Bilgewater Cartel

Motto: "Rules and laws are more like... guidelines really."
Headquarters: Port of Yrrosa
Goal: Accumulation of Wealth

Beliefs

1. One can never have too money or influence.
2. To steal from family is worse than murder.
3. Rules only matter if you get caught.

Rise of the Cartel

Any civilized society will turn the people it has failed into criminals, and the societies of Esseas are no exception; and Tthe Bilgewater Cartel is one of the most famous examples. The Cartel is a sprawling criminal enterprise of smugglers, thieves, sellswords, thugs and petty criminals. While it hasn't always historically been so, it is presently run by a Cabal of Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Kenku Trade Princes based out of the port city of Yrrosa.
The continent’s largest criminal organization took shape in the chaos after the fall of the Zentherian Dynasty, and the Colonies of Ixaocan and Xeti were left to fend for themselves. In the years that followed, the small city states became independent ports, many became havens for those not wishing to be found, or fleeing the wars of the northern continents. During this time, a seedy trading company staged a coup of the colonial leadership, and took control of the Port of Yrrosa. This tightknit group of clever smugglers soon began to bargain with their competitors, employing blackmail and offering membership to their organization as an alternative to elimination as trade started to re-establish itself with the Northern continent after the conclusion of the wars.
The syndicate grew with alarming speed, soon infiltrating the criminal underbelly of every major city along the coasts of Esseas and the Meridian Concord. Masquerading as purveyors of antiquities, rare minerals, exotic animals, and foreign textiles, the Cartel focuses on providing their clients with exotic goods, such as illicit substances and magical beasts, or supplying hired muscle to intimidate their clients’ rivals. The worst of the Cartel even deal in sentient merchandise...

Global Operations

Originally centered in the Port of Yrrosa, the Cartel now operates across the continent as a network of Trade Princes who run their own regional sects without direct oversight from the mysterious heads of the syndicate. Among the most well known Trade Princes is Trade Prince Gallywix, who is believed to run a large portion of the Bilgewater Cartel's operations in the Bay of Tureon. The Port of Yrrosa is believed to still be the defacto headquarters of the Cartel. Each satellite group is expected to regularly deliver information and a cut of their profits to the leadership. Those who fail to pay up receive quiet threats of enslavement or assassination — and the Cartel always makes good on its threats.
Members of the Cartel are sworn to keep their syndicate secret by pretending that their chapter is still just another local gang. This has given the Cartel a sinister and enigmatic reputation, which further obfuscates its activities from the authorities. Since members of the t Myriad prefer coercion to public displays of violence, officers of the law often fail to recognize Cartel activity until it’s too late.

Emblem of the Cartel

Trade Prince Gallywix