Although B6: The Veiled Society has a map of Specularum and gives the city a population of 5,000, I am going with the information in Gaz1: The Grand Duchy of Karameikos which gives a population of 50,000 (a ten-fold increase) and a different map, shown above. Thank you to commenters in a previous post for clarifying this. There are many aspects of a large city that can be explored but here I hope to give a broad overview of which groups have power and influence as well as some of the most important NPCs of each.
This summary is by no means complete, in that I may add more groups as needed, but these are generally ones either mentioned in published source material (primarily Gaz1 and B6) or that I have created in previous blog posts — three of them have been created for this post. Note that not all of these are monolithic - some will have subfactions or strife within them with attending scheming. Also I will assume that the events of B6 have not happened yet.
The Nobility
Grand Duke Karameikos III and his court: This is the official government of both Specularum and the Grand Duchy and as such theoretically all others are subservient to the Duke. The Duke has numerous ministers, advisors and other subordinates who look after the minutiae of running both a large city and a Duchy.
- Duke Stefan Karameikos III, Ruler of Karameikos (Gaz1)
- Duchess Olivia Karameikos, Wife of Grand Duke (Gaz1)
- Lady Adriana Karameikos, Daughter of Grand Duke (Gaz1)
- Lord Justin Karameikos, Son of Grand Duke (Gaz1)
- Lord Valen Karameikos, Son of Grand Duke (Gaz1)
- Lord Alexius Korrigan, Seneschal of Grand Duke (Gaz1)
- Lord Zogrev Yarol, Minister of State (Gaz1)
- Admiral Lucius Hyraksos, Minister of War (Gaz1)
- Lord Bartran Cordelius, Minister of Trade (Gaz1)
- Lord Valdo Tisza, Minister of Finance (Gaz1)
The Vorloi Family is discussed in B6: The Veiled Society; it is ruled by Baron Vorloi who has substantial estates on the south coast of the Duchy. They have a merchant fleet and try to stay aloof from the troubles and intrigues of other groups.
- Baron Philip Vorloi, Head of Vorloi Clan (Gaz1)
- Fortunato Vorloi, Brother of Baron Philip (B6)
- Lucia Vorloi, Niece of Baron Philip (B6)
The Radu Family is also from B6: The Veiled Society , and is in control of both the Merchants’ Guild and, unbeknownst to most of Specularum, also the Veiled Society. The Radu also have influence on the dockside with both the warehouse workers and the shipbuilders.
- Anton Radu, Head of Radu Clan (Gaz1)
- Zweis Radu, Anton’s Son (B6)
- Cartha Radu, Anton’s Brother (B6)
- Antonito Radu, Anton’s Son (B6)
The Torenescu Family, also from B6: The Veiled Society, is not as powerful as it used to be but still holds considerable influence in the upper echelons of Specularum society. The Prince of Beggars (see below) has also assisted the Torenescu faction for reasons of his own.
- Aleksander Torenescu, Head of Torenescu Clan (Gaz1)
- Boris Torenescu, Uncle of Aleksander, deputy of Torenescu Clan (Gaz1)
- Stephanos Toresescu, (B6)
- Simion Torenescu, Statesman (B6)
- Theosius, Lieutenant & factotum (B6)
The Criminals
The Veiled Society is (unsurprisingly) introduced in B6: The Veiled Society. It is actually headed by the leaders of the Radu family, though this is a well-kept secret, even among the lower ranks of the Veiled Society. They are involved in both petty crime and also schemes and conspiracies to further the power of the Radu family. The Veiled Society is amoral and quite capable of murder for seemingly trivial reasons, including framing other people, silencing possible witnesses or sheer terror tactics.
- Anton Radu, Head of Veiled Society (Gaz1)
- Zweis Radu, Anton’s son (B6)
- Cartha Radu, Anton’s brother (B6)
- Antonito Radu, Anton’s son (B6)
- Flaviare, Veiled Society Cleric & Thug (B6)
The Kingdom of Thieves is the closest thing to an official Thieves Guild in Specularum. The Duke and his men do not tolerate such an organisation, and those who are found to be a member of the Kingdom can expect a significant judicial sentence. Nonetheless the Kingdom of Thieves has a strong presence especially in the poorer areas of Specularum. Not all thieves and rogues of Specularum are members of the Kingdom but the King of Thieves can gather the most criminals for grand enterprises such as elaborate heists or long cons. The King prefers a better class of criminal, and believes there should be honour among thieves - otherwise how else will they cooperate for the big jobs?
- Flameflicker, the Thief-King (Gaz1)
The Princedom of Beggars is less of a strict hierarchy and more of a network. The fact that most citizens don’t think twice about beggars and would rather not deal with them means beggars are able to watch the streets and move about without too much interference.
- “Lord” Dmitrios, Prince of Beggars (Gaz1)
The Guild of Seafarers is nominally a guild for sailors. However, it is increasingly apparent that the Seafarers guild includes more than a few pirates. Although they never directly clash with authorities and try to keep a low profile, the guild members are often offloading ill-gotten gains or listening for tip-offs about lucrative merchant vessels sailing from Specularum. The Guild of Seafarers actually allows non-pirates to join so as to give the guild a veneer of legitimacy. The guild has contacts in other maritime nations including the Privateers Guild of Minrothad and the pirate city of Vlaad in Ierendi. (New group, created for this post)
The Religious
The Order of the Griffon: This order of knights and clerics is the military arm of the Church of Karameikos. Various senior members are also involved in the court of Duke Stefan. Their base of operations is Arragescu Keep, a few miles out of the city though they also have a hall in Specularum (#11 on the map above).
- Lord Olliver Jowett, Head of Order, (Gaz1)
- Baron Desmond Kelvin II, Senior member, ruler of the town of Kelvin (Gaz1)
- Lady Mehesda Trandescu, commander of Arragescu Keep (this post)
- Sir Barrastor Strongsword, Lady Mehesda's lieutenant (this post)
- Chaplain Aldara, resident chaplain at Arragescu Keep (this post)
The Church of Karameikos is the most prominent proponent of the philosophy of Law in the realm and is popular with those of Thyatian descent or at least not identifying themselves as definitely Traladaran. However, there are elements within the Church who are insisting that this ought to be the only church in Karameikos, and there seems to be a schism growing between the tolerant wing and the strict wing of the church.
- Lord Olliver Jowett, Patriarch (Gaz1)
- Magdel, Assistant to Patriarch (Gaz1)
- Alfric Oderbry, Opposition to Patriarch (Gaz1)
The Church of Traladara: The default church of the native Traladarans of Karameikos, the Church of Traladara also follows the precepts of Law as a cosmic force though in a slightly different way to the Church of Karameikos and with a more rural and working class approach.
- Aleksyev Nikelnevich, Patriarch (Gaz1)
The Followers of Balance is a relatively small church that preaches neutrality, moderation and balance. It has fewer rules than the two Lawful churches but clergy and lay members are expected to be detached and reserved about all things, not getting into heated debates if they can help it. (New group, created for this post)
The Wavy Blade is a small cult of Chaos that has infiltrated Specularum. At the moment it is small and very secretive but with grand plans. The members will often try to get into jobs that are both respectable and also allow access to the levers of power in the city. One cultist is a sergeant in the city watch, another is an accountant in the city treasury and a third is a lieutenant in the Veiled Society. (New group, created for this post)
The Magical
The Magicians’ Guild is mentioned in Gaz1, marked on the city map above (#14) and given more detail in this post. Not all mages join the guild but those that pay the fees will receive guild benefits.
- Teldon, Head of Magicians’ Guild (Gaz1)
Malthriggian’s Companions are based in Malthriggian’s manor house which is just outside Specularum, although the members will often visit the city for social, academic or business reasons.
- Malthriggian, Leader and host of his companions (this post)
The Mercantile and Industrial
The Merchants Guild is headed by Anton Radu, the leader of both the Radu family and also the Veiled Society. Some of the members of the guild chafe against this arrangement but are brutally kept in line by the threat of reprisals by the Veiled Society. The Merchants Guild has both a monthly membership fee and also a 5% on any profits made, which many consider quite steep. There are some merchants outside the guild but if prominent enough they will be pressured (by the Veiled Society) to join.
- Anton Radu, Head of the Merchants Guild and Radu Clan (Gaz1)
The Selenica Cooperative is a widespread network of merchant based in Selenica in Darokin. They have a number of members here in Specularum. They have resisted bullying tactics by members of the Veiled Society who want them to join the Merchants Guild or get out of town.
The Minor Guilds: Many trades and professions have enough members that they can team together and form a guild. Sometimes this is about establishing prices for goods or services, sometimes about reducing friction and competition between members, and sometimes about presenting a unified front in political and legal matters. Loggers, Farriers, Teamsters, Leatherworkers and Tavernkeepers are among those trades with their own guilds. The Dockworkers Guild is mostly under the control of the Radu family and the Veiled Society.
- Edoard of Threshold, head of Loggers’ Guild (Gaz1)
Hallonica House is based in Selenica in Darokin and is one of Darokin’s Great Houses of merchants. However, it has offices and warehouses in Specularum and does a lot of business both from Selenica along the Duke’s Keep Road and also from Athenos, along the coast past the Five Shires and northern Ierendi. Recently members have been threatened by the Veiled Society and so the Darokinians are preparing to defend themselves and their interests . (Adapted from Gaz11: Republic of Darokin)
