The Authracrux

"Do you smell that?" The wiry figure approached. I could see he was flanked by two others, much larger than he. They wore robes as black as the funeral sea, only vaguely hiding the armor and weapons underneath. The small one took another step closer to my storefront, a shark circling a shipwreck. He pushed up his sleeve, showing me a tattoo of a winged snake spiraling up his arm. "I smell blood, friend." His smile was sickening. "And where there's blood, there's opportunity."
— Excerpt from Tower by the Sea

The Authracrux is vast criminal network that extends across the Northern Ashardian Empire. It encompasses a wide number of services, including fraud, embezzlement, extortion, assassination, smuggling, thievery, and everything in between. Original operate out of Authril Keep, the modern Authracrux has been splintered and divided ever since the disappearance of their original leader, Manshoon.

Structure

The Authracrux has no strict hierarchy, per say. At the very top of the organization was Manshoon, who had given himself the title "Archdragon". However, following his disappearance and the splintering of the faction, every individual group has their own method of doing things. Usually the organization takes on a family structure, with a number of "kids" that look up to a number of "elders", who have more experience in the criminal underbelly.

History

The Authracrux was founded in 1288 AE by a noble-born wizard named named Manshoon. What started as his private cabal of mages slowly grew into a total conversion of his family home, Authril Keep, into a criminal stronghold. Manshoon's reach spread across half the Empire, until he started to go into his old age. Fearful that his subordinates would be unable to keep the Authracrux going, the rogue wizard experimented with cloning himself. Everything went well until one night in 1305, when Manshoon disappeared and all of his clones were released at once. In accordance to Manshoon's own conjuration, his clones couldn't helped but be consumed with bloodlust for each other when released at once. Those who survived the initial massacre began fleeing with small sects of the Authracrux. thus began the Manshoon Wars, a vast underground conflict that spread across the Empire as each remaining Authracrux faction fell behind one of the many Manshoon clones. The Wars ended when the last of the clones were presumed to have been killed, and now only the dregs remain.