The Velvet Hand

NB: I started playing this game a while ago, and actually started publishing it as its own story elsewhere...that felt pointless, as it wasn't a playable game for the reader. But I think I'd be interested in logging it here, in full!

Themes (and content warnings)

Sex work, some exploitation, class divides, weird occult happenings (so far usually not sexual). This is a story about fairly nasty people who aspire to run a brothel, and though there's no **** (no dubcon either to my memory) in it so far, it's definitely dicey material in an unpleasant world. Proceed with caution!

The Gang

This gang, the Velvet Hand, is a gang of hawkers running a prostitution ring. They've got a reputation (to start with) as a professional, subtle group. Their headquarters/lair is in a cramped and forgotten tower in the old Charter Wall, the former city wall, in the Charterhall district, but they ply their "wares" in the streets around Ankhayat Park in Silkshore, the pleasure and artists' district. They specialize in making Sales, helped along by their starting special ability, The Good Stuff - their working girls are very skilled.

Mechanically, both of their starting crew upgrades are spent on a gang of rooks - these are the girls, Stella, Noriel, and Satine. One of these girls (Satine) was liberated from an abusive workhouse by a well-meaning gang known as the Lost, and the Hand offered to take her in and teach her this trade (+1 status with the Lost), while the other two the Hand themselves liberated from a gang known as the Lampblacks (-2 status with the Lampblacks). Though Doskvol doesn't offer much in the way of opportunity, all of them are here of their own free will.

The Hand's closest criminal contact is a dilettanteish minor noblewoman named Anya, who enjoys dabbling in the lower classes' lives and the criminal underworld. She's well-liked by the Ink Rakes, the journalists and muckrakers of the city, as she often feeds them leads about the goings-on of the well-to-do (the Hand start with a +2 status with the Ink Rakes). She's also, however, had a number of brushes against the shadowy group known as the Unseen, which has put her on their watchlist - though she doesn't even know that (-2 status with the Unseen).

The Scoundrels

Our first scoundrel is a Tycherosi Leech who's a former scholar of biology, anatomy, and alchemy. Being a former rebel and academic, she's got some strong social skills as well as her book learning. She has the Physicker special ability. Her close friend is Jul, a blood dealer, and her rival is Eckerd, a corpse thief. Her vice is Pleasure, primarily Traven's smoke shop in Coalridge. Her name is Kriata, alias Dawn.

Our second scoundrel is an Akorosi Cutter, a courtier at Lord Strangford's "court" (really just a social circle) who hopes to claw his way into greater favors. Nearly as good in social situations as his allies, and good with his hands to boot. He has the Mule special ability. His close friend is Sawtooth, a physicker, and his rival is Marlane, a pugilist. His vice is Weird, primarily that provided by Sister Thorn of the Deathlands scavenger gang at Gaddoc Rail Station. His name is Kristov Haig, alias Thistle.

Our third and final scoundrel is a Tycherosi Spider who grew up here on the streets, abandoned by his parents when he was just a child. Now hopes to claw his way up the city's underworld social ladder. Socially adept, but also able to handle himself in a fight from his time on the street. He has the Weaving the Web special ability. His close friend is Jeren, a bluecoat archivist, and his rival is Augus, a master architect. His vice is Stupor, which he finds with the help of Lady Freyla at the Emperor's Cask bar in Whitecrown. He goes only by Dagger, though he dimly remembers being called Omuro when he was a child.