Agent of The Hand (Kiras Background)

Eye for Crime:   You can usually tell when a grift or criminal activity is afoot.  It is also easy for you to ascertain whether anyone involved is from one of the five organizations that make up The Black Hand.  You can often identify members by tattoos, slang, or renown.  If you need information or a safe place to stay, you have a contact within the organization you come from.  It may cost you and sometimes there is no honor among thieves.  Depending on your current status with your organization, your contact may be an informant, a friend, or simply willing to help for some coin or favor.  

You are or have been an agent of one of the five criminal organizations that make up The Black Hand.

• The Grinders: Operating from the industrial borough, The Grinders are a brute-force organization specializing in protection rackets, smuggling of raw materials, and manufacturing. They focus on industry and labor, with members often sporting tattoos of hammers. They are hardened thugs who will use grim violence when extortion fails.  They are often in contention with The Hidden Coin for control over the docks and supply lines entering the city.
• The Faceless: This is the most refined and secretive of the organizations, controlling the wealthy and aristocratic districts. The Faceless focus on subtlety and information. They deal in blackmail, assassination for hire, and intelligence gathering, often using well-placed spies and compromised nobles. Their operations are almost invisible to the public, and they are masters of manipulation and misdirection.  Of all the criminal organizations that comprise The Black Hand, The Faceless is the least likely to be involved with territorial disputes.
• The Shadow Daggers: Found in the sprawling, shadowy borough of The Weave, a labyrinth of narrow alleys and tenements, the Shadow Daggers are a classic thieves' guild.  They control all forms of burglary, pickpocketing, and fencing of stolen goods. They are a close-knit group that operates in the deepest parts of the city's underbelly, with an intricate network of safe houses and secret passages.
• The Hidden Coin: This organization operates out of the bustling mercantile districts such as The Bazaar. Their goals are profit and influence. The Hidden Coin are experts in illicit trade, running black markets for everything from forbidden magical components to exotic poisons. Their power comes from their vast wealth and their ability to corrupt city officials, ensuring that their goods flow freely through the city.
• The Blood Vultures: Based in the poor and downtrodden boroughs, the Blood Vultures prey on the desperate.  They run fight clubs, debt collection rackets, and illegal gambling dens, often preying on those who have lost everything. They have a reputation for being ruthless and brutal, with a strong internal hierarchy built on loyalty and fear.  They are most likely to have turf wars with The Shadow Daggers.

The truce is strictly a domestic affair.  Beyond the walls of Larkspur, the rules of engagement are often non-existent. In the surrounding hinterlands or other cities, the various organizations compete fiercely for control of trade routes, extort local villages, and engage in open hostility.  Ultimately, the truce is a necessary evil, ensuring the continued prosperity and power of all five organizations within Larkspur, even as they all secretly scheme for the day they might be able to seize a greater share of the city's bountiful wealth and influence.

• The Nexus Council: The leaders of the five organizations meet quarterly at a neutral, secret location known as the Nexus. These meetings, while often tense, serve as a forum to air grievances, negotiate boundary adjustments, and occasionally cooperate on shared threats, such as overly zealous city guards or rival gangs from beyond Larkspur's walls.
• Boundary Markers: The borders between the boroughs are often marked with specific, subtle signs—a unique streetlamp, a specific piece of graffiti, or an agreed-upon landmark. Crossing these boundaries for a large-scale operation without prior negotiation is seen as a hostile act.