The Thorn Syndicate

The Thorn Syndicate is something many others may refer to as a ruling crime family, or the heads of the local underworld, and while this may be true it is a gross simplification of who they are. They are made up of the cursed and the outcast, those the rest of society has deemed below them or unworthy of the stature and respect they feel they deserve. Operating from their capital city of New Briarport, they run everything from protection services to assault forces, from shady black market dealings to extravagant high society functions. At the head of the city, in the tallest tower, sits an artifact referred to as the Shattered Mirror, unto which fractures of portals to other places beyond the walls of darkness are visible. Most of the time these can only be used for communication with a keystone for the Mirror, of which one is held in the vault alongside the Mirror, and the other is with the Parriarch of the Thorn Syndicate.
With enough time, effort, and arcane resources, portals can be solidified for a time to allow transit, though their size varies. At the very least, it allows the movement of contraband between locations, allowing for great profits across otherwise untravelable borders.

Structure

• The Boss/Parriarch- Leader of the whole force, to whom all others defer to.
• Underboss/Bastone - Those directly under the Boss, each will have an area they are responsible for, and be in charge of their own Capos.
• Caporegime/Capo - Serving an Underboss, they are in charge of the main body of troops, each having a small group they lead.
• Luogotenente/Tenente - Proven members of the family, trusted to carry out their superiors orders and represent the family well.
• Soldato- A recognised member of the family, working the streets and able to speak and act on the family's behalf, within reason.
• Runner/Corrido- Someone looking to join the family. They have to assist in four jobs before being welcomed into the family as an enforcer.

Firm Branches - Each branch takes a unique identifying name, after a type of thorned plant or tree. Parts of such plants are used as identifiers or in secret messages. They are led by Underbosses or Capos.

Underboss Roles

• Left Hand - Commands the heavy units and healers.
• Right Hand - Commands the skirmishers and archers.
• Quartermaster - In charge of the equipment and attire of the house.
• Overseer- In charge of activities and events for the house, and tying up loose ends. Liaisons with the Quartermaster for construction of new kit.

History

Many centuries ago when New Brairport was just a burgeoning town built atop old ruins, there was a small group of individuals who ganged up over a mutual outcasting from society, each of them cursed by different creatures; Vampire, Lycan, Fey, Hag, Demon, God. They lived in the tunnels and winding passageways of the ruined city beneath their hunter's feet, until they came across an old relic; a grand portal in a state of disrepair, looking like a floating shattered mirror partially held within an old weathered stone doorway. After studying this device they realised it was connected to a mass of portals across the world, but none were large or stable enough to make use of.
Together they slowly started to uncover the workings of the doorway, and eventually built an item they referred to as the Keystone which could bring some stability to the portalways. Utilising this, they quickly traveled to these other locations, trading in goods that didn't exist in their own homes. Returning, they began to sell these new wears for great profit, until the local authorities realised who these items were coming from and labelled them contraband to stifle them. This didn't stop the trade however, just drove it underground quite literally, and over the years the gang began to grow and became known as the Thorn Syndicate.
As the years turned to decades the power of the Syndicate became ever more potent, as greasing palms to look the other way grew into paying government officials to vote for laws that benefited them, their wealth carried them from undesirables to the people everyone wanted to have clandestine connections with. This growth caused the city to prosper in turn, growing taller as it was hemmed in between a mountain range and the sea, becoming a city-state in it's own right, despite it supposedly being part of the land of an earl on the other side of the mountain range.
As decades became centuries the original founders of the Thorn Syndicate mostly felt the ravages of time catch up with them, excluding Lord Wraithstone for whom undeath halted his aging, and eventually they began to look at retirement. Some chose to use their funds and power to try and seek revenge on those who cursed them with varying degrees of success, but for some others revenge was not desired or achievable anymore. Eventually only Lord Wraithstone remained within the Thorn Syndicate from its founders, becoming the Parriarch, and a stable leader with a focus on the future, long after many members would still be alive to see. He commissioned another Keystone to be made, refined, for his personal use, and kept the other in the Vault below his tower where the Shattered Mirror also sat, keeping a tight hold on the lifeblood of the Syndicate.
Over these many centuries the influence of the Thorn reached out, even beyond the Darkness when it fell upon the world, with undergrounds being set up throughout many other houses to partake in the trade of goods and contraband, but as the world has recently begun to open up more of the portal pathways have begun to become accessible, allowing for a new wave of expansion for the underworld empire.

Territories

New Briarport's boundaries of influence are quite small especially when considering it's power and population. On a northern outcropping formed by the delta of the river Fiume that runs down the volcanic mountain range is where New Briarport sits, resting atop the ruins of an older city that had partially sunk into the earth and water and become overrun by a large briarpatch, which is referred to as Old Briarport by most locals. A labyrinth of semi-submerged tunnels, catacombs, and ancient structures crisscross the underside of the city with tendrils sprawling into the mountainside itself, with one major notable mountain tunnel being used as the main route to the other side of the dividing range. Due to this tight landscape much of the city has built upwards instead of out, claiming only the lower, gentler inclines of the mountainside in expansion. This city is the domain of the Thorn Syndicate, who have their strings in near every business around, bar that of the Arbiters; the debt collectors who remain neutral in all things.
Beyond the city confines, a fair number of hours away along narrow winding mountainous coastline routes to both the east and west are other larger outcroppings of fertile land that are the territory of a group known as the Black Hands, who are the foresters and farmers of Black Walnut trees, named thus due to the tannin staining their hands black. While not largely present in the city, they are heavily protective of their wares and dyes and have many deals in place with the Thorn Syndicate to protect their trade, as the Syndicate are just as reliant on the Black Hands for food, supplies, and trade goods for the Shattered Mirror.
Within the city is a district simply known as The Necropolis; this is a massive structure that was built by the ancient civilisation and survived mostly intact, and is used still today to entomb and enshrine the dead. The structure runs incredibly deep underground, seeming to spread out and become more labyrinthine as it deepens, to the point that there is still much uncovered and unmapped territory within. Efforts to do so are hampered by unbound undead spirits and entities running amok with more frequency and abandon the further down one goes.

Religion

The Red Sister - Goddess of Unity and Community, Deals and Contracts, for The Red Sister one's word is an oath. She can be seen as benevolent and caring, but equally shrewd and cunning. Those in her service know the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, but also a structure and hierarchy is needed to keep a community together. Dark deeds in the night help the daylight shine bright. Many followers seek to make deals with powerful people and entities, and completing these is seen to grant The Red Sister's favour.
The clergy are referred to as Figli Rossa (Red Child, or Son or Daughter). Followers call themselves Fedele Rossa, or Alsarians, in reference to the church founder Lady Alsaria, who was also one of the Thorn Syndicate founders. Lord Wraithstone is the Eldest Son, one of the highest ranks in the local church.
The Pantheon of Ambria - coming from many other regions, followers and worshippers of the main pantheon are not uncommon, especially of Saraneth, god of wealth.

Laws

As branches of the Thorn Syndicate operate individually and within the confines of different nations with different local laws, things may vary form place to place depending on how illegal their main activities are. Beyond that, there are some core rules the Thorn Syndicate run by to make sure that there is a sense of honour and trust.

• A person's word is their worth; if they go against it their only value is the meat on their bones.
• Do not harm the innocent, even if they are the family of an enemy; if you cause unjust suffering you open the doors to the suffering of those you hold dearest.
• If you have an ally that has been marked as an enemy by one of equal rank, you may come to their defence, but must seek a superior to mediate any fallout thereafter.
• If you have an ally that has been marked as an enemy by one of higher rank you may step aside from fighting them without repercussion, but you may not aid them.
• If you have an enemy that becomes an ally of one of higher rank you may call on them to mediate a payment contract as ceasefire.
• Never take another's hospitality for granted, even an enemy.
• Never attack someone you invited into your own home under good faith.

Inner Conflicts

Sometimes branches of the Syndicate come into direct conflict with one another. When this occurs, the following rules apply:

• Do not involve the authorities of a location; if they do get involved, deal with them first.
• Do not cause damage that is unsalvagable to the business after the conflict is over.
• If someone of higher rank both branches serve under steps in, a ceasefire is in place until mediation occurs. This also applies if two of higher rank in each branch step in together.

Local Laws

Necromancy, Body Rights, and Debt

Necromancy is a legal practice but outside of the Arbiters of Debt, none are allowed to perform necromancy of the soul. When someone dies their body is as much property as anything else in their will, and default goes to the next of kin to either entomb in the Necropolis or sell for coin, unless the deceased had unpaid debts, at which point the Arbiters step in. Should the body not be enough to cover costs owed, they will go though all other assets, and if still found to be short, the Debt Contract is activated, at which point the spirit is bound to the Debt Collectors to work on their behalf until they have paid off all owed, at which point they are released to their final resting place.

Trade & Transport

The mountains to New Briarport's back are rich with materials that many ancient ruins lead into mines for. Mithril deposts have been found in the mountainside, making for an incredibliy lucrative venture for miners and archeologists alike. The volcanic rocks that make up the mountains are mostly comprised of granite, basalt, and obsidian veins, while a large amount of the coastline is made of limestone. Old fumaroles house large concentrations of Alum, while other caves that pocket all across the mountainsides are home to large numbers of bats, though intrepid explorers have found much saltpetre and thus nitre in these formations. Adding in the sulfur deposits around the mountains makes for a potent combination, as the latter two need only carbon added from charcoal to create an explosive black powder. This along with the Mithril is the mainstay of trade for the city.
While New Briarport is heavily urbanised, a good amount of the flatland to it's east and west beyond the mountain slopes have been preserved for the growth of some hardy local vegetation that had once overgrown the ruins plus local wildlife and game, with resources normally being sent by ship. One of the more common trees is the Black Walnut, which is cultivated for nuts for food, and for the sturdy heartwood. Additionally, the nuts create a notable dark stain on the hands of it's harvesters, due to tannin in both the nuts and the tree's bark and roots, and have become a mainstay ingredient in creating black dyes. Growing amongst the trees are Madder plants, also known as Rubia Tinctorum, which are harvested for medicinal purposes but also for the rich red roots that are also used for dyes. Both of these colours are produced in New Briarport, mixed with mined Alum and metals such as common iron and copper or rarely luxurious Mithril, creating deep, rich dyes that are the iconic colours of the Thorn Syndicate.
Being a port city means that the fishing trade is alive and well, with an abundance of sardele and sardon. There is also a good amount of local squid, whose ink is a contender for black dye, and eels are a fairly common catch in the river. These aquatic fauna are quite a common meal for the locals, and are a main trade both via sea and via the mountain paths in exchange for other pasture and hunted meats as well as flour. Dairy milk is a fairly uncommon resource, with walnut milk being a common replacement in bread. Honey is one of the more popular imports, along with alcohols such as mead, ale, and wine.
With limited paths in and out of the city it has been fairly easy for the Thorn Syndicate to keep abreast of what is coming in and out of the city, as well as impose a toll for using the main carved mountain path as well as the docks. The former is not needed for travel to and from New Briarport but does make the journey significantly easier and quicker, while without the docks the only other option is the winding coastal paths that link to the docks in the forested sections.

The Shattered Mirror

Beyond the standard local trade, the Thorn Syndicate are in control of the ancient relic known as the Shattered Mirror, which creates unstable and size-variable portals to other Houses across the world. While generally unsafe for travel without divine intervention, the Keystones can be used to stabilise the portals for a short time to allow the transition of goods and contraband, allowing for incredibly valuable exotic trades for both sides.
'Shards' are the local term for specially crafted foci by the Portomancers, who spend a long time trying to thread links through the flickering portals until there are enough to pull a specific exit to the forefront. The more time spent on a Shard, or if multiple shards to the same location are brought together, the bigger the portal pathway can be. These Shards are often given to members of the Syndicate who are in charge of the business in a certain location the Shard leads to, but they still require the use of a Keystone to trigger the Shattered Mirror to open to the location. Home Shards are also carried by those on expeditions through the portal which allow the Portomancers to reopen a portal for their return with ease and without the sending Shard on them.

Blood From the Thorn

Alternative Names

The Syndicate, The Thorns

Demonym

Thorns

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Leadership
Lance Mansutti, Aisling Henry (2IC), Stevie Ray Swansbra (2IC)
House Colours
Red and Black, Gold for leadership
House Sigil
Black thorn angled on a red background, with a drop of gold coming from the point
Theme
Crime family, European Renaissance 14th-16th century style, cursed