====== Gangs of Absalom ====== ===== The Argent Syndicate ===== Collection of white-collar criminals. Primarily focused on using the law (when possible) in shady real estate dealings. Suspected masters in creating forgeries. Hasn’t resorted to anything more violent than legal threats. Heavy suspicion of money laundering for other gangs. Notoriously hard to find members. Gang Sign: None, prefers to avoid drawing suspicion. Scope and Influence: Goals: Unknown Headquarters: Unknown Key Members: Unknown Allies: None Enemies: None known Assets: Large amount of real estate Membership Requirements: Accepted Alignments: Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil Values: Acquire as much land as possible as cheaply as possible. Acquire Wealth Anathema: Violence Current Attitude towards the Party: Unknown Notes: ===== Bloody Barbers ===== The largest of the gangs, this group has members in every district except the Ascendant Court. Every crime is covered by this organization. The main headquarters is suspected to be in the Coins. Assumed to be using legitimate businesses to cover their illegitimate businesses. Gang Sign: A barber’s pole or straight edge with a drop of blood Scope and Influence: Nearly all of Absalom. Few can compare in terms of their reach, influence, and violence. Goals: Through economics, influence, or violence, push out all other gangs. Headquarters: Somewhere in Coins Key Members: Twisted Jack Allies: Most smuggling operations enjoy working with them due to their wide influence and large selection of clientele. Enemies: Most other gangs hate them but can’t outright attack them. Miogimo has a personal vendetta against them. Assets: Large selection of various barbershops that serve as safehouses Membership Requirements: None Accepted Alignments: Any evil alignment Values: Acquire assets, destroy competition Anathema: Allow any other criminal organization power or territory Current Attitude towards the Party: Hated ===== Bloodtide ===== Aquatic thieves assaulting Absalom’s docks for profit and to stockpile armaments Gang Sign: shark’s dorsal fin cresting above bloodied water Scope and Influence: local (the Docks, Flotsam Graveyard and the Puddles, but only moderate) Goals: amass wealth, weaken Absalom’s aquatic defenses Headquarters: decentralized (all underwater) Key Members: Katharas Allies: sea devil clans and alghollthu armies (suspected) Enemies: Pilots’ Guild, Starwatch, Wave Riders Assets: stockpiles of weapons, underwater communication and transportation, connections with undersea societies Membership Requirements: must be aquatic, must undergo a branding rite Accepted Alignments: Neutral Evil (Chaotic or Lawful Evil is also accepted) Values: acquisition of resources (especially weapons and armor) from landstriders Anathema: assist landstriders in any fashion Current Attitude towards the Party: Disliked ===== The Crimson Companions ===== A large collection of various establishments that cater to the more physical side of life. Brothels, escort services, nightly companionship. Gang Sign: A red dress or red opera glove Scope and Influence: All throughout Absalom and a powerful information broker due to “pillow talk.” Can open a lot of doors. Goals: Maintain safety of the men and women employed by the Crimson Companions. Cleanliness is also a very high priority. Headquarters: Unknown Key Members: Unknown Allies: Unknown Enemies: Unknown Assets: Large collection of brothels Membership Requirements: Accepted Alignments: All Values: Cleanliness, protection of the companions Anathema: Germs, infections, abuse towards companions Current Attitude towards the Party: Neutral Noted: ===== Diobel Sweepers ===== A local gang in the Docks district. Gang Sign: A Crowbar and a Vial Scope and Influence: Local docks (small) Goals: Take control over the docks district. Also chemicals Headquarters: Unknown Key Members: Bloody Berleth Allies: None Enemies: Washboard Dogs Assets: Various warehouses in the docks. Also chemicals. Membership Requirements: Unknown. Probably has to do with chemicals. Accepted Alignments: Neutral Evil (Lawful and Chaotic also accepted) Values: Take over the docks Anathema: Not take over the docks Current Attitude towards the Party: Disliked ===== Eyegougers ===== Non-human revolutionary group (possibly funded by external groups) that want to see humans killed or enslaved. Gang Sign: Aroden’s holy symbol, covered in blood with its eye gouged out Scope and Influence: local (Ascendant Court, the Coins, and the Foreign Quarter; weak) Goals: forcibly redistribute Absalom’s wealth and influence to its non-human residents Headquarters: decentralized Key Members: Hempolton Vates, Irazix Gorethrottle, Rax Sharpclaw Allies: Slavers, Minotaurs Enemies: Humans, Graycloaks, Iomedaeans Assets: Large external support Membership Requirements: must be non-human and perform a visible, violent act against humans or property dedicated to a once-human deity such as Iomedae or Aroden Accepted Alignments: CE (CN, NE) Values: topple human institutions and regimes Anathema Anathema: aid humans or Absalom’s law enforcement Current Attitude towards the Party: Hunted ===== Family Dogs ===== Criminals working circumspect protection rackets using taxidermied animals as a sign of protection Gang Sign: taxidermy animal wearing collars or manacles Scope and Influence: local (the Coins; weak) Goals: Leech money from the people of the Coins Headquarters: Unknown Key Members: Someone known as “The Stitchlip Man” that silences any witnesses. Permanently. Allies: Unknown. Enemies: Sanguine Beasts, Token Guard Assets: terrified local citizens too afraid to quit paying protection money Membership Requirements: Unknown Accepted Alignments: Neutral Evil, (Chaotic and Lawful also accepted) Values: Secrecy, fear instilled in the people of the Coins Anathema: Excuse payments due from protection victims Current Attitude towards the Party: Hated ===== Gylou Sisters ===== Brutal, all-female shipbuilders and toughs Gang Sign: inverted pentagon over an outstretched hand Scope and Influence: local (Docks; moderate) Goals: promote Chelaxian sympathies, antagonize the gang’s or Cheliax’s enemies Headquarters: Unknown Key: Members Gurd, Velacity Tor, Zelva Allies: Chelaxian Embassy (assumed) Enemies Firebrands, other Docks gangs (particularly the Dockside Dozen) Assets several lucrative shipbuilding contracts, smuggled Chelaxian goods Membership Requirements must be female Accepted Alignments LE (LN, NE, N) Values: Chelaxian prominence, success in shipbuilding Anathema: disparage Asmodeus, impede the Devil’s Own Shipyard operations, release people from contracts Current Attitude towards the Party: Unknown ===== Garrote Sisterhood ===== A local gang of female assassins recognizable by their stylized garrote necklaces. While most members are female cutthroat killers, the gang also employs a few men to serve as accountants, wizards, fixers, etc. Gang Sign: A silver choker Scope and Influence: Serves as assassins for hire Goals: Kill targets, provide services, maintain a sort of neutrality amongst the gangs Headquarters: Unknown Key Members: Cass Hamish, Alzuna Allies: Whoever pays Enemies: Red Mantis Assets: Collection of high quality assassins. The girls can pretend to be “escorts” in delicate situations to target high profile individuals Membership Requirements: Female, decapitate a target. Males can serve in auxiliary roles Accepted Alignments: Neutral Evil (Any evil alignment, true Neutral somehow) Values: Efficient, Reliable Anathema: Miss a target, not fulfill a contract Current Attitude towards the Party: Neutral (Cass likes you though) {{:npcs:cass-hamish.png?200|}} ===== Miogimo’s Slayers ===== A former member of the police who once saved the life of the primarch. Arrested for taking the law into his own hand after seeing a particularly heinous attack by a vampire against innocent people and sent to the most dangerous jail in the city. He escaped, studied necromancy to turn himself into a Zealborn for the only purpose of killing more violent criminals. Gang Sign: A mask of half angel, half demon Scope and Influence: Primarily operating in the docks at the moment Goals: Rid Absalom of all violent crime. Through violence. Permanently. Headquarters: Unknown Key Members: Miogimo Allies: None Enemies: Everyone (all gangs, police, politicians, etc). Assets: Pure fear and violence. Ruthless. Large public support, but most support is not vocalized due to his aggressive methods. Membership Requirements: Kill a gang member, take their stuff, donate it to a charity or orphanage for the downtrodden. Accepted Alignments: Chaotic Neutral Values: Protecting the citizens of Absalom, even at great personal cost to yourself. Anathema: Allow violent criminals to continue to live Current Attitude towards the Party: Complicated. Waiting to see if you turn corrupt. {{:npcs:slayers.png?200|}} ===== Muzullah Brothers ===== Drug Dealing brother alchemists that focus more on the experimental side of the business. Their goods are considered good quality, but wildly inconsistent due to always coming up with new drugs. Due to constantly making new drugs, their empire is largely “legal” as the law takes a few months to update to include their new concoctions. Gang Sign: A rainbow-colored distorted beaker Scope and Influence: Mainly the upper class who want to have a unique experience at one of their high end private parties. Goals: Create the ultimate high with as few of the negative effects as possible. Headquarters: Unknown Key Members: Sharim and Halan Muzullah. The Whisker Brothers (smugglers) Allies: Unknown Enemies: Few (largely non-violent and has favors with those in power) Assets: Large assortment of various chemical reagents. Drugs. Fruit. Surprisingly, one of the largest importers of fruit into Absalom. Membership Requirements: Must be able to either craft drugs using alchemy or be able to smuggle. Accepted Alignments: Neutral to Chaotic Values: Creativity, experimentation, new experiences Anathema: Growing stale or sticking to traditions Current Attitude towards the Party: Unknown. Notes: ===== Puddlejumpers ===== Halfling gang of killers, kidnappers, and slavers Gang Sign: Small bloody footprint Scope and Influence: Local (the Coins; weak) Goals: Rebuild Pardu Pildapush’s personal and financial successes Headquarters: Somewhere in Misery Row Key Members Benkt Slipshod, Pardu Pildapush, Punstil Everbasher. Allies: Slavers Enemies: Absalom government, Firebrands Assets: loyalty of gang members Membership Requirements must be a former halfling slave freed by Pildapush and commit a crime with other Puddlejumpers Accepted Alignments NE (CE, LE) Values: Continuation of Absalom’s slave trade Anathema: defame or disappoint Pildapush, free slaves Current Attitude towards the Party: Hated ===== Sanguine Beasts ===== Violent toughs specializing in extortion. Rumor has it that the leader is a follower of Norgorber. Gang Sign: lion’s silhouette, painted in blood Scope and Influence: local (the Coins, Foreign Quarter; weak) Goals: force locals to pay the gang for protection Headquarters: decentralized Key Members Groske, Karthok Daggerborn, Mezuk Allies: Skinsaw cultists (suspected, but no skinsaw cultists have operated in Absalom for a few decades) Enemies: Caydenites, Family Dogs, Sleepless Suns Assets: lucrative protection arrangements, suspected connection to local gambling dens Membership: Requirements must have the might or guile to act as an enforcer Accepted Alignments: NE (CE, LE, LN) Values brute strength, Belkzen affiliation Anathema: allow disrespect to go unanswered, refuse a bribe or payoff Current Attitude towards the Party: ===== Silkenhand ===== Drug dealers who exploit sex workers Gang Sign: hand wrapped in gauzy cloth Scope and Influence: local (Ivy District; weak) Goals: hook citizens on vices supplied by the gang Headquarters: decentralized Key Members: Ammiot the Idle, Corella Dalithayne Allies: desperate theater companies and sex workers Enemies: Brotherhood of Abadar vigilance committee, Street Performers and Actors’ Guild, Thistleguard Assets arrangements with several drug dens and brothels Membership Requirements must provide a roster of additional clients to make purchases from the Silkenhand Accepted Alignments NE (CE, N) Values: discretion, connections in Absalom’s theater scene Anathema: partake of the gang’s drug stores, reveal a client’s identity Current Attitude towards the Party: Unknown ===== Warhounders ===== Anarchists who seek to cause as much trouble as possible Gang Sign: snarling dog with teeth bared Scope and Influence: local (the Puddles and Shoreline; moderate) Goals: cause mayhem, rob passersby Headquarters: Pyramid of the Dog (ruined siege tower south of Shoreline) Key Members: Nessian, Marrow Chomper Allies: various anarchist groups Enemies Muckruckers Assets: War dogs, military level equipment? Membership Requirements: unknown Accepted Alignments CE (CN, NE) Values discord for its own sake Anathema aid Absalom’s law enforcement Current Attitude towards the Party: Hunted ===== Washboard Dogs ===== A local gang in the Docks district. Gang Sign: A barking dog Scope and Influence: Local docks (small) Goals: Take control over the docks district Headquarters: Unknown Key Members: Maurrisa (suspected) Allies: None Enemies: Diobel Sweepers Assets: Various warehouses in the docks Membership Requirements: Unknown Accepted Alignments: Neutral Evil (Lawful and Chaotic also accepted) Values: Take over the docks Anathema: Not take over the docks Current Attitude towards the Party: Disliked