TEXT:  
   
  Board Enterprises proudly presents 
  Build Your Fantasy World in  
  Small Bites 
   
   
   
   
  THE KILLER CRIME FAMILIES OF 
  GARNOCK 
   
  aka All About Organized Crime in Fantasy 
   
   
   
   
  
  1 
   
   
   
   
  INTRODUCTION 
   
   
  First off - We’re glad you’re here!  At Board 
  Enterprises we feel that we’re a little on the fringe right 
  now and charting a course in a direction we’ve never 
  attempted before, so we’re glad you’re reading this and 
  participating!  Remember that word “participating”.  We 
  really want to hear from you folks and understand what 
  you want and how you want it delivered.  Without that 
  feedback, this turns into a self-serving experiment, and 
  that is not our goal! 
   
  So this month’s theme is Organized Crime in 
  fantasy worlds.  It’s a theme pretty near and dear to our 
  hearts, because most of the folks at BE grew up in 
  neighborhoods that were under the control of organized 
  crime, and we’re here to tell you that not every part of 
  that was bad.  So we’re going to try and give players and 
  game masters alike some sense of what it can be like 
  without glamorizing it and without turning it into a 
  caricature. 
   
  But there is another piece of this that makes this 
  topic difficult.  Garnock is a military power house in 
  Fletnern, and most of its history is based in the military 
  actions.  We have to drift into the military in order to 
  make some of the criminal elements make sense.  At the 
  same time, it is also famed for having the best 
  gladiatorial events in the world, again, indirectly tied to 
  the crime families.  So keeping this theme focused on the 
  organized crime aspect means we’re ignoring some of 
  the main features of this same city-state. 
   
  So when you catch a scent of the military muscle in 
  town, please understand that despite seemingly no 
  connection to the criminals, there still is one.  Everything 
  is interconnected, especially in a political town like 
  Garnock! 
   
   
  This may be our first “product” edition (aka not 
  free), but we are assuming that you’ve gotten a feel for 
  how these work.  For that reason, we stopped putting all 
  the article descriptions in.  If you are uncertain as to 
  what’s going on and feel we’ve jumped into the content a 
  bit too quickly, check out the Article Summary at this 
  link.  That should help shape your expectations of what’s 
  to come! 
   
  Table of Contents 
   
  Introduction .................................................................... 1 
  Fletnern Wiki .................................................................. 2 
  The Sounding Board ....................................................... 6 
  Lifestyles of the Magical and Mundane ....................... 11 
  News of Fletnern .......................................................... 13 
  The Good Life .............................................................. 16 
  What’s Missing ............................................................. 17 
  In Conclusion ................................................................ 17 
   
  
  2 
   
   
  FLETNERN WIKI 
   
   
  All of the posts in this edition are already out on the 
  wiki as this is published, and you can refer to them.  We 
  have gathered them here, because we think they are 
  valuable in a group, and they all pertain to our theme for 
  the month.  All of them are also tagged as being in the 
  categories of “Garnock” and “Preadomus” in case you 
  are more comfortable using the wiki instead of this 
  edition. 
   
  Building the wiki is one of the major goals of this 
  entire project.  If there is something that you think we 
  have not yet covered in enough depth, you owe it to 
  yourself to tell us about it.  Really!  We want to share 
  this world with you and give you what you find most 
  interesting!  You will be pleasantly shocked at how 
  responsive we are! 
   
  Bronze (badge) 
  Artifact 
      A “bronze” is a small, 3” square badge issued by the 
  government of Garnock.  It entitles the holder to carry 
  steel weapons.  Without such a badge, anyone (not 
  obviously a member of one of the Garnock troops) 
  carrying iron or steel items can have that metal 
  confiscated for the good of the city. 
      After the unexpected retreat of the Garnock / Wembic 
  army from Rhum during the Conquering War, the Lats of 
  Garnock needed to replace a large amount of lost 
  equipment, mainly armor and weapons.  With their 
  limited iron ore, the city-state was in desperate need. 
      In 
  628P, 
  the 
  Generals’ 
  Conclave 
  passed 
  a 
  controversial law allowing soldiers of the Garnock 
  military to confiscate, forcibly if necessary, any iron or 
  steel items they “discovered”.  Discovered came to mean 
  came across after forcing their way into the homes of 
  those who could not defend themselves.  Known as the 
  Ferrous Metals Act, it is part of the reason that Steel 
  Plume and the Villenettis were able to swing the support 
  of the people behind their assumption of power.  While 
  Steel Plume and its allies never repealed the law, they 
  stopped the raids that were going on where military 
  companies would descend on small farming towns and 
  carry off nearly everything ferrous they could find. 
      The bronzes are cast by government contractors and 
  are difficult to forge.  The raised edges and intricate seal 
  of Garnock (on the “tails” side) are more than a non-
  professional engraver could handle.  The front of the 
  badge simply reads “Authorized” with the alchemical 
  symbol for iron.  Few people carry them in plain sight, 
  and they are most commonly held inside a coin purse of 
  some kind (most commonly worn by a chain around the 
  neck and under the armor or clothing).  Each badge 
  weighs about 13oz., so they are not considered 
  convenient to carry. 
   
  Cassodovu Family 
  Group 
      The Cassodovu Family is a well-known and respected 
  merchant family based in Garnock.  They have large 
  vineyards northeast of the city and participate in a shared 
  troop, providing a general to the Conclave.  While wine 
  is their primary business, they also deal in some related 
  industries, such as wood and barrels and in the various 
  glass and crystal trades.  They are also rumored to be a 
  powerful banking house, though if this is true, these 
  transactions are far less public. 
   
  Garnock 
  City 
      The city of Garnock is located at the boundary 
  between several different regions.  To the east and north 
  are the lush plains similar to those near Scaret.  
  Immediately to the southwest of the city is a major 
  swamp, but beyond the swamp and dominating the 
  western regions of the city’s influence is a steppe broken 
  by large badlands.  The summers are warm, though 
  winter does still come to the region (similar to Missouri).  
  The people are most closely represented by the Italians, 
  physically and especially in their cuisine.  Garnock is a 
  military dominated society.  Being the aggressors in 
  several historic wars, they are seen as “evil” by many of 
  those who they once had conquered. 
   
  Gumbaiyo Barkala 
  Group 
      The Preadomus Families are organized under the 
  Gumbaiyo Barkala, which translates as “administration 
  rulers”.  The Gumbaiyo Barkala is organized in a 
  generally feudal manner, and so too are the crime 
  families.  The Barkala sits at the top with the hope that it 
  makes the feudal structure seem more democratic or at 
  least less autocratic.  But make no mistake; over-bosses 
  control 
  under-bosses, 
  and 
  under-bosses 
  control 
  neighborhoods.  As long as the “taxes” are being passed 
  upwards correctly, everything runs smoothly.  Don’t tithe 
  in the correct fashion, and you are likely to be killed. 
      The Barkala currently contains seven members 
  representing the different industries that the ruling 
  Villenetti family handles.  Each of the Barkala is paid the 
  same amount of “stipend”.  In this way they are all 
  considered equal and share equally in each other’s 
  successes and failures.  The previous ruling criminal 
  family in Garnock (the Manszi Family) was organized by 
  neighborhoods, with the bosses in charge of the wealthier 
  neighborhoods getting far wealthier than those in charge 
  of the slums.  This caused anger, resentment, and 
  eventually assassinations. 
      Far from being socialistic, the members of the Barkala 
  give each other gifts to thank them for their contributions 
  
  3 
   
  to the communal funds.  Should one of the Barkala 
  gather a new highly profitable business, he should expect 
  expensive gifts from his peers to compensate him for 
  success.  When one of the Barkala is ready to try and 
  unseat another, he will typically begin to give 
  inexpensive gifts, which are insulting.  In this way, he is 
  challenging the other to a show down.  These 
  showdowns can be handled without violence.  Perhaps as 
  many as one in four of these show downs results in one 
  of the Barkala retiring and moving away from the city.  
  The other 75% result in assassination or war. 
      Of the seven seats on the Barkala, two are expected to 
  be held by non-Villenettis.  In their rise to power, the 
  Villenetti Family asked two families to join them as 
  allies.  The Nargooso Family and the Tellurrillo Family 
  agreed to form an alliance with the Villenettis if they had 
  some say in the policy making.  Permanently placing a 
  Nargooso and a Tellurrillo on the Barkala served to 
  solidify the alliance. 
      Currently, the Barkala “positions” are:  Military 
  Liaison (a political position that works with Steel Plume, 
  but also controls a large number of the enforcers), 
  Populous Chairman (the person who handles the 
  entertainment of the people of Garnock through 
  gambling, prostitution and other means), Integrity 
  Chairman (the person who handles the judges;  Steel 
  Plume controls the prisons and various other military 
  forces inside the city), Mystic Scholar (the person who 
  monitors all magical services in the city including the 
  various enchantment factories), Treasurer (the person 
  responsible for monitoring currency exchanges and the 
  High Order of Telepathy), Nargooso Delegate (the 
  representative from the Nargooso Family currently 
  handling many of the manufacturing businesses, 
  including breweries and distilleries), and the Tellurrillo 
  Delegate (the representative from the Tellurrillo Family 
  currently handling most of the housing issues in the city 
  including hotels). 
      The Gumbaiyo Barkala along with their Steel Plume 
  allies control the economy of Garnock.  Through the use 
  of various licenses and taxes, they are able to allow or 
  quash businesses and trade itself.  This is their true 
  power - economics.  While they certainly have troops in 
  the form of policing units, it is their control of the money 
  and the businesses in the city that grant them their true 
  power. 
   
  Locking the Gates 
  Military Action 
      While the military of Garnock has always held great 
  political power, it was the bureaucrats, merchants and 
  slave traders who truly controlled the city.  These people 
  controlled the city’s economy, and more importantly, its 
  foreign trade.  As the defeated army returned home from 
  the failed Conquering War, the military leaders 
  immediately fell under rigorous blame and accusations.  
  Seeking allies anywhere they could, the various factions 
  continued to bicker over who should be blamed for the 
  failed campaign.  As Steel Plume rose to power, it did so 
  with the help of a private and powerful ally, the 
  Villenetti crime family. 
      With military conservatives and a powerful hand in 
  the city’s growing black market, this alliance used scare 
  tactics to control political powers and the general 
  populace.  They already had the loyalty of many of the 
  soldiers in the barracks as they offered the return of their 
  pride.  Their legitimate power grew almost as fast as 
  their control of the criminal elements of the city.  When 
  they closed the gates to the city, they did so with a grim 
  purpose:  to kill their rivals without allowing foreigners 
  to interfere. 
      It is commonly believed among non-Latvich peasants 
  and rural farmers that Garnock closed its gates out of 
  fear.  Many more worldly people believe that the closing 
  of the gates was simply a foolish power-play by one or 
  more factions who have since faded into obscurity.  
  Those in the know understand what the Villenettis were 
  working to accomplish. 
      With the gates closed, Steel Plume controlled all 
  foreign trade.  No longer could the merchants and slave 
  traders rely on their contacts for money and help.  In 
  addition, the military factions who were lining their 
  pockets with the loot from Parnania were cut off from 
  their source.  While Steel Plume worked to control the 
  common people and the soldiers, the Villenetti family 
  massacred merchants and slave traders who had worked 
  against them in the past.  While vindictive and vengeful, 
  this purge did serve to eliminate many of the worst war 
  profiteers. 
   
  Oddly enough for their methods, the Steel 
  Plume/Villenetti alliance did many good things for the 
  city.  They worked to provide bread for everyone.  They 
  lowered the price of admission to the gladiatorial events 
  
  4 
   
  so that the people might be constantly entertained.  They 
  lessened the number of bureaucrats and bribe takers 
  within the government.  While they were certainly not 
  moral nor ethical, they were the least evil the city had 
  seen in a long time. 
   
  (In 655P) The gates of Garnock remain locked, but 
  some of the regulations are loosening.  It is becoming 
  easier to obtain a pass to travel into or out of the west 
  gate.  Fewer bands of soldiers roam the city or the 
  countryside searching for ferrous metals to confiscate.  
  More trade goods from the outside are being brought in, 
  and some are being released from the warehouses where 
  they were stored after being confiscated.  After the 
  hardship of the self-imposed siege, these benefits are 
  regarded by the people as wondrous. 
   
  The city was never truly secure.  Even at the height 
  of the patrols, magic and stealth could get people into or 
  out of the city.  The price for such passage was high, 
  both for the service and for the bribes to cover it.  
  Smugglers were active despite the number that were 
  caught and hung.  More always arose to take their place.  
  Yet, the measures worked.  Garnock is once again 
  gaining strength, though it may be another generation 
  before it is ready to field an invasion force. 
   
  Manszi Family 
  Group 
      The Manszi (man ZEE) Family was the power in 
  Garnock before the Villenettis.  Corsi Manszi was the 
  top boss.  The Manszis profited enormously from the 
  sack of Villai and from the war slave trade in general.  
  They were able to blackmail many Generals and built 
  enormous wealth through trade and extortion.  But the 
  Manszis lost control.  Their wealth separated them from 
  both the citizens and from their peers.  Their greed 
  overcame them, and they stopped sharing their gains 
  with other families.  They utilized several “pet” troops to 
  destroy enemies within the city-state, upsetting everyone 
  at this breech of cultural morals. 
      The closing of the gates of Garnock were mainly to 
  allow Steel Plume and the Villenettis to destroy the 
  Manszi hold on the criminal families and the 
  neighborhoods.  Dethroning this powerful family took 
  years and cost many lives on both sides.  Many would 
  describe this time as a time of anarchy in the streets, but 
  this was not the first time gangs and rioters held most of 
  the power in the city of Garnock.   
      The Manszi Family is mostly broken and disbursed.  
  Some managed to fall back on their mother’s maiden 
  name or in other ways hide and continue to work in the 
  city, while some of the wealthier Manszis who survived 
  moved to plantations and other retreats outside the city 
  walls.  There is no known stronghold of the Manszis still 
  left, though isolated pockets of the family continue to 
  survive with some wealth and huge grudges against the 
  Villenettis. 
      When the Manszis were in power (and most 
  commonly in the past) the Gumbaiyo Barkala was 
  organized with seven different families as the members.  
  But towards the end, this became the Manszis, three 
  allies (including the Tellurrillos), and three puppets.  
  Maintaining these puppets in order to exert complete 
  control was perhaps the first step of their downfall.  
  Many suspect that if they had removed the puppets and 
  replaced them with the Villenettis and Nargoosos they 
  may have stayed in power.  In other words, had they 
  shared the power, they likely could have retained it. 
   
  Nargooso Family 
  Group 
      The Nargooso Family has become one of the most 
  influential Preadomus Families in Garnock.  A short time 
  ago, they were a mid-tier family controlling a 
  neighborhood, but doomed to stay out of the “big 
  leagues”.  As the Villenettis began to rise in power, 
  Guliermo Nargooso correctly predicted the future and 
  allied his family with theirs.  Immediately upon agreeing 
  to back the Villenettis, the Nargooso’s area of control 
  doubled.  When they began to help the Villenettis in the 
  street wars that were raging, they were granted exclusive 
  rights to merchant for most of the breweries in the city.  
  Many saw this as the Nargoosos becoming the 
  Villenettis' pets. 
  
  5 
   
      This misconception that the Nargoosos were nothing 
  more than a retainer bribed by the Villenettis was the 
  reason that Guliermo stepped down.  Had he continued 
  as the family’s Don, there would have been conflict 
  within the family and disrespect outside of it.  Having 
  Agostino as the Don has allowed the family to retain its 
  fearsome reputation and its independence. 
      The Nargoosos control most of the trade in the 
  breweries and distilleries within the city.  As such, every 
  family must deal with them in order to stock their bars 
  and night clubs, giving the Nargoosos strong revenues as 
  well as power.  Knowing how good the families 
  (including themselves) have always been at smuggling, 
  the Nargoosos do not abuse this power, but play 
  reasonably fair with most of the families, at least those 
  who continue to be loyal to the Barkala. 
   
  Pantobo Watchers 
  Military Unit 
      The Pantobo Watchers are a troop sponsored by a 
  group of organizations.  Chief among the group are the 
  Pantoboccilious Family, a noble family controlling lands 
  north east of the city of Garnock.  At one time, the unit 
  was all theirs, but difficult times have caused them to sell 
  off lands and not be able to field 1,000 soldiers at any 
  given time.  So they worked with their wealthiest 
  neighbors and together they all support the troop. 
      The Watchers are a bit different than some other units 
  with multiple sponsors.  Rather than truly being a troop 
  of 1,000 soldiers, they are a compilation of four units:  
  one of 400 soldiers and three of 200 soldiers each.  The 
  Pantoboccilious Family sponsors 400, while each of the 
  other three participants field 200 apiece. 
      In addition to the noble family, the Watchers are 
  supported by the Capprelli Family who own a large 
  leather working operation, the Cassodovu Family who 
  are vintners and wine merchants, and the Castamugnunio 
  Family who are millers and pasta makers.  The four 
  family groups get along surprisingly well, and they have 
  not yet had a serious disagreement as to how their 
  representatives should vote in the Conclave. 
      The original Pantobo emblem was the family’s crest 
  showing three silver circles arranged in a pyramid on a 
  blue field.  This was intended to represent the Watchers’ 
  shields and show how the Watchers were always 
  intended as a defensive unit.  With the joining of the 
  other three families, three “C”s were added across the 
  bottom of the field to show the inclusion of the others. 
   
  Portage License 
  Artifact 
      A portage license is a small wood plaque issued by the 
  city-state of Garnock.  While the government is officially 
  issuing the licenses, it is the Villenetti Family that has 
  the practical control over who is allowed a license and 
  who is not. 
      A portage license allows someone to move trade 
  goods throughout the city-state, but in order to be “legal” 
  both the driver and the vehicle need a license.  Any 
  vehicle 
  used 
  would 
  need 
  a 
  license, 
  including 
  wheelbarrows and hand carts.  A porter would only need 
  a single license. 
      The licenses are intended to be required only for trade 
  goods (anything to be sold).  If a shopper needed a 
  wheelbarrow to get his or her potatoes home from the 
  market, technically they would not need a license.  
  Licenses are typically only checked at check points, such 
  as bridges, gates, or tolls.  They can be required 
  anywhere by a soldier, but few soldiers are looking to 
  harass farmers and peddlers. 
      Each license is about 3” square with a small crown 
  branded into it.  Beneath the crown is a number and 
  beneath that, the date the license was created, both 
  burned into the wood.  There is an extensive list of the 
  people who officially received the license, and licenses 
  are not for resale. 
      Legitimate traders and merchants can receive a license 
  from the Villenettis for a 12sc registration fee after a 
  wait of about two to three weeks.  To receive one more 
  quickly costs more.  This is unquestionably a bribe, but it 
  is how business is done in Garnock and no one would 
  question the ethics or legality of such a bribe.  Next day 
  service costs about 50sc, with that price dropping over 
  the course of time.  A one-week wait is typically around 
  25sc. 
      While these can be forged, it is typically not worth the 
  time or effort to get a skilled forger to mimic the crown 
  brand.  Plus, the licenses can be checked against the 
  book to confirm if they are legitimate.  Most people will 
  carry the license in their pocket or coin purse, but most 
  vehicles have the license nailed to them.  The license is 
  not considered a “square” but a diamond, with the crown 
  corner facing upwards. 
   
  Preadomus Families 
  Group 
      In old Latvich, Preadomus is a word rooted in the term 
  “home guard”.  This has always been seen as the troops 
  left to defend the home city while the others were off to 
  war. 
      This is how the current Preadomus Families see 
  themselves.  It is their responsibility to protect their 
  homes and neighborhoods.  In this feudal style, there is a 
  hierarchy, with the lesser families watching the 
  neighborhoods and more powerful families leading those 
  and so on up the chain.  At the top is the Gumbaiyo 
  Barkala - the administration rulers. 
      While outsiders see the Preadomus Families as 
  extortionists and thugs, they see themselves on an equal 
  level as any noble sheriff.  They keep the peace.  They 
  collect taxes.  They look out for their neighbors.  But 
  unlike so many “lawful” lords and knights, if they fail in 
  
  6 
   
  their duties, there is always someone lurking close by 
  who will usurp their authority and take over.  This is 
  seen as good for the people. 
      Whether they are for the benefit or detriment of their 
  various neighborhoods, 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  foolish 
  to 
  underestimate the various families.  Certainly there are 
  some who are weak or sadistic in their power, but they 
  all hold power.  Not only do they control the economy 
  and police in their neighborhoods, but they are feared.  
  Fearful people tend not to rebel, even when led by the 
  charismatic. 
   
  Tellurrillo Family 
  Group 
      The Tellurrillo Family would in many ways be 
  considered the second most powerful Preadomus Family 
  in Garnock.  They had been allies of the Manszi Family 
  and had had a seat on the Gumbaiyo Barkala then as 
  well.  But as the Villenettis began to rise in power, the 
  Manszis not only worked against them, but brought 
  violence to the streets.  The Tellurrillo Family is against 
  violence in the streets - it’s bad for business. 
      At no point, should they be considered pacifists, but 
  they understand that having their soldiers and enforcers 
  keep the peace and collecting taxes is vastly better than 
  having those same folks guarding intersections and at 
  risk for being jumped in the alleys.  Controlling the 
  hotels, they took the biggest hit of all the families when 
  the gates were locked, and many assumed this would 
  turn them against the Villenettis, but it did not.  The 
  Villenettis and Nargoosos treated the Tellurrillos with 
  respect and they worked together to get through the 
  issues their city and the various families were in. 
      There are some within the Tellurrillo Family who hear 
  stories of the old days and want to return to those.  It 
  would be safe to say that more than half of the family is 
  content with the status quo and will work diligently to 
  maintain it.  Less than a quarter would consider 
  themselves to still be somewhat loyal to the Manszi 
  Family and might take actions to support them should 
  they start to rise again.  The remainder would like to see 
  the Villenettis fall and the Tellurrillos rise to the top spot.  
  These are the youngest “bucks” and know no different.  
  Given the chance, they would run the Barkala exactly as 
  it is today, with multiple seats for the Tellurrillos and a 
  small number of seats for some allied families. 
   
  THE SOUNDING BOARD 
   
  Organized Crime 
   
  I have a problem in my fantasy world.  Nothing is 
  illegal.  OK - that’s an exaggeration, but certainly not a lot 
  of things.  Sure, murder and theft are illegal.  But drugs are 
  legal.  In some cities, you need to have a pharmacist’s 
  license from the druggists’ guild, but other than that, 
  anything goes.  Prostitution is legal in most cities.  
  Gambling - legal.  Drinking age - Can you hold the stein?  
  See, nothing’s illegal. 
   
  Why is this a problem?  Well, because I want 
  organized criminals.  I grew up in a Sicilian neighborhood 
  in Chicago - Yeah, that one!  We had organized crime.  
  They were great!  They kept the gangs out.  Now they’re 
  all politicians.  Guess what - That really makes sense! 
   
  So what do I do in my fantasy world?  Well, I start 
  with smuggling.  Since there really are no goods that 
  aren’t allowed, then smuggling is just about getting past 
  the customs officials without paying the tariffs.  Since 
  tariffs can be as high as 20%, this can still be a good 
  business.  What else? Well, the prostitutes still typically 
  have pimps.  Without them the girls are too much at risk, 
  so networks of pimps make sense.  So far this is pretty 
  small potatoes. 
   
  The big money is in the protection rackets.  Here’s 
  the business model:  Guy walks into your store and says, 
  “You have a lot of nice things here. It would be a shame if 
  anything were to happen to them.”  Then the store owner 
  hands over a percentage of his perceived sales and the 
  hood goes down the street to collect at the next place.  But 
  here’s the thing - In Fletnern, the organized criminals 
  actually protect your place.  This is their neighborhood.  
  Nobody steals stuff from you in their neighborhood.  Even 
  the pickpockets better know to stay out of their 
  neighborhood or they may be sleeping with the fishes.  
  You see my organized criminals - they’re family men.  
  They want their kids to live in safe neighborhoods - 
  neighborhoods made safe by the local boss. 
   
  In one city, this goes so far that there are no police.  
  The city guard has been completely replaced by the crime 
  families.  There’s a lot of back story to how this came to 
  be - a big war, lots of soldiers needed, deals made, etc.  So 
  let’s rethink the protection money:  insurance and taxes.  
  We may pay insurance and taxes in the modern age, but in 
  these fantasy settings, the same things are being provided 
  by the crime families.  If someone steals from you, you tell 
  the local boss who hunts the guy down and roughs him up.  
  Next thing you know, someone returns your stolen goods.  
  It’s better than insurance, because the local boss is 
  nowhere near as evil as a modern insurance company.  
  You pay taxes to make sure the police patrol your streets.  
  
  7 
   
  They pay the mob boss to make sure his thugs patrol their 
  streets.  What if the local well goes bad?  Tell the mob 
  boss, he’ll take care of it.  The really nice thing about this 
  is that you don’t have to worry about some written laws.  
  Say your 19yo daughter decides to run off with some 
  loser.  The police won’t help you, but the mob boss will.  
  These guys actually believe in customer service.  OK, so 
  the thug collecting is probably about as likable as an IRS 
  agent, but still, you’re even up there. 
   
  Look, my world has cities with city guards.  In one 
  city, the guards are controlled by the local noble families 
  who once owned the lands that have become the 
  neighborhoods.  Those guards brawl with each other more 
  than the crime families do.  In some cities, the guards are 
  even good at their jobs, but they are constrained by the 
  laws, and they still cost you in taxes.  You see, here’s 
  where I tie organized crime to politicians.  Both get paid 
  the same way - by taking money out of the pockets of the 
  producers.  Now what they do needs to get done, 
  otherwise there would be chaos and anarchy.  But who do 
  you trust?  The local mob boss who’s kids are playing in 
  the street with yours, or the politician who’s never worked 
  a day in his life.  I’ve lived under both, and I can tell you, I 
  don’t trust politicians. 
   
  Street Kids (in fantasy) 
   
  I grew up in an age where kids would just “go 
  outside to play”.  We didn’t make play dates.  We never 
  really knew where we were going; we were just going 
  “out”.  Drove my dad crazy to not know where we were.  
  Now that I’m the Dad, it drives me crazy too. 
   
  But in a day and age where kids’ time is so 
  structured, it is tough to remember those more innocent 
  days when people weren’t worried about drive by 
  shootings and other random violence.  So what do fantasy 
  era kids do? 
   
  I think it’s important to call out some differences.  I 
  know exactly what kids on the farms do:  they help their 
  parents and do chores.  Not that they don’t get to play as 
  well, but when there is work to do, they are working.  No 
  child labor laws here!  I recall a story (no promise that it’s 
  true) that Abraham Lincoln’s father rented him out to the 
  neighbors, and Abe would chop wood and do other chores 
  for money that he then gave to his father.  Try that today! 
   
  Before moving on - let’s finish the rural kids:  
  Mostly, they are doing chores:  weeding the crops, 
  foraging for berries or mushrooms, feeding the livestock, 
  helping in the kitchen, chopping wood or gathering 
  kindling, all sorts of stuff.  What do they do for fun?  
  Well, their friends are a fairly long distance away (because 
  they are on the next farm over).  This makes playing with 
  friends a little tougher, but if time permits, they will try.  
  More likely, they will amuse themselves on their parents’ 
  farm.  Some of their play time will likely be productive; 
  things like fishing, grooming the horse(s), maybe a little 
  hunting, even if it is only for crayfish or frogs.  But they 
  will have toys too.  Little wooden figures they can set up 
  as knights, corn husk dolls, fireplace soot tic-tac-toe, these 
  kids have enormous back yards and imaginations to fill 
  them, just not as many people as the city kids have. 
   
  So what happens in the cities?  The kids leave the 
  home and play in the streets all day until they get home 
  just before their dads so it looks like they’ve been around 
  the house all day.  My city homes typically do not have 
  back yards, or have very small backyards, because real 
  estate inside a city wall is expensive!  So where do these 
  kids go? 
   
  Most kids will try to get away from the house so they 
  are out from under mom’s watchful eye, but they don’t 
  want to go too far or they lose all the benefits of home 
  (free food, clean toilet, bandages when necessary).  If 
  there is a park close by, they will likely go there.  It will be 
  a gathering place for all the neighborhood kids.  If there 
  isn’t, then they are far more likely to get into trouble.  
  Come on, you know it’s true.  Where would they go?  an 
  abandoned house, or the street corner, or a grocery store.  
  Even if their intentions are good, playing and hanging out 
  in these places is likely to cause trouble for someone, and 
  the accidents have far more consequences than they would 
  at a park.  But what are they doing?  Typically just 
  hanging out. 
   
  Is that all?  Of course not!  There will be some kids 
  who are helping their parents at work, whether that be 
  sweeping up the shop, helping mom when she is cleaning 
  the fancy houses, or legitimately learning a trade as an 
  apprentice.  Some of the kids will be enrolled in schools, 
  but with the cost of these schools, it is unlikely that the 
  kids will be there all day, probably only half days.  Some 
  of the churches may try to run youth programs, but these 
  are pretty few and far between.  While the kids may be 
  playing sports, what sports are common in your cities? 
   
  Kids like sports, so let’s think that one through just a 
  bit more.  In Forsbury, the main sport is horse racing, but 
  very few kids can afford a horse.  So they would gather at 
  the horse ranches, sitting along the fences watching the 
  horses train.  They would constantly be discussing the 
  strengths and weaknesses of the various horses 
  (sometimes correctly, but more often not) and dreaming of 
  their lives as jockeys.  In Brinston, the various policing 
  units all have competitive track and field teams.  Here 
  most of the kids would either watch the athletes train or 
  compete in their own races and mini-competitions.  No, 
  it’s not organized, but since when did a group of kids need 
  adults to organize a game for them.  Oh, that’s right, it 
  started in the 90s.  Taking a similar but darker perspective, 
  in Garnock they all watch gladiatorial events.  Here the 
  kids would be watching the gladiators train or actually 
  going to the arenas and watching the matches.  Watching 
  grown men kill each other for sport has to have an impact 
  on a kid. 
  
  8 
   
   
  Does any of this matter?  Yes!  Why?  Because 
  knowing what the kids do during the day will tell you 
  where they are, and at times, it is important to know where 
  the kids are.  Want to steal a race horse, expect that there 
  are some kids at the fence watching you (during daylight 
  hours).  Did your pocket get picked?  The kids on the 
  corner probably either did it or know who did, but 
  questioning a kid can attract all the wrong kinds of 
  attention.  Plan to meet a contact at a public park?  You 
  may not be able to communicate from all the noise the 
  kids are making. 
   
  Ignoring these types of things makes your world feel 
  dull and flat.  You need to describe your world as a 
  bustling, rambunctious place.  Make the players feel as if 
  there is life in the city, rather than just describing the signs 
  above the doors of the businesses.  Let them know there 
  are kids playing tag in the streets and mothers yelling at 
  their kids for not being careful enough or to come home 
  for lunch.  This is the illusion that you need to create. 
   
  Want to take it further?  One of my best players was 
  the “kid whisperer”.  Immediately after getting any 
  mission, she would question the local kids.  Why?  Well, 
  the kids typically aren’t busy and will stop to talk.  Kids 
  can be bribed for a whole lot less than an adult.  And kids 
  seldom have agendas that would cause them to lie.  
  Granted, the character needed a lot of acting skill, because 
  she was a cold-blooded killer, and those types of folks 
  tend to scare small children and their pets, but she had the 
  social skills to pull it off.  You might want to think about 
  some of this the next time you find yourself in a big city 
  and have no idea how to start the mission - whether you’re 
  a GM or a player. 
  Post Script:  Having trouble with a character history?  
  Well, if you know about Brinston and that’s where the 
  character spent his childhood, it would be common for the 
  character to have Running or Jumping skill levels because 
  of what they did as kids.  Do other kids have wrestling 
  skills from the way they spent their youth? 
   
  Thugs and Two-Bit Gangsters (FRPG) 
   
  After covering Death Cults, it seemed appropriate to 
  cover street thugs.  Why, because they too are really the 
  bully losers of life.  Please understand - There are bullies 
  that make great lives for themselves.  Many CEOs are 
  bullies, as are a huge number of people who have upper 
  management positions in bureaucracies.  Think those IRS 
  folks who have spent the last few years lying to Congress 
  and the people of the USA are mice?  No way - bullies 
  who found their niche.  But the street thugs are the bullies 
  who didn’t find a good spot.  Oh, they think they have a 
  good spot.  Their bosses allow them to bully people and 
  feel powerful, but they are pawns.   
   
  Modern street thugs are mostly stereo-typically gang 
  members.  OK - let’s admit my bias.  I grew up in a 
  neighborhood where the mob was still in control.  No 
  random crime happened in my neighborhood, because the 
  street thugs were terrified that the little old lady who’s 
  purse he was stealing would turn out to be some major 
  gangster’s mother.  Only the mobsters got killed in my 
  neighborhood (by other mobsters).  Well that whole town 
  has been in the news for years now because of the gang 
  violence in the streets.  Is it the fault of the IRS putting 
  away all the major mob bosses?  Well, partially.  But let’s 
  focus on the street thugs.  They drive down the street and 
  shoot as many bullets as they possible can without ever 
  learning to shoot straight.  In truth, I think they do it while 
  terrified that someone is going to get a shot off back at 
  them, and this ruins their already crap aim even more.  
  How do we put these guys in fantasy terms? 
   
  I don’t think you can.  Not directly.  Without guns, 
  the thugs need to be completely different “archetypes”, but 
  we can still carry forward some ideas.  First, I think a 
  fantasy era gang leader would be looking for guys who are 
  huge - not bright, huge.  So whatever your game does to 
  give the advantage to guys with near max Strength and 
  Endurance, yeah, these would be those guys.  But 
  whatever your game does to grant benefits due to skill, 
  these guys won’t have.  I’m not suggesting these guys 
  don’t know the sharp end of a sword, but I would think 
  they should be near the minimum when it comes to 
  training.  The main reason for this is that these guys really 
  are more for show than for go.  You send a weaselly 
  collector out with two huge goons, and the shop keepers 
  will quake in fear.  You put the thugs up against a trained 
  soldier, and they’ll fall like wheat.  But, if they score a hit 
  on that soldier, expect damage modifiers. 
  
  9 
   
   
  My main reasoning for this is that these thugs are a 
  dime a dozen.  Any plow boy with a huge frame and broad 
  shoulders can be made to look like a dangerous thug, but 
  training takes money and time.  To a gang leader, these 
  guys aren’t worth that.  Should a few of them get killed, he 
  will find some trained killers to avenge them and protect 
  his reputation, but those trained killers are likely to be a lot 
  more “normal looking” than the brute squad.  Want to jazz 
  them up a little more?  Give them some manner of flashy 
  weapon.  Remember, the idea is more in the intimidation 
  factor then in the usefulness.  If they have a sword that’s 
  too big to use or a billy club with the end dipped in copper 
  or silver, these will make an impression.  If they have to 
  use them, people might start figuring out how useless they 
  are.   
   
  So what happens when your adventurers fight them?  
  Well, the oversized Strength and Endurance stats should 
  make them far more dangerous opponents then if they 
  were more normally attributed, but the skills and skill 
  levels still need to be low.  In many games, high attributes 
  are worth quite a bit more than “mid-level” skills, so it 
  should work out.  (You know your game better than I do 
  and can adjust in the best ways!)  Now once the good guys 
  (players) start fighting the bad guys (thugs), soon enough 
  the far more challenging guys will start to make an 
  appearance, at least they will if there is any organization to 
  the criminals.  Organized criminals are dangerous!  Street 
  thugs are not!  Need more convincing?  Think of who their 
  normal prey is.  If they prey on shop keepers and farmers 
  in the market, they are probably the dregs I’ve described 
  here. If they are extorting huge sums from bankers and 
  politicians, well then they aren’t. 
   
  Fantasy Thieving Specialists 
   
  Think about your thieves.  There are all manner of 
  specialists:  pick pockets, second story men, jewel thieves.  
  They know their stuff.  Jewel thieves need to know how to 
  appraise gems and jewelry so they will choose the best 
  stuff, and not get fooled by forgeries and paste.  But how 
  far does it go? 
   
  Are there fantasy era specialists?  There should be.  
  In the same vein that a jewel thief must know the good 
  stuff from the fakes, a magic thief will need to be able to 
  understand the real magic from the stage theatrics.  But is 
  specializing in magic enough?  Wouldn’t there need to be 
  different styles of specialist for stealing alchemicals?  A 
  separate specialist for acquiring components and other 
  materials?  What about someone who goes after the 
  enchantments themselves?  Even the necromancers would 
  need someone who knew how to get the right things for 
  them.  After all, it would be incredibly embarrassing to 
  send a thief after an important skull, only to have him steal 
  the wrong one.  (“Abby someone.”)  In a similar fashion a 
  mentalist in need of the proper psychometric items would 
  need someone who understood which items held the 
  proper mental vestiges. 
   
  These thieving specialists need to understand their 
  targets, which means they probably need to have some 
  skill in them.  That means they might know a bit of 
  alchemy in order to understand both the alchemical 
  products and equipment.  Or they may need training in 
  magic in order to read spell books and mystic scrolls, in 
  order to know what they are stealing.  At the same time, 
  sorcerers would use different styles of traps and tricks then 
  enchanters or alchemists would, so once again, 
  understanding your target(s) will benefit you, and knowing 
  how to handle those types of items and magic would give 
  you a significant advantage.  The same should be said for 
  their tools of the trade.  Knowing how to beat a sorcerer’s 
  traps does not necessarily position you to get past a 
  necromancer’s. 
   
  Honestly, this subject is too huge to do justice in a 
  blog post, but I hope I set your mind spinning.  Need some 
  ideas on what a magic thief would be stealing?  Check out 
  Alchemist’s Lab for all sorts of fun products and 
  equipment! 
   
  A Note on Culture 
   
  You are in a theater in Myork watching an Anglic 
  play.  The sheriff walks into a public house (bar) and 
  orders a beer from the bartender.  The bartender says, 
  “How’s the war effort going?”  The sheriff grumbles back, 
  “None of your damn business!”  Who’s the bad guy?  
  Well, it’s obvious:  the sheriff is drinking in a bar when he 
  should be off fighting a war, leading his patrol.  Plus he 
  swore.  He’s evil to the core - in Myork. 
   
  You’re in a different theater, this time in Garnock 
  watching a Latvich play.  The extortionist walks into a 
  bustling 
  bar 
  and 
  demands 
  money 
  from 
  the 
  bartender/owner.  The owner says, “I don’t have the 
  money to pay you.”  Who’s the bad guy?  Again, it’s 
  obvious:  the bar owner.  I just said the bar was bustling.  
  He doesn’t have enough money to pay the extortionist off?  
  That’s a lie!  And after all the extortionist is doing for the 
  community.  No, really!  In Garnock, the organized crime 
  families do extort money from the shop keepers, but they 
  also run the community watch program (no one else better 
  rob a store in their territory!), the fire brigade, and handle 
  most of the civic programs.  They also pass money 
  upwards to the bigger crime families who pass it on to the 
  government, so they are the tax collectors. 
   
  Confused?  I hope not.  In one city the sheriff is 
  considered derelict, while in the other the extortionist is 
  Robin Hood.  It all depends on the culture.  Why write this 
  blog entry?  Because if your world has only one culture, 
  you need to do some rewriting! 
   
  
  10 
   
  The Thrill of the Heist 
   
  Ever watch a heist movie?  Ocean’s Eleven, The 
  Italian Job, Kelly’s Heroes (my favorite movie of all time).  
  You know what I’m talking about.  A bunch of guys get 
  together, and they are going to steal something.  Quite 
  often they try to give the thieves some manner of reason to 
  make it seem like they are Robin Hoods and not actually 
  thieves, but well, they’re criminals.  Did it stop you from 
  rooting for them?  Yeah, me neither. 
   
  There is something about stealing things that is 
  thrilling.  Something in the breaking of the law, something 
  in the danger, something in the “beating” whoever is there 
  to stop you from doing it.  There is something there that 
  gives you an adrenaline rush.  In rare occasions, I have 
  been able to insert that feeling into games.  I want to do it 
  more! 
   
  The vast majority of FRPG quests could have this 
  feeling melded into them.  Sometimes the party is 
  recovering a lost artifact ala Indiana Jones.  It can have 
  that same “heist” feel to it.  Think about Indy and the 
  golden skull.  Remember his assistant mirroring his moves 
  at the dais?  It’s like that.  We need to get the players to be 
  doing that; feeling the tension as their characters weigh the 
  bag of sand. 
   
  So how do you do it?  I think one of the best ways is 
  through melodrama.  It’s sappy and a bit silly (especially 
  for guys trying to be cool), but to bring some of that style 
  of tension into the game, you have to schmaltz it up as a 
  GM.  What I mean is this:  OK, I’m going to roll this die.  
  If I roll a 12 or over, your character is going to succeed in 
  sliding down the hall on your stomach without the guard 
  noticing you, but if the number is lower, then the guard 
  hears or sees you and will instantly raise the alarm.  Your 
  whole plan hinges on this one die roll.  Either way, this is 
  it; it all comes down to this.  Are you ready?  I mean are 
  you really ready? 
   
  I admitted it was silly, right?  It is, but just as it is 
  silly for famous actors to take a pie in the face for a movie, 
  sometimes, you have to evoke your inner ringmaster. 
   
  These GMing tactics can be used in nearly any 
  situation, but don’t go overboard.  Yes, you can do the 
  same with a swing of the sword.  Yes, you can do the 
  same with the casting of a spell.  But it is typically in the 
  thieving rolls where one roll decides the fate, as opposed 
  to a sword/spell needing to roll damage, and even then it is 
  rarely final, but just the start of an long combat. 
   
  This is one of the reasons (I think) people like to play 
  thieves.  Picking a pocket?  It’s a yes or no - one die roll, 
  big gamble.  Yes - get money.  No - start the chase music 
  boys. 
   
  It does not have to just be about these types of rolls.  
  The other way to get it is what I think of as the “gold 
  effect”.  In the movie Kelly’s Heroes, every time someone 
  saw the gold bar for the first time, there was this glittering 
  music, and they were stunned in awe of the beauty of the 
  gold.  This is what I’m going for when I reveal a treasure 
  horde to the party.  The most anti-climactic thing you can 
  ever do when introducing a dragon sitting atop a mound of 
  gold is to start talking about numbers. 
   
  Look, in truth, the reason I’ve never written a novel 
  is because I cannot write dialog and I find writing most 
  descriptive narratives to be way too much hard work.  But 
  if you have any spark of story teller in you, you should be 
  able to weave a tale like this:  You know you’ve reached 
  the final chamber of this cave system because the dragon 
  is there.  In the blink of an eye, it all comes to you.  The 
  mighty dragon is coiled upon heaps of gold.  The light of 
  your torches gleams of multi-colored surfaces in the pile 
  that must be gems, while the helms and armor of ancient 
  warriors are mixed into the piles.  OK, I said I don’t do 
  that well - often I can do it verbally better than I can write 
  it because I can see what is or isn’t working for my 
  “audience”. 
   
  It works for a single target too:  This must be the 
  gem you’re after.  It sits on a pedestal with two hanging 
  lamps providing the light to emphasize its many facets.  
  The gem is huge, bigger than you have ever seen before 
  and of such a striking, true-blue color that the angels 
  themselves must have crafted it. 
   
  Want to get back into the more roguish style?  Try 
  this one:  Your target sits there in the restaurant, piggish 
  and obese.  Shoveling food into his oafish mouth, you can 
  see his stubby little teeth as he chews like a cow with cud.  
  This is the demon of a man that your client needs dead, 
  and he is right in your sights.  He may be surrounded by 
  witnesses for now, but you’re going to get him, as soon as 
  he (falls into the trap the character has laid out). 
   
  The moral of this story is that especially when it 
  comes to the single action, suspenseful things that rogues 
  do, a little drama or melodrama can go a long way.  It is 
  storytelling.  It is acting.  You don’t need to be James Earl 
  Jones with a booming voice to play up the tension and 
  anxiety.  Be yourself, but be a little bit bigger version of 
  yourself, and bring those players into exactly how 
  important this one moment in their characters’ lives really 
  is! 
   
  Information Gathering 
   
  When an adventuring party goes out to a dungeon, 
  they may learn who built the dungeon and what they are 
  after, but they rarely plan for it.  They don’t try to get the 
  right tools, other than possibly getting extra rope if they 
  know they need to repel to get into the dungeon. 
   
  But in an urban adventure, you not only have the 
  time to plan, but you should be forced to do it.  You also 
  have the ability to choose when to attack.  Not putting in 
  this extra effort is foolish.  It will likely involve people in 
  the mission (battle) that you don’t want there.  Like who?  
  Well, innocents, the police, or battle ready neighbors who 
  
  11 
   
  may think you are after them as well.  So how do you 
  choose your battles?  Through information gathering. 
   
  Let me draw a contrast between how information 
  gathering is done in Garnock and Forsbury to show how 
  this can work.  In Garnock, they are watching their own 
  people, while in Forsbury they tend to watch the travelers 
  who come into town.  Because of this, in Garnock they 
  rely on street informants like street vendors, street 
  sweepers, and even street walkers.  Meanwhile in 
  Forsbury, they rely on the cab drivers, bartenders and most 
  of all, the bellboys in the hotels. 
   
  But how does a party get this information?  There are 
  really only two ways.  The first is the best way - by having 
  the PCs already have established contacts in town - people 
  who know them well enough to trust them and share 
  gossip and other information.  The other is through 
  bribery, most commonly through bribing an information 
  broker.  Information brokers are the people who make 
  their living by having already gathered all the information 
  that people are probably looking for, or they know who to 
  go to.  But it is important to remember, that very few 
  information brokers are freelancers.  They work for 
  someone.  So whatever the party is trying to figure out will 
  be reported upwards. 
   
  Honestly - I suck at bribes!  In real life, I never know 
  how much to tip a maître d' for a good table, or any of that 
  stuff.  I’m probably too much of a rules follower.  But in 
  game, GMs need to understand how much of a bribe is 
  required.  Here’s the only way I can figure out how to do 
  it:  an information broker.  How many customers does he 
  get in a day?  He probably averages one per day, so he’s 
  learning everything he can just to inform one person.  This 
  guy wants a full day’s wages to share his information; 
  otherwise, he’s going to go broke.  So for relatively public 
  knowledge (info that could be public for anyone who had 
  the time to do the recon), he wants 12sc.  A bartender on 
  the other hand who has a job and gets info requests three 
  times a day (on average), he’s maybe looking for 3sc (x3 
  customers equals a full day’s wage for him). 
   
  But what if it is not public?  Well anything that could 
  get the broker or his informants in trouble is worth a lot 
  more - probably five times as much.  This includes things 
  like who did the merchant leave the sleazy hotel with - 
  gossipy stuff that isn’t public and probably shouldn’t be.  
  For something that could be dangerous, as in tell me the 
  right time to assassinate the target, something that could 
  get the informant involved in a murder, now we’re talking 
  about two weeks’ pay or say 250sc.  Why?  Because first 
  of all, the informant is going to lay low for a couple of 
  days in hopes that nothing blows back on him, plus if he is 
  in danger, he deserves a lot more.  How much do you have 
  to bribe him to keep his mouth shut while the enemy is 
  getting ready to torture him?  Yeah, that number doesn’t 
  exist.  These guys are not the ones you rely on with 
  secrets! 
  LIFESTYLES OF THE MAGICAL 
  AND MUNDANE 
   
   
  So how does it really work, this having “criminals” 
  for police?  Well, better than you’d think, at least for 
  Garnock.  In hopes of better explaining the culture, we’re 
  going to tell you about a day in the life of Matteo 
  Morchia, an up and coming enforcer likely to be 
  promoted to capo several years from now, despite his 
  lack of the best family connections. 
   
  Matteo doesn’t need to start his day too early.  Mid-
  morning he rolls out of bed and stumbles to the kitchen.  
  Being more of a self-made man, he doesn’t have his 
  mother living with him, just his wife and kids, but the 
  wife is smart enough to have gotten the kids out of the 
  house before he awoke.  A breakfast of fried bread 
  (yesterday’s bread dipped in egg, fried with some cheese 
  on top) probably with some peppers and sausage on the 
  side, because he’s got the money for it, is waiting for 
  him.  Alongside is a hot mug of orzo - think of it as 
  barley coffee - hot and filling, but without the caffeine 
  kick. 
   
  The wife handles the kids and the home; Matteo 
  doesn’t need to worry about anything there.  And he 
  doesn’t.  He gives himself time to eat, wake up, and he’s 
  out the door. 
   
  Matteo is a sharp dresser - it helps him stand out 
  from the other enforcers and soldiers.  Like most Latvich 
  business men, he’s wearing leather pants and a linen 
  shirt.  Unlike the business men, Matteo’s shirt isn’t a 
  version of off-white, but instead brightly dyed.  Today 
  he’s going with carmine - a fairly common red dye in 
  Garnock.  Shiny black leather belt and shoes finish his 
  outfit.  The leather workers in Garnock are some of the 
  best, and Matteo is certainly taking advantage of them. 
   
  A quick divergence here - the linen shirt is along 
  the lines of a modern button down dress shirt.  The look 
  is similar, but buttons are neither easy nor fashionable.  
  The men of Garnock (and most of the other cities) are 
  using shirt studs and cuff links.  Typical studs are silver, 
  but Mateo thinks silver clashes with carmine, so he uses 
  gold plated studs.  When he becomes a true capo, he’ll 
  probably rise to using solid gold studs and links.  Poor 
  folks wear pull over shirts, but the wealthy (and those 
  hoping to appear wealthy) are wearing shirts that require 
  studs. 
   
  So our sharp dressed man heads out to work.  His 
  work day starts by picking up his soldiers at the boss’ 
  night club.  Matteo and his three soldiers start to make 
  their rounds.  Before visiting anyone who owes the boss 
  money, Matteo heads over to talk to his various 
  informants.  These informants take many forms, 
  including some of the hookers who work for the family, 
  
  12 
   
  beggars on the streets, and even the other merchants and 
  store owners.  Those who are paying their protection 
  money to the family will want to insure that their 
  competitors are paying too, as well as staying in the good 
  graces of the family.  In this way, Matteo knows before 
  he arrives at his collection points whether the store 
  keepers have been doing well or doing poorly. 
   
  Upon knowing who’s been doing well, Matteo and 
  his guys head out to the various shops.  Collections is the 
  most common “work” for a crew chief like Matteo.  It is 
  a rare day that he even needs to threaten these folks.  He 
  doesn’t even count the money they give him - that’s for 
  bookkeepers to do.  He simply puts their “donation” into 
  one of the subdivisions within his collections box and 
  moves on to the next place. 
   
   
  Matteo is one of those “more flies with honey” 
  types who feels it is perfectly appropriate to be nice to 
  his targets, even typically buying something from them 
  while passing through.  Others might simply take what 
  they want, but Matteo needs to insure that no one sends 
  bad news about him up the chain.  It wouldn’t do for the 
  bosses to hear he was taking advantage. 
   
  Besides, he’s still known for the time he got 
  ambushed while out on collections.  A rival collector 
  came out from behind a pile of boxes and stabbed him in 
  the side.  Quick as lightning Matteo drew his own stiletto 
  and stabbed the other man in the eye.  The guy probably 
  died immediately, but at that point Matteo’s anger was 
  up, and he stabbed him seven times in the throat and 
  chest before he hit the ground.  It was an impressive 
  “battle”, but it gets exaggerated even still.  Being known 
  for having quick reflexes and a savage temper have 
  allowed him to collect without the overt threats. 
   
  Late in the afternoons, it’s hot, and nobody wants to 
  work.  So Matteo has time to work on his own projects.  
  After all, collections rarely take a lot of time.  He sends 
  the boys off to do whatever, and he settles in for an hour 
  or two at a friendly cafe.  This isn’t in his territory, but 
  he’s been flirting with the buxom waitress there, and 
  everybody knows he’s just “taking in the sites”.  What 
  they don’t know is that he’s been casing the alchemist’s 
  shop across the street from the cafe.  He’s learning the 
  patterns of when they get their shipments of supplies.  
  The delivery of potions are too well guarded, but the 
  supplies (not as valuable, but still valuable) are no where 
  near as protected.  Pretty soon, he’ll hit the supplier of 
  ingredients as he is getting to the alchemist, and he’ll be 
  able to keep most of the profits for himself.  Even though 
  he’ll need to use his soldiers, the bosses will reward him 
  if he can pull off a safe and profitable burglary. 
   
  Before dinner he stops in at home and checks on 
  the wife and kids.  There are nights where he takes the 
  wife out on the town normally to dinner and an opera, 
  but this isn’t one of them.  She’s desperately trying to 
  keep the kids from misbehaving in front of their quick 
  tempered father, but like most nights, everything goes 
  well, and there is no cause for anger.  While most 
  families would be eating dinner together about now, 
  Matteo is off to the night club to check in with his boss 
  and drop off the collections money. 
   
  If you asked his wife what he does, she’d tell you 
  that he works for the boss - that he is in middle 
  management.  Violence is typically kept away from the 
  women, and the women pretend that it doesn’t exist.  
  They aren’t stupid; they’re just good at acting like certain 
  parts of their husband’s professions don’t exist. 
   
  In most cultures, people stop in at the local tavern 
  to relax, but Matteo knows that this is the real work of 
  his day.  Not only is he expected to turn in the money 
  he’s collected, but also give a reasonable accounting of 
  what’s going on in his part of the neighborhood.  Of 
  course, he’s not there to complain, but instead to inform 
  the higher ups that everything is going smoothly and he 
  has handled every little issue that came up. 
   
  This doesn’t mean that everyone in the night club is 
  privy to the business of the family.  No business actually 
  happens in the club area.  There’s always a back room, 
  which anyone can locate by checking to see which 
  doorway is guarded.  If that doesn’t give it away, then it 
  might be the fact that the mid-level bosses keep going in 
  and out through that doorway. 
   
  So, not as glamorous as it is in the movies, huh?  
  Well, there is the night club every night, and the snappy 
  clothes.  There’s the good money, but there’s also the 
  chance of getting ambushed most days.  If you think the 
  enforcer has it kind of dull, imagine how the thugs have 
  it.  They’re vastly more likely to get knifed for less 
  money.  They’re better at pretending they are actually 
  important. 
  
  13 
   
  NEWS OF FLETNERN 
   
  The Origins of the Preadomus Families 
   
  In literal terms, “preadomus” meant “home guard”.  
  In a more practical sense, they were less the “guard” and 
  more of a militia.  Originally, this is what the term 
  preadomus meant, and it was only later that the criminal 
  organizations adopted the word to make their extortion 
  rackets seem more wholesome.  Before this, the term was 
  used throughout the Latvich speaking region to represent 
  the various militia style units. 
   
  1087HR 
  Founding of Garnock (barony) 
  94D 
  Prince Fiori Giorgginni began to build the 
  wall around the town of Garnock. 
   
  (approximately 200 years after 1087HR) 
   
   
  It is important to remember that Garnock was 
  established near Lake Whensafri when the area was 
  considered to be too marshy to build on, and useless as a 
  farm.  The Giorgginni line had chosen the spot, not for 
  the agriculture, but for the bog iron they were able to 
  find within the swamp.  What at first appeared to be a 
  foolish under taking began to yield one of the few iron 
  and steel producing settlements for hundreds of miles.  In 
  addition, they had access to river transport, at least when 
  heading east. 
   
  So it is not surprising that two centuries later, the 
  town of Garnock was one of the more successful in the 
  region.  With a small army of swampers collecting bog 
  iron and a half dozen foundries in the town belching out 
  smoke and steel, Garnock was becoming “the” spot for 
  steel, whether in the form of weapons or tools. 
   
  Early on in the history of Garnock, their political 
  moves caused concern amongst their rivals and peers.  
  As the Giorgginni noble family arranged marriages and 
  alliances, other noble families in the region began to see 
  them as a threat.  This meant that even before the wall 
  began, the town of Garnock had one of the stronger 
  castles in the territory, and a dungeon of political 
  prisoners. 
   
  It is believed that the first gladiatorial fights were 
  held in Garnock around 15D.  These were considered an 
  honorable way for soldiers to be executed, but certainly 
  they were also seen as entertainment.  Because these 
  were an odd form of execution, betting on the fights was 
  believed to dishonor the soldiers being executed.  Of 
  course, once something is banned, criminals arise to fill 
  the void.  The bookies who handled gambling on the 
  gladiatorial battles of this era are considered to be the 
  beginnings of the Preadomus Families. 
   
  Once the town became walled and later became a 
  city, the gladiatorial fights were still a big attraction, but 
  betting was no longer outlawed.  This put a big dent in 
  the criminal enterprises.  Since by this time, the bookies 
  were firmly entrenched in their neighborhoods, they 
  began to broaden their entrepreneurial spirit.  Fairly 
  quickly, they moved into extortion. 
   
  Many claim the extortion began somewhat 
  innocently, but the actual history here is a bit vague.  The 
  militias did need to be supported and someone needed to 
  collect that support, but it seems unlikely that the 
  collectors began as friendly tax men.  In any case, the 
  criminals and militia leaders seem to have been the same 
  people, and the extortion rackets were gaining strength. 
   
  At first, there were city guards who patrolled the 
  streets, but as the various troops began to gain in strength 
  (both military and political), they began to distrust one 
  another.  This distrust played out in troops being banned 
  from the city limits, except for a few wall guarding units.  
  The policing activities were quickly taken over by the 
  Preadomus Families, and whether they were police or 
  enforcers, the result was the same.  The Families, as 
  extortionists who actually kept the peace, began to 
  become firmly entrenched in the Garnock culture. 
   
  Much later on when the gates of Garnock were 
  closed, the Families saw a dramatic increase in their 
  power base.  They were now the smugglers who could 
  provide anything the citizens wanted, no matter what the 
  soldiers at the gates seemed to think.  It is this historic 
  basis in extortion coupled with the more recent 
  smuggling operations that have brought the Families to 
  where they are today and the level of power they have 
  assumed.   
   
  (In 655) The gates of Garnock are now open, 
  though trade is still restricted in many ways.  This will 
  likely serve to weaken the Families, but the Villenettis 
  (the most powerful Preadomus Family) seem to have 
  
  14 
   
  control of trade, and they and their allies will likely 
  continue to gain power as the smaller Families lose 
  theirs.  How this plays out over the next generation or 
  two is anyone’s guess, but it is most likely to be very 
  exciting! 
   
  The Legend of the Villenettis 
   
  A while back there were these two punks, brothers, 
  Tony and Tommy.  Tony, Anthony, was the older one, a 
  huge hulking guy, expected to turn gladiator, either by 
  choice or by arrest.  Tommy was the younger one and a 
  lot smaller.  He was a clever kid, fast when he needed to 
  be, smooth when he needed to be.  They use to do odd 
  jobs, you know, a little carpentry, running errands for old 
  ladies, maybe a little shoplifting, nothing major. 
   
  So one day, this little old lady asks Tony to go talk 
  to the local boss.  Seems he was her landlord, and he was 
  really squeezing her for more rent.  So Tony goes hat in 
  hand and tries to be nice and respectful, asking the guy to 
  take it easy on the old lady because she’s such a nice 
  broad and all.  Of course the boss, this guy they all called 
  Tomato Nose, thinks that Tony is meant as a threat on 
  account of his size.  So he has three of his goons rough 
  Tony up.  Tony never fought back; he just took the 
  beating and left. 
   
  Well, when Tony gets back to Tommy, the two are 
  both furious.  They start to think about how they’re going 
  to get revenge, never really thinking through the whole 
  idea that they are taking on the neighborhood boss.  So 
  Tommy runs around and keeps track of the three guys 
  who beat up Tony, while Tony heals up.  These guys are 
  big men in the neighborhood.  They aren’t afraid of 
  anything, and they aren’t careful.  So Tony and Tommy 
  catch the first one as he walks home from his girlfriend’s 
  place, and they beat him with clubs until he’s got a 
  broken leg and a busted face.  The next guy thinks he’s 
  being safe by carrying a big sword.  When Tony and 
  Tommy jump him, Tommy hangs onto the sword to keep 
  it in the scabbard, while Tony beats the guy to death with 
  a club.  He didn’t mean to kill him, but the guy was 
  punching Tommy in the head and Tony had a bad 
  temper. 
   
  Well, now Tomato Nose has one bodyguard and 
  he’s worried.  He’s expecting that another boss is trying 
  to take his territory.  He’s not even looking internally.  
  So Tommy gets the idea to bring a message to the 
  Tomato.  The message says something like, send your 
  enforcer to Mill Street and Fungunii Street at sundown, 
  so we can talk.  Tomato sends the last goon, but the 
  brothers don’t go after him, they go after Tomato Nose.  
  The two kick the door in and start in on him with bats.  
  The whole time, Tony’s going, “So you gonna lower the 
  rent now?” and stuff like that.  Well they beat him pretty 
  bad, but he knows exactly who they are now. 
   
  Tony and Tommy go into another neighborhood to 
  hide, and Tomato Nose tries to get that boss to roust the 
  two brothers for him and bring them to him as a 
  courtesy.  Well that boss does grab the two boys, but he 
  wants to talk to them.  He’s thinking that these two have 
  nearly taken down Tomato Nose by themselves.  Now 
  Tomato Nose was no big thing, but still, two teenagers 
  wiping out a neighborhood boss is something special.  Of 
  course, Tomato still had a bunch of other guys, but these 
  three were supposed to be his super tough guys.  Well 
  the other boss offers to give the boys Tomato’s 
  neighborhood with him as their upper boss.  Tommy is 
  all for it, but Tony’s all shy and not sure.  In any case, 
  they go to see Tomato Face escorted by their new ally 
  like they were being surrendered, but armed with long 
  daggers.  Tomato gets all cocky and starts strutting, but 
  then Tommy just goes wild and stabbing him all over.  
  The upper boss has his guys hold back the last of the 
  enforcers, while Tommy, all by himself kills Tomato 
  Nose.  Well, like it or not, they’re now neighborhood 
  bosses. 
   
  Turns out that little Tommy is a stone cold killer.  
  He’d wait for hours and then just shoot a guy in the chest 
  with a poisoned bolt.  Tony can’t do it that way.  He can 
  kill in the heat of a moment, like when his temper is 
  flaring, but he won’t do it all cold and heartless.  So 
  Tony becomes the boss, and eventually his cold blooded 
  brilliance builds the family into being one of the major 
  vassals around the city.  By the time his enemies killed 
  Tony, Tommy already had a squad of guys just as big 
  and a lot more ruthless to take his place. 
   
  And that’s how the Villenettis started. 
   
  The Villenettis and Steel Plume 
   
  The Villenettis and the Steel Plume troops control 
  the city of Garnock, but previously they were seen 
  primarily as thieves and mercenaries.  They rarely get the 
  respect they deserve for having brought peace to their 
  homeland.  Both in the city of Garnock and beyond, the 
  Conquering War is seen as a failure, but the Villenettis 
  and Steel Plume cannot allow that.  So what to do? 
   
  First, they needed to blame someone.  For fear 
  of upsetting the orcish Wembic Nation, they 
  decide to primarily blame the Vile Ones tribe.  
  This too often becomes “all orcs”, but they have 
  a plan to keep going after the Vile Ones only.  
  (The leaders of the Vile Ones tribe were allies 
  of Garnock during the war, but have since been 
  dethroned by the Crooked Swords tribe.) 
   
  It was the Vile Ones who burned Villai.  The 
  Garnock army was not making warlike gestures, 
  just pursuing a confederation of bandits and 
  trespassed into Villai lands.  They had even sent 
  diplomats to the leaders of Villai, but the Vile 
  Ones sacked the city. 
  
  15 
   
   
  All atrocities committed during the period were 
  caused by the Vile Ones.  To the point that after 
  hearing what the Vile Ones had done during the 
  Siege of Rhum and fearing what was going on 
  in Parnania, the Generals’ Conclave recalled the 
  army to prevent any more problems.  So the 
  Latvich army left Rhum and returned to 
  Parnania in order to save Parnania from the Vile 
  Ones, as proven by the fact that once the 
  Garnock army left Parnania, they left it in the 
  hands of the Crooked Swords.  There is just 
  enough truth here to seem possible. 
   
  There was a group of halflings who had formed 
  an evil alliance with the Vile Ones.  These 
  halfling bandits (the ones they had been after 
  originally) after being dispersed across the 
  northern landscape by the first action, had their 
  leaders bribe the corrupt Vile Ones.  It was this 
  cabal that began the military action that has 
  become known as the Conquering War.  There 
  are enough Latvich enemies for Steel Plume to 
  vilify, and they continue to accuse these factions 
  of taking bribes from the halflings and Vile 
  Ones.  
   
  The Vile Ones wanted to put their enemies 
  (amongst the orcish tribes) into the field so they 
  would die.  The Vile Ones would gain more 
  power.  Most humans are unfortunately willing 
  to overlook this weakened the entire empire, 
  because they believe orcs don’t think that far 
  ahead. 
   
  The halfling bandit cabal wanted the army to 
  cause chaos throughout the Rhoric Plains so 
  they would have fewer militias and soldiers to 
  worry about and could loot and plunder as they 
  wished.  This did happen (though it was 
  typically Latvich and centaur bandits, not 
  halflings, but we’ll forget that part, they were 
  probably in cahoots or working for the halflings 
  directly). 
   
  There are some stories circling that some of the 
  Lats were actually being mind controlled by 
  halflings.  They may even be able to produce a 
  circlet worn by some Lat Prince that had 
  chrystalist in it.  It is unfortunately now broken 
  because it was cut from his head in battle, 
  finally releasing him from the mind control.  
  These stories seem far-fetched, even to those 
  who began them, so they are rarer than most of 
  the other stories. 
   
  This entire propaganda campaign explains why 
  the Lats continue to hunt the halfling bandits - 
  They want revenge.  They have the crown 
  jewels back in Garnock, so they need another 
  reason. 
   
  Most of this is not easily believed by anyone 
  who was involved, but the War has been over 
  for two decades, and those who were involved 
  are becoming fewer.  Most of these lies have 
  kernels of truth to them, and so are more easily 
  believed.  They are helped by the fact that few 
  commoners can really believe that Garnock’s 
  mighty military machine was stopped by a big 
  village like Rhum.  They don’t think about how 
  the Garnock military was stretched from 
  Nanerette to Parnania to Villai and the entire 
  east, as well as maintaining Garnock and the 
  full assault on Rhum.  The Villenettis (along 
  with Steel Plume) have been pushing stories 
  like this since they first took over.  There are 
  now history books written in Marilick, Borten 
  and Latvich stating this to be the truth and 
  quoting dozens of now dead generals from all 
  sides.  There is art in the city of Garnock 
  (relatively new - completed within the last five 
  years) that depicts important pieces of this, like 
  the return of the army to Parnania (and a battle 
  with violet eyed orcs) and the capture of 
  halfling bandits and the recovery of the crown 
  jewels. 
   
  Despite this propaganda, certain Latvich troops 
  retain the blame for having lost the war, chief 
  amongst them the Black Skulls.  The more 
  closely allied a troop was to the former power in 
  Garnock, the Black Skulls troop, the more 
  blame is heaped upon them. 
   
  Steel Plume primarily rose to power by blaming the 
  other military troops and their Generals for having lost 
  the war, but now that they have assumed the leadership 
  role, they cannot allow their people to become 
  unpatriotic.  So while it is a reversal in their writing of 
  history, they are working diligently to change the 
  perceptions. 
   
   
  The Conquering War 
  Mini-Timeline 
  614P 
  Garnock and allies sack Villai 
  626P 
  Garnock takes Parnania 
  626P 
  Garnock accepts the surrender of Nanerette 
  626P 
  Garnock fails to take Rhum 
  629P 
  Garnock abandons Nanerette 
  638P 
  Steel Plume takes control of the Generals’ 
  Conclave in a bloodless, political “battle” 
  640P 
  The gates of Garnock are closed and locked 
  preventing any unauthorized trade 
  653P 
  Garnock’s orcish allies begin to abandon 
  Parnania and return to the Wembic Empire 
   
   
   
  
  16 
   
   
  THE GOOD LIFE 
   
   
  The city-state of Garnock is most often considered 
  one of the two military super-powers of the world.  This 
  isn’t dismissing the cities of Purity and Brinston so much 
  as assuming that land based power comes from Myork 
  and Garnock and sea based power from Brinston and 
  Purity. 
   
  In Garnock, they often see themselves as the blue 
  lions of their region.  The blue lions are every bit the 
  lions you think of, except they have no manes and are of 
  a dark blue coloring - perfect camouflage for nocturnal 
  attacks.  They are the apex predator of their world and as 
  such are truly kings. 
   
  But the lion is not as strong as the bear (often 
  representing the north or Rhorics and Tanta Bosh) nor 
  the ox (steer - representing the Velesans).  In these 
  situations, the lions use strategy and team work to defeat 
  physically larger and more powerful creatures.  Yes, 
  might makes right, and the strong take what they need 
  from the world in order to survive.  Meanwhile the weak 
  or stupid die to preserve the strong and smart.  This 
  attitude guides the way the Preadomus Families work as 
  well as the military might of Garnock. 
   
  The concept of mercy is not what modern man 
  might think.  Mercy is a swift kill.  See the lion?  He kills 
  by tearing out the throat, a reasonably swift kill.  For 
  prey without antlers, he can sever the spine in one bite.  
  Thus the lion is merciful in the way that it kills.  Snakes 
  are not merciful. They strike and then the prey wanders 
  around for a while until it finally dies of the poison, days 
  later and in agony.  This is because the snake is not a 
  hunter.  When it bites, it kills, but not in order to 
  consume. 
   
  Obviously, not every personality within the Latvich 
  region can be summed up in this one generality, but 
  following this style of thinking will make understanding 
  (and role-playing) the Lats that much easier. 
   
   
  Garnock is not the greatest food producer in the 
  world.  They have a swamp to their south and the 
  badlands to the west.  For this reason, they have (over 
  centuries) continued to gather more and more land from 
  the Bortens to the east.  Even with these additions, 
  Garnock is a food importer, but several neighboring 
  regions are willing to trade with them in exchange for 
  their superior steel and leather goods. 
   
  Latvich wines are warm region wines, while 
  Brinston wines tend to be more in the cooler family.  
  Although they both appear to be on the same latitudinal 
  line, Garnock has much hotter weather, while Brinston 
  weather is cooler due to common fogs and other sea 
  effects. 
   
  Maril/Brinston wine drinkers find Garnock wines to 
  be too sweet and therefore not sophisticated enough.  
  Garnock wine drinkers believe that Brinston wine 
  drinkers are foolish little women.  They like their women 
  and their wines to be “tiny”, where Lats prefer fully 
  bodied women and wine.  The same can be said for their 
  foods. 
   
  The city-state of Garnock produces very little 
  cheese.  Most of it is brought in from the Headwater 
  Hills to the far west, but they are crafting the cheeses that 
  are most loved in the Latvich region.  Again, where the 
  Marils of Brinston like soft cheeses with mild but subtle 
  tastes, the Latvich like hard cheeses with strong, robust 
  tastes.  Latvich cheeses are more often grated on top of 
  other dishes to eaten with something quite salty to help 
  distract from the strong tastes.  The Lats also enjoy goat 
  and even sheep based cheeses, something the Marils 
  would turn their noses up at. 
   
  Latvich cuisine is based on spices that can be 
  grown abundantly.  Anise, oregano, onions, and garlic; 
  these are not like mace, saffron or black pepper that do 
  not grow well near Garnock.  Even a small family farm 
  in Garnock can produce these spices in quantities that 
  allow them to have very flavorful foods. 
   
  The Latvich summers can be dry and hot.  While 
  this is not prime weather for any type of grain, the harder 
  wheats tend to do the best.  This is why the Latvich 
  cuisine is filled with pastas and not breads.  They do 
  have bread as well, but this is more of a luxury good, 
  made with wheat imported from other regions.  The most 
  common pasta dishes are various forms of spaghetti and 
  linguini; pastas that can be rolled out and then cut to size.  
  There are also tubular pastas, but these are more often for 
  manicotti and other large tubes to be filled, as opposed to 
  what we would know as macaroni.  While most home 
  makers would make fresh pasta daily, dried pasta is also 
  the preserved food of choice for all Lats, including those 
  on the march. 
   
  One of the most common sauces in Garnock is 
  garum.  Garum covers a broad group of fish sauces, but 
  the most common is basically small fish, packed with 
  salt fermented in the hot sun.  The ingredients come in 
  from Scaret, most commonly in sealed ceramic jars.  
  Once it arrives, the Lats would combine it with some 
  olive oil and ferment it, often adding spices for their 
  particular recipes.  The closest modern equivalent might 
  be anchovy sauce or paste, but even that isn’t exactly 
  right.  Despite what we might think of it, it is a staple of 
  Latvich cuisine, adding a salty flavor and moisture to 
  nearly anything. 
   
   
  
  17 
   
  WHAT’S MISSING 
   
   
  This is the “World Walker” version of this edition.  
  Therefore it is not the complete version, but more of the 
  slimmed down version.  So the question could be - 
  What’s missing?  Here is a summary of what you’d see if 
  you got the Game Masters’ version of the book: 
   
  How to Play a ... Criminal Enforcer 
   
  Some quick notes on how to play an enforcer, 
  especially within a traditional FRPG adventuring party. 
  How to GM a ... Criminal Enforcer 
   
  More extensive notes on how to challenge 
  enforcers, but also how to play urban campaigns and 
  how to allow intimidation and other role-playing factors 
  to work, because you can’t just walk around cities 
  slaughtering people.  (No really, you can’t - They frown 
  on that stuff!) 
  Monsters & Other Menaces 
   
  Some descriptions of the members of the Gumbaiyo 
  Barkala and some other folks you might not want to run 
  into on the streets of Garnock.   
  The Dark Sides 
   
  Some details on the not so nice pieces left out 
  elsewhere.  Some notes on criminals and criminal 
  activities, and how you can GM them. 
  Campaign Starter Kit 
   
  This CSK is about working for the Cassodovu 
  Family (described in the wiki entries).  Are they a nice 
  group of wine merchants who hire adventurers from time 
  to time or are there secret layers to the family and their 
  various business dealings?  And what are all the weird 
  looking women about? 
  Small Towns and City Neighborhoods 
   
  Dons and capos in Garnock often own night clubs, 
  but the night club itself isn’t just a place to meet.  It is 
  also the entryway into the estate of the “boss”, as well as 
  the entertainment for the various enforcers. 
  Tavern Talk 
   
  Guiseppe Vilvaldo O’Connerghy’s (Guido) take on 
  the bar and night club scene in Garnock.  This is one 
  subject that he knows well, I mean really well! 
  A Funny Thing Happened ... 
   
  Two different urban encounters to challenge parties 
  innocently wandering around city streets. 
  Pull Back the Curtain 
   
  How Garnock and its wars have been retconned 
  over the years and how these same techniques can help 
  most GMs. 
  Y? Y? Y! 
   
  Why Garnock resembles Rome, and some of the 
  important differences where it doesn’t. 
   
  IN CONCLUSION 
   
   
  This is our first edition to only be available to 
  paying patrons, so we would like to thank you for being 
  our patron!  We also want to remind you that being a 
  patron means we owe you something.  We owe you what 
  you want!  You just need to let us know what that is! 
   
  We promise to make the communication as much 
  of a two way street as we possibly can.  If you reach out 
  to us, we will get back to you!  If you ask for something, 
  we will either schedule it, move it up in the schedule(s), 
  or let you know why we think we cannot do it right now.  
  Hopefully it won’t be that last one. 
   
  If you have this book and are not yet a patron on 
  Patreon, please get involved!  We need your financial 
  support, but we also need you with your ideas, priorities, 
  feedback, and more!  We are not writing these for our 
  own usage - We really want to share!  Enough begging, 
  let’s wrap this thing up.  
   
   
   
  Patreon Project Site 
  https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4503957 
   
  Board Enterprises Website 
  http://www.boardenterprises.com/ 
   
  The Sounding Board Blog 
  http://boardent.blogspot.com/ 
   
  World of Fletnern wiki 
  http://fletnern.wikia.com/wiki/ 
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/_GM Books/World Building & Game Design/Board Enterprises/Board  Enterprises - Build Your Fantasy World - The Killer Crime Families of Garnock aka All About Organized Crime in Fantasy.pdf