Editing Landsoftheblacksea:Main Page/realms/Blackport/crime

== Blackport Rats ==

Thieves' Guild operating out of The Warren.  Enemies of Izzy's Boys.  Primarily petty crimes, pickpocketing, racketeering, some burglary.

== Izzy's Boys ==

Thieves' Guild operating out of Red Lantern.  Enemies of Blackport Rats.  Extortion, Debt Collection, Racketeering, Pickpocketing, burglary.

== Skullcrushers ==

Muscle gang.  Operates out of Grunt.  Mostly orcs, some ogres.

== Black Fangs ==
Assassin's Guild.  Enemies of The Cartels Cobras.  Unknown leader.

== Sons of the Tiger ==
Theives' Guild.

== The Cartel ==
A Thieves’ Guild that essentially specializes in usury (loan sharking).

Founded and currently led by an Issyrian pirate, Isma Bazzi, over a decade ago using the wealth he had accumulated over a career as a successful pirate as well as the sale of his brig when he decided to settle down in Blackport.  

Isma’s crew went into the new business with him.  Primarily Issyrians like himself and with unquestioned loyalty, they formed the foundation of what is now the Cartel’s fighting and muscle arm, The Orphans.  

Isma and the Cartel founded a temple to the Old Is-ri’an Goddess of [[Landsoftheblacksea:Main_Page/religion/is-rian_pantheon#Arat-Apet | Arat-Apet]] – appropriately, the Goddess of Wealth, but also the Patron of Guardians.  The temple has an associated Orphanage that in fact is the crucible in which they forge future members of their fighting arm.  Children in the orphanage are indoctrinated and trained upon arrival – sometimes even from birth - to be loyal protectors and guardians of the Cartel that sponsors and protects their Goddess in the dangerous environs of Blackport.

In a city like Blackport, plenty of children get orphaned. The Orphanage, funded by Cartel members, is always ready to open its doors to young urchins, and even willing to purchase children off the slave auction. Altruism is not the reason though. The instructors of the Orphanage are clerics and warrior monks of Arat-Apet. They teach the children Arat-Apet's tenets of fearlessness and utmost loyalty and dedication to those they guard. Actual religious instruction is reserved only for those who show particular promise to become followers of the Goddess. The children are also taught the values of the Cartel. And put through grueling exercise and combat regimen. The intention is to make them steadfast, loyal and deadly guardians for the Cartel.

The training ends when the Orphans grow up. During Adoption Day, most are adopted as guards to various Cartel members or operations. A select few become Cobras - the feared assassins of The Cartel. And a few are presented as gifts to valued business partners. Often those not smart enough to figure out that the first loyalty of the Orphans is always to the Orphanage.

The Shadow Watch is perfectly aware of The Cartel and keeps a close watch on them. Especially since their insular nature makes them extremely hard to penetrate and their private security force is trained to the same standards as The Army of the Sovereign. Some of those in the know suspect that the Army may have been modeled after the Orphans.

But The Cartel has no interest in taking on the burdens of rulership, only in lining their pockets. And as long as the business is good, all is good. And The Cartel know their business.

The Cartel operates primarily in Crossbones, Slaver’s District, Warehouse, and Guildhall.  They do business further afield, but such “investments” tend to be with entities that would not require them to try to use the Orphans as muscle in a district where other powers have them at a disadvantage.

The Cartel works with many other criminal guilds of Blackport on a transactional basis, usually in deals where the specialized financial instruments and apparatus of the Cartel compliments the focus of their partners.

The Cartel, and specifically the Cobras, have had several run-ins with another assassins’ guild – the Black Fangs – that operates in Blackport.  Driven by both business concerns and branding infringement, eventually the rivalry degenerated into a full-on blood feud, assassination followed by counter-assassination, which was only ended by the intervention of the Shadow Watch itself.  

Isma and the mysterious leader of the Fangs were summoned to Everdark Keep, and upon returning, the violence was over.  Isma never spoke of what happened at that meeting to anyone.  

Since then, while never missing an opportunity to take a dig, scoop a juicy mark, or snatch prey from the other’s grasp, the relations between the two remain professional, at least by Blackport standards.