The Ka'lessi are the thieves of the Crane Imperium, they are organised and well taught, and know who and want to avoid trying to steal from. The well off can easily pay a protection fee to keep them away from property, businesses and persons if required.
The Hand Signs are a way of for the thieves to be able to talk to each other without using voice across distances, as long as they have line of sight to each other. The best can hold 2 different conversations one verbal and one with their hands, in a public place and no one realising what they really talking about, while making small talk verbally with other and others in the environment.
Structure
The language is split in the most basic signs those of the alphabet and numbers, to more complex full words and either phrases with a single gesture. These are every growing set on gestures and positions, which the thieves themselves expand on as they find a need for shortening the signing in a job.
So as an example, Guards to the West, could have been 2 signs or more "Guards West", where now there is a single sign for the same meaning, which a thief can add a number to.
Who Knows of the Signs
In theory only members of the Ka'lessi know of the language, and definitely signs that make up the language, but many outside of the guild know that the language exists and possible either a few phrase or the basic alphabet, it be impossible for it not to have spread beyond the Ka'lessi, but few outside the guild know more than the very basics, that they picked up from small amounts of contact with members.
Anyone found teaching the language to none guild people, the sentence is easy, which is death. May seem like a harsh punishment for what could be seen as a minor infraction of the rules. But the Ka'lessi see the "Hand Signs" as a critical part of their success and survival, it allows communication without talk, in dangerous environments and right in front of their enemies or just the local guard.
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