Calaban City

## General Information

**Approximate Population:** 500,000

**Founding Year:** 901

**Ruler/Lord:** Emperor Calaban

**Faction Loyalty:** The Calbanian Empire

## Overview

Calaban City is the largest trade hub in the Calbanian Empire. It features a wealth of fertile land and readily available mineral and metal resources. As such crime is exceptionally lucrative in a city where guardsmen are often found short handed after a dagger in the dark or a poison slipped into someone's meal. This city is home to two distinct underground factions; the Assassin's Guild and the Thieves' Guild. The Assassin's Guild is commonly hired by high ranking members of Calbanian society to ferret out political opponents and silence them when possible. They are also hired to run smear campaigns, distribute propaganda and to take on extremely dangerous monsters normal adventurers could not. The Thieves' Guild however serves a very important task; namely acquiring that which cannot be bought. They have a strict "no killing" code when it comes to people and it extends to sapient monsters (goblins, kobolds, etc) as well. Unlike the Assassin's Guild which does not care if their members are seen, so long as the job gets done and cannot be traced back to them, the Thieves' Guild immediately burns anyone who is caught performing their duties. Both of these groups routinely smuggle in contraband from other continents including people. Likewise they are willing to smuggle goods and people away from the continent for the right price.

## The Assassin's Guild

The Assassin's Guild headquarters is located beneath Calaban City and requires a passphrase to be known to enter the upper layers. That password is a closely guarded secret and is not spoken but instead written on the door which absorbs the ink almost instantly after. They use weapons which store the souls of their enemies which they use for currency to trade for weapons and items with the Guild's patron. Even they themselves do not know the identity of said patron.

Little else is known about the Assassin's Guild though the entrance was once raided by the Holy League though their assault failed. Unfortunately no member of the assault team, which acted without orders as Holy Mother Vesta had already been slain, had shared the password with anyone else and thus subsequent assaults failed. The Assassins inside never use the door as they appear to have alternative means of entering and leaving the facility.

What is known is that every member of the Assassin's Guild makes a solemn oath with a demon in order to enter; binding them to the Guild by their very souls. Those that they kill cannot be resurrected and instead their souls are sent to a demon whom they make their oath with. Members of this guild are often exceptionally powerful individuals with many connections and more often that not exceptionally well made gear. To date, only two Assassins have ever failed their mission and those two did so by dying. Their companions, however, were able to finish the mission in their stead; the assassination of Wala of Ethernos.

## The Thieves' Guild

The Thieves' Guild, as far as Calaban City is concerned, doesn't operate within the borders of the city. In reality their presence permeates the lower and poorer districts. There is little honor among these thieves though they have a code of conduct; primarily revolving around not killing in order to maximize profits and of course not stealing from other members of the guild.

Their influence is incredible and many wealthy merchants will even pay the guild to test their security; though they do so through proxies and arbitrators rather than dealing with the guild directly. Those who act as such middle-men for the guild do so with the understanding that should they be captured the guild will have them murdered before they can be found if they cannot be extracted. Thankfully, at least for them, most members who undertake these assignments are exceptionally well skilled already with many redundant layers of security in their methods that ensure capturing or even questioning them is nearly impossible. While it slows business down it also keeps the guild safe from prying eyes who would otherwise scry upon them or otherwise do them in.

Primarily the guild focuses on moving contraband in and out of Calaban City; people and goods alike. They less commonly deal in slaves as it is exceptionally hard to hide such practices in Libertatem however they do also rarely do any actual theft. What the guild specializes in, however, is information. Most nobles and other such influential people will contact the guild to find information for political uses against opponents.