Publisher Blurb:
Cities are often thought of as safe places, secure against the monsters of the wilds and the dangers of highwaymen and bandits alike. However, the stone valleys and shadowy alleys behind the city walls have their own predators, and they’re just as deadly as anything one can find in the wilderness. From the half-mad alchemists of the Crankers, to the steel and silk of the Gilded Lilies, this collection has all sorts of dangerous denizens your party could fall afoul of... or end up working with, if they need a little help in pulling off their next big job.
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Crankers: Brutes whose strength comes out of a bottle, Crankers deal in alchemical enhancements, strongarm tactics and violent intimidation. Every member of the gang is a qualified “cook,” learning a basic recipe for a battle brew that will provide them with a short-term surge of strength and endurance when it’s time to throw down. Members of the gang who crank themselves up too often may find they’ve developed a need for their own concoction, though, ending up as hollow-eyed wretches who need regular infusions just to keep themselves alive as the years drag on.
Flicker Fingers: Simply called Flicks by most, this gang of pickpockets is ubiquitous in any street gathering or public affair. From festivals to hangings, Flicks are going to be out in force to lighten the crowd’s load when they’re not looking. Just because someone lacks the grace to lift a chain or pinch a purse, though, that doesn’t mean they can’t find a place among the gang. The gang also boasts its share of grunks and songbirds; the former being an aggressive body to get in the way of pursuits when the pickpocket has to make a run for it, and the latter a distraction to help deflect attention away from any working Flicks.
Red Asps: A serpent’s hiss is a threat that all instinctively fear, and the shifting of a snake’s coils is often enough to make a wise man give ground. The same is true for those who live in the shadow of the Red Asps. While soft-spoken in its demands, there is an implicit threat in even the most polite statements the gang delivers. Worse, their displeasure may not manifest itself until the targets have let down their guard. Members of this gang wield darts and daggers coated with the deadly venom of the snake they take their name from, and even a scratch from one of their weapons can mean death.
Eyes of Alaris: This gang has no colors, and as far as most know they hold no territory, either. They’re puppet masters, watching the city from the shadows and divining the secrets of all within. When the gang makes a demand, a messenger in black arrives with a notice demanding a fee, or commanding actions in order to prevent the Eyes from making the person’s dark secrets known. Mistreating the messenger is unwise, as that will only lead to harsher prices for the Eyes to keep one’s secrets. Some of the gang’s victims have turned to the noose, the dagger, or the bottle, choosing to pay the ultimate price rather than giving them what they want.
Firehands: First assembled by the sorcerer Ezekiel Firehand, flames are this gang’s weapon of choice. The gang rarely turns those weapons on people, though, preferring instead to use arson as a way to force compliance. Those who pay their dues to the Firehands also find that they’re willing to stop any blazes they didn’t have a part in starting, as it ensures they keep their investments protected. Firebugs with a grudge to settle have learned to stay far away from Firehands’ turf, as well, or they’ll wind up little more than a smear on the cobbles, and a pile of charred bones.
One page is the front cover, one the front matter and one is ads.