Thieves Guild

From Fools And Heroes Wiki

Every society has an underworld, and in Ithron it is in part made up by members of the Thieves Guild. Membership is classed as a crime in itself if proven. Those convicted of theft are forced to wear a brand on their face to display this. Note that the two are not necessarily linked.

Strange as it may seem, one of the roles of the Guild is to actually control thefts, robbery, extortion, kidnapping and the like throughout the land. In part this is a game mechanic (after all, Players are supposed to be the "good guys") designed to stop the collapse of Ithron into chaos, backstabbing and murder. In IC terms, the Guild will quickly attempt to stop any Player who is not a Guild member from carrying out these activities simply because it's "their turf". Additionally, the Guild will seek to quash information about its activities and members leaking out as an underworld organisation in the light can't operate effectively.

Typical punishments carried out by the Guild for what it sees as infringements vary, but mutilation of the transgressor is common. Generally these warnings are taken in the spirit they are intended.

Thieves Guild members have a number of specialised skills and techniques, the existence of which is (reasonably) common knowledge amongst the populace and the adventuring community. These are rumoured to include the ability to identify and nullify a range of traps, secret identification signals and the use of throwing weapons.

The Guild is at the same time hated, feared and (probably grudgingly) respected by the rest of Ithron. Although law-abiding people hate those who think the rules don't apply to them, the Guild has enough of a reputation to ensure that most people won't rock the boat. And if they do have an issue, they tend to keep quiet.

The Thieves Guild is not to be mistaken for the Nighthawks, who are understood to be more focused in their activities and offer more permanent solutions to problems.