The Thorn Syndicate

• The Boss/Parriarch- Leader of the whole force, to whom all others defer to.
• Underboss/Bastone - Those directly under the Boss, each will have an area they are responsible for, and be in charge of their own Capos.
• Caporegime/Capo - Serving an Underboss, they are in charge of the main body of troops, each having a small group they lead.
• Luogotenente/Tenente - Proven members of the family, trusted to carry out their superiors orders and represent the family well.
• Soldato- A recognised member of the family, working the streets and able to speak and act on the family's behalf, within reason.
• Runner/Corrido- Someone looking to join the family. They have to assist in four jobs before being welcomed into the family as an enforcer.

 Firm Branches - Each branch takes a unique identifying name, after a type of thorned plant or tree. Parts of such plants are used as identifiers or in secret messages. They are led by Underbosses or Capos.

Underboss Roles

• Left Hand - Commands the heavy units and healers.
• Right Hand - Commands the skirmishers and archers.
• Quartermaster - In charge of the equipment and attire of the house.
• Overseer- In charge of activities and events for the house, and tying up loose ends. Liaisons with the Quartermaster for construction of new kit.

There are three main elements that can be said to have stuck with the Syndicate since their arrival in these lands:

1. The sacredness of the contract  –  Not just paper, but an oath woven into the very fabric of being. Binding, spiritual, unbreakable.
2. The Red Sister – Though little is remembered clearly, echoes of the Red Sister linger in gesture and instinct. No longer recalling her rites in full, but something in their blood still bends toward reverence.
3. Community above all  –  Blood is thick, but bond is thicker. The House remembers that survival comes from network, not nobility.

Values and Ethos

• Loyalty is life. Betrayal is the worst sin.
• Every debt must be honored – no exceptions.
• Survival is sacred. Prosperity is shared.
• Deals are divine. Breaking them is a defilement.
• Family is chosen. Blood is optional.
• The mask is freedom. All are equal behind it.

The Syndicate values cunning over cruelty, wisdom over pride, and influence over dominance. We often act as mediators, brokers, and fixers – the sort who know which wheels to grease and which strings to pull. They do not seek domination, but entwinement – a web of deals so strong no blade can sever it.

Relationship with the Tapestry and Weaves

The Thorns revere the Tapestry not as doctrine, but as law made manifest. The Weaves are not gods in the traditional sense, but rather powers to be respected, invoked, and honored – especially in the act of making oaths or bargains.

They neither seek to destroy nor abuse the Threads. Instead, they seek harmony with them, binding them into contracts, prayers, and structures.

Like most Radicans, the Syndicate believe that the Tapestry is shaped by memory as much as magic. Threads respond to belief, and in their case, they remembered Alsaria, The Red Sister, which through focus and dedication has given rise to a Weave that responds to her name. To them, this is proof that belief binds reality – and that loyalty transcends worlds.

Alsaria, The Red Sister

Weave of Unity and Community, Deals and Contracts, for The Red Sister one's word is an oath. She can be seen as benevolent and caring, but equally shrewd and cunning. Those in her service know the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, but also a structure and hierarchy is needed to keep a community together. Dark deeds in the night help the daylight shine bright. Many followers seek to make deals with powerful people and entities, and completing these is seen to grant The Red Sister's favour. The clergy are referred to as Figli Rossa (Red Child, or Son or Daughter). Followers call themselves Fedele Rossa, or Alsarians.

As branches of the Thorn Syndicate operate individually and within the confines of different nations with different local laws, things may vary form place to place depending on how illegal their main activities are. Beyond that, there are some core rules the Thorn Syndicate run by to make sure that there is a sense of honour and trust.

• A person's word is their worth; if they go against it their only value is the meat on their bones.
• Do not harm the innocent, even if they are the family of an enemy; if you cause unjust suffering you open the doors to the suffering of those you hold dearest.
• If you have an ally that has been marked as an enemy by one of equal rank, you may come to their defence, but must seek a superior to mediate any fallout thereafter.
• If you have an ally that has been marked as an enemy by one of higher rank you may step aside from fighting them without repercussion, but you may not aid them.
• If you have an enemy that becomes an ally of one of higher rank you may call on them to mediate a payment contract as ceasefire.
• Never take another's hospitality for granted, even an enemy.
• Never attack someone you invited into your own home under good faith.

Inner Conflicts

Sometimes branches of the Syndicate come into direct conflict with one another. When this occurs, the following rules apply:

• Do not involve the authorities of a location; if they do get involved, deal with them first.
• Do not cause damage that is unsalvagable to the business after the conflict is over.
• If someone of higher rank both branches serve under steps in, a ceasefire is in place until mediation occurs. This also applies if two of higher rank in each branch step in together.

Local Laws

Necromancy, Body Rights, and Debt

Necromancy is a legal practice but outside of the Arbiters of Debt, none are allowed to perform necromancy of the soul. Shortly after the start of the Fourth Arrival, a deal was brokered with the Thorn Syndicate, allowing them to personally produce and oversee Contracts of Eternal Obligation without needing explicit Arbiters oversight and control.

When someone dies their body is as much property as anything else in their will, and default goes to the next of kin to either entomb in the Necropolis or sell for coin, unless the deceased had unpaid debts, at which point the Arbiters step in. Should the body not be enough to cover costs owed, they will go though all other assets, and if still found to be short, the Debt Contract is activated, at which point the spirit is bound to the Debt Collectors to work on their behalf until they have paid off all owed, at which point they are released to their final resting place.

The mountains to Porto Radica’s back are rich with materials that many ancient ruins lead into mines for. Mithril deposits have been found in the mountainside, making for an incredibly lucrative venture for miners and archeologists alike. The volcanic rocks that make up the mountains are mostly comprised of granite, basalt, and obsidian veins, while a large amount of the coastline is made of limestone. Old fumaroles house large concentrations of Alum, while other caves that pocket all across the mountainsides are home to large numbers of bats, though intrepid explorers have found much saltpetre and thus nitre in these formations. Adding in the sulfur deposits around the mountains makes for a potent combination, as the latter two need only carbon added from charcoal to create an explosive black powder. This along with the Mithril is a mainstay of trade for the city.   

While Porto Radica is heavily urbanised, a good amount of the flatland to its east and west beyond the mountain slopes have been preserved for the growth of some hardy local vegetation that had once overgrown the ruins plus local wildlife and game, with resources normally being sent by ship. One of the more common trees is the Black Walnut, which is cultivated for nuts for food, and for the sturdy heartwood. Additionally, the nuts create a notable dark stain on the hands of its harvesters, due to tannin in both the nuts and the tree's bark and roots, and have become a mainstay ingredient in creating black dyes. Growing amongst the trees are Madder plants, also known as Rubia Tinctorum, which are harvested for medicinal purposes but also for the rich red roots that are also used for dyes. Both of these colours are produced in Porto Radica, mixed with mined Alum and metals such as common iron and copper or rarely luxurious Mithril, creating deep, rich dyes that are the iconic colours of the Thorn Syndicate.  

Being a port city means that the fishing trade is alive and well, with an abundance of sardele and sardon. There is also a good amount of local squid, whose ink is a contender for black dye, and eels are a fairly common catch in the river. These aquatic fauna are quite a common meal for the locals, and are a main trade both via sea and via the mountain paths in exchange for other pasture and hunted meats as well as flour. Dairy milk is a fairly uncommon resource, with walnut milk being a common replacement in bread. Honey can be found in the forests but is still one of the more popular imports, along with alcohols such as mead, ale, and wine.  

With limited paths in and out of the city it has been fairly easy for the Thorn Syndicate to keep abreast of what is coming in and out of the city, as well as impose a toll for using the main carved mountain path as well as the docks. The former is not needed for travel to and from Porto Radica but does make the journey significantly easier and quicker, while without the docks the only other option is the winding coastal paths that link to the docks in the forested sections.