Base of Operations
While their leader lives lavishly in his home in Yammitjir Valley, the Specters are a group who value their anonymity; even among fellow members. The less that can be traced back to them the better, hence they lack any official hideouts or headquarters. A few cells have established safehouses within major cities and band together for mutual protection and housing, however they generally do so under the radar of prying eyes.
History of the Specters
A rather new guild of assassins, and one that has had stunted success getting itself off the ground. Despite their leader "Ghost" being a legendary warrior himself, he has had trouble finding good recruits who last long in the field. But he does what he can to spread their influence, and has managed to send recruiters all across Myzelis.
Goals of the Specters
To find fortune and glory in their dark profession, and live long enough to enjoy it in lavish retirement.
Leaders of the Specters
The leader and founder of the Specters is a 378 year-old wood elf known as "
Ghost". Although the organization of the faction is not especially complex, some subordinates have risen into positions of management over various regions and interests as the Specters have grown. They include:
Amilia Andrega, a
Human woman, one of the Specters’ top assassins, and one of the few who has completed contracts across other Realms; and her underling
Brukvin Vorak, a Dwarf man who is currently imprisoned in Prospek.
Membership and Structure
Most specters rarely meet with the Ghost of Yammitjir himself unless he directly recruits them or takes notice of their deeds. Ghost doesn't view any of his Specters as apprentices, but as underlings. He is the boss and this is his business. He expects them to do good clean work and satisfy their clients while earning him good money. Beyond that most Specters consider each other allies and even work together on missions; but some consider each other rivals, and blood has been shed within the organization to eliminate competition.
Becoming a Specter
Joining the Specters involves knowing the right people. Someone who can point you to a criminal, who knows a fence, who knows a broker, who knows a thief, who knows an assassin. Those seeking to join are usually recruited by a Specter who believes they can be trusted, and are given a special tablet made of copper, which pings them with nearby dead-drops where contracts can be picked up and turned in.
Tenets
- Ghost is in charge. What he says goes.
- Be professional. This is a business.
- Don't spill more blood than necessary. It's bad for business.
- If you get caught it's on you. Don't expect us to bail you out unless you wanna be in debt.
- Don't rat us out, or you'll be the next contract.
Organization
The organization itself is mostly scattered and lacking a larger form of organization. Ghost is the leader, and mostly keeps to himself collecting tolls.
Each individual assassin is known as a specter, and particularly skilled ones showing promise and leadership are referred to as "Wraiths", but it's mostly an honorary title sometimes given by Ghost to particularly skilled members, or those who are able to organize a small unit of specters and make them work well together. There are others known as "whisperers" who serve mainly as recruiters and seek potential recruits, and "phantoms" who serve as informants and seek out clients.
Ranks
- Specter: A typical member. Lowest rank, denotes an assassin who does work in the field. (Typically levels 1-10, although one can be a Specters their entire career if they don't seek to distinguish themselves.)
- Wraith: An assassin who has proven themselves to be noteworthy or exceptional in skill, and is given access to higher-risk higher-reward missions. (Typically level 11+, although advancement is based primarily on their service to the faction and not automatically bestowed upon reaching this level.)
- Revenant: A fence who manages contracts and payment between clients and assassins, sets up dead-drops, secures safehouses, and ensures things run smoothly between ranks. (Typically better suited for NPCs than PCs, but PCs who retire or be in retainer might achieve this rank.)
- Vampire: Top lieutenants. Given priority missions with best pay, and the only ones trusted to go across realms to complete contracts. Answers directly to Ghost. (Typically level 11+, although advancement is based primarily on their service to the faction and not automatically bestowed upon reaching this level.)
- Ghost: The Faction Leader.
Roles
- Specters: Those who are first and foremost assassins; the most common type of member.
- Whisperers: Those who specialize in recruiting new Specters.
- Phantoms: Those who specialize in intelligence and bringing new clients into the network.
The Specters Elsewhere in Myzelis
The Specters are trying to extend their reach to other locations in Myzelis, but they are not the type to have dedicated hideouts and open-recruiting. They usually send agents to other places in Myzelis to find others interested in membership. They are mostly nomadic and somewhat disorganized to protect their individual anonymity, but they have ways and use Thieves Cant to discreetly tell who is a member. Because of how often they move around, it is possible that certain sects of the guild take a more honor-bound approach to their killing.
