Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #340

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #340 

December 7th, 2023 

• Number: 340 

• Name:  Deep Dive of Subjects of Interest: Of the Guild Masters and Master Crafters of the City-State of Carasta – Part 4 

• Location: In the Guildhalls and Workshops of the City-State of Carasta 

• Population (approx.): 700 (Branhurst) 

• Brief: As is the nature of the Kin, in parallel to the development of the artisan and services guilds there developed groups providing creations or taking actions for usually evil goals of the darker side of society. They were artisans created items with ill-intent (poisons, curses, traps, forgeries, etc.) or agents providing services against the better good (stealing, killing, bribery, extortion, etc.). The underworld, as some would call it, in larger communities organized itself into essentially a Shadow Guild Collegium where the gangs and criminals would divide territory, barter services and assist each other for a price. These Shadow “Guilds” included gangs of thieves, orders of assassins, covens or individual dark spellcasters (necromancers, alchemists, etc.) and crafters. By might, tradition or rare agreement, one Shadow Guildmaster controlled the “trade” of each town or city. The “trade” in the fishing village of Branhurst is controlled by the leader of the Grey Sea Clan. 

• Hok, 52, Kobold is the leader of the Grey Sea Clan, a “Guild” of thieves consisting of Kobolds and Humans. He is stubby and dexterous, with quick hands and a crooked smile. His fur is iron gray, and his crow-black eyes are beady. Hok has a nervous tick that acts up when he is nervous. He wears various clothes and costumes, whatever is appropriate for the job. Hok uses throwing stars as his weapon of choice. He wears a bandolier that has ten stars attached to it. He is also a skilled trap-maker and is always working on some type of new contraption.  

• Hok started out as a ship architect working for Ship Shape Ship company in Carasta. The work was good, but one day, the company was robbed of its ship designs. The company shuttered, and Hok looked for work. After a year of trying to find a job, he clumsily stole breakfast from a tavern and was imprisoned. There, he met Sed, 25, male Kobold, who had been a thief for many years. The two became friends, and upon their release Hok joined the local Thieves Guild in Branhurst. Hok became a skilled thief, tracker, and trap-maker, quickly taking over the guild. After several successful years, Hok was Shadow Guildmaster in all but a fancy ceremony. 

• Hok lives in a lovely house outside of town with his wife, Akba, 48, female Kobold. They have two children, Moss, a boy 12, and Depa, a girl 8. Hok puts them all to work in his elaborate heists, and they are mostly successful. Hok maintains the facade of owning an antique store named Tests of Time. Akba maintains ordinary stock for the store, but then Hok runs a black market in the ground beneath it. 

• Geography: Branhurst (#97, #168) is a prosperous fishing town on the coast road between Carasta (#162) to the west and the Noldrune border town of Port Lostfort (#2) to the east. Hok’s manor is among the fine houses of the Fishing Guild elders on a hill southwest of town. His “antiques” store is in the merchant quarter of Branhurst next to a variety of artisans and shopkeepers. Hok’s façade is the idea of Sasha Nighbough Shadow Guildmaster of Obermarsh (#165). They’ve met once or two in Carasta during the yearly meetings of the Shadow Guild Grand Council (anyone who is anyone and anybody who is anybody attends).