The Obsidian District
"Its hands reach far further than just the city it began in." - Bartholomew McGeherty circa 3167aR1
The Black Heart of A'zur
The Heart of All Civilization in Rælin is A'zur, a living, breathing city full of magic and light. But, as with any beacon that shines its light to the world, there is shadow cast in which creatures of the dark lurk. For A'zur, this is the Obsidian District. Originally, in the early days of A'zurs growth, the first Spymaster of the High Overking laid the plans for an undercity to built into the sewer system of the new city. Accessible only by specially hidden doors identifiable only to allies and students of the Spymaster, it was officially opened in 517aR1 and aptly named, The Underward. In time, however, his students let more and more into the hidden district, thieves and outcasts meant to serve them in the hunt, originally just for information, they eventually rose against the Spymaster, who disappeared in the chaos, who was not heard from again. Now having total independence from the crown, the Underward was carved up by several crime bosses, and A'zur began to suffer for it, reaching a head in 1157aR1, when the then High Overking ordered a purge of the Underward, effectively and forcefully ending all activity in the Underward. It laid deserted and unused save for a minor thieves guild, a small cult, and a folklore figure known as the Rat King, for many years until after the Sundering in 2278aR1, when a notably rotund Elvan, the self-styled Keymaster Glaveth, brought in a small private army and retook the Underward, rebuilding it into a sprawling haven for his enterprises, a place to organize the thieves, mercenaries, and assassins within his employ, and do black market trading in relative safety, as it would appear to all that the crown specifically ignores the activities that take place within. It was then that Keymaster gave a new name to both the Underward and his new organization, The Obsidian District, a new name to match the theme of the rest of the great city it lay under. Now, over two thousand years later, the Keymaster still oversees a majority of operations that take place all over Rælin, from low level cutpurses to high ticket political assassins, all pay homage to the District and at least one of its several Denmasters. The Keymaster, however has since left A'zur, leaving it in the hands of one of his first proteges, moving his main power base to Kval, the City of Sinners, where he remains in his Den of Thieves to this day, always controlling the flow of information and money.A Guild of Thieves and Killers
Much has been said about The Obsidian District over the years, most of it bad. From people whispering in the dark about how their activities have shaped current society, to others claiming boldly that the District is nothing more than a collection of riffraff, pickpockets, and low-level cutthroats, and even some who believe that secretly, the District actually does good, robbing the wealthy to redistribute their money to the poor forced to escape to the Obsidian District for shelter. The truth of the matter is complex, for two of those rumors hold much truth. The Obsidian District has, in fact helped shape the advancement of society into what it is, though not through its routine robbing of Diamond District houses. Those especially in the know have heard the deeper whispers in the organization of a powerful arm of the District called the Obsidian Blade, a small subgroup of incredibly powerful assassins directed by the Keymaster himself. They alone have sent Mad Kings, Good Kings, Cult Leaders, and rival crime lords alike all to their graves, invariably altering the course of history itself. Most of its business, however, is fairly in line with what one expects of the largest thieves guild in the world, with the smuggling of drugs and weapons being the most lucrative of their ventures, the District, however, refuses to ever participate in human trading, under pain of death, a directive laid down in the beginning by the Keymaster.Many Hands in Many Pockets
The Obsidian District being the largest criminal enterprise in the world means that the Keymaster cannot oversee everything directly, and, as such has handed off control of the District in major cities to different Denmasters, who control the goings on in their respective city and pass along the information and money that the Keymaster is owed, from Kval, that money is distributed back out to the Dens as they need to further advance the power and income intake of the District. At this point, the District practically owns several cities such as Kval, on the Kiathon River, and Jorgunheim, which lies only several miles south of Hjallheim, capitol of Cvantla, and uses them as their main hubs for smuggling and racketeering. It has also long since been rumored that there is a secret extra member of the Council of the Overking who represents the Obsidian District.Tenets of the Obsidian District
- Never take from those of lesser means.
- Never give up your fellow District member.
- Never involve oneself with the trade of flesh.
- Always avoid unnecessary chaos and bloodshed.
- On pain of death one shall never betray their Den unless it has violated these rules.
Type
Guild, Thieves
Ranks in the Obsidian District
- Beggar
- Shiv
- Cloak or Dagger
- Smuggler or Marine
- Broker or Fixer
- Denmaster
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments