The House of Spades
Once a powerful religious order in Van' Riram who worshiped 15- The Devil, the House of Spades was devoted to a now-outlawed faith centered on ambition, fate, and the pursuit of power. When their temples were taken down and their leaders banned, the survivors fled to Machina, where they shed their religious identity and rebranded themselves as a thieves’ guild. Now, they operate within the highest circles of society, treating power as a game and playing their marks like a deck of cards. Masters of deception, strategy, and manipulation, they don’t just steal gold—they steal fortunes, futures, and the very foundations of power itself.
Structure
At the head of the House of Spades is the Dealer, a shadowy figure who oversees every operation like a grand game, making sure the odds are always in their favor. Below them are the Face Cards, elite members who act as strategists and enforcers, each taking on a title based on the court cards—Kings, Queens, and Jacks—depending on their specialty. The main body of the guild consists of the Players, thieves, spies, and con artists who manipulate Machina’s elite, turning the city's economy and politics into their personal gambling den. New initiates, called Blinds, must prove themselves by pulling off a daring trick—outplaying a noble in a rigged game, stealing a crucial secret, or turning an enemy against their own allies.
Culture
The House of Spades operates on the belief that luck is an illusion—only fools rely on chance when the game can be controlled from the start. Every scheme is carefully orchestrated, every heist meticulously planned, and every move designed to ensure the guild never truly loses. Their members are expected to be as charming as they are ruthless, navigating Machina’s glittering world of nobility and trade while keeping the guild’s true power hidden behind layers of misdirection. While they have abandoned their old faith, they still treat the world as a grand game of strategy, and they intend to be the ones dealing the cards.
Public Agenda
To the rulers of Machina, the House of Spades is a dangerous unknown, a force that influences trade, wealth, and information in ways no one can fully track. To the ambitious, they are a tempting risk, offering power and fortune to those willing to make a wager—though the guild never places a bet they don’t intend to win. While their ultimate goal is control over Machina’s wealth and secrets, whispers persist that they have never truly abandoned their past, and that their greatest game is yet to come. Until then, they play their hands carefully, ensuring that by the time their enemies realize they’ve been outplayed, it will be far too late to reshuffle the deck.
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