Freelancers
Most guilds in the Brotherhood of Thieves have their character shaped by the region in which they operate. There is perhaps no guild where this holds more true than with the Freelancers. Operating out the Great Belt from shores of the River of Darkness which mark the edges of the Grand Duchy of His Lord Mennith to the tree line of the Soulmeliti Forests and as far south as Sarya's Republic, this vast and often empty territory poses a number of challenges for the guild.
First, communication across such a vast and generally unpopulated space has led to factions growing in various cities. With a modicum of traffic between Pendril and Sarnyan, members in the southern portion of the guild's territory at least know what occurs in each other's home towns. The general lawlessness of the Republic, however, means that trade and travel within it proves dangerous - even to couriers of the guild. No region in the Inner Seas has more brigands and highwaymen than the Republic and most eschew membership in the guild. Even those that do join feel that their membership dues purchase independence, with each claiming their patch of forest or grassland as their own private hunting grounds in which they can pray on travelers. Skirmishes between rival bands, each seeking to grow their territories ever so slightly are common and outright wars where one gang attempts to supplant another are not uncommon.
All of this leads to a trickle of information flowing between the two cities and various towns of the republic; enough to fan the flames rumor but never enough to coordinate a grand heist or organized extortion racket. Instead, those guild members living in more urban areas must content themselves with more base income streams such as picking pockets and burglary. Begging is, of course, useless in a city like Saryan where destitution reigns and those few lords with power never drop their eyes to see the masses upon which they trample. The political situation, however, does make murder for hire a lucrative option, assuming one does not get caught and subjected to the harsh punishment of the Five Masked Lords. Given his success in such ventures, it is no surprise that the nominal leader of the Freelancers is a mysterious assassin known only as Kaimain.
An Unsuccessful Freelancer in Sarnyan
Further north, lines of communication prove even less reliable. While the Trans-Rheuthengage Highway runs between Katzpütch and Dalencroft, it is tightly controlled by the Imperial Legion. Their mounted cavalry units make them far more dangerous on the open expanses of the Denton Plains and the Lawless Steppes than they do during the stretch of highway that runs through the Rheuthengage Mountains, making the sort of organized banditry conducted by the Mountain Highwaymen far less profitable.
As such, factions in both Katzpütch and Dalencroft rarely coordinate efforts with each other. Part of this may be due the fact that in Dalencroft, there really isn't anything to steal. The town may have a few more buildings than its neighbor to the west, but it sees far less traffic. At least Katzpütch sends some caravans directly to Mennith, Pendril, and Saryan. Dalencroft doesn't see any trade except that with the Soulmeliti Forests. It is true that those caravans can make lucrative targets, but it is well known that the Soulmeliti employ forbidden magics, making the risk too great for most to attempt.
In the City of Shifting Streets, however, there is ample opportunity for thuggery, skullduggery, and burglary. One never knows what sort of commodities are moving through the city that might be redirected for the right price. Its markets openly sell goods of questionable origin, and the guild here often acts as fence for goods filched all over the Inner Seas, effectively obscuring the chain of custody for even the most iconic goods. Rumors persist that treasures such as the crown of the Kingdoms of Prydith, the holy vestments from the Sun Temple, and even the legendary Veracous have changed hands in the canvas alleys of Katzpütch.
Most lucrative of all, however, for those guild members in both Katzpütch and Dalencroft, is the information trade. As key crossroads for the entire Continent, rumors, tales, and occasionally even facts filter through both towns where apprentice spies dutifully add them to journals. These notes are fastidiously studied, cross referenced, and packaged into short scrolls filled with the latest news from places as far away as Nosferius and Zennon before being sold to the highest bidder. How the guild transmits this information, given its difficulty coordinating any other activities, remains a mystery even to those involved in its collection and analysis.
Type
Guild, Thieves
Leader
Parent Organization
Location
Notable Members