The Roost

The sigil of The Roost, showing a stylized bird head and beak. Several variants exist.

### Main Figures

Council of Crows, Archcrow

*"These birds take wing during the night, their ambition to fly higher than all the other rats in the gutter."* — a Thief.

The precise point of emergence of the criminal organization known as '**The Roost'** or sometimes **'The Flock'** is lost to the years, but it is said to have formed sometime around the height of the Defias Brotherhood, when the Kingdom of Stormwind was at its weakest, but different sources vary greatly **from 10 to 24 ADP.**

The primary focus of this organization initially centered around the organization of **theft and burglary,** but it expanded into many different branches of criminal enterprise during its more successful era.

## History

The group of thieves began humbly, with only a handful of members initially during its formative years, but saw **steady increase in membership** and activity up **until the year 30 ADP,** counting as many as fifty members and many hundred more associates.

Starting around 31 ADP, however, the **Kingdom of Stormwind** turned more attention to internal affairs, and cracked down on organized crime with subsequent raids. The influence of the Roost began to diminish and their more public operations came to a halt. Monetary means and membership dwindled, which ultimately **forced the group to relocate** into the Underbelly of Stormwind **by the year 32 ADP.**

The organization continued to orchestrate organized crime from the shadows during this time, but the ongoing decline continued, until eventually, one of the head figures was **captured by the crown.** The remaining thieves scattered and went into hiding, fearing that their identity might be compromised. This allegedly marked the end of the Roost.

## Hierarchy

The Roost saw several forms of leadership through the years. During the early days, thieves were equal in most regard, and each voice was heard equally. However, when numbers grew this proved no longer feasible, and thus a more rigid hierarchy formed. During its height, the Roost was led by a so called **'Council of Ravens',** in which the senior members of the organization managed operations.

The **Council Of Ravens** remained as governing body for a while, but eventually surrendered power to a singular figurehead who went by the title of **'Archraven',** possibly referencing other prominent leader titles such as Archmage. This figurehead in turn was **elected** by the council.

As the Roost began to decline and went into hiding, the council eroded away, leaving the entirety of the group under the wing of **a single Archraven.**

## Titles

Following the naming conventions of the leadership, the core of the thieves too are often named after **various birds.** It is said that this tradition came into being very early on, derived from various nicknames to keep the true identity of the thieves as secret as possible. In turn these names inspired the overarching term of 'Roost'.

There is a large variety of bird monikers that have allegedly been in use over the years, often granting further insight into the specialization as well. Thus a thief known for stealing might be dubbed **'Magpie',** whereas an informant might be called **'Sparrow'** or a particularly crafty individual could be called a **'Crow'.** To further distinguish between monikers, adjectives were commonly added, which resulted in names such as **'Little Magpie**' or **'Red Sparrow'.**

## Crowmarks

**Crowmarks,** also know as **Birdmarks,** is the name for a collection of meta symbols, that, when combined, can create entirely different meanings. This code was employed by thieves of the Roost to convey **secret messages** to other members, or to mark noteworthy places in a subtle manner.

## Codex

To maintain order among within their own ranks, each thief agrees to follow a **set of rules** that was established very early during the formation of the Roost. Despite some minor changes over the years, it remained largely unchanged throughout the organization's existence, which were as follows:

* I. Refrain from violent crime.
* II. Do not commit crimes against fellow thieves.
* III. Do not take from the poor, for they are our eyes and ears.

## Noticeable Thieves

Some Worgen named Coppers

[More to be added soon.]