RPGaDay2020 Day 4: Vision – how the Gyrfalcon’s vision changed Akorros

Yesterday in RPGaDay2020 I looked at the Thread of the story and problems I have had keeping it going.

Today I’d like to introduce you to someone whose Vision changed the path of Akorros.

The Gyrfalcon

The Gyrfalcon is the secretive leader of The Akorros Thieves Guild. Very few people know their true identity, but everyone in Akorros has heard of them and whispers about them in hushed tones. No-one wants to hear the words “the Gyrfalcon wants to speak to you”, or worse, “the Gyrfalcon is disappointed”.

The Toney Family have put a price of ten thousand daros on the Gyrfalcon’s head, but given that the Thieves Guild owns the Corruption Corps, and given the power the Thieves Guild and their “enforcers” have in Akorros, this has had little effect. A few enterprising adventurers started making enquiries, but they all mysteriously disappeared and have never been seen again.

Even in the Thieves’ Guild, few members know their identity. Instructions are passed down through a chain of lieutenants, dead drops and cutouts, and following the chain back is strongly (and forcibly) discouraged. A chain of fences and front organisations provide a route to return the fruits of the requested activity.

The name first began to be heard 18 years ago in relation to a faction in Northhill. This faction seemed to be growing in power, and began to take over other factions in the area by a process of assimilation, enticement (conditions were better in the new faction) and outright takeover. By the time the authorities woke up to the threat, the faction had control of most of the old quarter of Akorros, along with large tracts of the new town and parts of the Spice Quarter, and there was little they could do.

Is the Gyrfalcon male or female? For that matter, are they human, demi-human, humanoid or other? Even I don’t know yet – I’ll wait and see if the campaign decides. The one thing I’m ruling out is a beholder – that’s already been done and I don’t want the Xanathar getting jealous.

The Treaty of Protection

The Tsili had long controlled the Spice Quarter between themselves, and Gyrfalcon was rising to power in the Old Town and had consolidated their hold on the Thieves Guild there. The Thieves Guild had expanded to the point where the Tsili were in the way of further expansion. The Thieves Guild tried to continue their expansion, but the control of the Tsili over their minions and their area was too strong, and the Tsili swiftly and violently moved to curb any sort of incursion. It turned out the Tsili were even more intimidating than the thugs of the Thieves’ Guild, and so their expansion was blocked.

After a few months of losing valuable operatives, the Gyrfalcon realised their approach wasn’t working, and a change of plan was needed. So they fell back to diplomacy – this is The Republic of Darokin, after all.

They sent discrete emissaries to the Tsili to open discussions about cooperation for mutual benefit, which after a lot of diplomatic back and forth led to a meeting between the Tsili leaders and Gyrfalcon. Seeking a neutral location, they met in the catacombs of The Isle of the Dead, the westernmost of the islands protecting the Akorros harbour.

With such suspicious and highly armed attendees, the potential for massive violence was huge, but the Gyrfalcon spoke and calmed their concerns, proposing a treaty of mutual cooperation, specifying the boundaries of the two groups’ territories and setting down procedures for handling joint working. This includes details of how one group can request access to facilities, resources or individuals in the other’s territory, meaning that moving into a different part of Akorros is not enough to escape their attentions. Since then, the grip of the Thieves’ Guild and the Tsili on the business of Akorros has become absolute.

The Toney Family would love to know the details of the Treaty, but only those present plus a very small number of trusted lieutenants have ever seen it.

Come back tomorrow for a Tribute to WorldAnvil.