Undercity

**Major Landmarks:** The Rookery, Calendar Vault, Temple Mile

The ancient ruins of the old city of Texcutlan still lie buried beneath the Colonia Antigua of modern day Santa Corazon de Najalisco. For hundreds of years, the residents along the shores of the Altlatoani had been delving into the Undercity to build a series of ancient vaults and temples to gods and spirits properly served int the earthen hollows. Because of their secluded nature, many *primeros* were still able to practice within these secluded temples. Seeing these practices as heretical, Orono forces marched into Texcultan's underbelly in the early 1020s, and detonated large portions of the support for the caves and the largely indigenous portions of the city. This cave-in cut off large portions of the city, preserving them in the Undercity. Some say, the Oronos murder of innocents in such an important place cursed the Undercity, and gave it a beating heart of pain, the old city of Texcutlan.

In a more modern sense, the old city sits as a neutral place between the mafias, existing as a no man's land where they can pass through freely.

### Cavernas Herrera

**Dominant Mafia:** ~~Nocturne Order~~

**Major Landmarks:** The Dining Hall, Hellmuth Fortress, Processing Station 05

Naturally occurring limestone caves spreading east from the ruins of Texcutlan, the Cavernas Herrera have been used for over a century as trafficking tunnels by the once monolithic Herrera Mafia, a criminal empire the ruled the city before the Civil War. The old caverns house a variety of subterranean creatures and unique cave structures; however, much of the more stellar natural features of the region have been chased out by the regions previous occupants. The Herreras built a series of forts and chapels and roads through the underground region, to better protect their business. After the war collapsed said business, the Nocturne Order moved in before themselves collapsing under the pressure of in-fighting when most of their upper management within the city was killed or captured after the events of **Book One : Birdsong**. Now the region is a warzone between the remaining mafias, all trying to seize the strategically important region for themselves.

### La Abertura

**Dominant Mafia:** Nocturne Order

**Major Landmarks:** Fiend's River, Crystal Chapel, Charon's Palace

The Abertura is the deepest portion of the Undercity, a realm of lava tubes and molten lakes. It's caves are diverse and varied with large crystal columns and wide rivers of liquid stone. Originally the seat of power of the Herreras, the Nocturne Order took the region as their own stronghold to connect between the outside world and the Undercity. While the Crystal Chapel and the Hellmuth Fortress fell under siege during the events of the **Book One : Birdsong**, the Nocturne Order presence remains in the area, although they are splintered into factions all claiming to inherit the powers and duties of the Sword, unable to maintain their borders.

## Mafias of the Undercity

### The Angels

The Angels are a gang that operates within the Undercity, sprawling from under Santa Corazon to areas beneath the small town of Flores. After the Nocturne Order was split apart in **Book I: Birdsong,** the Angels have been moving to seize control of the power vacuum left by their absence in the Undercity.

Members of this gang are identified primarily with an article of clothing that is bright red; Luis was able to pass as a member for a short time by wearing a red scarf. Those who volunteered to fight Husks wear all white suits with red wings emblazoned on the back.

The gang seems to consider themselves doers of good and contributors to their community; they are quick to give money and resources to outsiders, though perhaps in an effort to get them to keep their mouths closed. Despite this, Johnny claimed to be "more afraid of his boss" than Luc, who broke his nose.

Like most gangs, the Angels deal in drugs as well as armaments. They are the major producers of Activated Ichor and Sorcerer's Flesh, as they have an "extraction process" that allows them to remove the blood of people with naturally ichorized blood. Lucy claimed that only one in ten people are killed for their blood, if they happen to be too dangerous to be left alive, while others survive. He said that most are asked for their blood and are paid for it. Daia upheld the claim that most people are not killed in the process of making Activated Ichor, though she admitted she has never seen an extraction and does not intend to join production. Sinola mentioned that the Angels have "sorcerer farms" and are fond of taking people of infernal, celestial, or fey descent for the ichor in their blood.

The Angels have a strange hierarchy where figures called the *Doctors* are something to be revered; from observation, they are practitioners of Blood Magic. Doctors wear garb that covers them from head to toe in black and conceal their face with a long, beak-like mask resembling a corvid. These individuals are usually accompanied by a large group of heavily armed Angels.

* The Doctor that Perry and Luc met had a strong personality dripping with sympathy and understanding. Their movements were exaggerated, making up for the lack of visible expressions. Though they had no real credentials as a MD from any kind of institution, they highly value preventing the spread of disease and healing people to the best of their abilities (of note, however, they would kill someone infected to prevent the spread of disease), and even claimed to have "signed the Hippocratic Oath." Though their actual surgical methods are horrific (Perry's chest was opened by a scythe during surgery), this Doctor managed to perform a solo open-heart surgery on Perry, removing the majority of the corn rot infecting her cardiovascular system.

**Known Members of the Angels Gang**

* Lucy — Works in the van alongside Daia, was friendly to Luis and gave him a tour of their facility.
* Johnny — Perry's (former?) drug dealer, considers Luc "Shadow Cowboy" Lonetree unto a god.
* Daia Palomo Rosales — After being invited to Santa Corazon by Perry, she was denied by every job application until she found the Angels.