The Muddled Brand

A Crime Syndicate that spans Ankaluun and has made inroads on the other civilized land masses of Olquen. It originated in Mendhalia but has since spread across the empire, then across the continent before finding inroads in Tel and beyond. Secular in nature, unlike The Midnight, the Muddled Brand has been traditionally focused on one thing, coin, and securing as much as possible. They trade in all sorts of unsavory goods and services, but their origin and name come from the application or modification of the ubiquitous Brand worn throughout Ankaluun. They are the largest of the less than savory factions on the continent.
The Muddled Brand has no centralized leadership but rather is led by regional "barons" who control the business within their areas of operation. Cooperation between the barons is often necessary, especially in the area of information sharing. In reality, the barons are fiercely competitive and will honor the letter of their agreements but constantly are seeking to cheat and steal by working around them

Structure

No centralized leadership, led by regional barons.

Public Agenda

Muddlers who need to operate publicly will generally pose as members of the Silken Satchel or as traveling merchants with no guild affiliation.  Across the Kirinian Empire the Muddled Brand is officially considered an illegal organization.  In reality, the local Barons are usually savvy enough to bribe the proper authorities to look the other way to the majority of their activities as long as they keep their illicit activities low-profile.

Coin Over Country

Type

Illicit, Syndicate

Demonym

Muddler