The Reckoners

The Reckoners are a band of the Waste's most fearsome criminals, a crew of rail pirates that are known throughout the Waste for their impressive raids of white coal stockpiles, and the signature mechanical prosthetics that they all possess. The Reckoners are led by Brasslung Bill, an ancient criminal with a rap sheet longer than most novels, and the inventor of their augmentations. Brasslung Bill has quite unusual recruitment methods, keeping the Reckoners small, and recruiting only tieflings. This is because he created the Reckoners with a single purpose: to keep himself, and others like him who have traded their souls to a fiend in exchange for some worldly benefit, alive for as long as possible. Utilizing his mechanical augmentations and copious amounts of white coal, which he steals in great droves from those who obtain it legitimately, he hopes to stave off their eternal punishment indefinitely.

Structure

The Reckoners do not have a formal structure, as much as an unspoken chain of command that is understood by each of its members. Brasslung Bill leads them, but those who among the Reckoners who are his closest friends have a lot of power within the organization as well. Bill's word is final, but more often than not the word of those close to him is the same as his own.

Culture

The Reckoners' ideals revolve around one thing: not dying. Above all, each Reckoner hopes to live as long as they possibly can, staving off the eternal punishment that awaits them for having sold their souls. Every Reckoner is a sinner, with no hope of redemption, and every Reckoner knows this. Due to this immense fear of death, they are incredibly careful in everything they do. A Reckoner's job is dangerous, and death is a very real possibility whenever they conduct a raid, so a good plan is essential. Luckily, their many mechanical prosthetics give them great durability, and a Reckoner can survive many things that would kill any ordinary person. Even with this, some Reckoners fear even the tiniest of cuts, which could lead to infection, which could lead to death. This fear of death also extends to the Reckoners' victims, however. Brasslung Bill dislikes killing, as he does not wish to doom others to the very fate he has dedicated his life to avoiding. After all, the Waste is chock-full of criminals and exiles, who would most likely end up in Hell if killed. Due to this, he has instructed the Reckoners to avoid killing when possible, preferring to intimidate, disable, and/or capture those they encounter instead.

Public Agenda

Above all else, the Reckoners seek to obtain white coal. The prosthetics that give them their durability and keep them alive require that magical resource to function, and so they must acquire it in droves. This puts them in direct opposition to the Rail Baron and Barony Co., which purchases and ships much of the white coal obtained in the Waste, and the hunters who obtain it in the first place. Both find themselves victims of the Reckoners' attacks, and both would be mighty pleased, should the rail pirates be brought to justice.

Assets

Most important among their assets, the Reckoners possess their signature mechanical appendages and organs, which function much better than their biological counterparts, and are credited with being one of the larger reasons for their success as a rail pirate crew. In addition to this, the Reckoners have a small number of railtrains under their control, most notable being the Absolution, Brasslung Bill's personal vehicle. Upon these railtrains, they have an impressive stockpile of white coal, which is constantly growing and shrinking as they consume it and steal more. Finally, they possess decent sums of money that they have obtained by fencing their stolen goods, which they can use to purchase the equipment and items they need that are not listed here.

Type

Illicit, Pirate Crew

Leader

Brasslung Bill

Notable Members