The Hole Lords
By Ian Thomson and Greg Stafford
Additional ideas by Stephen Martin
Based on material by Greg Stafford and Anders Swenson
This thief gang is the largest and most diverse criminal ring in Pavis, and their priest
traces his descent from a Rubble family of worshippers stretching back to the time of Pavis
himself. The gang has been in New Pavis since it was built, and its first priest retired in
favour of his son, who now holds the reins of power. Throughout this time the gang in all
its incarnations has worshipped the 'Hidden One' a former Master Thief of the Old City.
Although only core members are initiated into the cult, many informal members are employed
as and when required for specific jobs.
| Form: |
Thief Ring. |
|
| Cultural Context: |
A criminal organization from the Old Pavic culture, now integrated with the more
modern Heortling ways of the new city. |
| Ideology: |
"There is always a way to separate the wealthy from their valuables." |
| Look and Feel: |
Ruffians, liars, smugglers, and sneak thieves, formed into a mutual support network. |
| Purpose: |
To support its members in their criminal lifestyles. |
| Reactions: |
Most residents of New and Old Pavis have heard of the Hole Lords. This group of
persistent thieves and bullies will deprive you of your possessions without a second thought
if you are not careful. If you are poor however, you have little to fear from them, and they
might even employ you to run errands or other more challenging tasks. |
Resources |
| Leader: |
The leader of this gang is also the priest of the Hidden One. His identity is unknown to
all but the other devotees of the Hidden One. |
| Renowned Members: |
As well as the priest, there are also two lieutenants. Three-fingered Joric almost
lost a whole hand in a caper a decade ago, but this hasn't stopped him from being the best
trainer in crowd tactics that the gang has ever seen. Algrik 'Razor' Ohtuhl is the gang's
'enforcer', as well as being a top notch second-story operative. |
| Membership: |
The Hole Lords have more than two dozen initiated worshippers (three of whom are
alchemists and two of whom are specialist crafters). There are also a varying number of
'Communal Members' who assist as required. Some of the latter hope to become full initiates.
As with all of the thief gangs in Pavis, however, operating in such a small city means that
a large gang is actually a liability. Large thief gangs would mean large and frequent thefts,
which in turn would lead to authority crackdowns, as well as increased competition amongst
thieves. |
| Headquarters: |
There is no permanent beadquarters, but rather it sets up at random locations in
Riverside or Oldtown. The members of the gang keep up on new locations, and the different
cells gather there on prearranged days. |
| Other Contacts: |
An independent master thief, known as the 'Rat', was once a member of the
Hole Lords. He still retains much influence in the gang but is also a friend of the Lunars.
The Rat (alias Frekor Firmfarer) has traveled extensively, and is a real survivor. He joined
the Cult of Orlanth Adventurous when he was a mercenary in Sartar, but just as quickly
embraced the Lunar Way when he was captured by agents of the Empire. Now he reports
directly to the Lunar puppet Orlanth priest, Faltikus the Good, and 'donates' half of his spoils
directly to him. It is rumored that both of these men are Agents of Chaos. Despite this, most
thieves perceive the 'Rat' as a true independent, who is successfully working both sides. |
Organization |
The gang is organised into informal cells to prevent easy infiltration or retribution
should someone betray them. Each cell includes a sergeant who reports directly to the gang's
leadership. These sergeants are also responsible for hiring and supervising the communal
worshippers, although much of this work is delegated to the other initiates. The sergeants
and leadership plan the various jobs, and authorize or reject plans put forward independently
by the members. |
Membership
Keywords |
Confidence Merchant
Pick-Pocket
Second Story Operative
Strong Arm Man
|
Divine Resource: |
The Hidden One |
|
