Herald Gangs

The herald gangs of Sangsalgu are semi-recognized groups of street artists employing violent means to promote themselves.

— Gain 2 reputation after a successful mission.
- If the target is a higher tier than your gang, gain +1 reputation per higher tier
- Each territory under control (max 6) reduces reputation cost to develop by one
- Lose -1 reputation when at war
- As long as the tracker is full, you don’t earn new reputation (max 12)

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When the reputation tracker is full, choose one according to order:

1. Weak territory becomes strong. Reset to zero.
2. If territory is strong, increase gang tier by 1 and cost equal to new tier x 8. Then reset to zero and reduce territory to weak

Structure

Every gang has their own head and ideally keep to their own campa and specialized into their own form of artistry business. They possessed a pyramid like structure across their campan and can run the gauntlet from small scale street gangs who hustle locals and take part in turf wars. To large syndicates in racketeering, bribery, insurance fraud, gambling, kidnapping, assassinations and more.

Boss

The boss is typically the favoured point of contact between the patron and the rest of the gang hierarchy. They helped in their patrons' aspirations and backing their campaigns. Competition between politicians can be fierce and can reverberate throughout the gangs as physical conflict.

Senior Advisor

Managers involved in scouting talent, recruiting and promoting.

Accountants

Mostly consisting of specially trained slaves.

Advocates

Dedicated teams helping to fund, manage and protect specific groups or specialized subgroups within the overarching organization.

Secretaries

Supporters dealing with the logistics of various missions for unemployed athletes and disenfranchised combatants.

Children

Musclemen borrowed from other sectors to interfere with legal meetings and act as security.

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First Lieutenant

The head of armed unofficial militia composed of slaves, thugs and retired Jaguars. These enforcers find their success by being particularly menacing criminals, but they do not need to be. They are highly respected, almost intellectual figures, and outside of violence, double as mediators within groups and among peers.

Children

New arrivals recruited by lieutenants start out as mere labours for years before being recognized as armed followers who intimidate rivals and breakup meetings.

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Second Lieutenant

The sub-head of associations formed around shared interests for internally capable members.

Acolytes

Priests, and even priestesses, of various acolyte tiers in outlandish grab who arrange for violence to achieve an aim.

Novices

Runaway slaves chosen from amongst the children to support their peers in inimidating bloody performances.

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Children

Hooligans recuited for the sake of having bodies to throw at missions or for grunt work. Or maybe there is an unrealized talent in an individual that is difficult to nurture.

Public Agenda

Herald gangs are a group of loosely affiliated youths within a given campa who deface property, harass rivals and spread rumours at the instruction of the host campa nobles. They serve as an extended tool for rival families to exert 'soft' power against their political enemies. But sometimes, the gangs themselves initiate physical conflict amongst themselves which can bring the families into open conflict.

Assets

Brushes

Artists use simple brushes made from animal hair, plant fibers or feathers to apply paint to surfaces.
It is even simplier to use their fingers or simple tools like sticks for more intricate designs.

Musical Instruments

Several gangs integrate traditional instruments to showcase their prowess.
These include the Huehuetl, Teponaztli, Tlapanhuehuetl, Ocarina, Tlapitzalli, Tecuhtli, Ayoyote, Copilli, Chicahuaztli and Tepuzquiquiztli

Hammer and Chisel

Wooden mallets used in conjunction with obsidian, flint or other stones to carve detailed designs into wood, stone or clay.

Demography and Population

Working Class

The usual thugs and ordinary laymen conscripted by lack of options into the remedial and manual forces.

Young Artists

Fresh young men brought by contract to cut their teeth and gain experience in their preferred field or be trained up from nothing.

Territories

Calpōlli

Calpōl are spatial neighbourhoods who form the lowest social order in society, and are the most populous. They are administered by locally-selected leaders and pay taxes to the state as a collective. When more than one neighbourhood groups together, they can become a politically-motivated, territory-holding group of peasants organized for sculptors, painters, weavers, and embroiderers.

Island Campan	Calpōlli	Affiliated Gangs
Atzacualco	Tolnahuac Motecuzoma Bootshaflen	Quilitl
Cuepopan	Nonoalco Tlatelolco Palast	Atlcuīca
Moyotlan	Aztacalco Ahuehuetlan Axayacatl	Xotl
Zoquiapan	Moltecuzmx Mixiuhca	Texihuitl
Coltonco	Xocotitla Atepehucan	Tlālpantli
Tetzcotzinco	Ticomac Zacahuitzco Tepepilco	Ixtezcatl Ocnamacoyān
Huexotla	Asuncion Zurcanta Iztacaco	Chapolin Chīcuahtli
Tetamozolco	Leugimnats Feather Works Zacatlamanco	Chiquihuitl Atlchocaya Mecatl
Peninsular Campan	Calpōlli	Affiliated Gangs
Tenayuca	Tenula	Tallin
Calixtlahuaca	Coyo Atoyac	Tetzauhqui
Coatetelco	Hutixachtecatl Itztpallapan Tizapan	Chicōntōnalli
Coast Campan	Calpōlli	Affiliated Gangs
Ocumtit	Ocumtit Popotla	Iteamic Tlahcoyohualaxno
Tepoztlan	Atlazolpa Acolco Apatlaco	Tlācanēxquimilli Malakatl Uexcaitoa
Malinalco	Huitzilopochco Mexicaltzinco	Manga Cuba
Teopanzolco	Tepetlatzinco Ticomac	Mixtli Mixtli Tecpatl
Acatitlan	Mazatzintamalco Nextitla Chapoltepec	Chapultepec Chapolin Īxtelolotl Tozquitl

Military

The level of violence each gang is capable or can vary widely.

Wooden Clubs

Most can only get away with improvised weapons that are not inherently perceived as threatening in themselves. Such gangs may resort to being more violent than other to make up for it.

Obsidian Knife

There are a few prestigious groups that hide fashionable knifes in plain sight to identify themselves. These gangs tend to be more surgical in their approach, as overwhelming force is unnecessary.

Agriculture & Industry

The gangs wield significant power and influence within their host city, using a combination of economic acumen, cultural relevance, and strategic alliances to further their goals. As a result, many have diverse portfolios of revenue generation:

Illegal

Protection Rackets

Gangs frame their brand of tax collection to local merchants and artisans as necessary to fund the "peace" from external threats or rival factions.

Money Lending

Gangs provide loans to individuals or businesses unable to treat with the House of Pochtéca.
Borrowers can receive favourable terms if they aligned with the gang's political or artistic vision. These gangs build networks of indebted supporters who could be mobilized for various purposes.

Smuggling

Art gangs smuggle exotic pigments and materials for crafting, or even restricted religious artifacts. This involved creating clandestine trade routes and alliances with other criminal networks or corrupt officials.
Smuggling operations enhance a gang's reputation as a resourceful and influential player in the black market.

Gambling

The gangs offer games of chance and betting on various events, from traditional ballgames to political outcomes.
These places double as social hubs where information is exchanged and the gangs gain significant financial revenue and leverage over participating pochteca.

Legal

Construction

Gangs invest in construction projects to legitimize their presence and influence while providing employment to their supporters.

Night Gatherings

Gangs organize night festivals or social events that feature performances, art displays, and rituals that reinforce the gang's themes.
While fostering a sense of community and solidarity among attendees, the events are also opportunities to recruit new members, network with influential citizens, and disseminate propaganda.

Security

Gangs offer communities protection from rival factions or external threats. From this position, they also monitor and control activities within their territory and prevent potential challenges to their authority.

Performances

Gangs use theater in public spaces to attract large audiences and generate revenue through donations or sponsorships. They shape public opinion and cultivate a loyal following for their missives.

Education

Clubs

A rich recruitment ground of water mice are settled into orphanages to be taught professional skill: thievery, fraud, forgery, and brawling. These places are - in effect - competing with the state-run Tēlpochcalli for control of the youth. Though most civilians cannot tell the difference between them due to similarly harsh environments.

Divine Origins

Campan Sponsors

Essentially, a powerful person would cultivate a semi-formal network of followers with favours being exchanged between them. For instance, a patron would support their guy with loans, business deals, legal representation, marriage arrangements and more. In exchange, they would offer loyalty and services to their patron in the form of some necessary dirty work.

Political Influence & Intrigue

Political art gangs could use various tactics to influence public opinion and manipulate the political landscape to their advantage or for their patron(s). These practices would combine artistry with strategic planning:

Sabotage

Gangs distrupt rival activities by destroying or infrastructure such as marketplaces, roads or aqueducts to weaken their opponents' power.

Graffiti

Promotion

The gangs cover walls and other public spaces with murals, symbols and slogans that communicate their beliefs and a call for action.

Defacement

Many gangs favour defacing statues, monuments or important adversarial documents in order to ridicule or mock.

Propagate Rumors

Gangs might spread false or misleading information to sow confusion and general mistrust among their opponents.
Rumours are strategically crafted to exploit existing internal tensions or to fabricate scandals, undermine the credibility of rival factions and manipulate public perception.

Espionage

Daring members infiltrate rival factions, government institutions or influential households to gather intelligence for blackmail, negotiation and strategic planning. and monitor their activities

Tier 6	Institute	100+ people
Tier 5	Massive	80 people
Tier 4	Huge	40 people
Tier 3	Large	20 people
Tier 2	Medium	12 people
Tier 1	Small	3 - 6 people
Tier 0	Tiny	1 or 2 people

Type

Illicit, Gang

Alternative Names

Political Gangs

Training Level

Semi-professional

Ruling Organization

Triple Alignment

Economic System

Traditional

Currency

Cocoa

Location

Sangsalgu

Neighboring Nations

• Pochteca Courts
• The Parlour

Related Ethnicities

• Quipaz
• Sang
• Teek
• Teiks