The Underbelly
The underbelly is a criminal organization with some quarters in most large cities in the Ashir empire. They usually trade in criminal goods including but not limited to drugs, relics, stolen artifacts, stolen property and weapons. They do not deal with live traffic as a rule.
Known members
- Gabriel and Anne Devumal
- Raoul Ragimund
- Gerald
- Khava Amina
- Anatolios Vishal
Functioning
The underbelly currently functions as an organized criminal merchandise ring. To it's clients, the underbelly offers somewhat professional customer service, and better chances at a well done job and protection from the empire's guards. To the robbers, they offer what is seen similar to insurance. They are given access to hideouts that are spread around the Ashir empire that are protected from divination magic, a more steady flow of jobs, and a guaranteed safe space. In exchange, they need to report their earnings and pay a percentage of every transaction to The Underbelly. To some extent, they can also ask for specialized equipment and help from protection to the law. With the money that the Underbelly collects from its members, it also buys out hideouts all over the Ashir Empire. It buys out different businesses, does some quick "renovations" and installs some type of hidden room. In order to keep their plans and locations secret from governmental services members of the underbelly members will rotate meeting locations. In this sense, The Underbelly is a decentralized organization.
The grand theft-off
Because the earnings are all reported, there is a competitive aspect to The Underbelly where the highest grossing robbers earn the respect of their peers and a spot on the public leader board commonly referred to as the 'grand theft-off'. Members higher on the higher-end of the leader board are granted with benefits like upgraded living quarters, easier access to equipment, better job offerings, etc...
The soft spot
Because of the nature of some of the transactions and the need for an organizational HQ, the Underbelly has an HQ despite its philosophy of decentralized operations. However, this HQ's location is completely unknown, both by members and by anyone else. Only a very few select people know the actual location of the Underbelly's HQ, the soft spot. The soft spot if only reachable through either invitation or as a verified member of the Underbelly. Members of the Underbelly receive a coin branded with the Underbelly's brand, a small magpie holding a dagger in its beak. When spun or flipped using a command word or password unique to every member, it starts channeling a teleport spell and teleports the user directly to The Soft Spot (after one full turn is completed). The Underbelly has varying tiers of affiliation, including guests, contractors, members, and seniors.
Leadership
The leader of the Underbelly is Raoul Ragimund.