The Shantou Thieves Guild

### The Myth:

In the darkest corners of the port city of Shantou, where evil things slither and horrors await those foolish enough to explore, is the most foul of organizations. With it's blacked tendrils winding into the ears of politicians and the pockets of the town guards, it's influence reaches far and wide, smothering the city and choking it of all it's resources. This band of criminals and outsiders control the city from those darkened shadows, and unite murderer and cut throat under the banner of The Shantou Thieves Guild!

A merry band of clever thieves and dashing rogues, this ancient order of misfits and robbers have claimed the heart of the city in their gloved hands, and hold the fate of the town with a delicate yet sinister grip! With secret rites and forbidden techniques, The Shantou Thieves Guild are the greatest rogues the world has ever seen! Able to walk through solid walls and defeat the most powerful of magical arcane locks. There is nothing that can stop them, nothing that can defeat them, and no one who dares to challenge their hold on the city!

Existing for centuries, the Thieves Guild has been baked into the very landscape of the port city, long before when the land was under different rulers, under a different name. The Shantou Thieves guild has existed long before the city did, and will exist long after the last bricks topple and the city is nothing but a memory.

### The History:

Crime has always been a small but troublesome part of Shantou's history and culture, being a major trading hub people come from all over the world to seek opportunity and riches.. but rarely do these big dreamers succeed in their aspirations. Whether or not a true "Thieves Guild" has ever existed in the streets of Shantou is a mystery, but the rumors of such an organization have always circulated in the zeitgeist of Shantou's culture.

Petty robberies that go unsolved, criminals that go unpunished, or guards that were caught in illegal activity; all of these are at some point blamed on the legend of The Shantou Thieves Guild, evidence of this guild's existence not withstanding.

Though many seemed to believe that The Guild exists, any hard look into the truth would reveal that it is little more then a story, a shared fiction among the impoverished ne'er-do-wells and the innocent victims of unsolved crimes.

### The Reality:

When Abe Stiehl Pry and his sister Elisabeth Pry came to Shantou as children, they searched every street and every corner for the legendary Thieves Guild. In sewers and broken buildings, in high society and working house. After a year of hunting and fighting, begging and interrogation... the two siblings learned the truth; The Shantou Thieves Guild was nothing but a myth.

However, in the face of failure Abe did not give up, and instead proclaimed that he and his sister would create The Thieves Guild! They would build it from scratch and bring the Myth into Reality!

Progress was slow at first, but over time they acquired their first members, trained them in the arts of discretion and espionage, of thieving and trickery. With the help of their newest and most talented member, Pepper, they crafted a creed to follow, rules that bound to each member of the Guild. To protect both the Guild and it's Members, the rules must be followed at all times.

Over the years, The Shantou Thieves Guild has grown to a level to match it's own lore, taking secret contracts and executing its own missions, and leaving a mark on the world that shall never be wiped away!

### The Rules of Membership:

#### 1: Loyalty to the Guild:

* Never compromise the guild, the guild house, or other guild members to any law enforcement or other organizations.
* Protect fellow guild members from harm and arrest.
* Treat fellow guild members with dignity and respect.
* The needs of the guild outweighs the needs of the member, self sacrifice to ensure the safety of the guild will always be honored.

#### 2: Unwanted Attention:

* Avoid exposing yourself as a guild member to outsiders. Wear masks while on the job, never speak about the guild in public, and if arrested or questioned insist that you are a lone individual. Any mention of the guild by an outsider should be met with feigned ignorance.
* Avoid law enforcement though blending into crowds or stealth.
* Avoid killing guards or law enforcement, as this will compromise the safety of the guild.
* Avoid returning to any guild property or territory if law enforcement or rival organizations are in pursuit.

#### 3: Code of Ethics:

* Never shed the blood of an innocent.
* Never steal from the guild or other guild members.
* Never withhold information that would benefit the guild or keep it safe.
* Follow contracts to the letter of the agreement.

#### 4: New Members:

* All new additions of the guild are called "Initiates" and are subject to the The Rules of Membership as well as the following.
* Initiates must be accompanied by a full member chaperone on all missions.
* Initiates must demonstrate that they can contribute to the guild's operations.
* Initiates must behave with decorum around full members of the guild, and should volunteer to assist in any and all tasks they are able.