The Nest

## Overview

The Nest is a semi-secret, growing organization of underground black-market professionals. Based in Westeros, The Nest provides mutual support for the illegal endeavors of its members and clientele. Although often referred to as "The Thieves' Guild", this is a misnomer; the Nest recruits professional criminals with vast and varied skill sets. The guild functions as an independent, self-sufficient entity. Despite this, they are known to accept jobs and bounties from those with coin or favor enough to pay. Little is publicly known about the Nest, particularly its inner workings, but rumours fly as they are wont to do about its existence and the heists and feats it has accomplished.

## Commissioning the Nest

While other methods have been used in the past, the Nest's members have recently made it clear that the only jobs they will accept now are those requested personally to a member of the Nest.

Internally, Ospreys will make their Kites responsible for vetting these tasks and those requesting them. However, personal contact between the requester is done by the Osprey and approval is needed by a Falcon or higher.

All members are encouraged to seek out their own work as long as it doesn't harm the Nest or her members.

## Ranks

1. The Nightingale
2. Owl
	* The Owl's Whisper
	* The Owl's Silence
	* The Owl's Shadow
	* The Owl's Talon
	* The Owl's Wisdom
3. Falcon
4. Osprey
5. Kite
6. Fledgling

### The Nightingale

At the top the hierarchy in the Nest is the Nightingale. Only the Owls communicate to them in an official capacity. However, it is rumored that the Nightingale takes it upon themself to go about the Nest's business in many ways to inspect the organization's, and its members', effectiveness. If the Nightingale passes, the Owl's select a new Nightingale from amongst themselves or from another distinguished individual from within the organization.

Current Nightingale:

* Harrold Pumeric -

### The Owls

Below the Nightingale are the Owls. These are the Nightingale's top officers and often serve as the Nightingale's council. When they are not advising their leader, the Owls are spread out throughout the world to oversee the Nest's operations in a certain region. Each Owl has a specialty that they are valued for and which they utilize in their role for the Nest. Those specialties are described more in detail below.

Current Owls:

* Rosyn Slaller -
* Brienne of Tumbleton -
* Dontar the Merry -
* Jojen Rychfeld -
* Euyns of Braavos -

### The Falcons

Falcons are the higher-ranked members of the Nest who are responsible for certain regions. They have many responsibilities of each area yet are also known to specialize in some area of the Nest's operations. Usually, this depends on their respective region. However, there are some Falcons whose specialty is so unique or well-developed that they are relieved of being in charge of a region and, instead, directly report to an Owl. These Falcons are sometimes considered to be more well-suited for becoming an Owl one day but it is by no means a guarantee.

### The Osprey

An Osprey is a seasoned member of the Nest and are often the owners or purveyors of one of the many establishments that answer to the Nest. Kites become Ospreys after they show a particular affinity for a skill and are able to work on their own with little interference or oversight from their Osprey. In addition to their responsibilities for managing a certain operation within their region, Ospreys also handle the Kites directly under them and perform the initiation process for Fledglings.

### The Kites

All non-seasoned members of the Nest are Kites. Some members of the Nest have been a Kite from the beginning to the end. While the older Kites are looked down upon in part, it's generally considered that those few never moved up for a reason and even they know it. While the Kite still has their own particular skills and will be called upon for that skill by an Osprey or Falcon if needed, they generally work on their own. Rarely, a Kite will continue to work with their former fledglings.

### The Fledglings

New recruits are called Fledglings. These individuals are not full-fledged members but rather prospective members. They do not enjoy all of the privileges of membership but do receive the Nest's protection while they are performing their tasks for enrollment. As a result, Fledglings are looked after closely by their Kites and close bonds are known to form between them.

## Earning Your Feathers

Fledglings are either recruited by Kites or accepted into the Nest after seeking out the task themselves. Upon being accepted as a Fledgling by a Kite, the individual will be put through several tasks to test their skills. These tests are organized by an Osprey and overseen by the Kite. Success of these tests is relative to each Fledgling and can vary wildly depending on a number of factors. However, if the Fledgling performs poorly, then they will be refused entry into the Nest and sworn to silence upon punishment by removal of one's tongue if that silence is broken.

Promotion once within the Nest is organized by the Falcons. It is up to them collectively to decide when an Osprey is prepared for advancement.

## Calling a Meeting

If a member of the Nest wants to interact with another in the organization that they are not privy to contact personally, the member must place a feather in the doorway of an affiliated business. The feather indicates which member they are trying to contact. A pigeon's feather for a kite, a crow's for an Osprey, a falcon's for a Falcon, and an owl's for an owl. At no point should a member seek to meet personally with the Nightingale as they will deem it appropriate to hold meetings with members of the Nest.

Members will also be made aware of a general meeting by a superior.

## Headquarters & Affiliated Businesses

After the Nightingale Inn was burnt down by one of the first religious zealot riots under Marq the Cobbler, the Nest refrained from replacing it as the organization's headquarters. Instead, the many affiliated businesses were always under the expectation that at any time, they would be called on to act as a headquarters for related purposes. Those affiliated businesses are:

## Nest Activities (Branches)

### Branch of Whispers

* **Confidence Games** -- While the details and nature of these change regularly, their foundation remains the same. These are tricks and scams employed by "cons" directed towards the elderly, insecure, paranoid, or ignorant to relieve them of their money by various means.
* **Information Gathering** -- To procurement of knowledge from general to rumoured to sensitive personal information through active spying, the bribery of personnel, or the implementation of a mole.
* **Blackmail** -- The extortion of money from people in exchange for not revealing damaging secrets about them.

### Branch of Silence

* **Assassination** -- The murder of others for political reasons, usually, or in exchange for favors or money.
* **Protection** -- Homeowners or shopkeepers (or both) pay a weekly or monthly fee to prevent their homes, businesses or selves from being destroyed/robbed/beaten up.

### Branch of Shadows

* **Pick-pocketing** -- Generally a crime of "opportunity" to relieve coins or items from a target's person without their notice.
* **Burglary** -- This may range from simple theft of houses or businesses to complex, drawn out heists of castle treasuries or tourney winnings.
* **Fencing of Goods** -- The appraisal and selling of stolen items through a fence.

### Branch of Talons

* **Kidnapping** -- The capture and imprisonment of people for the purpose of exchanging them for ransom or information or other desires.
* **Mugging** -- Generally a crime of "opportunity" to relieve coins or items from a target by use of intimidation and/or force.
* **Smuggling** -- This involves moving illegal goods in or out of population centres or across borders. The goods can be anything that is outlawed, from illicit substances, to stolen goods, to slaves.

### Branch of Wisdom

* **Fraud (Forgery, Counterfeiting)** -- This is an elite activity, undertaken only by those with specialized knowledge. Forgery is the creation of false documents; identification papers, seals and signatures, warrants, or other forms of official papers. Counterfeiting involves the creation of false items, usually artwork, or currency, but can also be used to create false valyrian steel, dragon eggs, or other such commodities.
* **Acquisitions** -- The procurement of suspicious goods (such as lock picks, equipment to arm mercenaries, etc.) through purchase from outside the guild or the creation from guild artisans and craftsmen.
* **Gambling** -- This can take the form of a fixed location, like a gambling den, or street games, like shooting dice in an alley.
* **Alchemy/Poison** -- The creation of illicit potions and poisons.

## Joining the Nest

One does not request admission into the Nest. Rather, established professionals who possess the necessary talent and moral ambiguity may catch the interest and attention of the Nest through word by members in direct or indirect contact with that individual. These individuals are known as **prospectives.**

"A prospective" -- individuals who have caught the attention if the guild and are being followed to assess their value and potential for invitation

Any established member -- from Fledgling to Owl -- can bring an individual to the attention of the Nest. Anyone below the rank of Osprey of below should inform their immediate supervisor, the process of which continues until the relevant Falcon is made aware. That individual will then become a marked target and members of the Nest will be tasked -- by direction of the applicable Falcon -- to observe their actions for a time. This is done in order to assess their prowess, skills, inclinations, etc. to determine the suitability of their candidacy.

Someone deemed adequate will then officially be declared a prospective, silently provided a certain level of protection and perimeter by the Nest in order to conduct their business without interference. Additionally, the Nest will seek to hire the prospective to accomplish jobs and tasks in their area of expertise through the use of middlemen, ignorant of the Nest's involvement. These jobs, of course, are designed to test the prospective's skills, morality, and loyalty. Ideally the prospective will remain unaware of the Nest's involvement, and that their continued commissioning by various patrons remains a normal part of their regular routine and lifestyle.

Eventually, after sufficient evidence and assessment, the prospective will either pass or fail.

If they pass, they will be approached -- or given notification in some manner -- inviting them to a meeting where they will meet with Falcon responsible for their assessment and recruitment, and be offered -- with permission of the presiding Owl -- a position among the ranks of the Nest.

If they fail to meet the requirements, or if they decline the offer to join the Nest...Their fate could be very different. Depending upon their abilities, level of business they reap, how heavily their presence infringes and interferes with Nest business... they could continue to remain a contact and occasional hiree of the Nest, or they may experience any one of the fates described below.

## Nest Revenge

As much as might be desired, it is not always the case that the rules of conduct are followed within the guild. Additionally, it may be possible that a freelance thief, assassin, or other career criminal has deigned to ignore the warnings provided by the Nest to desist activity within their defined territory. In such cases, when an individual crosses a member of the Nest, or the guild itself, there are a number of possible courses of action as described below:

* The offending individual, if they are a career criminal and not currently a member of the guild, may be invited to join in place of receiving a punishment
* The offending individual is to be beaten and let off with a warning (common for first time offenses)
* The offending individual is told to leave the city or face the consequences
* The offending individual may be forgiven if they provide a service for the Nest member (of for the Nest)
* The offending individual is to lose all monetary wealth, either by robbery, pickpocketing, or swindling
* The offending individual is to be severely beaten (to the level of incapacitation, and likely with broken bones)
* The offending individual is to lose one or more prized personal belongings, whether by robbery or swindle
* A gang of street toughs is to be hired to beat up or kill the offending individual
* The offending individual is framed for a crime
* The offending individual is to be drugged and either shanghaied or sold into slavery
* An assassin is either hired from outside the guild, or assigned from within the guild, to kill the offending individual
* The offending individual is framed for a crime and corrupt members of the court bribed to find the individual guilty and sent either to the Wall, or to the Black Cells to rot
* The offending individual is to be killed slowly and painfully
* The offending individual is to be killed slowly and painfully, but only after witnessing the same fate for all members of their immediate family