Ildas's Guildmasters
Although you may understand my reluctance at providing these details, my friends, I understand also how important this information is to your vetting of my character.
I have the pleasure of working with a small cabal of motivated - partners.
My inner circle consists of Qwell Redhand, my demonic master of Thugs, passionate Sanja - mistress of cutpurses and Queen of the Beggars, Fyrdwin Master of Con-men and Kurgis master of burglars.
Qwill, Master of Thugs
Qwill is probably my most ‘trusted' partner, if only because he can stay in our realm only at my pleasure - and life. Should the thought cross my mind to send him home, then he would be sent screaming back to Hell to renew his torment. He is quite motivated to help me and stay in my good graces as a result. Besides which, he thoroughly enjoys his job.
I do not know the name he wore in life, but my summoning of him was pure serendipity. He had unfinished business on this realm when I summoned him, and it was that which allowed me to bind him in this manner. He tied up old strings - and I gained a willing partner.
His knowledge and sheer power helped me take apart the old Guild and assume control of it. We kept the rank and file, but middle and upper tier could not be salvaged. They were not wasted however.
Qwill is not overly tall, appearing little different from an experienced longshoreman save for his right arm. The host I had intended for Qwill to occupy had put up a spirited defence, and in the process the limb was lost. Now, Qwill's infernal form shows through there, a demonic hand extended from elbow to steel-hard talon.
He does love his work, and he has no problems with motivating his people, though owing to the risk of exposure, his contacts with the outside world are kept to a minimum.
Qwill has at his direct disposal a small army - fifteen or so - of thugs, and more than double that in the form of various bullies, wannabes and ne'er do wells. I have trusted him with a small budget he can used to procure hired swords from time to time, though his appetite for earthly pleasures makes him loath to use it thus.
Sangia Mistress of Cutpurses and Queen of Beggars
Lovely, deadly, Sangia. A naga with infernal blood, she is my bedrock. She has the ability to shift forms at a thought - most delightful. It serves her well in her duties as Mistress of Cutpurses, Queen of Beggars and as high priestess of the cult of the Sacred Asp.
The Cult is her invention, though I happily support her in her efforts. The cultists form a useful pool to draw upon for various purposes, as you can well imagine. She is beholden to no deity for this cult. All of its ‘miracles' are the outcome of sorcery, trickery or her own latent powers. There is quite a bit of overlap between the Beggars that adore her and the fools in her cult.
I freed Sangia from the domination of another wizard, who kept her as a mere trophy. A certain Elzerin Morthenthaal. I very much hope he was of no consequence to you, for his diabolism was amateuristic at best. I suspect his shade is learning a more in-depth lesson on things infernal now.
Her actual skills as a pickpocket, while competent, are hardly the stuff of a true guildmaster, however she more than makes up for that in her other abilities. She has a pair of lieutenants she defers to on such technical matters, and I have not wasted my time getting to know them. For some reason she tends to go through them regularly.
Master of Con-men
Fyrdwin, master of the guilds con-men, fences, bookies and swindlers, is perhaps closest to me in many ways, and thus I pay careful attention to his activities. Like myself he has more than one life and in fact holds a high station in the Church of the Torch. As a result, his form is the most normal of my captains, as the Church's Investigators are anything but sloppy in their rooting out infernal beings.
He has, however, sold his soul in return for a golden tongue. Only those keenly aware of the supernatural would be able to detect this, but others find his words intensely compelling and believable. To this point, he has managed to keep the Investigators from peering too deep, for they are as vulnerable to his words as any other.
He tends not to employ its powers, enjoying a good con. He acts to keep his church from meddling too much into guild affairs, though not overtly for obvious reasons.
He makes use of physical disguises and superb acting abilities to take upon an impressive array of false personas. He is able to bring significant wealth into guild coffers without lifting a sap, or drawing steel.
He has no lieutenants, for his portion of the guild consists of only seven experienced con-artists, including Thana the Black Widow,
Master of Burglars
Kurgis. A tribesman I collected from some nameless tropical island, his agility has to be seen to be believed. He is a most attractive young man, or at least appears in his thirties. I have no idea of his true age - he never speaks of it, but his breadth of experience betrays an old soul.
He is a diabolist as well, and maintains close ties with Thynathgu, an Arachnidish demon lord. His rituals are quite different than those normally used by our order - his Astrology is completely different, alchemy almost unused, but it is still effective enough in dealing with the beings he contacts. I hear he is called The Spider by his underlings, though never within earshot. He has the ability to take on the form of a giant black spider, so the the name is apt. He rarely takes matters into his own hands, relying on an ever-changing cast of underlings.
I am not entirely sure what he really wants, and the time may come I need to dispose of him, but for the time being he is very useful.
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? Responses (8)
This is fantastic, I completely enjoyed reading it. The voice you used gives us another lay of information on top of the list of facts: we get to see these people in context. Plus the sinister considerations of the narrator add a layer of risk, suspense and intrigue to the piece. The structure is also excellent. Well done makes me want to read more.
I echo axle in loving the voice and underpinnings. I'm also thick-headed apparently. I'm trying to understand what the voice's agenda is exactly...he's 'applying' to an uber-criminal organization?
He or she (felt like a girl to me, Ida know why) is the leader of a 'theives guild' and she is discussing and evaluating her subordinates.
He's actually my Occult guild persona... :P
But he is not like a super masculine dude right, I mean not like a dwarf or anything? I only ask cause I kind of have a crush on him now.
He's in work, but here's his current physical description:
Illdus appears as a well-to-do middle-aged merchant, perhaps one with ties to, or at least aspirations towards nobility. Tall, thin and straight backed, with salt-and-pepper hair and a flamboyant mustache, he stands out in a crowd. He speaks loudly and almost always passionately on whatever issue has caught his attention at that point in time, and frequently rails against vice and sloth.
Those who deal with him behind closed doors see him as a profane, foolish, vice-ridden hypocrite - he accepts bribes, drinks heavily, and is frequently with escorts.
There is a third layer to him, the truth hidden by a clumsy lie, and the careful lie. He is not the slightest bit foolish or emotional. The thin public face, his weak 'private' face lie about a true private face of steel.
Now shopping for an Ildus lunch box.
5/5 Perfect scores in usefullness and art, may HoH, have to think on that