Lockhinge Notes - Gangs and Guilds

"A guild was an organization composed of like-minded individuals to further and protect their interests. Guilds appeared in many different forms but typically offered benefits such as camaraderie and even financial support to members. Large, powerful guilds could even control an aspect of a city, such as trade in certain goods."
In addition, guilds were blankets for the individuals and gangs operating beneath them. Could be considered "supergangs" who had the clout to bully smaller gangs. Are they one big gang, or do multiple gangs answer to the guilds? Gangs fight to have members in power in the guilds? Much of the gang fighting is done through guild politics? Instead of primarily fighting law enforcement, they're primarily fighting each other, who are each controling private or an element of public law.
The criminal activity in Lockhinge has evolved to the point to have become the law. Gang leaders and criminal underlords became overlords. (is that when Itezhaska took over, boosted the small government with the wealth and power she brought, replaced the weak guildmasters and politicians with her own and the crimelords already in the city, basically one big coup. those who didn't opt to follow that paradigm and become the law, maybe like the karakatans, hold resentment still) there is still crime and the old way of doing things, but they're operating either under the noses of or under the thumbs of the guilds.
Several different "Thieves Guilds," as all of the guilds are thieves guilds to an extent, and many of the gangs are backed by fronts that make them more legitimate than other gangs. Or gangs that have stronger bonds, more power, and/or more idealogies and rules their members must follow. These may be more like religions than actual religions are to many in Lockhinge.

Guilds

Entry: fees (often in addition to other things), skills, invite-only, criteria such as accomplishments or wealth, application, test, secret, etc.

Benefits: protection (physically, legally, financially), accreditation, financial support or loans, access to guildhall and other locations/events, recognition by the court, access to advisors and lawyers, discount on trade materials, access to knowledge and resources, social clout, training, employment, access to subversions of the law (such as fences), avoidance of penalties for operating outside of the guide, lessened or avoided taxes, promotion/advertising, matching talents/networking, etc.

Gangs

Those smaller groups with various affiliations, operating beneath, around, or in concert with the guilds. gangs can be spread out between more than one guild (maybe), or owned by or owning control over a single guild. Gangs can be affiliated through family, idealogy, craft or class, ethnicity or other unifying physical trait, social bond, vying for the turf they control, etc.

Twicefell

Goodless

Red Snakes

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Guild