. They believe that there are many questions as yet unanswered about the "true" history of Freehaven. They see plots in every coincidence, and desperately try to prove their latest theories about who is "behind it all". The group is considered eccentric, but not dangerous, by the few outsiders who know of its existence. However, several of the members are beginning to argue that only by inducing conspiracies of their own can they force the "secret powers" to show their hands.
      The Assembly The Assembly is a relatively new group of thieves, formed to challenge the Benevolent Order's stranglehold on most of the "traditional" thief activities. Rather than the more common single ruler, this group of 40 thieves is ruled by an elected "council" of three, who make decisions by majority vote. As of yet the Order has failed in its attempts to infiltrate or destroy this group. Likewise, they have been unable to stop the defection of younger members. Outright violence is likely, soon.
      The Popular Defense Front The PDF is another secret organization, this one composed entirely of vigilantes. Realizing that the city's divided law-enforcement has rendered it impossible for the authorities to protect the common folk from the predations of criminals, the PDF has dedicated itself to wiping out the scourge using their own methods against them. About 40 Rogues, mostly investigators and bounty hunters, are members of this group. Several attempts to infiltrate their ranks have been made, always resulting in the deaths of the infiltrators. The PDF is rumored to have links with the Temple of Genveer, the Dwarven God of Justice and Vengeance.
      Relationships between the guilds are defined below: How: PDF Assem LoS StHs Under Word Cot. B.O. M.B. Adven Sees: Advent. T T D U U U U T T X MacBand W D U N U U D U X D BenOrd W C D D U U D X U T Coterie D T D T T T X D N T Word T U U C U X D T U U Under W T U T X U T U U U StarHous N N C X D C N N N U League W T X C U U D D T D Assem W X T D U U D C T T PDF X C W D C D D W D T KEY: U--Group is useful, either as a client or a resource T--Group is tolerated, and may be worked with, but there is no basis for long-term partnerships D--Group is distrusted or held in disdain. While there are no overt hostilities, members could be targeted for harassment if the opportunity arises, and members will not voluntarily work together. N--There is no real contact with the group, and the group's existence may not even be known. C--Active conflict with the group. While this may include physical violence, it is more like to center on intimidation, infiltration and embarrassment. W--All-out war. Members of the group are actively hunted down, with the intent of capturing or killing them.
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