The Updates

The Dockyard Rats

Hence, most of the criminal concerns in the Docks - the smuggling rings, the pirate fleets, the whoremongerss and card sharks and entertainers - have been organised amongst themselves for some time. It is said that as long ago as the First Age the Rope-Bound Brotherhood, a secret society of pirates, terrorised the high seas, finding sanctuary in remote islands beyond the Imperial reach. However, the Docks were contested territory; it would not be until the latter days of the Second Age, however, that they would join together to become one of the oldest gangs in the city. The origin of the Rats is a tale often told in the Low City, because it is the tale of the legendary Long Duel.

By then there were three major groups in the Docks: the Rope-Bound Brotherhood of swashbuckling legend, Jude's Concern (a smuggling ring which had managed to unite all the other dockyard smuggling rings fairly recently) and the Shoreleave House, the biggest brothel in the Docks which had gained a strangehold on all the legal and illegal dockyard entertainments. Tension was high, and gang war was close at hand. The three mobs of the docks realised that war would be terrible for business, and so a three-way duel was called between the three leaders: Queen Alice of the Rope-Bound Brotherhood, Jude the Sly of Jude's Concern, and "Uncle" Tony of the Shoreleave House.

On the night of the twin full moons, in the courtyard of the Riverview Tavern, the pirate, the smuggler, and the pimp fought all the night. None could gain an advantage; each realised that the other two were his or her equals. By sunrise, they were exhausted, and none had won the duel. They lowered their swords and spoke quietly for a while, and then grasped each other's hands to seal a pact that would last to the present day. And that was how they all won and all lost the Long Duel. Each duellist took his or her turn in the Captain's Chair of the Rope-Bound Brotherhood, which now was the symbol of the leadership of a new mob, the Dockyard Rats - first Queen Alice, for it was her chair first, and then Uncle Tony after she was killed at sea, and then Jude the Sly after Uncle Tony was knifed by a mysterious stranger.

To this day, the three cliques within the Rats have fulfilled their traditional roles. The Rope-Bound Brotherhood has expanded to include land-based bandits as well as pirates, and also the numerous fences and corrupt officials required to keep the pirate ships registered as "independent trading vessals" and to sell the pirates' booty. Jude's Concern maintains smuggling ships, makes deals with merchants to help them avoid customs and to sell the Concern's wares, and can provide you with the most common narcotics at a very decent price (although they may have trouble getting hold of some of the rarer varieties). The Shoreleave House operates numerous venues, legal and illegal, within the Docks, ranging from pubs to fighting pits to gambling dens to good old-fashioned whorehouses. These are somewhat more upmarket places than those found in, say, the Slums, and are much more diverse - they have to cater to the tastes of sailors and travellers from all over the world, after all. It's said that you can't get a decent Jurican coffee outside of the Docks.

Whilst the political machinations within the higher ranks over who is to sit next in the Captain's Chair are constant and fraught with danger, the rank and file of the three subfactions get on remarkably well; the Concern and the Brotherhood often make use of each other's contacts when the need arises, and both enjoy the comforts that the Shoreleave House provides. Indeed, it's not unknown for people in the middle ranks to switch subfaction without recrimination; for example, a pirate may retire to become a bartender at a Shoreline House-owned pub, or take to smuggling as a safer option.

The people of the Docks genuinely love and admire the Rats. The pirates are glamourous heroes of the lower classes, the smugglers, and Shoreline House is a major employer. The Rats know that they can knock on any door in the district and will almost always someone who can look after a dodgy package for a while, or take them to the nearest doctor or Church healer who knows to keep his mouth shut. The Watchdogs have long ago given up on trying to get any of the local residents to speak out against the Rats, unless something has happened to make them feel personally aggrieved.

System Concerns

Rank:

As with all mobs, seniority is treated as Vital. Cabin boys who dis their captain will walk funny for days if they ever walk again.

0: You're a resident of the Docks. You're not a member of the Rats, but you might buy stuff from them on occasion. So long as you don't make trouble and you're willing to keep some duty-dodged wine in your cellar from time to time, they'll lend you a hand if other mobs are giving you grief.

1: You're part of the crew now; no need to pay protection money any more, so long as you do what your betters tell you.

2: Whether you're the first mate on a pirate ship or the head bouncer in the brothel, you're not just a rank-and-file rat. You are a special rat. With shiny whiskers.

3: You're very important to the running of one of the subfactions, and take orders from your subfaction's leader. People in the Docks know you by name, and if you pop into one of Shoreleave House's venues your first drink is free. You should have at least a Moderate Illegal Income quirk, and can ask to have Minor purchases made for you by the Rats.

4: You either control one of the three subfactions of the Rats or are very close to doing so (and are important enough that the current leader has to treat you as an equal). People in the Docks nod to you with respect, give you small presents, and sometimes beg you for favours at your daughter's wedding; if you pop into one of Shoreleave House's venues your first whore is free (though they'll do a better job if you tip well). You should have at least a Comfortable Illegal Income quirk, and will be able to get Notable purchases made for you by the Rats.

Income:

These are, of course, only examples of how you might earn this much money in the Rats. Feel free to think up more!

Poor: A cabin boy on a pirate ship. A meat vendor selling smuggled sausages on sticks. A chef at a Shoreleave House venue. Someone with "I AM DISPOSABLE AND DO NOT EARN MY KEEP" tattooed on their forehead.

Moderate: An officer on a pirate ship. Someone who sells crates of contraband moonshine from out of his basement. The head chef at a Shoreleave House venue.

Comfortable: A pirate captain. The leader of a small smuggling ring. The owner of a Shoreleave House venue.

Classy: A pirate baron with several ships under his command. The leader of a large smuggling ring distributing contraband to the entire city. The owner of several Shoreleave House venues.

Magnificent: A pirate king lording it over a fleet of salty dogs. The boss of an international smuggling cartel. The Master Pimp of Shoreleave, providing whores to every Shoreline House venue.

Please Note: We will allow only one player to play a pirate captain who wears eyeliner and has an ornithologically-themed surname. And they will be SHOT IN THE FACE AND KILLED IN THE FIRST SESSION if the rest of the GM team doesn't restrain Arthur.