Al-Marfod Mufa

The Marfod Mufa is an organized crime syndicate operated by members of the international Hamalfite diaspora community and the network of gangs - or Mahya (pl. Mahyid) - active in the Hisuuani Caliphate. The loose organization is operable where large active communities of Hamalfites reside or where governance may already be meek. Considered anti-authoritarian - and some might say anti-ideological - they have become something that exists outside the written formalities and rhetoric of political and diplomatic arbitration.
The Marfod Mufa deals primarily in the realm of protection racketeering, arbitrating criminal disputes, provide underground protections from the law, and the oversight of illegal activity. In addition they are responsible for the practice of underground illegal gambling (strictly illegal in their homeland), the trade of opioids, human trafficking, loan-sharking, and fraud.
== Eytomology ==
The name of the organization in Hamalfite means "The Cave of Protection". The name being in a way a reference to the functionality of caves the early variations of the group made use of. Originally a loose guild of armed marines and bards for merchant ships, the Marfod Mufa plied their services for the protection and the entertainment of sailors on long voyages. In the event they needed to take shelter from storms coastal caves may have often been sought out, or shielded bays for the galleys to rest in. These in turn being coined as Marfod Mufa as well.
== History ==
The Marfod Mufa trace their origins to a legacy of protection and of music. The group in its ancient and even modern forms are often considered followers of the traditional folk cults of Octaf and Deja. The course of Hamalfite history traces as well the development of the organization as a slow organic reaction to societal and political changes.
The role of armed men and warrior-bards is long in the history of the Hamal i-Shea. Most often when sailing far or into dangerous waters the services of men skilled in song and in sword were valuable to help in maintaining a rhythm for the ship and to help in its defense when confronted with hostility. Most often these individuals were paid on contracts for single voyages.
With the centralization of Hamalfite rule and unity being achieved under Mombadin and his successors so to did the exploratory efforts of the Hamal i-shea tribes men to expand their fishing and commercial reaches under continuous order of the Caliphs after. The expansion of Hamalfite trade exploration often in turn lead to the creation of distant trade posts, themselves inhabited by a diaspora community of Hamalfites.
The existence of these communities provided an avenue of service for the mercenary musicians. The loose associations of these individuals at large turned into a tighter knit guild who provided protection for a compensating sum. Many of these adventures were honest in their heart and activity. Where as the more active and often more violent groups engaged in forcing the funds from the trading posts through violence and force, attacking the posts themselves under a false flag to return again citing the dangers posed.
The conditions in these trade posts were often ill boding for residents as there was a lack of actual security representation by the Trade Families at home or even the Caliphate itself. Reliance was instead placed on the Marfod Mufa to protect the Hamalfite communities.
The Marfod Mufa as well presided over the trade dealings between merchants and non-Hamalfite groups, acting as a security force and a third party to maintain the dealings. Often passing themselves into the arbitration on the protection influence they had these abusive groups further their wealth and their power by directing the process of mercantilism to their favor and steering the flow of resources through them before meeting their ultimate intended buyer.
By the time the Caliphate managed to enforce authority upon them the Mahyid were more than capable to evade capture and continue their activities.
=== Modern ===
The modern Marfod Mufa was organized by five different individuals across several years. The first Mahya chieftain to proclaim power being Sidi ibn-Rhamid (4285) followed in turn by Abu ibn-Abuid (4287), Safman (4292), Sulman (4293), and finally Maumud (4295). The five elders - later referred to as the Facet of Five - represented a gradual shift of small-bands and rogue individuals into a central underground structure. The five chieftains began open feuding with on another, ordering their followers on each other. The open gang warfare drew in the attention of the Caliph.
The interference by the central crown sparked a shift to the anti-authoritarian with the scourging of the men's followers from the street to be rounded up, castrated, and enslaved. The violent and organized retaliation against them did however draw the five into a peace to evade capture themselves and to allow themselves time to flea into the desert where they formed the code of silence that they still operate under.
The suppression of their activities was also in part successful at neutralizing the threat at home for a time. With a manhunt against them they retreated in part beyond Hamalfite waters and land and operated outside of the Caliph's physical reach for a time.
==== Return to Haison ====
The modern Marfod Mufa's return to their home was slow. Though they still maintained connections the interest in oppressing them by the Caliphate was still powerful enough that it demanded care. But through the reign of Omar abd-al-Amir and into the Safferid they made their returning emigration, bringing with them contraband from afar.
The Marfod Mufa experienced a renaissance in the late Safferid with the import of women from afar their own private slavers captured. Operating outside the legal edicts and laws they took whomever they could find and brought them back home. Submission was enforced through drugging and the well-armed brothels they maintained in Haison's underground or in the desert at night. This surge in commercial ability slowly forced many smaller brothels out of existence until they had a monopoly on the sex and opium trade.
A second renaissance was experienced during the reign of Yahya ibn-Khodor al-Michindi during the swell of arrivals from the Voldranians providing ample foreign black markets to instigate and occupy around the region, revitalizing their efforts to grow. It also brought with it additional foreigner-related violence on the night docks of Haison.
Category:New Voldrania Category:Haisonuuna Category:Organizations