Laughing Ghosts
An organized underworld organization active throughout Surat Province of Ikela and into the Ikelan Colonies. Centered in the city of Surat, it has connections to much of the trade (both licit and illicit), transportation (especially of goods coming from the colonies to the south), as well as various vice, gambling, prostitution, and protection rackets. On a very rare occasion, they can be hired to perform "wet work" (assassinations and kidnappings).
Their headquarters is in the sewers on the north-west side of the city, as well as extending past the walls. It's rumored that they have an entire shadow town down there.
Organizational Structure
The Ghosts are split into three groups, each with different areas of focus. At the top are the Boots, who are the leadership cadre as well as the internal enforcement division. The other two, parallel groups are the Right Hand Path, , and the Left Hand Path, who handle all of the truly criminal operations.
Boots (Leadership)
The head of the Laughing Ghosts is the Laughing Man, aka the Ghost of Surat. This figure is, as his name suggests, a jovial but enigmatic entity. There has been a Laughing Man since Surat was founded, back during the occupation of the Dragon Tyrant. Whether it's a title passed down from leader to leader or a single long-lived individual is unknown. He only meets with his direct subordinates, the Day Man and the Night Man, as well as his chosen enforcers (nicknamed The Teeth).
The Day Man is responsible for overseeing all the operations of the organization during the hours of the night (yes, that's backward). A charismatic human male in his 30s, he's known for having risen through the ranks much more rapidly than is usual. He's been a strong proponent of the Left Hand Path and expanding the operations into the Colonies.
The Night Man is responsible for all the daytime operations. She's an older zandolit woman, of unknown clan. Cautious and traditional, she prefers the slower (but safer) route of working at least mostly in the law (other than tax evasion, but that's normal).
The Teeth are a cadre of unknown size. They do not socialize with the rest of the organization, and are deployed to crush insubordination or to make examples of subordinates who step out of line. Known for being ferocious fighters and incredibly tough, as well as unfailingly loyal to the Laughing Man.
Right Hand Path
The right hand path specializes in all the legal and semi-legal (or tolerated, within limits) practices such as tax-evasion smuggling, organizing workers on the docks, providing protection (both legally as guards and illegally as "insurance"), running gambling dens, dealing in the softer drugs (mostly blissweed, a mostly harmless narcotic that is legal, although disfavored), managing brothels and other forms of "companionship" (including high-priced escorts for nobles at parties), money lending, etc. In this, they interact heavily with the Jalshea Trading Company and are at least partial owners of a substantial fraction of many of the businesses. They prefer to take an operational stake in businesses rather than giving open-ended or collateralized loans.
Their leaders are known as the Right Thumb, Right Eye, and Big Toe.
Left Hand Path
The left hand path specializes in all of the more traditionally criminal behaviors. These range from smuggling contraband (ranging from hard drugs to artifacts to slaves), theft and fencing of stolen goods, and proscribed magics to outright mugging and (rarely) murder and kidnapping for profit. The Left Hand Path prides itself on having very few scruples. For a price, they can be hired to do almost anything. It's rumored that they have an agreement with the city guards (who are the liegemen of the Sura family), letting them get away with much more than they should have.
Their leaders are known as the Left Thumb, Middle Finger, and Nose.
