The Chorong Thieves' Guild

Legitimate Businesspeople Wanted

The Chorong is one of the many lesser guilds in Corovon, and it eagerly seeks to change that position in society through illicit means.

## History

The Thieves' Guild was created not long after the Companions had managed to create stability in the forming town of Corovon. While most saw the need to step up and fulfill a much needed role in society, a wicked few saw the forming cracks in a brand new society and decided to hide away within them so that they could take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. Other organizations were forming to propagate trade, learning, and order. The Chorong was ready to sweep up the crumbs they dropped as they crafted their brand new systems.

Like in most places, thievery was something all of the good citizens of Corovon frowned upon most highly. The Chorong underestimated just how swiftly and effectively their actions would be cracked down on, themselves leaving their own openings in the improvised structure of their guild. Lead by the Companions, the people of Corovon downright crushed the infantile thieves' guild into the dust, scattering their members and arresting or slaying most of their leadership. They had reached too far, too quickly, and they paid the price for it.

Fast forward to a few years before the present day, there had been many minor gangs or groups that gained infamy for a short time for their illegal exploits, but none had quite garnered the reach or power of the Chorong. It was a certain Tiefling named Uqion Yujin that happened upon one of their few undiscovered safe houses, full of ledgers of their actions and encoded messages between their members, and a detailed record of every mistake they had made as they were hunted to extinction. The dusty, cobweb strewn room was full of the examples of what a real thieves' guild could accomplish. He was struck with inspiration, the foul blood in his veins pumping faster in excitement at the prospects of what he had uncovered. Spending a great deal of time and effort deciphering the secret codes, locating their other remaining safe houses in a discrete matter, and creating a framework based on their experience.

He slowly gained allies in the effort of reviving the lost guild, those of a similar mind who wanted to use their ill-gotten skills for their benefit with the safety of a solid organization at their back, a proper contract to guarantee their share in the profits, and the freedom to use the guild's resources to pursue their own goals. A balance was struck between the needs of the individuals and the needs of the group, and that balance was protected with religious fervor. The guild would allow anyone to join if they could prove their skills, but they kept people by a mixture of loyalty, written promise, and the threat of what would happen to them should they ever try to betray the Chorong. They were building, growing, and ever greedy for more and more of everything the flourishing city had to offer.

## Code of Conduct

While certainly a nefarious organization of criminals by nature, the guild would also like to continue existing, and so they encourage members to adhere to a code of conduct. It is a set of guidelines more than rules, but they are tempered by time and experience to increase the chances of not being hunted down again, and decrease the chances of losing members needlessly. They are short, simple, and if followed, tend to improve a person's experience within the Chorong.

1. Stay alive, stay free.
2. Keep the Chorong safe.
3. Get the job done.
4. Do what's needed to be done for the contract.
5. Do nothing that isn't.
6. Cover your tracks.
7. Pay your dues.

## Organization

The structure of the Thieves' Guild is rigid and fluid at the same time as members earn the rights to greater authority and access to resources, or lose their influence from inactivity and failure. Promotions come by consistently completing difficult contracts or gathering greater resources for the guild, and are given by a council of the leadership every month. Demotions can be acquired far more quickly by ruining a contract, or getting caught and drawing unwanted attention to the guild. The majority of the titles of each rank are generic, so generic that they can be said freely in public and no officer of the law would bat an eye.

* **Master:** The unequivocal leader of the guild, the Master is Uqion Yujin, and he isn't interested in losing the title any time soon. He works tirelessly to maintain the safety of the guild, misleading those who start sniffing around too close the truth, searching for new talent to sign on, and keeping conflicts between members civil enough to not cripple the guild.
* **Overseer:** These members have proven themselves time and time again to be trustworthy, efficient, and capable of leading others. They are only below the Master in authority, capable of commanding groups for larger contracts, and listened to by everyone else in the guild either by choice out of respect and admiration, or because of fear. The council that awards promotions is comprised of these members.
* **Mentor:** These members are well experienced, having spent a great deal of time earning coin illicitly and not getting caught doing it. They are the leaders sent on larger contracts, and make sure their junior members don't get themselves killed or worse while out in the field. They are responsible for sharing their skills, training those less experienced in how best to succeed in their secret way of life.
* **Expert:** These members have gone on their fair share of contracts, and are respected enough to be members of elite teams. They tend to be masters of their particular craft, and have used their thoroughly field tested skills to great advantage for themselves and the guild.
* **Tradesman:** This rank denotes that a member has completed their required period of being watched by Mentors during their contracts, real thieves in their own right, and capable of holding their own in the field. It is at this point a person is truly considered a real member of the guild, and awarded the resources and respect that accomplishment deserves.
* **Novice:** This rank means that a person has passed their initiation tests, completing a certain contract or acquiring a certain level of verifiable skill in a relevant area. These members are given their own private area within the guild's safe houses to call their own, and are able to start becoming involved in the underbelly of the city.
* **Initiate:** These are people who have garnered the interest of Uqion, or have managed to make contact with the Chorong themselves and requested membership. After having their background thoroughly rifled through by guild leadership, they have been accepted into the initiation process, and are soon put through a series of trials to complete a difficult task that would demonstrate their ability to function in the field.

## Learning of the Chorong

Most people in the city of Corovon have possibly heard of something called the Chorong...or the Chrong, or the Chowrang, or the Churng. The reports are conflicting, and it's mostly urban legend. However, those more determined to dig through the mud to unearth secrets can find out more, either by asking around or staking out neighborhoods. However, the most common way someone learns of the Chorong is when they find themselves approached by a hooded figure with piercing yellow eyes who talks to them about their recent criminal activities that they got away with, and offers to introduce them to a group of people with similar proclivities. (Finding individual PC members will have different numbers depending on their rank and their own ability to conceal their location or existence.)

 The Chorong is active, and recruitment efforts are known to be made towards those who get away with crimes
 The leader's name is Uqion Yujin, though little else is known about him beyond his relationship with the Chorong
 A location of a lower ranking guild member has been discovered
 A guild workplace can be found at a certain location
 A guild safehouse where the members live can be found at a certain location
 A member of guild leadership has been located
 The Master himself can be found