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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Stormonu" data-source="post: 8274340" data-attributes="member: 52734">Mine aren't monolithic, and generally local organizations.  I do have a couple that are fairly large and/or notorious for their actions.The Savage Companions - Spies and assassins for the once-mighty Empire of Swordfall, they were originally headed and trained by the master half-orc spy/assassin Savage Avenger. After that empire's fall the organization became mercenary, working on contract for nobles of the western kingdom.  Time - and rival nobles - were not kind to the organization and over the centuries and after several setbacks and double-crosses they have been reduced to a handful of mercenary assassins working out of the swampish Golens.  They've lost any pretense of honor, and the remainder are purely driven by the pursuit of wealth and the joy of murder.  Still, they combine magic and mundane skills to be among the most fearful individuals and the threat of putting one such assassin on the trail of an individual is enough to give backstabbers and the power-hungry pause.  Even those who can use them do so with caution - they've been double-crossed so often in the past they have no qualms about switching sides if the pay to put them off the trail, or turn them against their former employer is better than the original deal. House Montisque of Nyrr Ryann – the other houses avoid the Montisque as they are a quarrelsome house. This fear is due to their use of poisons and assassinations to keep their exotic spice market cornered. Montisque also deals with questionable products such as hare tobacco, opium, cocaine and other substances. Several Montisque merchants are addicted to their own wares, which has led to corruption within its own ranks. Since few other houses are willing to deal with Montisque on a friendly basis and house Montisque is paranoid about newcomers who may betray them, Montisque has a degree of inbreeding that has resulted in various birth defects and abnormalities among the household.  These features have combined to give the Montisques the nicknames, “Hunchbacks” or “Monsters”.House Botticheli of Nyrr Ryann – Though the Montisque are often considered monstrous by the outside world, there is even a deeper fear of the dreaded Botticheli family. The Botticheli are master assassins, and one of the few houses that deals with house Montisque on a regular basis, though the Montisque do not trust the Botticheli one whit – and with good reason. The Botticheli are thieves, thugs and assassins, out for hire by any being who can afford them. Though it is rare, sometimes even other employ them to rid themselves of a troublesomefamily member of another Nyrr Ryann household. Botticheli are very careful about taking such jobs, ensuring that no one will attempt retribution against them for the act – though most would fear to attempt so for any matter. The Botticheli have acquired a patent of assassination from the Kingdom of Vall Vega (after years of faithful service, tidy sums of money and an oath to never harm the Emperor orhis favored), giving them immunity for their acts in any country allied with the great kingdom.   Though this has not set well with manycountries, most realms are nervous about prosecuting a member of the Botticheli family. In an effort to reduce the chances of their prosecution, the Botticheli have employed a series of stringent codes that makes them seem in many ways, no different from any otherprofessional workman. Contracts, dress codes, “ethic standards” for workmanship, “humane” killing methods and codes of assassination arejust a few of the ploys the family has used to reduce or negate the sense of horror their acts cause. However, in all truth, the assassins ofBotticheli are cold-hearted killers, and most know crossing one is to invite death itself.</blockquote>

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