1.0 Assassins' Guild
Most feared in Darkside but rarely seen would be the members of the Assassins'
Guild. There is no known headquarters for the assassins, though it is generally
assumed that they would make use of the Warrens (catacombes) underneath Darkside.
The ability to kill gives one power, especially in Darkside, and thus the
Guild holds considerable influence in Darkside affairs, even if it does so through
middlemen, rather than blatantly advertising its interests. There is a certain
rivalry between the Assassins' Guild and Faraon the Friend, worsened since the
slaying of the previous Captain-Astromancer.
As a result of that assassination,
the Temple burned down several illegal establishments known to be ultimately owned
by Faraon the Friend. There has long been an unsteady "truce" between the Temple
and Darkside, as the Temple is either unwilling or unable to simply crush the
Darksiders. But for such a brazen attack against the most prominent official
of the Temple, that was something definitely deserving to send a "message" to
Darkside.
Given that the assassin was never delivered up, and this was followed up by
another assassination -- this time of one of the replacement Candidates --
it would seem that the Assassins' Guild is confident that the Temple simply hasn't
the power to do a thing about it. And, if the Guild pushed its luck further, it
would likely be, again, the interests of Faraon the Friend that would suffer,
rather than the Assassins themselves.
Thus, if anyone has the power to bring down the current and long-reigning lord of
Darkside, it would be whomever heads the Assassins' Guild.
1.1 Faceless Ones
The Faceless Ones are the middlemen for the Assassins' Guild, meeting with those
who wish to hire one of their number, rather than employers meeting directly with
the assassins themselves. Faceless Ones are distinguished by their cowled robes
and their obscured faces -- It is evident that the Guild must have Mages
in its membership, for the Faceless Ones get their name by the fact that their
faces are indistinct and blurry, and people go away from such encounters having
great difficulty trying to remember details about what the mediator looked and
sounded like. They are also typically followed by an area effect of silence,
guaranteeing the privacy of their conversations, and the stealth of their
movements.
2.0 Faraon the Friend
Faraon the Friend -- typically referred to as just "The Friend" with a capital "F"
-- is arguably the lord of Darkside and of Underside as well. The average crook
on the street knows little to nothing about him. Mostly the most anyone knows is
to knowingly refer to having a "Friend in low places" if they want to sound
important. Still, getting caught name-dropping can result in fatal consequences.
In actuality, Faraon the Friend is a huge golden-scaled reptile -- a dragon --
who has been around in Darkside for a very, very long time. His headquarters
are located in a posh resort known as the Jade Palace, alternately nicknamed
"Faraon's Dome". His name is not often spoken of openly, and the average
vacationer visiting the Jade Palace will never even hear the name of the
proprietor of the establishment, nor come into contact with its seedier side.
Nonetheless, a great deal of illicit trade goes on there, as well as indulgence
in all manner of vices -- and secret "farms" that produce various illegal
"spices", as well as fighting pits in which blood-sports are held to entertain
the shadier elements.
Faraon has built up quite a network during his time, and knows quite a bit about
Rephidim's secrets, though he tells little. For a long time, he has maintained
something of a "truce" with the Temple, and even maintains some semblance of
order in Darkside, but this has become more shaky in recent years. The Thieves'
Guild and the Assassins' Guild are purportedly under Faraon's authority, but
they have made their own little maneuverings for power. Faraon has had to deal
with such things countless times before, but maybe the challenge is more serious
now. If they are capable of assassinating the Captain-Astromancer -- supposedly
the single most powerful man in all Sinai -- then how safe can he be?
Still, Faraon possesses not only a shrewd nature, but physical might. He is quite
capable of biting a man in half, in a single stroke, and his scales have deflected
crossbow bolts. He is resistant to magic, and it is rumored that he is immune to
poison and disease. Still, a crime empire cannot be ruled by physical might alone,
and Faraon's position may be in question in the near future.