Queen's Men
Faction Overview
The Queen’s Men are a loose affiliation between a hundred gangs of brigands, outlaws, and scoundrels, all of whom owe fealty to the enigmatic Queen of Thieves. These reprobates prey upon the pilgrims, prospectors, and explorers drawn to the city, extort and rob adventurers, smuggle delerium to disreputable clients in distant lands, and plunder the fantastic treasures and incredible wealth left behind in the city. The Queen of Thieves dreams of building an influential and powerful criminal empire forged in the anarchy and lawlessness of the ruins, and conspires against the other factions at every turn.History
Halarahh is a haven for criminals, deserters, and fugitives. The ever-present dangers of the dark city make it the perfect place to hide for someone on the wrong side of the law with nothing left to lose. Opportunities for plunder abound within this new frontier for banditry. Many more ply their trade raiding the supply caravans making their way to Emberwood Village. Sly cutthroats know that simply taking the spoils from a weakened but successful adventuring party at swordpoint makes for a highly profitable enterprise, and a far less risky one to boot! When the Hooded Lanterns arrived in Halarahh a few years ago, they resolved to restore order. Presenting a united front against the fractious outlaws, the Hooded Lanterns met with early success in driving out the more violent and bloodthirsty among them. Then, an enigmatic figure emerged. This self-proclaimed “Queen of Thieves” used assassination, trickery, intimidation, and guile to reshape the disparate gangs into a budding criminal empire. Her plots have sabotaged many important Hooded Lanterns operations, and the Lord Commander believes the Queen of Thieves blackmailed several of his important backers into withdrawing their support. More importantly, the Queen of Thieves has established a general truce between the various bandit leaders occupying the city to share territory, resources, and contacts. In exchange, every gang must pay a regular tribute in gold and plunder to the Queen of Thieves. Those who don’t become a target for all the others, while loyal and successful scoundrels enjoy extra benefits and kickbacks. Though the Queen of Thieves is now infamous for her schemes and skill, her web of black market smugglers secures her rule over the underworld. Her agents funnel treasures and delerium purloined from Drakkenheim to skilled fences and unscrupulous merchants in the world beyond. This ensures ample gold and booze flow back into Halarahh to keep her army of scoundrels happy and well-supplied.
Outlaws & Scoundrels
The Queen of Thieves upholds a general truce between a hundred individual gangs of brigands. Each outfit holds a claim to its own territory within the ruins that is their exclusive right to plunder. In return, each must pay a share to the Queen of Thieves. They must also heed her summons, which takes the form of a playing card showing the Queen of Diamonds. She arbitrates disputes and enforces dissent in a ruthlessly efficient manner. Ultimately, the gangs are disposable pawns to the Queen of Thieves, and she doesn’t always care about the fights they get into. Below are a few of the most prominent gangs that work under the Queen of Thieves:Pins & Clubs
The Pins & Clubs are general ruffians. They often have iconic colorful mohawks or other wild-colored hairstyles. They wear a lot of spikes and chains and notoriously break the legs of people who cross them.Leader: Leon The Swine, a scrawny middle-aged bandit captain with a scar over his left eye and a mohawk. He carries a saber and a dagger, and chains hang from his leather vest and black trousers.
Symbol: A club logo from a card deck with several pins sticking out of it.
Quote: “If ya don’t like the way they looked at ya, if they seem too pompous, too arrogant, too wise, or too righteous, you club them down and let them know where they really stand.”
Rose & Thorns
This group is known for its confidence. They often are known for using daggers, spears, and shortswords and always have high-quality leather armor and steel-toed spiked boots. A lot of the most well-known members of this gang are a group of women renowned amongst the thieves as the Bouquet, led by the unwavering Rose Floret.Leader: Rose Floret, a striking red-haired veteran with piercing eyes and studded leather armor. She has a belt filled with daggers and steel-tipped boots with several spikes on her toes.
Symbol: A thorn-covered rose.
Quote: “All beautiful things have their sharp edges. Let’s show them ours!”
The Wounded Hearts
The Wounded Hearts use cunning, deceit, and charm to get what they want. They are masters of swindling, scheming, and double-crossing. Nowhere else will you find better liars. They often wear elegant noble’s garb and act stuck up, as if they deem themselves superior to the other gangs.Leader: Christain Lament, a tall blonde elven spy. He has blue eyes and wears a flowing cape and black noble’s clothing with gold filigree. He carries a rapier and daggers.
Symbol: A heart with a blade through it.
Quote: “Chivalry and cordiality will get you far in this world. Kindness is the great mask of all evils.”
The Howlin’ Dogs
These bandits are all about intimidation. They have size - usually, only the strongest get into this gang. They often wear vests and very little else, letting their muscles speak for themselves. They often carry axes or greatswords. Many of them dual wield. They are rude, mean, and ferocious. If you see one looking at you, it’s best to look away.Leader: Baskerville, a large grey-skinned half-orc gladiator with muscles bulging out of his vest. He has several piercings and carries two axes. His body is covered in various scars and wounds.
Symbol: A growling dog skull.
Quote: “Most people think they can handle a dog cornered and rabid, but they can’t, they don’t know how sharp those teeth can be.”
The Catacomb Cobras
Dressed all in black, and often adorned with capes or masks, these bandits are the stealthiest of the lot. They use a lot of poisons and sleight of hand. It’s more often that those who double-cross the Cobras never see them coming. A lot of mysterious deaths are assumed to be linked back to this gang.Leader: Veronica Venom, a human assassin who wears a black hood and dark leather armor. She has a bandolier of poison vials and 4 daggers fastened in her belt.
Symbol: A snake coiled around a skull.
Quote: “Sometimes, if you don’t pay attention, you wind up in a snake pit by simply taking a wrong turn, and those snakes don’t care if you’re lost, they still bite.”
The Cudgels
Bandits and thugs, these primitive highway robbers call broken tribes of outland races their own. They patrol the edges of Halarahh and the primary roads to it looking for poorly defended supply caravans to tax or take.Leader: Duke, a Bugbear who can wield brutal ferocity and cunning to keep many fractured tribes and bandits in line.
Symbol: A club filled with stones.
Quote: “Pay or break, this is the price of goods in Halarahh.”
Organization
More information coming soon!
Known Members
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Founding Date
1405 DR
Type
Guild, Thieves
Leader
Location
Notable Members
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