The Eastern Thieves' Guild

**The Thieves’ Guild: A History**

*By Jonathan Martin & Chris Boggs*

*The Eastern Thieves’ Guild* is a member of the
hierarchy which makes up the Iron Realm’s less than savory population. The One
True Guild spoke for all of the criminal enterprises within the Realm.  If there was a vice, the One True Guild had
its many tendrils wrapped around it. From graft to smuggling; prostitution to
drugs; grand theft to political assassination… The Guild had a hand in all. But
we’re putting the horse before the cart. Let’s back up a bit.

As the Iron Realm grew, so did the One True Guild. So much
so, that the One True Guild began spreading out across the continent, resulting
in an uncontrollable mass. This caused The First Schism. *The Assassin’s*
Guild *split amicably, paying tribute to the Thieves’ Guild as they made*
their way out into the Realm.

Two hundred and fifty years later, a larger and less
amicable schism (The Black Schism, as it is now known) saw the splitting
of the very large One True Guild into three separate factions. **The Thieves’**
Guild **(now called the** Eastern Thieves’ Guild**),** the Society of
Shadows**, and** the Imperium Fellowship**.**

Through internal strife and bloodshed, it was finally agreed
that as the One True Guild split*, the Thieves’ Guild (ETG)*, would remain
in the Kingdom of Ethukoth. All activities to the North and East of the
Dragon Mountains, would belong to the ETG. It’s base of operations resides
within “One Third”, an undermountian portion of the city of HyWin Keep.

*The Society of Shadows* was forcibly removed from
their base of operations in Ethukoth, when it was discovered that they were
trying to force the hands with political plots to their favor. The Society of
Shadows moved to the Kingdom of Afaumeth (also known as the Kingdom of the Five
Baronies). Afaumeth makes up the portion of the continent West of the Dragon
Mountains. The Society of Shadows sends very little in tribute to the Guild
Master each year. They find it offensive to give what they have taken, to
another organization.

*The Imperium Fellowship*, after years of fighting with
the One True Guild’s ruling class over procedure, chose to leave. They traveled
over the Dragon Mountains and set up their operations in the Kingdom of
Asterag. The Imperium Fellowship sends tribute to the Guild Master at the
beginning of each year, but otherwise, they remain cloistered and reclusive,
having resorted to more peaceful means of subterfuge within the peaceful
subjects of Asterag. The Kingdom itself is resides in the extreme South of the
continent surrounded by the Dragon Mountains to the North and the sea to the
south.

Overtime, other factions like *the Brotherhood of*
Mercenaries*, have left the all-encompassing One True Guild to form their*
own. Each faction pays tribute at the beginning of the year in order to keep
themselves in good standing.

As it stands, the traditions of the One True Guild, remains
entrenched within the three continental Guilds.

### **Structure of the Guilds:**

*(All three guilds had the same inner structure with*
little variations to meet the needs of their respective regions)

**Mistress/Master**

**Lieutenant          Lieutenant          Lieutenant          Lieutenant          Lieutenant**
(Mage)                 (Knight)                (Pirate)                 (Whisperer)       (Priest)

**Enforcers**
(multiples)

**Copas**
(Regional Bosses)

**Locals**
(Bosses)

**Second String**
Boys/Girls

**Muscle**

**Initiates**

**Mistress/Master:** The head of the Guild.  Each Guild has one.

The ETG’s current Mistress is Scarlet. Formerly a Boss in
HyWin, she can be described as tall, with curly brunette hair. She’s a half-elf
with a slight scar on her left hand. She started as a smuggler and as a
prostitute, who worked her way up through the Guild ranks under the previous
mistress, Starlight. She was a secret enforcer, aptly named “Ruby” for the
firelight that shown in her eyes. Due to an odd break in history, she skipped
the rank of Lieutenant straight to Mistress. She orchestrated the fight against
the Left Thumb; an upstart guild that would not follow the established rule.
Many thieves were killed. No quarter was entertained or given. After the
“Little Cou”, as it became known, the Lieutenants and Enforcers supported the
full authority of Mistress Scarlett, and the ETG entered a time of extreme
prosperity under her rule. At least that was until *The Silk Poaching*
incident.

**Lieutenant:** A group of individuals, who act as the
face of the guild and who ensure activities do not directly effect the guild to
the point of another schism or dismantling of the entire Guild will take place.
Lieutenants are often the “The Hand” of the Mistress, and travel out of HyWin
Keep, except for the Mage and Knight, who focus on protecting the Mistress and
the inner Guild. Each Lieutenant wears a mask which hides their height, gender
and race. The Mage (typically a male) keeps his appearance, i.e. height, age,
skin and hair color constantly changing. His purple eyes are the only constant
feature.

*The five Lieutenants are:*               Mage    Knight   Pirate    Whisperer    Priest

\*The Mage’s duties keep him/her to the Guild’s facilities as
overseer. The Mage is known to be a Wizard. The other four Lieutenants are sent
off to work within the territory controlled by the Guild.

\*Rumor: Each titled Lieutenant originally had a meaning
regarding the overall skill of that individual, (i.e. Mage could perform Magic,
Knight was trained in Combat, etc.) Each of the five Lieutenants has actually been
trained in all of other Lieutenants areas of expertise. “When one falls…
another rises to take place.” (Enchantment Wizard, Cleric of Trickery,
Battlemaster Fighter, Assassin Rouge, Swashbuckling Ranger)

**Enforcers:** A secret group of individuals that are
spread throughout the Guild. They could be a new recruit or a hardened Boss.
Their main occupation is to act as spies for the Master or Mistress. Though an
Enforcer may be born with a name, they are given another upon completing their
training. They are named after gemstones. Only the Mistress/Master and the Lieutenants
know their secret identities and refer to them by their gemstone name. They
carry a gem that allows connection with the Mistress that is embedded on the
side of their left arm, hidden by magic. A simple tap activates a scoring spell
that sends an image and sound to the Mage and Mistress. It is a high honor to
become an Enforcer.

**Gemstones:**

                                Quartz                  Ruby                      Sapphire              **Onyx \*** Emerald               Diamond              Citrine                   Moonstone Opal

\*Current order’s gemstone leader is
*Onyx, the Dark Enforcer.*

Regional Bosses **(Copas)** and Locals **(Bosses)**
carry the power over localized pursuits. They are forbidden from dealing with
local authorities and law enforcement. That duty is left to the Guild’s
Lieutenants.

**Copas:** Regional Bosses, who oversee the townships and
hamlets in their designated area.

**Locals:** The head of a branch of the guild in a city,
township, hamlet, etc. Placed there by the Regional Copas or a Lieutenant, they
are the decision makers and can enforce discipline on a local level. It is the
highest rank the most guild members will have contact on a daily/weekly basis.
The Boss is the face of the Guild.

**Second String Boys/Girls:** Burglars and thieves who
work higher end jobs. They have no set quota to reach, having successfully made
their bones and moved up the ranks.

**Muscle:** Bouncers, Protectors, Collectors of debt.
These marked individuals have not made their bones and therefore are not
trusted. If the authorities raid the local Boss, the Muscle are the ones who
take the fall and will hang or lose a limb for the Guild.

**Initiates:** Pick pockets, shysters, low life’s and
those desperate enough to try and make ends meet but end up joining the Guild
in hopes of changing their course in life. Many are street urchins, the
children of prostitutes, orphans and slaves.

***The Silk Poaching: A Story of Betrayal***

An upstart, low level, muscle who had not completed his
introductory recruitment into the ETG, escaped HyWin Keep with twelve girls,
his pockets and bags filled with five thousand gold pieces. Rumor spread far
and wide that he’d made off on horseback with enough supplies for himself and
the girls, but not without shedding the blood of three faithful members of the
guild. One of those faithful, it appears, was the cousin of the local Boss.
This bandit disappeared without a trace. The grapevine spread the Mistress’
command that this brash upstart would face retribution, if for no other reason
than the Guild must save face.