House of Crows
"[...] Antiva is not primarily renowned for its peculiar form of government, nor for its admittedly unparalleled wines. Antiva is known for the House of Crows. Since Antivans are well known for being good at everything but fighting, it is more than a little ironic that Antiva possesses the most deadly assassins in the world. Their fame is such that Antiva keeps no standing army: No king is willing to order his troops to assault her borders, and no general is mad enough to lead such an invasion. The attack would likely succeed, but its leaders would not see the day."
—From In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar by Brother Genitivi
Structure
The Antivan Crows are seemingly compartmentalized into family houses, in imitation of the great noble families of Thedas, with each member of that house, from its leader to its rank and file assassins taking the house's name as their family name. The leadership of the Guild as a whole seemingly lies with the Eight Talons, and their respective houses, while lesser Houses are referred to as cuchillos (knives).
- Talon: A high-ranking member of the Crows.
- Guildmaster: A leader amongst the Crows, possibly of a larger group.
- Master: A high-ranking assassin who accepts and handles assassination contracts.
- Assassin: A member of the guild without greater rank.
Public Agenda
Through their deadly reputation and exotic poisons, the Crows practically rule their homeland. Though honor among such an organization is generally dubious, they do adhere to one standard: contracts are met and agreements are kept. Failure to eliminate a mark means the life of the operative is also forfeit. The Antivan Crows are a driving political force in Antiva, often hired to assassinate Antivan nobility or even royalty.
When the Crows are hired for a job, generally one master handles the contract. However, if the master is unable to complete it, then other masters can be hired. It is even possible to hire the entire House of Crows, however that would be extremely expensive. There is only one known case where this occurred.
History
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