The Saps

At the top of the organization is the High Circle. The number varies as the strength and influence of the Criminal Organization waxes and wanes. Each member of the High Circle controls a vast region and is responsible for the Circles in individual cities and large towns. At the head of the High Circle is the Highest. The Highest leads for life. Whether death comes from natural causes or a knife in the dark is all the same.

At City level the Circle is five members.

The Circle Leader- In charge of all operation in the city

The Second- Chief Enforcer of the Leader's will and second in command

The White- In charge of all operations that take place during the day.

The Black- In charge of all operations that take place at night

The Blue- In charge of all completely legal operations.

As an overall Organization the Saps are extremely wealthy in terms of coin and property. Some City Circles are wealthier than others but with criminal monopoly in any city in which they operate even the less successfully circles have access to considerable amount of coin and property.

The Saps, like most criminal organizations, started as a small gang. They prowled the seedier regions of Kelde. Their name came from their chosen weapon, a leather sap filled with lead balls called a sap. Their common tactic would be to stun their victims then take all their valuables. Kelde was besieged in 892 PG by the Letarni Horde. The Saps, by this time a large criminal gang of several hundred organized to steal or take control large caches of foodstuffs. This translated to a large amount of wealth as merchants and even nobles were forced to pay exorbitant prices to eat during the two year long siege. But the biggest benefit they received was from selling to the poor and less well off at slightly discounted prices. When the siege ended the nobles and those in power sought to reclaim their extorted wealth. This proved difficult when the public refused to help the nobility and some even actively helped hide the Saps from prosecution and persecution.

Realizing the advantage having those less well off on their side shaped the future of the Saps. Whenever they expanded to different cities and regions they would target anyone above a certain level of wealth or power but never those without. In the early days of their first expansion some among their ranks did not follow this rule. Very public and messy punishments were brought down on those who preyed on the poor. Since that Day the Saps were the bane of the wealthy and powerful and folk heroes to the poor and downtrodden. For centuries this has continued till the Saps have Circles in most major cities. From time to time governments have tried to crack down on this criminal syndicate but the general public always shielded them and no ground was made against the Saps that wasn't immediately taken back.