The White Scale Brotherhood

To call Kaldrold a dangerous land would be an understatement, but you'd be forgiven for expecting it's Holds, as well as the cities within them, to be something of a safe haven. But alas, while the White Scale Brotherhood still operates, very few are truly safe in this harsh land. Far from your run-of-the-mill Thieves Guilds that might operate in the remote settlements of Wildehart, or the Imperially sanctioned banditry of the Hajinarese, the White Scale Brotherhood is possibly the most vast and varied criminal enterprise on all of Gyrraholm. Taking 5 disparate guilds and forming one cohesive unit, the Brotherhood deals in everything from murder, theft and subterfuge, to racketeering and fraud. If there's a way to make money off it, the Scales are doing it, and if there's a way to seize power through it, you can almost guarantee that they've already done it.
Folks say they operate out of Heridahl, but I've heard just as many tales of Scale Agents within the Grand Archives of Augrfjell, and even in the War-Shrine of Bjornden. Some even say that they operate behind the Stormwall of Farheim, but that must be folks fears getting the better of them. Though as they say, "Our Venom Runs Deep". Whose to say where they operate for sure?

Structure

The White Scale Brotherhood, as a conglomerate of five separate criminal guilds, conducts itself under the leadership of a five-person council referred to as "The Guiding Hand of Loknir", or simply The Guiding Hand. Each "Finger" of the hand is, in theory, the most skilled criminal of their particular discipline. Whether this is actually the case or not is difficult to gauge, as one of The Guiding Hand is just as likely to turn up dead as they are to retire. To keep fresh blood flowing through, each finger of the Hand carries a token that marks their status, and claiming this token tends to be how the title is passed on (though the method through which this token changes hands varies from Finger to Finger).
The Ring Finger of the Guiding Hand is a position reserved for the Brotherhood's premier Assassin, as it's assassination focused branch tends to be seen as the most highly skilled, and thus the most valuable. More than any other position on the Hand, The Ring Finger's successor is usually also their killer. In the event that a Ringfinger "retires" (and flees the life of crime), a high value target is set, with the reward being the coveted position.
The Index Finger of the Guiding Hand is reserved for thieves, as the Brotherhood sees burglary and theft as it's main source of income throughout the Holds of Kaldrold. Index Fingers who feel that their time is at its end are known to set near impossible contracts in order to choose a successor, though not all of them reach this point. Sometimes an enterprising young thief will relieve the current Index Finger of their position before this challenge is set.
The Middle Finger, as the largest and least subtle of the fingers on a hand, is fittingly reserved for the Brotherhood's foremost Racketeer. Since the role relies so heavily on intimidation and physicality, it's also the position that elicits the most overt violence in the pursuit of it. If a current Middle Finger doesn't yield the position to an apprentice, there's a good chance that a rival may beat their token out of them.
Unassuming and out of the way, The Little Finger of the Guiding Hand is a role held for the White Scale Brotherhood's most skilled Spy. In line with the operating procedure of the Serpent's Eye branch of the Brotherhood, the identity of the Little Finger is a closely guarded secret, kept through the use of various magical spells and items, as well as mundane (but equally important) subterfuge techniques. And so replacing a Little Finger is simple, yet incredibly difficult. All one must do is find the current holder's identity and successfully reveal it.
Finally, the Thumb of the Guiding hand is a role held by the Brotherhood's most skilled Confidence Man. Considering the skill set of the Forked Tongue this role, more than any other on the Hand, is usually passed down voluntarily, as the head Conman is expected to be able to read all of their underlings. The Thumb also holds the unique position of coordinating Brotherhood related propaganda, usually in an effort to downplay the syndicate's reach and power to cultivate a relaxed environment in which to operate.
Though the Brotherhood is based in Heridahl, it's not uncommon for it's agents (known as White Scale Brothers, or simply Scales) to operate throughout the Holds, and even across the oceans in some cases. Fingers of the Guiding Hand are not required to set up shop in Heridahl, but it does make council meetings much easier. In addition, the Jarldom of Hestura has traditionally been held by a member of the Guiding Hand, or a puppet of the Hand, making their base in Heridahl even more important.
For branches of the Brotherhood that are not run by a member of the Hand, a Lieutenant (known as a Talon) carries out their Finger's ambitions with their Scales at their disposal. It's rare to see different disciplines of the Brotherhood set up shop in the same site, though having spies delivering Intel to thieves or assassins, or having a conman run with some racketeer muscle is not unusual. But working out of the same spaces constantly is a recipe for infighting.

Public Agenda

The White Scale Brotherhood is primarily concerned with accumulating wealth through nefarious means, though rumour suggests that they may hold political sway in certain Holds across the continent. It's a known fact that the Hold's first Jarl, Hemming Ugagni, was supplanted by criminals, but it's unclear on if they hold sway over the current Jarl.

Assets

Though difficult to find, you can be assured that the White Scale Brotherhood holds some position within the major cities of Kaldrold's various Holds, and rumour suggests that their reach may extend beyond the sea. Each of operating centre usually houses 10 or so Scales, in addition to a Talon or a Finger of the Guiding Hand. These operations often feature smithing facilities, alchemical labs and intelligence archives, among other facilities, and tend to be extensively trapped to eliminate intruders.

History

In 1888UE, after the founding of Heridahl, Jarl Hemming Ugagni's lack of experience and discipline in a position led to the city becoming a breeding ground for violent crime and debauchery. Seeing his domain fall from grace, Hemming increases guard presence and employs tougher measures against crime, but this only serves to galvanize the various criminal enterprises that had taken hold. Within an 18 year span 5 distinct enterprises ( The Snake's Eye, The Venomfangs, The Silent Coil, The Forked Tongue, and the Pale Constriction) threatened by Jarl Ugagni's crusade rather than each other, banded together and conspired against the ruler.
Seemingly overnight, the Jarl had been silenced, as well as his most loyal guards, and Endre Vilster, First Ringfinger of the Guiding Hand of Loknir, sat in his Throne Hall, with a retinue of violent thugs and murderers enforcing the newly formed Brotherhood's whims. This is the most well known of the Brotherhood's exploits, though they have since adopted a far less overt means of control over Heridahl in the centuries since. If a Finger of the Guiding Hand has claimed the Jarldom since, they did so while concealing their true nature, or did so through an unwitting puppet.
Since the Brotherhood's inception as the first true crime syndicate on the continent, they've had their hands in a number of different conspiracies, tragedies and mass crimes. If an important figure is assassinated, and no culprit is charged, there's every chance the Brotherhood was to blame. If a priceless artifact has been stolen, you can be certain that it passed through White Scale hands at one point or another.

Our Venom Runs Deep

16/15/1888UE - N/A

Type

Illicit, Syndicate

Alternative Names

Loknir's Children, The Scales. Each branch of the brotherhood may be referred to by their progenitor names: The Snake's Eye, The Venomfangs, The Silent Coil, The Forked Tongue, and the Pale Constriction

Demonym

Scale Brothers or White-Scale Brothers (or simply Scales)

Related Ethnicities

• Vildr (Culture)