Crows

X Worldbuilders:

GM James R

Crows

Gang leader Lyssa

Years Active	Circa 1000 PR
Location	Crow's Foot
Tier	III

The Crows were an old gang operating in the city of Ahol. The group took their name from the district of Crow's Foot, the cramp twisted crossroads of the city, where they reigned over their illicit empire of gambling dens and thuggery from an ancient guard tower in the district's centre, known as The Crows' Nest. Many of the area's poor and orphaned inhabitants were raised to become loyal thugs and killers.

History

The gang saw a period of success and control maintaining an underworld status-quo under the leadership of Roric, however his murder in 1010PR dealt a serious blow to Crow's Foot's stability. The uneasy truce between the rival Lampblack and Red Sash gangs erupted into violent conflict as they attempted to stake their claim.

When The Neighbours appeared on the scene, the Crows initially upheld a favourable relationship with the group due to connections with Keys, helping to establish their presence with equipment and aid. The gang was formed following a job offered by Roric's second-in-command Lyssa to steal her father's violin from her brother during a performance at The Rose's Thorn. However, this friendship and trust was soon betrayed by the small group. Evidence was leaked to a prominent journalist house that implicated Lyssa, now the leader of the Crows, in the murder of Roric. Her infamous fury came down upon the Neighbours as she declared war in response.

The war continued for some time as the Crows hunted them down, eventually discovering the Neighburrow after the group had fled outside the city limits. In a desperate move the Neighbours sought to locate the lost spirit of Roric, as they discovered there was a faction within the Crows both still fiercely loyal to him, and suspected Lyssa's betrayal. They made their play at the site of the murder, revealing the echo of the event to a gathering of Crows. Violence broke out and many present were killed, incuding Lyssa's second officer Bell.

The fallout of the event left the Crows in a severely fragile situation. Many gang members sided with Gemma Dropkick in a sizable faction of Roric loyalists in a violent internal war that fractured the hold the Crows once held in the city.

Another young gang that appeared around the same time initially appeared to hold great reverence for The Crows, styling themselves as the literal fledgling gang "The Caw-Caws." Following the fracturing, some members of the Crows chose to join The Caw-Caws rather than Dropkick. The Neighbours impersonated the group on two occasions: first to infiltrate the Crows' Nest, and again to convince Crows to come to the exposé event at the Rose's Thorn.

A group calling themselves "The Crows" (or Corvid-19) appeared in the UnderComplex of Alpha Complex in the mid CR era. It is still unknown if they have connection to the original Crows gang from centuries earlier.

Notable People

• Roric was the previous leader of The Crows, and was well respected by the city's underground as a strong leader. Following his death in 1010PR his spirit was taken and hidden by the new leader Lyssa, for fears of a loyalist faction within the gang discovering it and leading a coup against her authority.

• Lyssa's transition from Roric's top lieutenant to gang leader was turbulent and contested, however her ruthless nature made her a dangerous enemy few sought to cross. Despite the internal unrest, her leadership brought the gang further up in the underworld of Ahol.
• Bell acted as Lyssa's second-in-command. Fiercely loyal up until their death at the hands of Roric loyalists.
• Gemma Dropkick was a high ranking officer under Roric. She remained highly suspicious of Lyssa after his sudden death, eventually leading a faction of rebels against her in a bloody civil war. A badass.

• Milos Keil was an officer based in The Crow’s Nest. His wife and two children were kidnapped by Orphan of The Neighbours to be used as leverage on the very slim chance he specifically was encountered. He was encountered, and was swiftly executed by Lyssa for allowing personal connections to compromise the gang.