Associates of Duglas and Doyle
Officially recognised by the ruling government of Surantas due to its pervasive and obvious influence, the Thieves Guild and its members are frequently given mitigated sentences so long as they uphold their own policy of nonlethal methods.
Socially, the Thieves Guild operates under several largely unspoken but widely understood principles; no killing (nonlethal knockouts or escapes are honourable, ending opposition with finality is not), charity to the deserving (thieves feed their own), loyalty (never sell out a member), and finally, ‘no spoilers’ – never ever ruin a heist by alerting the mark or the authority.
Fences in each major settlement are subtle but accepting traders who appreciate the cheap wares and do not mind the vague pedigrees such items may have. House Rain Moon of Glimmermead is watchful in its attempts to curb the impact of the thieves on trade (a pursuit said to be an obsession of Lady Silver Swan), though thieves understand that the highest-value fences, in terms of discretion and depth of purse, can be found in Grey Road, the largest settlement in that domain.
Membership is indicated by a tattoo, the constellation of Peregrinor, usually concealed within some other imagery, on any part of the body. It is almost exclusively displayed somewhere the bearer can reveal to demonstrate their loyalties to other thieves.
Structure
Internally, this guild of criminals in Surantas is divided into two rival factions, one run by the swashbuckling ‘Duglas’ and the other run by the sly and subtle ‘Doyle’, who urge their associates to mock and out-do their opponents in a variety of friendly contests, from who can steal a marked item and return it first, who can most daringly pick a guarded lock or loot a purse, to footraces, rooftop races, stolen-horse-races, urban running races and more.
Public Agenda
Those with money take the threat of theft seriously, as to be robbed of valuables demonstrates a vulnerability in ones defences – an embarrassing position for any landholding person to be caught in. Guild thieves often take advantage of this social quirk, delighting in stealing something valuable, obvious and personal, and returning the object by placing it in a telling or public place for all to see.
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