Taldor--Underworld

Oppara Crime and the Law

Part of the Taldor Campaign

Important Note: This material has not yet been approved by GM. Subject to change without notice.

Gangs and Guilds

Numerous organizations of dubious legality exist within Oppara and the rest of Taldor. This is a brief list of a few of them; players are encouraged to add to it as necessary.

Brotherhood of Silence (canonical)

Any discussion of the criminal underworld in Oppara must begin with the Brotherhood of Silence. This powerful thieves guild exerts influence throughout the entire Inner Sea region, and is headquartered in Oppara’s Crownsgate district. Their main chapterhouse is a nondescript black marble building with darkened windows and two armed and armored men guarding the front door. The Brotherhood of Silence has chapterhouses in every major city in the region—though none are as obvious as their home in Oppara. The Brotherhood are the undisputed kings of the underworld in Oppara, and indeed throughout Taldor.

However, their vision is broad and far-reaching, and their role in local crime is surprisingly small. Every gang in Oppara pays a small tribute to the Brotherhood, which brings them a healthy income without having to directly dirty their hands in local criminal affairs. The mysterious head of the Brotherhood of Silence is the Masked Maquis, whose physical description is a closely held secret to the point where their gender is even uncertain. Some speculate that there is no single person with this title, but rather a body of men and women who can all assume the role.

Among the Oppara Underworld there are few who would dare to go against the will of the Brotherhood of Silence to the point of openly defying them. Working beneath their notice or shorting them on the tithe is somewhat more common, and in recent years as the Brotherhood’s attention has turned more toward expanding their reach internationally such small acts of rebellion are becoming more frequent.

The relative disinterest of the Brotherhood in local affairs can largely be attributed to the tireless efforts of one Gerhart Volkstein, the commander of the Oppara Constabulary. This singular man has succeeded in breaking the monopoly that the Brotherhood once had on crime in the city, which has had the unintended effect of providing ecological niches for the many varied gangs operating in the city today.

Portmos Militia (canonical)

When Harbormaster Hallador, Boss of Westport, requested additional police protection over the lawless port after dark he was summarily denied, likely due to payoffs from criminal gangs into the generally corrupt Oppara constabulary. Undeterred, Hallador formed his own gang, the Portmos Militia, composed of a mix of seasoned warriors, thugs, thieves and ex-sailors. He quickly forged this makeshift army into one of the more powerful forces within Oppara’s city walls. By systematically destroying or absorbing other gangs in the Westport district, he has in effect become one of the single most powerful gang leaders in the city.

Unfortunately for the stability of the docks, Hallador's iron-fisted reign over the troubled region came to an abrupt end when the bloke managed to get himself killed. Reports are that the killing blow was struck by one Larsen Pike, head of a mercenary order, but the circumstances of the event are entirely unclear, and it is likely that many orders of manipulation were involved to bring about the fatal act. In any case, Larsen Pike remains a free man. Hallador's list of enemies was legion, ranging from true criminals who were upset at Hallador's elimination (or monopoly) on smuggling and other crime, to nationalistic Taldans upset at Hallador's nearly open dealings with Qadiran merchant ships. The web of deception that ultimately resulted in Larsen Pike striking the killing blow likely has many levels indeed.

With the crucial mercantile quarter on the verge of descending back into chaos, the Senate acted uncharacteristically quickly. Before any of the Noble Houses could move in to fill the power vacuum the Senate appointed House Tjorgrim, a Senate House, to take command. The motion was passed unanimously, and Tjorgrim could hardly refuse the great honor. They more than have their hands full now, dealing not only with the mundane business of running one of the busiest harbors in the Inner Sea while simultaneously fending off those curious to test their power. With few true friends among the other Houses, the situation for Tjorgrim is tenuous indeed.

The Lower Senate

Some thirty years ago a particularly enterprising gang leader named Seminor sought to unify all of the criminal gangs in Oppara into a well-organized and efficient whole. His vision was to have a common neutral meeting place where all of the gang leaders could come to discuss issues of common interest, to establish rules of engagement for the criminal class, and to thereby make the business of crime more profitable for everyone. Seminor, who was secretly the black sheep of the senatorial Licinianus family, sought to model this grand vision on the Taldor Senate itself, and foresaw lengthy debates among gang leaders followed by orderly votes and peaceful resolution of their differences.

This didn’t work, of course. Seminor persisted in trying to enact his vision for fifteen years, over which time he became one of the most ridiculed men in the Oppara Underworld. The few meetings of the “Lower Senate” generally ended in bloodshed, the richly appointed underground senate chamber that Seminor had constructed turned into a makeshift arena. With Seminor’s death by assassination ten years ago the dream of the Lower Senate seemed dead forever. However miraculously a phoenix has arisen from the ashes, and in the last two years there have been three meetings of this body, all of which have resulted in strengthened alliances between gangs and in one case an orderly courtroom resolution of a longstanding grudge between the Underbarons and the Silver Hand. It is unclear what has brought about this change in demeanor, though credit has to be given to Ellestra Sacrin, a soft-spoken middle-aged woman who quietly presides over the newly-formed body. It is unclear what power she wields to command even this level of respect.

Throughout the history of the Lower Senate the Brotherhood of Silence has remained, well, silent on the matter, choosing not to participate despite numerous invitations.

Chinstraps (or “Strappers” or “Scarred Chins”)

A large, disorganized and generally disparaged gang known for their trademark scars along cheeks and chin, presumably caused by particularly vigorous adherence to the law of the Unbearded. Even the female members of the gang bear these marks, which are delivered to initiates as part of their induction into the gang. The standards for the Chinstraps are low; they will accept virtually everyone, and they provide little in the way of training or support. Still, the Strappers can be dangerous due merely to their numbers. Assaulting one can be foolish, as the talk of the streets is that there are always another two or three within shouting distance, no matter where you are.

The leader of the Chinstraps is an obese but wily ex-soldier named Marganos, who issues few dictums and indeed cares little about the people under his command, as long as his meals are served to him on time. In defiance of Taldan law, he wears a full beard.

Silver Hand

A small but respected gang, most of whose members have some degree of arcane training in addition to their normal thieving skills. The Silver Hand tends to be non-violent, specializing in undetectable burglary, second-story jobs, and dabbling in information brokering if something particularly juicy comes up. Their leader is a serious-faced half-elf named Timoran who boasts a pseudo-dragon familiar.

Underbarons

A child gang – no member of the gang is over the age of 18. Members who survive to 18 are discharged, and generally seek entrance into other gangs. The Underbarons specialize in pickpocketing and minor thievery at markets and such, and generally will avoid straight-up physical confrontations. The presence of Underbaron alumni in many other gangs gives them the ability to call on aid from more powerful organizations, though, and in general the Underbarons are treated as sort of favored pets by most of the rest of the underworld.

Brogal’s Bastards

Named for their leader, Brogal III, whose grandfather started the gang over fifty years ago after his honorable discharge from the Taldan Army. They are respected for their longevity, their brutality, and their patriotism. Many of the members are ex-soldiers who found the military life a little too restrictive. The Bastards specialize in extortion, bodyguarding, strongarm banditry and intimidation. The gang is of medium size, counting perhaps twenty seasoned fighters among their ranks. They bear a particular hatred for the Scorpions.

Scorpions

A small, disciplined gang composed mostly of Qadiran expatriates. The Scorpions are secretive and frankly fairly scary, and tend to be avoided by other gangs. They are scrupulous about paying their tithes and not breaking any of the other unwritten rules of the underworld, giving none any open excuse to attack them. On the few occasions when tensions have risen to the point of bloodshed, the Scorpions have always come out on top.

In truth their leader, a Suli Sorcerer/Ranger named Halasini, is an exiled Qadira prince who bears little love for his homeland. He traveled to Oppara and founded the Scorpions gang on a dare, but has since come to love his adopted country despite the outright racism against his kind. He seeks only to make a fair profit and to protect the gang he considers family.

Sandguard

A small gang composed of ex-gladiators. They operate in the vicinity of the Oppara Arena, dealing mostly in a form of bodyguarding that amounts to little more than a protection racket. It is not uncommon for a Bearded visitor to the arena to hire a Sandguard for protection during their excursion, even if they have their own suitable personal guards. Just the cost of doing business in the city.

The Law

Overview

The Oppara Constabulatory serves as the enforcers of order within Oppara. While most any noble House has its own guards, and many organizations and individuals hire guards of their own, the Constabulatory is responsible for keeping the streets of Oppara relatively safe.

Most common: Warriors not wanting to risk death in the armies often seek the guard. They are rarely promoted, but account for almost half of the approximately 350 guards within the Constabulatory.

Common: Fighters thrive here, especially those charming enough to forge bonds within the populace, and those able to learn the details of the city's laws. The majority of the fighters get moved to the Elite Guard, a separate but subordinate unit. Barbarians more than slightly outnumber the fighters, and comprise the bulk of the Constabulatory's Brute Squad, handy for breaking up riots or peasant wars in the unbearded sections.

Uncommon: Clerics and Paladins generally join in service to their deity and leave upon satisfying them (clerics rarely stay past 3rd level, and paladins past 4th). Once they feel the approval of the divine, they generally leave the Constabulatory to further greater causes.

Rare: Rangers and Rogues occasionally find work keeping track of goings on between the warring thieves guilds and hunting down fugitives.

Unheard of: Arcane casters simply won't find an atmosphere friendly to pursuing their knowledge.

Important People

Gerhart Volkstein (Paladin 16/Rogue 16): This almost legendary warrior and follower of Iomedae has spent his entire life in the Constabulatory. Like many paladins, he joined with the intent of making Oppara a little safer and more charitable before joining the military at an advanced rank. However, upon being promoted to sergeant, Gerhart decided that there was too much work to be done. The unbearded areas of Oppara had been abandoned by the guards, leaving security to thieves' guilds. It wasn't an intentional decision to abandon them, and patrols were still conducted, but the Brotherhood of Silence had enough sergeants on the take for their acts to go uncontested.

Gerhart started with the unbearded areas. He stayed on duty past his shift, ending his days with a stroll through the canals. The Brotherhood of Silence thought nothing of his presence at first, as he took no significant action towards those he identified as connected, and he watched carefully, learning how they operated. He witnessed many robberies, some violent. He later described those days of pretending not to notice crime as the most difficult of his life, made even harder by the fact that a sergeant in the guard was ignoring them as well. Finally, after a few weeks, he acted, playing the role of a lone guard attempting to arrest a pouch lifter. Immediately the thief's allies swooped in on him, but Gerhart was ready. With a yell, two guards that had seemed concerned with harassing merchants came to his aid, and the entire group of ambushing thieves was killed. As of the next day, Gerhart was a lieutenant, the sergeant was fired, and the canals' patrols became something criminals at least temporarily feared.

From there, he continued much as one would expect. He spent the majority of his day in the central districts, performing administration duties and weeding out the more corrupt guards, then roaming through various unbearded districts at night, resulting to camouflage once he became so well-known as to be left alone. It would be inaccurate to say that he brought lasting order, for the Brotherhood of Silence is still in existence and still, in fact, has significant influence, but they did fear him enough to occasionally back down. In addition, Gerhart donated most of his salary back into the unbearded districts, which was enough for some businesses to get a start, even if some of those businesses were rival thieves' guilds, almost all of which, ironically, owe their success to Gerhart, for he was solely responsible for both weakening the Brotherhood of Silence and ensuring that even the poorer districts still had enough copper to be worth robbing.

Over the years, Oppara saw significant improvement. He got promoted to the rank of captain and eventually commander. He inspired an urban ranger to follow in his footsteps and hunt down elusive leaders. Oppara would never be a utopia, but his devotion to order and justice within Oppara ensured that at least one district would conduct itself admirably at all times, for wherever he went saw peace. Even now, an old man, he can walk down any street in Oppara, and even the mightiest guild leader or House Lord will greet him respectfully and masquerade as an honest man in his presence.

Through his entire career, he was offered a number of honors. He was granted the right to join the bearded. He was offered a battlefield commission and his choice of command in the armies. He was even offered a place of honor in House Branas. He turned them all down.

Notable Locations

Crownsgate (canonical)

Named after Oppara’s secondary gate, Crownsgate is a poor district, largely filled with canal warehouses and factories. The side streets in this district are largely of hard-packed earth, as many of the cobblestones that once paved the district have long since been torn up and used elsewhere. Crownsgate is a dangerous place at night, with cutthroats, pursesnatchers, prostitutes, and hangers-on of the Brotherhood of Silence filling the back alleys with illicit activities.

Grand Bridge Vagabond Camp (canonical)

“Vagabonds” are those without jobs. Within the city, it is a borderline legal but not uncommon practice to seize vagabonds and impress them into service, usually in the Navy as galley slaves, or for shorter periods as manual labor for one Noble or another. Proof of employment is very important for the Unbearded. Vagabonds tend to cluster in camps, which can often serve as recruiting centers for criminal gangs. Vagabonds are nearly the lowest of the low, one step above immigrants from Qadira, and though they technically have rights it is rare to see them treated fairly in the Taldan court system.

The largest vagabond camp is the Grand Bridge Vagabond Camp, located on the mainland side of the Grand Bridge, the ancient wonder of engineering that crosses the River Portmos. This settlement of more than a thousand unemployed peasants, wanted criminals, escaped convicts, and runaway soldiers and sailors is largely ignored by the authorities, as it would take a massive military effort indeed to dislodge them, and they’d probably just reform anyway. The camp serves as a sanctuary for refugees and criminals seeking to evade the law. As long as they keep to their side of the Grand Bridge, this is generally tolerated.

The Narrows (canonical)

The poorest district of Oppara is also the most dangerous. Even Oppara’s constabulary avoids this district unless marching on it in force. Constructed entirely of rickety wood houses with makeshift shingles and poor planning, the Narrows is a tightly packed den of disease and squalor. The permanent structures here lean and bow into one another and entire houses are frequently known to simply give out and crash into a narrow alley. When walking down one of the Narrows’ tiny streets, it’s not uncommon to be cast in perpetual shadow as the rooftops of opposite buildings lean dangerously across the way, in many cases touching those on the opposite side of the street. The Narrows’ rooftops are cluttered with makeshift tent houses, trash piles, and bodies, and only the bravest of climbers (or most desperate) even attempt to traverse the Narrows this way.

The streets are muddy, filth-ridden pits, and the stench of the place is often unbearable. The entire district is controlled by a variety of gangs and rogue guilds, and the Brotherhood of Silence is said to maintain a small chapterhouse here. The nearby district of Canal Row has repeatedly asked Oppara Prefecture’s governor to build a wall between the two districts, but the funds to do so have yet to manifest.

Brotherhood of Silence Headquarters (canonical)

One of the largest and most influential thieves’ guilds throughout the Inner Sea region, the Brotherhood of Silence is based in Oppara’s Crownsgate district. Their main chapterhouse is a nondescript black marble building with darkened windows and two armed and armored men guarding the front door. The Brotherhood of Silence has chapterhouses in every major city in the region—though none are as obvious as their home in Oppara.

White Hall (canonical)

The headquarters of Oppara’s constabulary, White Hall is a four-story marble structure in Grandbridge. Oppara’s constables have a long and proud tradition and prowl most of Oppara day and night. Several smaller stations are scattered throughout the city so a citizen, in most cases, won’t have to travel far to get help. White Hall houses two schools to train constables: the Lion Academy for mundane students and the Crown Circle for those bent toward arcane pursuits. The locals call White Hall the Screaming Pillars for what happens to an unbearded when he’s dragged in there, on charges real or imagined.

Lower Senate Chamber

This parody of the Taldan Senate is located underground in a single bowl-shaped chamber with a vaulted ceiling that might have once been a shining example of Taldan mosaic art. The acoustics of the chamber are uncanny, allowing even the most softly spoken person to be heard by everyone within if they're standing in precisely the right spot. It should be noted that no fewer than four people have been assassinated on that same spot, including Seminor himself. When the Lower Senate is not in session this location functions as an effective open-air market for thieves of all sorts.