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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Seravin" data-source="post: 1956400" data-attributes="member: 6783">I'm changing things around a bit.  While writing the next chapter this is what came about instead and it more properly goes here.  I'm moving the chapter 'First Basement' to the next post.'  It's what I get for posting as soon as I write and I hope this isn't too annoying.The GuildLet us call this group of criminals reported by Lieutenant Brand 'The Blue Diamond Guild', though the head of this guild would never have given the ogranization such an obvious name.  The leader, Father Dark, is first and foremost a businessman who understands that flamboyant names and activities do not lead to contined business and thus continued profits. It was in the name of business unhindered by any moral considerations that Father Dark and his lieutenants diversified into prostitution, gambling, loansharking, and other questionable so-called soft crimes.  None of these activities when properly regulated were illegal in the city of Corlean, but there is a high profit to be made when these activities are not regulated.  Even better, few people complain about these crimes; and for those who do complain, well…there are other crimes that are less soft.  Robbery, burglary, extortion, bribery, and murder were performed at first to cover the primary activities until someone realized that these crimes are also high-paying profit centers.  Smuggling, fencing, forgery, and managing petty pickpockets were just natural extensions of business as usual after that.Naturally these activities required many degrees of secrecy.  To that end Father Dark has ensured that there are many layers between him and the ‘clients’ of his organization.  Cllients only know of the establishment which provides the particular vice they participate in, and only the proprietor of the establishment knows who collects the daily cut.  Employees know better than to talk to anyone else of what they know.  Just in case however, Father Dark only ever appears amongst his employees wearing a black silk mask that completely covers his face.  How he sees or speaks unmuffled is chalked up to magic.The one weak point is that all large businesses need a place to collect and account for the monies.  Further, the most loyal employees are those whose living and lodging depends upon the success of the business and all of this requires infrastructure.  The building in which The Blue Diamond resides answered these problems for Father Dark quite nicely, for it had been built over one of the ruins of the city that had existed on this same location millennia ago.  These ruins were quite extensive and formed a small network between several buildings in the neighborhood.  The existence of these connections were hid over the years and used for many different purposes until Father Dark consolidated his influence and power over the neighborhood and ‘inherited’ the buildings.</blockquote>

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