Prometheus

Prometheus is a network of smugglers supplying clients mostly within The Pious Union of the Awakened.    Traditionally, magick in The Union and its constituent nations has been closely associated with the divine gift of the Automaths. Though this has been interpreted in different ways by different individuals and factions throughout history (many tending toward divine worship and access to magic through faith and connection to divinity, others viewing magick and the study thereof as the provenance of the Automaths who divinely gave the Awakened access to this), the teaching and study of magick in The Pious Union of the Awakened has always been linked to certain gatekeeping institutions given domain over these areas by law and tradition.   However, there are certainly plenty of interested parties and practitioners of magick who operate outside of these formal structures, yet who have no desire to live in the more laissez faire societies like @Erewhon or The Verum Imperium, for various reasons. For these mages, coming in possession of certain artifacts, spell scrolls, components and supplies can be a great challenge as these things are often rigidly controlled by the various magick schools and religious institutions. Additionally, they can face trouble selling their wares, as they could run afoul of monopolies on these goods and services controlled by these same organizations.   This is where Prometheus comes in. Agents of Prometheus specialize in the theft, transport, and sale of illicit magical goods. Much of it comes from outside of The Union's borders, though there is much internal trade as well. In some cases, Prometheus agents can be hired to steal magical items from other independent mages, though this needs to be done with much care so as not to sully the organization's reputation. Some flavors of magical study, such as necromancy, are explicitly outlawed except in certain circumstances, so items relating to these outlawed magicks fetch a very high price.   Naturally, Prometheus agents are in conflict with The Vigil, who are authorized to arrest them on orders of the Union government.