The Fireflies

The Fireflies are an underground movement of saboteurs, radicals, and idealists waging a shadow war from the soot-choked alleys of Reyzl’s Row. Born in the wake of industrial expansion and economic disparity, they fight to upend a system they see as irreparably rigged — one in which wealth, power, and privilege flow freely through the gilded gates of Pumice Grove while the rest of the South Quarter chokes on coal dust and broken promises. Their activities range from labor strikes and warehouse raids to targeted arson and bombings, all aimed at disrupting the dealings of the elite. To the Crownsguard, they are terrorists. To their supporters, they are champions of justice. And to those whose profits have been slashed by their actions, they are a force of chaos that must be extinguished at any cost. No public banners are flown, no open meetings are held. The Fireflies live and fight in the cracks of the city, igniting unrest wherever the boot of power descends.

Their structure is deliberately decentralized — cells operate independently, knowing as little about each other as possible to avoid collapse if captured. Orders are relayed through coded messages and dead drops, often disguised in graffiti or published as poetry. The identity of their leader, known only under the pseudonym “Rick Mustang,” is a closely guarded secret, concealed even from many within the movement. This anonymity is their greatest defense, ensuring the group cannot be fully crushed no matter how many safehouses are burned. While critics decry their methods as indiscriminate and reckless—pointing to the innocents caught in the wake of their bombings—the Fireflies argue that real change never comes without fire. They don’t seek fame or glory, only a future where no child grows up fearing the cold, or starving beneath smokestacks that blot out the sky. And if that future requires violence, the Fireflies vow to be the ones who’ll light the way.