Corvis Crime Family

The Corvis Crime Family are one of the major factions of the Asrinheim town of Tyris Ren. Once the main lumbering family of nobles, the family lost their wealth during the Flight of the Dragon when many of their yards were destroyed. As a response, they became the first criminal enterprise in the city. Rivalling with the Skallen Syndicate of the town, the Corvis have been pushed into the underground but remain a powerful and notable criminal enterprise in the south of Asrinheim.
Now the prinicpal enemies of the Summerfrost Syndicate, since the latter's fall from power under the rulership of Tony Summerfrost, the Corvis's all but owned Tyris Ren. Their leader, Pinivir, trying to oust Val, attacked the Mayor's Gala and were defeated by Doomed 2 Die.

Structure

The Corvis Crime family are ran by members of the Corvis family and recruited 'captains' and 'thugs' from the population of Tyris Ren. A Corvis by blood can inherit the title of Crime Elder, which has been held by Pinivir after they defeated their siblings and cousins for nearly 4 centuries. They would plot and scheme to get the Corvis's into power, and in 1052, with the downfall of the Summerfrosts, their mission was accomplished.

Assets

The Corvis family have around 100-200 members, from low level thugs, staff and cronies to the higher ranking liutenants and 'managers' of the outfit. They maintain only one major base, The Frostbite Lounge, a partially submerged tavern in the Rattery that doubles as a club as well as criminal fortress.

History

Before they were a crime family, the Corvis' were minor nobles in Tyris Ren and the surrounding regions. Owning lumberyards and other mercantile outfits across the south, as well as a notable mansion in the Noble's Quarter, the family slowly lost their assets to their future rivals, House Summerfrost, and started to turn to crime and smuggling to earn additional money.
They finally gave up on their noble facade during the Age of Isolation during the 1st age when the last of their lumberyards closed down. As Tyris Ren fell into poverty and decline the Corvis family gained control of the Council of Elders, and the Summerfrosts were driven from the town back to the mining fortress of Skalanren. Essentially running the town as a kleptocracy.
Their outright rulership came to a diasterous end with the Flight of the Dragons, which saw Tyris Ren partially flattened in 1691, 2e by the fueding copper and bronze dragons identified in the Saga of Queen Astrid I Dragontamer. The return of the Summerfrosts saw the Corvis family pushed form their noble home fully into the underground, and the dragon disaster had destroyed scores of their legitamate and illegimate fronts alike.The Summerfrosts also founded the Tyris Ren militia, stopping the family from gaining the level of power they had before as professional trained guardsmen kept them on their toes.
The arrival of the first Skallen Syndicate in the town further deteroriated the Tyris Ren mob as the more professional and subtle outfit of criminals took over much of their territory and schemes. This status quo left the Corvis minor players in the world until the war of the Great Houses at the end of the Second Age. This century of war was initally bad for the family, as their usual recruits of impoverished locals found plenty of legitmate work deforesting the Summerswood, however, towards the end of the conflict the family found themselves ideal smugglers and mouney launders for the growing wealth of the town, as well as being able to score plenty of high-level heists.
With the Summerfrosts ousted at the end of the conflict, the Corvis family waged an underground criminal war on the Skallen and nearly destroyed them - turning them back into major crime players. Yet again, this 'golden age' of Corvis dominance was cut short when the Summerfrosts, now deposed as Elders, found themselves alligned with the Skallen Syndicate and became the new criminal enterprise in Tyris Ren. A second crime war errupted as the Corvis's lost much of their territory, and were pushed largely into the Rattery and their external crime enterprises left to a minimum.
In 631, 3e, then Crime Elder Osvil Corvis was killed in the middle of the Summerswood by a druidic ambush whilst trying to smuggle stolen goods out of town. Osvil's child, Pinivir, began a Corvis 'civil war' to gain power as their siblings and cousins were all murdered. Pinivir installed themselves as the new Crime Elder and began to plot and scheme to turn the family's fate around. This came to a head in 1052 as the Summerfrosts were ousted by a Corvis backed Tyris Ren militia, alongside their exposure by The Phantom.
This third dominance would be even shorter than the last few, only spanning a few months as Pinivir foolishly ambushed the Mayor's Gala to capture Val Summerfrost - only to be defeated by Gordian, Doomed 2 Die, and Roach, who was disguised as The Phantom.

Appearnces: 5

• Session 155: The Phantom of Tyris Ren
• Session 156: The Missing Priest
• Session 158: Prison Break
• Session 160: Frosthill
• Session 161: Gala Blitz