Local Organizations
There are three main factions in Shalehold, two of which are specialized organizations detailed here.
Notable Organization: Fisherfolk
Made up of some of the founding merchant families of Shalehold, the Fisherfolk have a strong grasp on any shipping or transportation via the river.
Structure: Oligarchy of two representatives from each of the five founding families, led by an annually elected leader.
Symbol: A fish caught in a net on a blue field
Base of Operations: Grade 4 House, a building of understated opulence called The Kelpie Lodge.
Beliefs: The old order (and its power structure) should be maintained.
Goals: Preserve the prosperity and influence of the five families.
While the name reveals their humble origins, the families of the Fisherfolk have become the economic leaders of Shalehold. However, no matter how much wealth lines their pockets, the five families and their client families can’t break the glass ceiling of social status to be truly accepted by the nobility. This has led to some quietly paying off lawmakers at best, and others planning an eventual bloody revolt at worst.
Notable Organization: The Knotmakers
Officially this group is known as the Honorable Guild of Shalehold Ropemakers, but the legitimate business has long ago given way to criminal enterprise.
Structure: Authoritarian. Multiple smaller gangs led by a single boss
Symbol: A rope tied into a complex knot on a black field
Base of Operations: Grade 3 Guildhouse, ostensibly for Honorable Guild of Shalehold Ropemakers, located in the labyrinthine slum known as The Knot.
The Knotmakers have no united beliefs or goals beyond survival and personal gain. Currently led by Mariam “Shark Tooth” White, the one-time guild has something in common with its parent organization: they put a great deal of emphasis on membership. While there are some boroughs far from the docks that are outside their reach, every criminal working in Knotmaker territory pays a portion of their haul to the Knotmakers or (if they’re lucky) lives to regret it. Previous leadership exempted children under 12 from this rule, leading to ringleaders recruiting young urchins to their numbers in droves. Shark Tooth White is planning a crackdown on such activities, including a sure-to-be unpopular “tax” on a group for each child they have as a member.