Foxes

'None notice the quiet, the wanderer, the one who moves about the crowds as if just enjoying the atmosphere. People believe the noisy places are safe, that they can hide, talk in secret, and mask their intentions in such places. They are mistaken. The fox's ears are ever sharp, their eyes ever alert and their cunning unmatched. You never know who one is until it is far to late.' You find this conversational topic odd coming from your partner in crime as you both move swiftly through the alley ways to the safe house you'd both picked out. No wait, you think back. You had no hand in picking the safe house. Indeed you had no clue where you were going, making off with this religious relic for a buyer you'd never met. You'd been promised a boat load of coin. Indeed now that you considered it, you'd never heard of this elf cat burglar you'd just done the heist with, and had no idea how he'd come into all the information, down to the weight of the item in question, and the security used. In fact you'd never heard of him at all, even through the Thieves Guild here in Kelethan and they were well known to quietly spread word of their best and brightest, it was how they made money after all. Piece by piece it clicked, and as it did, you heard the click of a crossbow pistol, and realized it was leveled at you by your so called partner. "I see the gears turning my friend. You are correct, I am exactly what you think I am. You've been played. You have two choices as I see it. Run, in which case I dose you, get the information I need from you through....unpleasant means with the aide of my fellows, and then we dump you, very much alive, and I spread word quietly through the guards about Havok Jack's entire organization, information you were so kind as to provide and we followed up on quietly and carefully over these few years to insure was accurate. Simultaneously we spread word through the grapevine who the dirty rat was, and I am sure you have an idea what Havok Jack will have done to you, given you and me helped hide more than our fair share of his favorite....contractors'....handiwork." The elf stops now staring you down, as if waiting. 

Taking a careful and deep breath, you have to ask the obvious question. "Indeed. So then, Ter'anielos, if that is your real name, what is my other option exactly?"

The elf smiles, not lowering his crossbow, but letting his finger float just off touching the trigger now. "I'm glad you asked William, I'm so very glad you asked. I like you, I'd hate to have to leave you for dead. But I would. In a heartbeat." He winks at you then, "for the record no Ter'anielos isn't my real name. Its an alias. It roughly translates to silver tongued fox from old elven. Cocky I know but I was quite confident none of you or your cronies could speak the more ancient dialect of my kin. As to your second option? Quite simple. You enter into an agreement with us. We pay you for the relic, quietly return it to the chapel to replace the 'fake' we left behind. Your buyer will never know because they are already dead. But they also informed us of something....concerning about Havok Jack's little business operations before they died. Why the relic was wanted. A cancer has taken root within your little gang. You come back with the money, we have a stooge acting as the buyer in question who will sell the counterfeit relic as the real deal, don't ask how. All seems as if it went according to plan. Me and you stay undercover til we find out what, or where, they plan to sacrifice that holy object to their dark beliefs in ritual. Its dangerous but you know to much now my friend, so you are in, or your dead. Your choice really."

A choice he called it but in reality, you've lived on the streets all your life. Survival of the fittest and all that. The reality is you don't have any feeling of loyalty to Havok Jack, just a fear of consequences. And if this elf represents who he says he does....well they have a bigger threat level. You take a deep breath. "If you are whom I think you are, and part of the group I believe you are part of, then we have a deal. I'll take the second option."

The elf smiled, seemingly delighted, as he snapped his arm up, taking the crossbow off you. He gestured with his right hand and two cloaked figures you didn't notice faded back into another side alley. "Excellent friend William. You've the pragmatic attitude, a sharp wit, and quick mind. You'll do quite well I think, and if we survive this, I am sure I can convince my superiors to hire you on. So sure in fact, I'll say it now, though it is unofficial." He offers his right hand which you take, and gives it a firm shake. "Welcome, friend William, to the intelligence business. Welcome to the Foxes.

Composition

Manpower

The Foxes numbers are estimated to be somewhere around 2000-2500, but of course none know for sure except those select few privy to such highly classified and secretive information. They use diplomats, spies, undercover operatives and this doesn't even account for any and all turned informants or sources they happen to count among their number. They are spread amongst courts, advisors and councils all about the continent, slipped into political positions, positions of influence, but never ever at the top. Some are spread amongst key ports, rail yards or Sky-Ports as well.

Equipment

Their wits, savvy and suave attitudes and confidence. Carefully crafted aliases that are generally assignment specific and will be completely scrubbed after the assignment is over. They carry a knife, a small crossbow pistol, or an actual pistol, at a bare minimum. You will be equipped with appropriate attire, living arrangements and a budget befitting the kind of individual you are portraying on assignment. You also will have your fall back plan, a small piece of pure Void-stone. You are not to be taken alive and are not to allow any potentially classified materials you are carrying to be taken either. So you consume this piece of Void-stone, giving in to the madness you feel trying to assault your senses and body. Whatever horrifying consequence will ensue, you will have no ability to spill classified information, for you will have no memory of it. Anything you are carrying will have been destroyed in the resulting magical shockwaves that are unleashed, utterly incinerated by the pure maddening energy, as you are consumed, possessed or twisted into something unrecognizable and pure evil. Regardless of which it is, this method not only insures total removal of the risk of classified intelligence being taken, it utterly destroys the link to any intelligence organization, because of course, Depenwood does not acknowledge such tactics and no proof exists as of this time that they issue such material to their agents.

Weaponry

This is very dependent on assignment of course, a knife and a crossbow pistol with ammunition and poison to coat them with are pretty standard by the limited accounts we have, though that could be misdirection as well. But it is fair and safe to assume they will be as well armed and armored as they can reasonably get away with depending on the assignment.

Vehicles

Also very assignment dependent, naturally, as one does not wish to blow their cover by having and using such a thing they should not for any number of given reasons.

Structure

The Foxes, whilst many wonder whom is in charge, they seem to operate not as one organized group, but more a loose coalition, with little cells or sects operating in certain areas, and information sharing. Some have gotten close enough on occasion to spill names and vital details, but within a week, that little group is gone, like ghosts, and yet within weeks and months new operations will have commenced. Many wonder if a true head of intelligence as it were, a singular top person, or a conventional command structure as most would imagine it truly exists within the organization.

Tactics

They are quite flexible and adaptable as any good intelligence group ought to be, but prefer a less.....direct approach in most cases, often willing to sink months and even years into cultivating an extensive information network, until it is in some ways a self sufficient beast of its own. Indeed it is rumored many of the Foxes assignments are not direct to national security, but more setting up information networks all about the continent, and all about their own nation-state, so as to insure they are informationally as tied in as possible, allowing for highly increased mitigation of potential incidents and crises utilizing such information and intelligence.

Training

The Foxes are quite uniquely trained, one would have to imagine. They blend deception, intellect, intuition, perception, and a lot of well studied lore, with a physical regime that produces skilled and accurate sharp-shooters, and by all accounts some of the most highly skilled and dangerous knife fighters and unarmed combatants in Valerick. They are brilliant actors, liars and generally comfortably fluent, accent included, in at least 2-3 languages, and passable in another 1-2 besides. One has to imagine such a vast skill set takes years of training before one could be deemed operationally capable.

Logistics

Logistical Support

Anyone in the intelligence business is, by definition and necessity, exceedingly self sufficient. However they will generally have some help they can call upon, unique to the locale they are deployed in.

Auxilia

Extraction by force of arms or through special operations are not preferred, as that means in some way or another, something has gone wildly astray, and managed to not be salvageable through any of the likely half a dozen or more fail safe plans that were put in place. At that point things have gone totally wrong and stealth is no longer the mission objective.

Upkeep

They are a black budget operation as with any intelligence apparatus, and given their decentralized command structure, it goes even as deep, so the rumor says, as to their budget. Ask any of the 6 tribal leaders you will likely get 6 very different answers, even if they were to tell you the truth. None save the hypothetical unknown officer in charge of Depenwood Intelligence Operations, if such a person exists, would have any inkling of the full fiscal breakdowns and even then, they'd likely not keep such things too well documented. Paper trails are dangerous in the Clandestine Business after all.

Recruitment

None really know fully how recruits are drawn, though some theorize a big part is recruiting and turning individuals as informants and if they prove competent and reasonably loyal, you approach them with offer of citizenship, extraction for their family, if they swear allegiance and join the Foxes as a permanent asset. There is no real hard and fast proof, though plenty of tales like the one outlined above, have floated around before, and come up at various times again and again. How much truth is their to such stories? No one truly knows.

History

Not too much is known for sure, but much is suspected of this organization. They are like smoke, but where one looks, the fire is already moved on.

Historical loyalties

Besides to Depenwood as a nation-state, and the ruling tribes, any other loyalties, such as a top intelligence officer, are unknown.

Type

Intelligence

Founding

Unknown

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Decorated/Honored

Used by

• Depenwood