Hornwood Reclaimers

Background

Hailing from Eardham, the Hornwood Reclaimers (Hornwoods or Reclaimers for short) are unique amongst the Barb’s power players for a few notable reasons. The Hornwood Reclaimers are technically the newest major player in the Five Barbs, though not the youngest gang in Relvark by a country mile. There has always been a gang representing Eardham though their presence has rarely been felt outside their district. Further, the Hornwood Reclaimers used to be known simply as the Hornwoods, named for the Druidic Groves once endemic to Earham. Only in the past decade have they rebranded themselves as the “Hornwood Reclaimers”, largely under the leadership of their new boss “The Revenant”. Periods of waxing and waning have characterized the history of the Reclaimers, often ceding their regency of the district to an allied subordinate gang, often the Woodsmen or the Plow Hands. But since the ascent of The Revenant to leadership, the Reclaimers have brought new life into the criminal scene in Eardham and the Five Barbs, and a new, brutal brand of protection for the denizens of Eardham. In their past life as the Hornwoods, the gang was bent on securing their district from what they and Earders viewed as “bureaucratic overreach” or “criminal development”. The resulting ethos was one of isolationist and defensive gang warfare; no alliances, no deals, no interlopers. It follows that the first official records of the Hornwoods date back to charges of theft and larceny during the Nimloth Dynasty, largely targeted against the rich and landowning class. In their current iteration as the Hornwood Reclaimers, however, the gang has taken the offensive. No longer content to let Relvark grow around them, the Reclaimers have decided to cull the further growth of the city, ostensibly seeking to burn it all to the ground by the time they are finished. Current charges pressed against the gang include arson, destruction of property, and allegations of threat to persons and property. Presently, the Hornwood Reclaimers are the de facto head of Eardham and oversee all illicit activity within the district.

History

The Hornwoods gang was founded some five centuries ago during the twilight of the Nimloth Dynasties. A tumultuous time of civil strife and conflict, the forces of Nimloth were spread thin and far afield to deal with numerous incursions and attacks. As more troops and protectors were drawn to the borderlands, opportunistic nobles and government officials seized their chance to take power. As the largest city in Rutfolk, Relvark was a prime target of attack and raiding from enemies foreign and domestic. Not yet encompassed in the city walls, but shunned by many other denizens of Rutfolk for their proximity to the city, the denizens of the future Eardham were left without protection. In this period of uncertainty these farmers and artisans banded together with the druids whose groves they tended make their own protection. This ragtag group of defenders fashioned themselves after the druidic groves they used as bases of operation, adopting the name "Hornwoods" for the largest of the groves they operated out of. Adopting the traditions of the druids who initially harbored them, the Hornwoods accepted any who needed protection so long as they adhered to their traditions and practices. The first iteration of the Hornwoods waged guerilla war against the interlopers, and eventually helped the city guard, the Bearfen warriors, and The Grove Guardians push off the attacks. Seeing merit in protecting themselves, the Hornwoods continued operating as a paramilitary group protecting the region outside Relvark. With the Bicwide conquest, the region protected by the Hornwoods was consumed by Relvark and shortly became the district of Eardham. The peace brought by the new regents was short-lived. As their groves and fields were turned into row houses and city blocks, Earders became disgusted with the trappings of city life and the destructive waste that came with "progress". Having enjoyed a brief respite the Hornwoods once again sprang to the defense of their region. Violently opposing the majority of construction, urbanization, and civic projects in the area, the Hornwoods have fought by hook and by crook to keep Eardham green and undeveloped. The first two and a half centuries of Hornwood activity under Bicwide rule have been relatively unsuccessful in achieving this goal. Preferring to keep to themselves, the Hornwoods were left defending their turf on an ad hoc basis, putting out individual fires here and there but ultimately ceding more and more turf. Their refusal to integrate to the politics of the broader city coupled with a disdain for the other gangs left them with few friends and many enemies. Slowly but surely, Eardham began to lose more and more ground to rival gangs and the momentum of progress. This trend culminated 50 years ago in the near eradication of the Hornwoods. After a series of disastrous clashes with city officials the Hornwoods were forced to lay low and regroup, ceding control of Eardham to the Plow Hands until recently.

Recent Activity

The ascent of the Revenant has brought the Hornwood Reclaimers back into the spotlight of the Five Barbs. The Revenant's ascent was publicly marked during the Night of the Vespers Riot ten years ago. During this event, the Revenant rose to power by assassinating the former head of the Burgher's Reeves Saldash Ventrel and wresting power and control of Eardham back from the Plow Hands. In the resulting chaos the entirety of the Five Barbs was almost brought into conflict. Since this riot, the Revenant has launched an aggressive defense of Eardham, utilizing the traditional guerilla tactics of the Hornwoods. The past decade has seen a string of arson, raiding, theft, and destruction in the name of destroying Relvark for the survival of Eardham. The Revenant's combative approach to this campaign has so far been accepted by the other gangs of the Barbs, but there may soon be a point where they no longer accept these attacks on their shared city.

Relations with Other Gangs

The Hornwood Reclaimers have a unique relationship to the city of Relvark and the Five Barbs. Unlike the other power players, the Reclaimers seemingly are not interested in controlling the city, and therefore do not typically engage with the other gangs of Relvark. This has left many gangs with a neutral opinion of the Reclaimers, but has not tempered their opinion of the rest of the Barbs. The Reclaimers are currently neutral with The Grove Guardians, the Sightless Seers, and the Stone Dragons. They have a strong hatred of and quiet conflict with The Lamplighters. Citing a shared history with The Grove Guardians the two gangs do not typically come to blows. Moreover, the Grove Guardians have been known to come to the aid of the Hornwood Reclaimers should the need arise. However, the Grove Guardians' misguided desire to expand the influence and borders of Relvark has caused some strife between the gangs. The Sightless Seers share a history of otherness with the Reclaimers as do the districts of Dun Row and Eardham. These shared traditions have resulted in the Reclaimers broadly accepting the Seers, resulting in relatively minor hostility between the gangs over the centuries. However, the Seers acceptance of Relvarkian culture and city life has bred animosity between the groups as of late. The Reclaimers are currently neutral with the Stone Dragons, but the latter's eager urbanization and massive construction projects have deeply soured the Reclaimers opinions of late. For now the only thing keeping peace between these gangs is The Truce of the Five Barbs. Standing as bastions of order and wishing to outright protect the peace of Relvark, The Lamplighters and Reclaimers have a strong hatred of one another. These two gangs are diametrically opposed to one another in form and function, with the Reclaimers viewing the Lamplighters as fanatic adherents to the false god of modernity. Moreover, the Reclaimers violent actions within the city have brought them on a collision course with the Lamplighters, whose prerogative is to protect Relvark at any cost. When members of these gangs encounter one another, there is a strong chance fighting follows.

Type

Illicit, Gang