Eboncoin Pact

Summary

Little is known about the Eboncoin Pact, who they are, or where they came from, but it is clear that they are here to stay. Deeply rooted in the shadows that surround the City-State's economy, the Eboncoin -- or 'the Guild' as they are so often referred to -- is thought to be the source of the many nefarious deeds which occur at the night hours and shady deals in dark back alleys of Sundren City.

No one truly knows the extent of the Eboncoin's influence. Truthfully, very few people actually believe they exist, willing more to chalk up the crime in the City to random thugs and petty criminals. If most of the population knew the full extent of the Guild's power, there would be far more serious consequences than not. However, the Eboncoin makes sure that this sort of information doesn't leak out by any means necessary. Assassinations are its main line of work, but thievery within the city has also been a focus of theirs throughout the years.

Location: Sundren City

Typical Member Traits:

• Generally assassins
• Strong sense of brotherhood; will protect secrecy of the organization
• Typically non-good alignment
• Reviews all possible jobs carefully and thoughtfully

Origin/History

The Eboncoin's history is unknown even to its own members. All they do know is that there are links between the organization and the Shadow Thieves of Amn. No one knows who was the first to arrive, nor who was able to curb the streets crime into a unified group.

With the explosion that destroyed the Cartel Mountain during the Second Sundering, the remainder were absorbed back into the Eboncoin in order to preserve what remained of the smuggling group. They now operate as Eboncoin, albeit with more of a specialization than most in things requiring smuggling goods.

Base(s) of Operations

Thieves Den, Sundren City (Unknown)
Port Avanthyr

Objectives

The true objectives of the Eboncoin are shrouded in mystery much like the organization itself. Some say that they seek to control Sundren from the underworld up, while others protest that they are only looking to become rich and powerful while keeping the Emperor as a puppet. Whatever the reason, the Eboncoin act on a mission to mission basis. Depending on the job offer, the pay, and the risk, the Eboncoin will determine what is best for its people. Honor among thieves is not just a saying in the Guild, and each and every member lives up to it.

Ranks

Guildmaster
Pactmaster
Shadowbound
Pactholder
Made Man
Pickpocket

Specialty

Any Eboncoin member above the rank of Made Man is also able to take a specialty. These specialties are prerequisites, as there are Pactmasters in charge of each and have a distinct role within the Eboncoin.

Sicarii: The Sicarii are the Eboncoin's assassins. They handle a variety of jobs, but mainly ones that involve the physical removal of the Eboncoin's enemies through stealth or secrecy. The assassins are trained by the Pactmaster, who in turn directs them accordingly to the requests and jobs that the Pact acquires.

Vincolo: Vincolo are rogue mages, sometimes from the Hands, other times from even more exotic locales. Regardless of their origins, they serve the Pact as the experts on the arcane, and assist the Pact in matters magical and obscure.

Esattore: There's always a need for muscle in the Pact. The Esattore are the brawn that enforce a variety of long standing jobs within the Coin, from protection to smuggling. A large portion of the former Cartel joined the Esattore, and are able thieves as well as fighters.

Demarcchio/a: A Demarcchio or Demarcchia is a priest or priestess of Mask within the Coin. Granted, there are other gods that are allowed in, but the vast majority are the Brothers and Sisters of Mask. These priests assist the Coin in their works, and provide a religious aspect to the Pact that keeps it in favor with the god of Thieves.

Initiation Process/Organization Structure

The Upright Man controls every facet of the guild, but lets it run itself. He only steps in rarely, and when he steps back there are stains to be removed, and positions for the competent to fill.

Pact Masters are the ultimate authority on anything concerning designated field, and everyone must obey, including other Pact Masters. That being said, those Pact Masters that abuse this privilege will be done away with in short order, and a new Pact Master will be filling their shoes, and room. As an example, a Pactmaster PC is Pact Master of Legion Relations. His sole job is to keep the Legion away from the Pact. If he says it's on his order as a Pact Master, even The Upright Man, Veiro would take pause. Not because Veiro is under him, hardly. But because this is a shadowy group, and the Pactmaster PC has more information on the Legion than any other member, so arguing, or disobeying, can lead to the sort of consequences where somebody ends up beaten to death and strung up in the training room as a warning.

After the event, inquiries can be made, and judgement can be rendered.

Below Pact Masters are the Shadowbound, who have indeed been bound to Shadow and to the Pact via a Maskarran ritual to ensure unwavering loyalty. The details of this ritual are not spoken of, even in jest, and the mechanism by which such loyalty is guaranteed is likewise not spoken of, least of all while a Shadowbound is present. As the ritual itself is secret, and time consuming (there are wild guesses as to the material cost), only the most talented and trusted of Pactholders are invited to take part in the ritual. Saying no is tantamount to admitting to betrayal. The Shadowbound are the elite, and they collect small retinues of Pactholders and outsiders to assist them in their causes or jobs.

As for the Pactholders themselves, they are the majority of the Eboncoin Pact members. Those ranks beneath them are considered disposable, if possibly useful assets. It is a Pactholder's job to recruit pickpockets and select the most talented and trusted of them to become Made Men, a misnomer that makes the thief think they're 'in'. They're not. Other Pact Holders see little difference between a Made Man, a Pickpocket, and a rogue thief that pays the Tax.

Once a Made Man has proven him or herself to be intelligent, clandestine, and loyal, it goes up for a vote among the other Pactholders (which includes Shadowbound and Pactmasters. No vote is weighed more than another, but a Shadowbound and Pactmaster's personal 'gang' will always vote with their gang. Those that don't are carefully watched for unrest before it spills into the street.

Pickpockets never learn a smidgen about the Eboncoin, and those that do are either joined to the Pact, or killed. As far as they should be concerned, they're working for a small time crew doing odd jobs, probably for a bigger organization, but it's nothing for them to think about, and their boss takes orders from above just like them, so they're all in it together.

Those pickpockets that show talent, discretion, intelligence, and above all, trust, are given hints about 'the men upstairs'. They are flattered, rewarded, and given a drop of information that may or may not be true. They can follow it up, or sit on it. That decision doesn't matter. What does matter is their test, where another gang, possibly a Shadowbound, looks to get something out of him. They can do it gently, or they can attempt to force it out of him.

In any case, he comes out of the ordeal changed.

Pickpockets can leave the organization at any time, and unless there's reason to believe they know something, no action is taken.

Made Men have proven their loyalty, and in case they only have implications and theories. Made Men have no threatening information on the Pact. They almost always can leave if it gets too hot, as the Pact doesn't want someone to stay in out of fear of death, only to eventually find their out once they have info that can damage the Pact.

Pactholders are in for life, and made aware of that. They also own the lives of their Men and Pockets. Assaults on them is a property crime against the Pactholder, and restitution must be paid.

Killing a Pactholder without unanimous consent from the rest of the Pact is a personal death warrant. Fights aren't unheard of, but weapons never come out.

Timeline/Historical Events of Note

For years, a bit of a turf war had brewed between the Eboncoin and the Cartel. Their businesses are different--the Eboncoin are secretive Shadow Thieves and assassins, while the Cartel specialize in smuggling. A meeting was finally held, illuminating the idea that their turf could be shared since their businesses rarely overlapped. Bargains were struck and peace came between the two groups, who joined to work together as allies.

Aquor, the home of the Cartel, saw a great many changes with the Bloodmaim invasion, many of the Red Wizards decided with internal politics aflair combined with the very real threat of war on the horizon that their lives and studies were better made elsewhere, and they departed from the country. A handful remained, determined they could stay the tide and remain to profit in the aftermath of the war. Their knights worked in tandem with beasts and summons to hold back the horde, while the remaining red wizards utilized epic spells to bring down Cartel Mountain on the splinter of the main horde that were intent on burning Aquor to the ground.

The Cartel and the Eboncoin had joined the wizards in fighting the Bloodmaim, and were horrified (even for the thieves and murderers that they were) that the mountain had been brought down on the Bloodmaim. Necessary, yes. But ever since, the Eboncoin has remembered the Red Wizards who killed so many of their comrades in the war.

After the war and the taking in of the remaining Cartel, the Eboncoin sought to find a groundside base to call home. Thus far unsuccessful, they have instead taken shelter in the crowded and fiscally bountiful Port Avanthyr.

Leadership/People of Note

The secretive leaders of the Eboncoin remain mostly hidden from the eyes of the public. But those who do deal with the Coin know a few whispered names of their agents, and keep them largely to themselves.