Origins
Thieving and acts of skullduggery in Sumner have become so widespread that no one thieves guild can possibly hope to organize it all under one leader. Hundreds of thieves guilds roam the streets, vying for their space, fighting and bickering over slivers of territory. This was a problem for all thieves in the city, both large and small, and when the pockets of the most influential thieves become affected by petty squabbling a solution must be hatched.
This is where The Coalition of Thieving comes in, a temporary alliance between the twelve largest and most powerful thieves guilds in all of Sumner; formed as a temporary measure in order to reign in the chaos of the smaller guilds and independent thieves have been causing. To ensure the longevity of their trade, they each put aside their pride and agreed to do the work that must be done to weed out any potential threat to their power.
The coalition was aggressive in their initial efforts, and dealt with any issue they deemed worthy of their attention was resolved swiftly, and often the culprits involved would be punished severely with some even suddenly disappearing from Sumner entirely. Many of the independent guilds fought their attempts at control, but most fell in line quickly, and those that didn't were crushed.
The twelve guilds no longer bother with the petty squabbles of the guilds, in fact, they encourage it to stoke the flames of competition. Now they only step into matters that work against what they have established or worse yet, actions that affect the coffers of the ruling guilds. As the coalition has continued working to keep their livelihood alive and healthy they've also begun to sink their teeth into the ruling classes of Sumner. They now have numerous representatives working across the city to ensure that no one bothers them in their more pressing work. It is no secret, that the guild has even managed to infiltrate the royal council. It is no wonder that the city guard turns a blind eye to much of the coalition's actions.
After years of working together, the coalition has settled into their roles as '
peacekeepers' amongst thieves, or at least that is how they portray themselves. It has become blatantly obvious that The Coalition of Thieving is here to stay in Sumner, the twelve guilds having grown accustomed to their roles as leaders of the criminal world. It seems that for the foreseeable future The Coalition of Thieving will be at the top of the food chain, manipulating and controlling everything that they have seized so far.
Structure
The Coalition of Thieving is comprised of twelve of Sumner's largest thieves guild, each with a representative that sits on the coalition's council. These representatives are typically the heads or leaders of their individual guilds, though on the rare occasion that one of these leaders cannot attend they are able to select a temporary replacement that speaks on their behalf.
No one gang has more sway or power than the others in the coalition, and when important matters arise they will meet in a secret location to discuss the situation at hand. The council will debate and discuss any number of issues and items of concern are discussed. If the council cannot reach a unanimous agreement on a topic they will hold a vote that include each viable option mention during the discussion, whichever option gains the largest share of votes plus one additional vote will be selected. This ensures that if a matter requires voting, no one will question the decision. For example, if the council is voting between two different options on a matter, then at least eight out of the guilds must agree for the solution to be passed. If in the case a vote does not receive the majority vote, it must reenter discussions until a majority of the guild leaders agree.
Each of the twelve guilds learned shortly after the inception of the coalition that it is much more efficient when they each have their own territory to 'guide'. So, each of the twelve guilds received a slice of territory in which they are responsible for overseeing. Each guild may do as they see fit in these territories but must still adhere to the overall guiding rules and decisions made by the council. This has occasionally caused conflict amongst the leaders, as sometimes decisions are made without council involvement or discussion. But these moments are fleeting and rare, and even when they do occur, the council will meet and discuss the matter like they would any other issue. The coalition was founded so that they could all benefit after all.
Each of these territories has dozens of smaller unaffiliated guilds within them, most do their best not to upset or step on the toes of the coalition or the guilds that are in charge of the zone they find themselves in. In the case that any of the smaller guilds cross any lines with the coalition then they must answer the guild in charge of their territory and offer reparation. If they do not, or if they've really messed up they may find themselves in front of the whole coalition. And if that occurs, the accused will likely not leave the meeting unscathed, if at all.
Agenda
The Coalition of Thieves more of their own representatives within the city guard, the merchant's guilds, and even the royal council. And most know that the coalition gas already made significant headway in this regard, some even believe the king's advisors have been on the coalitions payroll for years. Though very few outside of the coalition's leaders knows the truth of the matter.
Between the twelve guilds, the coalition already rules over all that wish to thieves, maim, and corrupt. All with an iron fist that none dare oppose, they have no qualms about having their enemies erased from existence. With their deep underworld connections and growing power, any individual or group that causes them concern just disappear without even a whisper.
The Coalition of Thieves is well on its way towards its goals of ruling Sumner from the shadows. While the King still rules over the nation by day, the coalition rules all by night, and if nothing steps in their way, sooner or later, they will rule everything.
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