The Feathers

Thieves with a higher purpose

Almost certainly the singlemost prevalent and powerful crime syndicate in Wulsten, The Feathers are a widespread criminal organization dating back to the Serene Age. In virtually any major city, there is a branch of The Feathers, and if there isn't, then you can be sure that they have infiltrated the city under the guise of another thieve's guild, mercenary company, or some other form of organization. At a surface level, The Feathers are a highly efficient crime syndicate that deals in illegal goods and services ranging from things like thievery and smuggling all the way to the more extreme services such as assassination, though they are incredibly selective with the jobs they take on, being cautious not to take contracts that conflict with the organization's secretive greater goals.

Structure

The hierarchy of the Feathers is strucutured in such a way as to both decentralize their chain of command, so it is less vulnerable to attempts to dismantle it, as well as being interconnected in a way that allows information and objectives to be swiftly shared among the whole organization. Despite the benefits of lacking a central chain of command, it does come with the downside that there are multiple factions and ideologies within the group, with some taking a more traditionalist stance on the group's actions and morality, and others seeking to adapt more heavily to new times and challenges.

Regional networks

The reach of the Feathers is divided up into organizational jursidictions called "Webs". These webs can overlap geographically, and are often outlined in their territory not only by physical regions but also by goals and focus. For instance, a city may be part of multiple Webs with different primary goals, such as a Web focused on thievery and smuggling, a Web focused on information gathering and espionage, and another Web focused on assassinating or otherwise dealing with those that oppose the Feathers. Each Web is led by a pair of Weavers, one tasked with building their Web's network of communications and monitoring their progress, and the other tasked with making and maintaining connections to other Webs, in order to coordinate their efforts with the syndicate as a whole.

Local headquarters

Within each Web there are a number of Gloamnests, physical headquarters and hubs for members to lay low, rest, and coordinate their goals.

These Gloamnests are all tended by a Nestmaker. These Nestmakers are nearly exclusively former parents (with some exceptions for individual Webs that maintain slightly different sets of rules). Most Gloamnests require that their Nestmakers have no surviving children, though there aren't typically restrictions on how these children passed, or what age they needed to make it to (or even if they needed to survive childbirth). In general, a Nestmaker is tasked with the safety and wellbeing of the members which operate in proximity to their Gloamnest. They do not concern themselves with other goals of the group, so that they can focus wholeheartedly on protecting the members. Because of this, Nestmakers often come into conflict with Weavers, as their concern for their members can come at the cost of a Web's mission.

Each Gloamnest is also home to at least one Stalker. Stalkers are experienced members who specialize in training new members. Because of their value as mentors, Stalkers try not to involve themselves in missions outside of training, in order to minimize the risk that they might be compromised or killed. Despite usually avoiding the direct line of work, Stalkers are inevitably formidable opponents and dangerous to cross, either alone or with other agents.

Leadership

The upper echelon of the syndicate above the Weavers is all but a mystery to those outside the guild. Theories about the leadership of the Feathers abound from leads from law enforcement about possible ties to royalty or potential locations for a central headquarters, all the way to myths and legends told by common folk about demonic entities leading the organization, or a great shadow dragon dictating the hoarding of wealth for himself. What is known is that the group ostensibly worships an old god, known as Inoxa.

Culture

The culture of the Feathers varies wildly based on which factions and regions are in question. While some parts of the organization are methodical, professional, and detached, other groups are zealous, familial, and philosophical. Most factions seek to balance the efficiency of professional crime with the intimacy and reliability of the more sentimental approach. Most Webs take on some of the cultural and regional attributes of where they are located, such as Webs in Korlech being more heavily hierarchal, or the Gloamhavens of Draenea often having draconic allies.

History

Though their exact origins are not public knowledge, the organization now widely known as The Feathers can be traced to the cities of Pontus and Lania (now known as the single city of Pont-Lania). In the early Serene Age, a new race of people began appearing, seemingly from nowhere. This new race of people, who called themselves Tenervi, seemed most prevalent in the denser, poorer areas of the cities. It was the Tenervi, who were often pejoratively called Feathers, or Featherfolk, who first organized into the group now known as "The Feathers". Not long after, the Tenervi began appearing in other parts of Wulsten, though while Tenervi often did heavily socialize with each other, not all populations desired association with The Feathers.

In the early 300's of the Serene Age, humans and elves began joining The Feathers. Typically, outcast members of society did so, but affluent members have also been known to join the syndicate, for various reasons. It was at this point that the group began having success in branching out from the couple of urban centers they were most common in and into wider towns and nations. By the close of the Serene Age, they were found all throughout the Empire of Beleduin and Magnoram, as well as several nations along the Claw Coast. By the mid-Arcane Age, they had spread into elven lands, as well as north along The Trade River to the lands surrounding the Lake of Many Folk. Legend holds that they even aided the Korlechian Tribes in fighting against the Red Orcs of Cohnarak in the Cohnar Valley at the close of the Arcane Age. By the mid-Regal Age, they were present in every nation on Wulsten, in varying degrees. They still have very few Gloamnests in The Dwarven Realm, and struggle to make much of a presence in Kasarai, Exer, or Tamna, as well as other northern nations.

In the dark, blood and ink are one.

Founding Date

25 S.A.

Type

Illicit, Syndicate

Alternative Names

The Crows, The Blackbirds, The Night Sky

Deities

• Inoxa

Location

Pont-Lania

Related Species

• Tenervi