Court of Miracles

The Gallian capital of Per-Ys teams with beggarfolk of all stripes. The blind, the lame, the mad and the plagued all ply their pitious trade in the dirty streets and dark alleyways of the city. But at night, they return to their hovels, their infirmities vanishing with the toll of the the Dark Hour . Truly then, this must be a Court of Miracles.

Structure

Most large cities in Northern Kornôgel have at least one "Court of Miracles" within their environs, impoverished slums outside of the regularly enforced authority of the Sovereign, serving as the semi-permanent hub of a given regions beggar and indigent population. These hotbeds of criminal activity provide the logistical support for sophisticated networks of illegal enterprise, taking on an almost ritualistic and administrative significance.

The Argot

The Argot, named after a popular thieves cant spoken from Samarobriva to Asturias, is a loose network of interconnected criminal activity, an organized enterprise both of noteworthy individuals and larger syndicates. The Argot is not, strictly speaking, a discrete organization, but is rather a commonly held culture and complex series of agreements, debts, territories and ritual. The Courts of Miracles serve as the spiritual and logistical centre of these loose knit understandings.

At the center of the Argo is The Great Coësre, also known as the King of Sol or the Beggar King. From the Stronghold of Alby in the Gallian Capital of Per-Ys, the Great Coësre exerts a powerful spiritual influence over the argot, with their power felt in the criminal world as much as the King of Gallia is felt in the political one. While yielding little direct power, the Great Coësre's influence and sway cannot be understated. Technically an elected position and the receiver of the tributes of every noteworthy criminal enterprise within their domain, the position has taken on an almost spiritual reverence and mythological mystique, with conspiracies abounding as to the holder's identity and powers.

The regional lieutenants of the Great Coësre are the Cagous, regional kingpins who control large swaths of territory. These oversee the operation of the Court of Miracles, serving the role of the ceremonial and administrative head of the gatherings. As the Great Coësre is the King of Sol, the cagous are often derisively called the Dukes of Derniers. They are primarily responsible for the oversight of a regions beggars, the recruitment and training of thieves, and the flow of tribute from their subjects to the Great Coësre. They are often powerful within their spheres and may extert a great deal of influence, but few can match the mystique of the Great Coësre.

Below the Cagous are the archsuppots. Often disgraced students, similherez and other educated individuals, they serve as scholars, administrators, advisors and keepers of ways for the Court of Miracles. They are also responsible for the maintenance and spread of the argot language. They have the distinction of being the only members of the Courts who do not pay tribute.

Millards- Responsible for the theft of provisions. They were the providers of society and quartermasters of the Courts

The Ragot - The "Gossip". A specific position responsible for both communication among the various factions and misinformation towards outsiders.

Other positions within the Court are divided based on the specialty of the thief or beggar in question. These rarely hold special privileges in the argot, but may within a specific Court of Miracles. Oftentimes, these rise and fall in influence in a mocking parody of the courts of the nobility, with nonsensical roles and titles given out regularly. Examples include:

Capons - Thieves responsible for begging in cabarets and in public and gathering places, they encouraged passers-by to play alongside a few comrades to whom they served as accomplices

Courtauds de Boutange - Beggars who only had the right to beg during Winterrule;

Drilles - False soldiers simulating mutilations received in the service of the Crown.

Malingreux - Those who feign illness

Marcandiers - False merchants claiming to be ruined by war, fire and other calamities. Often work in pairs

Marfaux - Pimps

Markiz - Prostitutes

Orphelins - Light clad young children, responsible for appearing frozen and trembling with the cold, even in summer

Piètres - False Cripples

Polissons - Juvenile Delinquents and general use muscle.

Rifodés - False victims of lightning strikes

Sabouleux - False patients feigning epileptic fits, using a bit of soap to cause foaming of the mouth

Scissorboys - Cutpurses

The Master's Test

Like the Craftsmen Guilds, the Courts are divided into apprentices, journeymen and masters. In a twisted mockery of the challenge of the Masterpiece in trade guilds, a thief likewise had to produce two "masterworks" to ascend the ranks. In the example of a cutpurse, for example requires two tests of skill:

A well tied rope hanging a purse and bells is suspended in the center of the room. The would be thief must climb the rope and cut the purse free without ringing any of the bells.

The thief is then led to a public place, and commanded to make a simple theft. Upon doing so, they are outed to the crowd and must escape. Often, during the commotion, the companions steal from the riled mob. The principle thief is judged by their escape and this subsequent haul.

similar easy to steal, they command her to make this theft in their presence and in full view of everyone. As soon as he has left, they say to passers-by,

Notable Courts

Per-Ys

While most large cities possess at least one Court of Miracles, the bustling metropolis of Per-Ys has a dozen, spread across the city as poor peasants flock to the capital.

The Stronghold - The Stronghold, also called the Stronghold of Alby or the Grand Court of Miracles, is the largest and most powerful court, controlling the market district of Les Halles and the nearby cemetary. It is said the King of Sol holds court here.

The Gentian Court - Located in Per-Ys on the Rue des Coquilles in the Marais, a swampy district on the Northern Bank of the River, the Court is named for the azure flowers that grow in and around a ruined church that serves as the center of the Court. It is the original home of the Coquillard.

Montang - Home of the Chat Noir, an underground complex of flophouses, gambling dens and watering holes, the first recorded Paolig Clowder.

Rock's Hill - A tumulus on the outskirts of Per-Ys, used for capital punishment.

Naoned

The House of Pride

Culture

During the day, beggars and thieves falsifying a variety of ailments and infirmities ply their craft in the city, then return at night to be "cured" of their blindness, deafness, sickness and other infirmities. While many indigent populations do in-fact have these conditions, a sizable minority associated with the thieves guilds and criminal syndicates, such as The Coquillard and The Malandrins fake these conditions as part of sophisticated networks to increase their own revenue in the lucrative underground market.

Controlled Territories

• The House of Pride