Smugglers

Created by Adam Tingley // Wreckerdwarf

The Profession

Many are content enough to stop thinking of the exiled once they have passed into the bowels of the city but others maintain a different outlook; All dwarves are kin, no matter the circumstances they might find themselves in. Almost all dwarven cities that take part in the exiling of their kin as outcasts also have an organised collective of smugglers. Brave folk that look to ease the tormented existence of their kin regardless of the crimes for which they have found themselves guilty. The smugglers believe that all dwarves should always be in reach of some home comforts. Although the outcasts are supplied with rations by the higher levels, they are usually stripped of their artisanal tools and instead are made to take a pick or hammer in hand to work some of the most menial jobs required by dwarven society. Sifting through scrap, churning poor quality ore, reforming and reforging existing goods for reworking on the higher levels. In addition to this, there is always a love for good ales, whiskeys and stouts to be fulfilled. Smugglers are so well established in fact, that they are usually in cahoots with many of the guards and runners that go between the civilised and the outcast levels. A surprisingly large amount of goods go back and forth and unlike other levels that make use of the cargo network the lowest levels still utilise dwarf-pushed carts. However, these smuggling runs do not go without incident. Carts are regularly checked when moving through checkpoints and those caught smuggling goods are not immune to punishment themselves. However, greasing some palms goes a long way to ensuring the ongoing operations.

The Response

The relaxed approach to the organisation is partly a result of the lack of threat that the outcasts pose to the higher levels. The runebranding tempers their minds and culls many of the violent or lawbreaking traits that they may once have had. Escape attempts are incredibly rare. In an encapsulating dwarven city, there is nowhere to run and hide. Any escape attempts would also have to result in leaving the city entirely and living out the rest of their days in the dangerous abandoned tunnels and mineshafts. Even those affected by runebranding are still acutely aware of this fact and so they choose to remain and serve their sentences.