So I loved John Wick Four and it brings me back to my project I was working on based on the global conspiracy of Assassins depicted in the movie, with their ancient tradition and stylized rituals. Its also influenced by the glimpse into the underworld of Kill Bill's Assassin culture, Hitman, and the Underground bloodsports and gambling of the Baki and Kengan Mangas. I wanted to develop the cinematic suspense and thriller like atmosphere for the criminal underworld of the World of Darkness.
So setting up the Criminal Underworld foundations of the World of Darkness that can support worldwide Assassins, support/affiliated jobs and Underground Fighting Rings I have the largest underworld economy use Golden coins called hellmoon Ducats. One side bears an insignia of one of the 13 families while the other side has a phase of the moon. The 13 families are the 13 criminal families that established the Hellmoon Compact around 300ish years ago. They are from around the world and basically established the compact to regulate and advertise assassins across the world.
Hellmoon Ducats are mystically minted so that they don't stick out to the minds of those not involved in underworld affairs, they are guided by providence to return to the Underworld Economy or to be melted down so they haven't wound up being Displayed in in museums or collections or really recorded in detail at the scenes of crimes or among the possessions of the deceased. They each represent an agreement between exchanging parties, and they are used in the underworld economy to pay for lodging, services, rentals, ect.
Each of the 13 Families have long traditions of being very supersticious and bound by ancients traditions and codes. They each also are related by blood to greater supernatural conspiracies such as Kinfolk and Kinain families. This has incidentally resulted in the Nightfolk of the World of Darkness being dragged into underworld affairs when blood feuds spill over. It also means the heads of the families are often aware to some degree of the supernatural and even have favors with their relatives, and some traditions of mediums, witchcraft, and the like.
Central Hub of the Hellmoon Ducat are the Houses of Nobody. International Hotels which provide neutral grounds for the Underworld diplomacy, advertising for hiring Hitman contracts, and shops for affiliated businesses and services to facilitate Hits such as providing cutting edge and very illegal weapons and armor, doctors, clean up crews, investigators, notaries, and other specialists.
A House of Nobody found in a city generally has a Manager which is owner and operator of the establishment, very influential figures in regional underworld politics. They will have a Concierge which is the right hand man of the Manager, a trusted confidant and seneschal for the grounds. Losing a Concierge can cripple a House of Nobody. Doormen are security staff who also greet guests. A Warden is the head of security who answers to the Concierge and Manager. The founder of the House of Nobody is an enigmatic individual named Ulysses who predates the Hellmoon compact and is rumored to be immortal.
The Four Houses of Equitable Exchange can be found to hold business in a House of Nobody. They serve as Underworld Banks, and can provide services such as fortune telling and access to a special type of notary agents called a Witnesses.
The Four Houses are House Pluto, House Veles, House Caishen, and House Lakshmi. Each has specialty services they excel in and regions they hold particular influence in.
Keepers of Face
Elite Assassins funded by the communal resources of the Moons of Hell, the Four Houses of Equitable Exchange, and the House of Nobody. They ensure those who dishonor the Compact of the 13 Moons are dealt with. They are lead by Marshals, who wear masks and make use of deputizing nearby help. The top Marshal is known as the Marshal Marquis or just the Marquis.
Heralds are agents that speak for the Hellmoon Compact, bearing their Seal.
Harbingers are Judges of the Compact,carrying out Judgement and trials when they are dispatched to a region.
The Thirteen Moons of Hell are the families who founded the Compact and gave it its worldwide reach. They are...
The Shuysky Family was a Russian crime family that descended from a King of the Silverfang House Crescent Moon. They spread from the Ural Mountains into other slavic regions and married into various other Silverfang Houses. Their Ducat’s depict a Falcon.
The Giovanni Family, members of the Venetian necromancer family. They brought mercantile, smuggling and criminal operations that spread beyond Venice and Italy, as well as a haunting clout. They had already cultivated adopted branch families with which to draw upon. Their Ducat’s depict a Skull.
The Zambrano Family held influence in Iberia and their colonies in the new world by the founding of the Compact. They come from Shadowlord stalk. Their Ducat’s depict a Crow.
The Dragonetti Family were Sicilians and kinfolk closely tied to a Tribe of Werewolves that would later become the Glasswalkers. Their Ducat’s depict a Wolf.
The O’Driscoll Family were an Irish clan that formed from a union of Ailil and Daireann Kinain in the Interregnum. They spread their influence from Ireland to the UK, The New World and Australia and New Zealand. Their Ducat’s depicts a Western Dragon.
The Yamamura Family were a clan of Yakuza in Japan, they were an old lineage of the Hakken Tribe of Werewolves. Their Ducat’s depict a Thunderbolt Above a Mountain Peak.
The Chinmoku Family were a shinobi clan that hid themselves among several yakuza families. They originated as spies for the Shogunate and their families spread beyond Japan and the Ryukyu’s. As Ninja’s their clan maintained a tradition of sorcerous secrets. Their Ducat’s depict an Owl.
The Xu Family were kinfolk of the Bolizouzhi Tribe of Werewolves and spread as Chinese merchants that spreaad throughout the regions that are now, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Their Ducat’s depict a Cockroach.
The Redd Family were a clannish group of Redcap Kinain that spread their influence with the British Empire. Their Ducat’s depict a carved X.
The Najah Family were Berber Pirates and raiders who have secret roots as originating from a family Revenants that fled the destruction of Carthage. They could not maintain their Revenant blood but their long lived founders established traditions of dark and ancient sorceries from the Baali cults of Carthage. Their Ducat’s depict a Pirate Ship.
The Hariri Family are an Arabian family of merchants, artisans and thieves. Secretly they were founded as catspaws for the Ananasi Werespiders. Their Ducat’s depict a Web.
The Prasha Family are a family of mercenaries and bandits that descend from Kinfolk branch families House Blood Red Crest of the Silver Fang Tribe of Werewolves. They spread as sell swords and killers along the Indian subcontinent. Their Ducat’s depict a Holyman in Prayer.
The Ye Family are a collection of various clans of murderers, bandits and pirates that spread along the coasts of China, Vietnam and Korea. They are secretly descended from Kumo Devil Spiders. Their Ducat’s depict an Eastern Devil.
I have more notes on the rest of the associated Hell Moon Compact Economy, Associated groups, and external groups and rival underworld economies and conspiracies. I will type em up tomorrow.
Part II
The Hellmoon Compact being barely three centuries old is far from the oldest assassin network. Older networks have existed throughout history but at best they managed to tenuously spread influence throughout an empire. Attempts at expanding beyond this limit has often resulted in falling to rival groups and infighting, being subsumed by the fully supernatural and ancient groups such as Banu Haqim or the mages that would become the Euthanatos, or the groups becoming increasingly insular and cultish transforming from assassin for hire into esoteric and bloody mystery cults.
Assassins exist outside of the Hellmoon Compact.
The Yamaraja Dynasty is an extended family composed clans of assassins with records confirming their establishment before the rise of Buddhism and rumors say they were regarded as some of the best martial artists of the world well over a millennium earlier than that.
By modern nights the main line of the Yamaraja Dynasty have spread their services worldwide. They permit branch families to claim regions for themselves.
The Nirrti Branch maintained the ancestral territory in South Asia as Yamaraja spread their influence westward. Early on they adopted several talented provincial families with no blood relation into their fold, which stains their esteem with the rest of the Dynasty even in modern day.
The Yanluo Wang Branch established themselves outside the Dynasty's traditional homeland. They spread into Central and Southeast Asia with the spread of Buddhism.
The Enma Daio Branch split off from Yanluo Wang Branch a century from the establishment of Buddhism in Japan due to a conflict of inheritance of the Branch leadership. After nearly two centuries of bloody conflict between these two branches the Dynasty Head, the one holding the title of Yamaraja forbid the establishment of further Branches. This resulted in the different Branches feuding for territorial control of the Asian Island nations, with Nirrti having the least influence abroad and the main Branch accumulating the most territory.
Their territorial expansion reached its limit for centuries with only individual Yamaraja members traveling farther abroad. With modern travel technology the Main Branch spearheaded dealings into the West. Existing before the Hellmoon Compact they made their own assassination contracts in competition with the early Compact, accepting silver, gold and regional currency rather than the Hellmoon Ducat's as payment. By the 1800's the Dynasty started permitting its members to work within the Compact network no longer able to deny the utility of their infrastructure, making contacts with allowed them to spread their services along the British territories. By Modern nights talented Dynasty members can make a fortune with their services in both the Ducat economy and mundane wealth from non Compact contracts.
Part III
Clans of Death are a small families with long lineages of creating master martial artists and assassins. Most produce only a handful active professional killers every generation, with the clan patriarchs giving special attention training an heir often from their own children or grandchildren. Not all members of the clan become professional assassins but will usually still maintain close association. Their services aren't limited to contract kills, they are often hired as security consultation or bodyguards as they know the techniques of their rivals. Clans of Death have long memories and rivals and blood feuds can extend many generations, as can standing orders to blacklist or exterminate clientele that have betrayed them. Many consider the Yamarajah Dynasty to be just a supremely successful and large Clan of Death.
Clans of Death are a small families with long lineages of creating master martial artists and assassins. Most produce only a handful active professional killers every generation, with the clan patriarchs giving special attention training an heir often from their own children or grandchildren. Not all members of the clan become professional assassins but will usually still maintain close association. Their services aren't limited to contract kills, they are often hired as security consultation or bodyguards as they know the techniques of their rivals. Clans of Death have long memories and rivals and blood feuds can extend many generations, as can standing orders to blacklist or exterminate clientele that have betrayed them. Some Clans of Death dedicate themselves to particular noble families serving each generation as their off the book spies, assassins, and bodyguards. Many consider the Yamarajah Dynasty to be just a supremely successful and populous Clan of Death.
Clan Hong Gui 红鬼 are known for their ruthless tenacity, it is said in order to be chosen as heir one must be able to dismember a man with their bare hands.
Clan Hei Hei 黑 黑 a large and old clan that has been expanding over the last thousand years after a civil war among heirs, it is said in the current age they actually have expanded into three clans each with their own clan head. They seem to display strange cultivated bloodline capabilities from the selective marriages of each generation. Some would consider them Dynasty rising to rival the Yamarajah if not for their lack of unity.
Clan Shin 進 was once an influential political clan whose unity and power faded after the Sengoku Period. Some point in the Edo period a family claiming to be inheritors of Clan Shin appeared a Death Clan serving as vassals to certain families dealing with the Dutch in Dejima. Members of the Shin clan in the modern era are split between those who swear fealty of themselves and their descendants to lords, and those who choose who they wish to swear fealty to themselves.
Part IV
League of the Western Gate
The Leading rival Conspiracy of Assassin, the League of the Western Gate do not partake of the Hellmoon Compact economy viewing them as upstarts that will not pass the test of time. Evidence seems to indicate legends of the League of the Western Gate was already established as an institution existing in the shadows by the time of the 3rd Dynasty, as relics in the possession of the House of Nobody describe the Pharaoh Sekhemkhet alluding to his predecessors making use of their services.
The League started as a cult dedicated to the God Wepwawet that delivered blasphemers to the judgment of the Gods. Over time their services expanded beyond the cult and were used as a tool for various Priesthoods and Pharaohs to sort out political issues, civil unrest and foreign and civil wars. By the time of the Ptolemaic Dynasty they expanded their reach into the Mediterranean and Hellenic cultures becoming readily available assassins to those with the connections to discover their existence, existing as a mystery cult with a developing mercantile Facade. By this era they made contact with and warred with other rival assassins they encountered on the silk road, such as the Yamaraja Dynasty, and the fading Cult of Thaláttē’s Ikhor. They adapted and survived the fall of rome, maintaining a presence in the territories of the Western Roman Empire but having stronger influence in the Eastern Roman Empire, and even farther east having absorbed the shattered remnants of two cults claiming descent from the 10,000 Immortals that secluded themselves in the Parthian Empire.
They accepted payment in the form of agreed upon favors, actual currency, and in later ages accepted partial control of mercantile endeavors. Because of this and their pride in proclaiming themselves as the longest tradition of Death Dealers in the known world they were displeased with the founding of the Hellmoon Compact and resisted their expansion into territories east of Venice as well as preventing networks developing from Britain into France and Germany. The League of the Western Gate having long ago established a symbiosis with the Cainites of the regions once under the territory of the Courts of Love in France and the Fiefs of the Black Cross. They were often in good standing with the vampires who succeeded those Lods in the post Convention of Thorns era, as well as having an understanding with the Web of Knives whom they once warred with in centuries past but grew to exchange services and intelligence after the age of the Crusades.. A century after the Compact’s founding the hot war between the League and the Compact cooled somewhat and a treaty of Blood and Shadows was signed preventing overt warfare, and limiting feuding to regional and individual conflict as the Compacts services were eventually accepted the local criminal enterprises rising in the 1800’s and the Kindred learned to appreciate the utility provided by the Hellmoon Ducat economy.
While not as purely theological as the League was in its infancy they have maintained a great degree of tradition and mysticism which they have adopted over the ages. Their ancient egyptian trappings solidified into its current form in the era of the hellenistic mystery cults representing a synthesis of western and egyptian philosophy.
The League’s Leadership is composed of Regional Directors who are the most experienced and savvy Assassins who rose through the ranks. Their decisions are heavily guided by a group of Oracles who regularly exchange intelligence throughout the territory of the Directors. These Oracles are mystics whose divinations are credited as key to the League’s success and survival throughout the ages. Nominally they are beyond the rivalries and conflicts that may arise between the Directors of the various regions.
The League’s natural organization is Directors overseeing territories that can range from single cities like Rome, to areas such as the West or East Coast of the United States or Ireland and the British Isles. Smaller cults often form their headquarters in cities or luxurious estates in the countryside. They will report to their regional Director. A Cults is usually composed of Assassins, Squires, Liaisons and Oracles.
Assassins are the essential role upon which the League of the Western Gate is founded upon. They are highly trained in the methods of silent and secret murder, and will often specialize in particular methods such as poisons, sniping, hand to hand combat and melee and firearms. Each is expected to have a minimal competency in self defense no matter their specialty as well as comprehensive training in stealth, and investigation.
Squires are apprentice assassins, they often start learning basics of their trade in compounds overseen by the Directors and then are assigned Assassin mentors whom they shadow for years until they are assessed to be competent enough to accept missions as Assassins themselves. After establishing themselves with a successful career they are eventually recognized as worthy of accepting the responsibility of training a Squire, which they are responsible for. If a Squire makes a severe mistake their mentor will bear the weight of judgment from their superiors. Squires are often recruited young, usually from families within the League, or orphans, sometimes even from those whose families were sent to the gods by the League themselves. Other Squires are approached for recruitment after displaying potential in capability and temperament or rudimentary skills in professional killing, though they are careful in who they approach testing their willingness for the lifestyle, those who know too much yet will not swear fealty to the League must be delivered to the judgment of the gods.
Liaisons handle much of the business end of the League’s dealings. They will handle contracts and negotiations for targets, as well as help with research and proper documentation for transport or acquisition of weapons and tools. High level education in business and law are common among them. Often future members of the League come from the families of the Liasons, as Assassins frequently don’t live long enough or have a desire to raise a family, so the children of Lesions are trained to become Liaisons or Squires, or less frequently to become Oracles. Liaisons are encouraged to marry other members of the League, usually other Lesions but sometimes Assassins or even Oracles. If they marry a Civilian it can be difficult keeping their lifestyle secret from them, and some will try to have their spouse sworn into the League as nominal members, technically considered low level Liaisons that serve as adjuncts and secretaries. These low level Liaisons often have mundane jobs or appear as housewives or house husbands.
Oracles are the rarest members of cults. They are trained in the Mysteries of the ancient covenant hoarded by the League since antiquity. They are said to have supernatural talents, trained in secret by senior Oracles as well as those with inborn spiritual gifts. They are taught the secrets and customs of the Shadowy side of existence worshiping the gods and leading the cults in rituals of worship to their ancient covenant. If supernatural involvement is suspected the cult will look to the Oracle for guidance, if they do not have the experience necessary to resolve the issue they will contact the greater Oracles that dwell in the compounds of the Directors. They are most experienced with dealing with the souls of the dead, contacting the gods for wisdom and divination, as well as maintaining records and relations with local supernaturals, which often means local Kindred, Wraiths, and sometimes cults of magicians or rare Nightfolk. Oracles being indoctrinated into the greater mysteries will have regular contact with other Oracles around the world, not just limited to their superiors in the compounds of the Directors. This helps lend cohesion to the League as a whole and has historically stemmed a great deal of bloodshed between regions of rival Directors.
So setting up the Criminal Underworld foundations of the World of Darkness that can support worldwide Assassins, support/affiliated jobs and Underground Fighting Rings I have the largest underworld economy use Golden coins called hellmoon Ducats. One side bears an insignia of one of the 13 families while the other side has a phase of the moon. The 13 families are the 13 criminal families that established the Hellmoon Compact around 300ish years ago. They are from around the world and basically established the compact to regulate and advertise assassins across the world.
Hellmoon Ducats are mystically minted so that they don't stick out to the minds of those not involved in underworld affairs, they are guided by providence to return to the Underworld Economy or to be melted down so they haven't wound up being Displayed in in museums or collections or really recorded in detail at the scenes of crimes or among the possessions of the deceased. They each represent an agreement between exchanging parties, and they are used in the underworld economy to pay for lodging, services, rentals, ect.
Each of the 13 Families have long traditions of being very supersticious and bound by ancients traditions and codes. They each also are related by blood to greater supernatural conspiracies such as Kinfolk and Kinain families. This has incidentally resulted in the Nightfolk of the World of Darkness being dragged into underworld affairs when blood feuds spill over. It also means the heads of the families are often aware to some degree of the supernatural and even have favors with their relatives, and some traditions of mediums, witchcraft, and the like.
Central Hub of the Hellmoon Ducat are the Houses of Nobody. International Hotels which provide neutral grounds for the Underworld diplomacy, advertising for hiring Hitman contracts, and shops for affiliated businesses and services to facilitate Hits such as providing cutting edge and very illegal weapons and armor, doctors, clean up crews, investigators, notaries, and other specialists.
A House of Nobody found in a city generally has a Manager which is owner and operator of the establishment, very influential figures in regional underworld politics. They will have a Concierge which is the right hand man of the Manager, a trusted confidant and seneschal for the grounds. Losing a Concierge can cripple a House of Nobody. Doormen are security staff who also greet guests. A Warden is the head of security who answers to the Concierge and Manager. The founder of the House of Nobody is an enigmatic individual named Ulysses who predates the Hellmoon compact and is rumored to be immortal.
The Four Houses of Equitable Exchange can be found to hold business in a House of Nobody. They serve as Underworld Banks, and can provide services such as fortune telling and access to a special type of notary agents called a Witnesses.
The Four Houses are House Pluto, House Veles, House Caishen, and House Lakshmi. Each has specialty services they excel in and regions they hold particular influence in.
Keepers of Face
Elite Assassins funded by the communal resources of the Moons of Hell, the Four Houses of Equitable Exchange, and the House of Nobody. They ensure those who dishonor the Compact of the 13 Moons are dealt with. They are lead by Marshals, who wear masks and make use of deputizing nearby help. The top Marshal is known as the Marshal Marquis or just the Marquis.
Heralds are agents that speak for the Hellmoon Compact, bearing their Seal.
Harbingers are Judges of the Compact,carrying out Judgement and trials when they are dispatched to a region.
The Thirteen Moons of Hell are the families who founded the Compact and gave it its worldwide reach. They are...
The Shuysky Family was a Russian crime family that descended from a King of the Silverfang House Crescent Moon. They spread from the Ural Mountains into other slavic regions and married into various other Silverfang Houses. Their Ducat’s depict a Falcon.
The Giovanni Family, members of the Venetian necromancer family. They brought mercantile, smuggling and criminal operations that spread beyond Venice and Italy, as well as a haunting clout. They had already cultivated adopted branch families with which to draw upon. Their Ducat’s depict a Skull.
The Zambrano Family held influence in Iberia and their colonies in the new world by the founding of the Compact. They come from Shadowlord stalk. Their Ducat’s depict a Crow.
The Dragonetti Family were Sicilians and kinfolk closely tied to a Tribe of Werewolves that would later become the Glasswalkers. Their Ducat’s depict a Wolf.
The O’Driscoll Family were an Irish clan that formed from a union of Ailil and Daireann Kinain in the Interregnum. They spread their influence from Ireland to the UK, The New World and Australia and New Zealand. Their Ducat’s depicts a Western Dragon.
The Yamamura Family were a clan of Yakuza in Japan, they were an old lineage of the Hakken Tribe of Werewolves. Their Ducat’s depict a Thunderbolt Above a Mountain Peak.
The Chinmoku Family were a shinobi clan that hid themselves among several yakuza families. They originated as spies for the Shogunate and their families spread beyond Japan and the Ryukyu’s. As Ninja’s their clan maintained a tradition of sorcerous secrets. Their Ducat’s depict an Owl.
The Xu Family were kinfolk of the Bolizouzhi Tribe of Werewolves and spread as Chinese merchants that spreaad throughout the regions that are now, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Their Ducat’s depict a Cockroach.
The Redd Family were a clannish group of Redcap Kinain that spread their influence with the British Empire. Their Ducat’s depict a carved X.
The Najah Family were Berber Pirates and raiders who have secret roots as originating from a family Revenants that fled the destruction of Carthage. They could not maintain their Revenant blood but their long lived founders established traditions of dark and ancient sorceries from the Baali cults of Carthage. Their Ducat’s depict a Pirate Ship.
The Hariri Family are an Arabian family of merchants, artisans and thieves. Secretly they were founded as catspaws for the Ananasi Werespiders. Their Ducat’s depict a Web.
The Prasha Family are a family of mercenaries and bandits that descend from Kinfolk branch families House Blood Red Crest of the Silver Fang Tribe of Werewolves. They spread as sell swords and killers along the Indian subcontinent. Their Ducat’s depict a Holyman in Prayer.
The Ye Family are a collection of various clans of murderers, bandits and pirates that spread along the coasts of China, Vietnam and Korea. They are secretly descended from Kumo Devil Spiders. Their Ducat’s depict an Eastern Devil.
I have more notes on the rest of the associated Hell Moon Compact Economy, Associated groups, and external groups and rival underworld economies and conspiracies. I will type em up tomorrow.
Part II
The Hellmoon Compact being barely three centuries old is far from the oldest assassin network. Older networks have existed throughout history but at best they managed to tenuously spread influence throughout an empire. Attempts at expanding beyond this limit has often resulted in falling to rival groups and infighting, being subsumed by the fully supernatural and ancient groups such as Banu Haqim or the mages that would become the Euthanatos, or the groups becoming increasingly insular and cultish transforming from assassin for hire into esoteric and bloody mystery cults.
Assassins exist outside of the Hellmoon Compact.
The Yamaraja Dynasty is an extended family composed clans of assassins with records confirming their establishment before the rise of Buddhism and rumors say they were regarded as some of the best martial artists of the world well over a millennium earlier than that.
By modern nights the main line of the Yamaraja Dynasty have spread their services worldwide. They permit branch families to claim regions for themselves.
The Nirrti Branch maintained the ancestral territory in South Asia as Yamaraja spread their influence westward. Early on they adopted several talented provincial families with no blood relation into their fold, which stains their esteem with the rest of the Dynasty even in modern day.
The Yanluo Wang Branch established themselves outside the Dynasty's traditional homeland. They spread into Central and Southeast Asia with the spread of Buddhism.
The Enma Daio Branch split off from Yanluo Wang Branch a century from the establishment of Buddhism in Japan due to a conflict of inheritance of the Branch leadership. After nearly two centuries of bloody conflict between these two branches the Dynasty Head, the one holding the title of Yamaraja forbid the establishment of further Branches. This resulted in the different Branches feuding for territorial control of the Asian Island nations, with Nirrti having the least influence abroad and the main Branch accumulating the most territory.
Their territorial expansion reached its limit for centuries with only individual Yamaraja members traveling farther abroad. With modern travel technology the Main Branch spearheaded dealings into the West. Existing before the Hellmoon Compact they made their own assassination contracts in competition with the early Compact, accepting silver, gold and regional currency rather than the Hellmoon Ducat's as payment. By the 1800's the Dynasty started permitting its members to work within the Compact network no longer able to deny the utility of their infrastructure, making contacts with allowed them to spread their services along the British territories. By Modern nights talented Dynasty members can make a fortune with their services in both the Ducat economy and mundane wealth from non Compact contracts.
Part III
Clans of Death are a small families with long lineages of creating master martial artists and assassins. Most produce only a handful active professional killers every generation, with the clan patriarchs giving special attention training an heir often from their own children or grandchildren. Not all members of the clan become professional assassins but will usually still maintain close association. Their services aren't limited to contract kills, they are often hired as security consultation or bodyguards as they know the techniques of their rivals. Clans of Death have long memories and rivals and blood feuds can extend many generations, as can standing orders to blacklist or exterminate clientele that have betrayed them. Many consider the Yamarajah Dynasty to be just a supremely successful and large Clan of Death.
Clans of Death are a small families with long lineages of creating master martial artists and assassins. Most produce only a handful active professional killers every generation, with the clan patriarchs giving special attention training an heir often from their own children or grandchildren. Not all members of the clan become professional assassins but will usually still maintain close association. Their services aren't limited to contract kills, they are often hired as security consultation or bodyguards as they know the techniques of their rivals. Clans of Death have long memories and rivals and blood feuds can extend many generations, as can standing orders to blacklist or exterminate clientele that have betrayed them. Some Clans of Death dedicate themselves to particular noble families serving each generation as their off the book spies, assassins, and bodyguards. Many consider the Yamarajah Dynasty to be just a supremely successful and populous Clan of Death.
Clan Hong Gui 红鬼 are known for their ruthless tenacity, it is said in order to be chosen as heir one must be able to dismember a man with their bare hands.
Clan Hei Hei 黑 黑 a large and old clan that has been expanding over the last thousand years after a civil war among heirs, it is said in the current age they actually have expanded into three clans each with their own clan head. They seem to display strange cultivated bloodline capabilities from the selective marriages of each generation. Some would consider them Dynasty rising to rival the Yamarajah if not for their lack of unity.
Clan Shin 進 was once an influential political clan whose unity and power faded after the Sengoku Period. Some point in the Edo period a family claiming to be inheritors of Clan Shin appeared a Death Clan serving as vassals to certain families dealing with the Dutch in Dejima. Members of the Shin clan in the modern era are split between those who swear fealty of themselves and their descendants to lords, and those who choose who they wish to swear fealty to themselves.
Part IV
League of the Western Gate
The Leading rival Conspiracy of Assassin, the League of the Western Gate do not partake of the Hellmoon Compact economy viewing them as upstarts that will not pass the test of time. Evidence seems to indicate legends of the League of the Western Gate was already established as an institution existing in the shadows by the time of the 3rd Dynasty, as relics in the possession of the House of Nobody describe the Pharaoh Sekhemkhet alluding to his predecessors making use of their services.
The League started as a cult dedicated to the God Wepwawet that delivered blasphemers to the judgment of the Gods. Over time their services expanded beyond the cult and were used as a tool for various Priesthoods and Pharaohs to sort out political issues, civil unrest and foreign and civil wars. By the time of the Ptolemaic Dynasty they expanded their reach into the Mediterranean and Hellenic cultures becoming readily available assassins to those with the connections to discover their existence, existing as a mystery cult with a developing mercantile Facade. By this era they made contact with and warred with other rival assassins they encountered on the silk road, such as the Yamaraja Dynasty, and the fading Cult of Thaláttē’s Ikhor. They adapted and survived the fall of rome, maintaining a presence in the territories of the Western Roman Empire but having stronger influence in the Eastern Roman Empire, and even farther east having absorbed the shattered remnants of two cults claiming descent from the 10,000 Immortals that secluded themselves in the Parthian Empire.
They accepted payment in the form of agreed upon favors, actual currency, and in later ages accepted partial control of mercantile endeavors. Because of this and their pride in proclaiming themselves as the longest tradition of Death Dealers in the known world they were displeased with the founding of the Hellmoon Compact and resisted their expansion into territories east of Venice as well as preventing networks developing from Britain into France and Germany. The League of the Western Gate having long ago established a symbiosis with the Cainites of the regions once under the territory of the Courts of Love in France and the Fiefs of the Black Cross. They were often in good standing with the vampires who succeeded those Lods in the post Convention of Thorns era, as well as having an understanding with the Web of Knives whom they once warred with in centuries past but grew to exchange services and intelligence after the age of the Crusades.. A century after the Compact’s founding the hot war between the League and the Compact cooled somewhat and a treaty of Blood and Shadows was signed preventing overt warfare, and limiting feuding to regional and individual conflict as the Compacts services were eventually accepted the local criminal enterprises rising in the 1800’s and the Kindred learned to appreciate the utility provided by the Hellmoon Ducat economy.
While not as purely theological as the League was in its infancy they have maintained a great degree of tradition and mysticism which they have adopted over the ages. Their ancient egyptian trappings solidified into its current form in the era of the hellenistic mystery cults representing a synthesis of western and egyptian philosophy.
The League’s Leadership is composed of Regional Directors who are the most experienced and savvy Assassins who rose through the ranks. Their decisions are heavily guided by a group of Oracles who regularly exchange intelligence throughout the territory of the Directors. These Oracles are mystics whose divinations are credited as key to the League’s success and survival throughout the ages. Nominally they are beyond the rivalries and conflicts that may arise between the Directors of the various regions.
The League’s natural organization is Directors overseeing territories that can range from single cities like Rome, to areas such as the West or East Coast of the United States or Ireland and the British Isles. Smaller cults often form their headquarters in cities or luxurious estates in the countryside. They will report to their regional Director. A Cults is usually composed of Assassins, Squires, Liaisons and Oracles.
Assassins are the essential role upon which the League of the Western Gate is founded upon. They are highly trained in the methods of silent and secret murder, and will often specialize in particular methods such as poisons, sniping, hand to hand combat and melee and firearms. Each is expected to have a minimal competency in self defense no matter their specialty as well as comprehensive training in stealth, and investigation.
Squires are apprentice assassins, they often start learning basics of their trade in compounds overseen by the Directors and then are assigned Assassin mentors whom they shadow for years until they are assessed to be competent enough to accept missions as Assassins themselves. After establishing themselves with a successful career they are eventually recognized as worthy of accepting the responsibility of training a Squire, which they are responsible for. If a Squire makes a severe mistake their mentor will bear the weight of judgment from their superiors. Squires are often recruited young, usually from families within the League, or orphans, sometimes even from those whose families were sent to the gods by the League themselves. Other Squires are approached for recruitment after displaying potential in capability and temperament or rudimentary skills in professional killing, though they are careful in who they approach testing their willingness for the lifestyle, those who know too much yet will not swear fealty to the League must be delivered to the judgment of the gods.
Liaisons handle much of the business end of the League’s dealings. They will handle contracts and negotiations for targets, as well as help with research and proper documentation for transport or acquisition of weapons and tools. High level education in business and law are common among them. Often future members of the League come from the families of the Liasons, as Assassins frequently don’t live long enough or have a desire to raise a family, so the children of Lesions are trained to become Liaisons or Squires, or less frequently to become Oracles. Liaisons are encouraged to marry other members of the League, usually other Lesions but sometimes Assassins or even Oracles. If they marry a Civilian it can be difficult keeping their lifestyle secret from them, and some will try to have their spouse sworn into the League as nominal members, technically considered low level Liaisons that serve as adjuncts and secretaries. These low level Liaisons often have mundane jobs or appear as housewives or house husbands.
Oracles are the rarest members of cults. They are trained in the Mysteries of the ancient covenant hoarded by the League since antiquity. They are said to have supernatural talents, trained in secret by senior Oracles as well as those with inborn spiritual gifts. They are taught the secrets and customs of the Shadowy side of existence worshiping the gods and leading the cults in rituals of worship to their ancient covenant. If supernatural involvement is suspected the cult will look to the Oracle for guidance, if they do not have the experience necessary to resolve the issue they will contact the greater Oracles that dwell in the compounds of the Directors. They are most experienced with dealing with the souls of the dead, contacting the gods for wisdom and divination, as well as maintaining records and relations with local supernaturals, which often means local Kindred, Wraiths, and sometimes cults of magicians or rare Nightfolk. Oracles being indoctrinated into the greater mysteries will have regular contact with other Oracles around the world, not just limited to their superiors in the compounds of the Directors. This helps lend cohesion to the League as a whole and has historically stemmed a great deal of bloodshed between regions of rival Directors.
