Here are some notes for NPC's in the thieves' guild in Ardarr-Norr.
There are some economic details or possible rich targets for thieves. There is a rough layout of the authority schema in the guild. There are details for the relationship of the thieves' guild with the local merchants, police, beggars, and assassins. There is a basic list of their kinds of safehouses. Last there are small profiles for each member and non-member thief NPC who is level one or greater. The profiles document their place in the guild and their attitude.
A few businesses in Ardarr-Norr are sickly-rich from global trade. There are also a few slums full of desperate hungry people with families. So overall the wealth of the city is "average". Most of the rich benefit by selling directly to Zoa.
Voritti Island is nearby and the farmers living on it make the city's hemp-exports on a giant farm-island. Voritti also has a red-light town (more of a village) called Port Cerise with casinos and brothels. Furthermore, Voritti is also home to the castle of Skryvalker Fourhorns.
Magnates who live in full-blown stone castles in the city with private armies of guards and lackeys.
| Name | Position | Reason for tax |
| Thelka | Big-Mayor of Ardarr-Norr | Pay and equip guards, cavalry, municipal masons, etc |
| Fourhorns | Big-Mayor of Voritti Island | Harbor maintenance |
| Vashela | Hunt-lord | Funding knights and forest knights |
| Nimar | Wheat-lord | Maintaining roads, children's fund |
| Dojzaru | Barter-lord | Slave rehabilitation, tariffs for foreigners |
| Norri | Earth-lord | Naval defense, monster studies, miners' family fund |
The guild's income comes from larceny, fraud, and tax evasion (smuggling). Skills needed to profit from these jobs can also have legitimate purposes, and members usually sell this service as a side-business. Guild members sell off their stolen goods (sometimes after "laundering" or modifying them). They can also sell their services as thieves to clients.
The thieves arrange physical security and bribes for fellow members. Their illegal treasury also allows them a communal budget for tools and hideouts.
Besides being burglars, smugglers, and muggers, Ardarr-Norr thieves guild members moonlight as merchants and also assassins. The entire guild is owned by Reidgard, who is a high priest of the House of Knives. He approves all assassination contracts. He also runs religious services for the revenge cult.
Reidgard struggles to manage all his duties. He has a council to help administrate and coordinate theft in the busy port city. Junior members with large private treasuries are beginning to gain more authority. All potential members swear an oath to protect Reidgard and basically keep him comfortable. Joining the House of Knives is not mandatory, but there is some overlap of guild members and worshippers.
The guild's illegal profitable activities are: shoplifting, burglary, protection rackets, embezzlement, murder for hire, kidnapping, selling people, gambling, pimping, smuggling, and forgery. Assassinations are done with the notice and approval of Reidgard.
To make secret thieving tools, disguise the origin of stolen goods, and build vaults and hideouts, guild members develop trade skills which can be used for non-theft purposes. They include carpentry, weaving, tailoring, leatherworking, and metalworking.
Several businesses have received thief-funding and owe dividends or free services to guild members in various degrees. There are also shop owners who bribe the thieves to not rob them. The guild will send junior members to work for these places (in a normal position for pay) to spy on and monitor the health of the business.
| Thief-crony businesses | |
| name | nature of establishment |
| The Muddy Guppy | brothel |
| The Hollyhock Horsemen | carriage drivers |
| The Rose Eiders | couriers |
| The Equine Brothers | farriers |
| The Effulgent Tortoise | gemcutter |
| The Ward Mavens | locksmith |
| The Olivine Financiers | moneylender |
| The Haggle Sages | pawnshop |
| The Beatific Collators | scribes and translators |
The Golden Alliance protects a growing number of Ardarr-Norr merchants. If thieves solicit or harass alliance-backed shopkeepers, the alliance will put both legal and violent pressure on the solicitor.
Ardarr-Norr has multiple police factions. The government police faction is the AN City Watch, which is ultimately overseen by Viljar from Bloody Wolf Keep. Religious police are supplied by the Seekers of Sagacity and the Founder's Creation. There are several of private security bureaus.
All police factions are against the thieves' guild and generally can jail guild associates regardless of evidence.
The guild maintains a good relationship with beggars: each official member has to sponsor one beggar. They are generally obliged to tip beggars generously.
The guild is neutral to outsider thieves; they do not threaten or violate freelancers. There is not a large enough population of thieves to meaningfully compete with the guild. Guild thieves cooperate secretly on hits and heists, and Reidgard, a powerful priest, handles a major part of each job himself.
There are several apprentice thieves, urchins, and grunts who do not owe dues. Because they are likely to end up dead, jailed, or changing careers, it's generally fine to let them learn and develop relationships and cover identities, then bring them in when they've learned the ropes a bit.
The Temple of the Soul Seller is a major meeting place. Its location is secret, which definitely means it's underground.
| Guild Council | ||
| Character name | Race, class, level, alignment | Guild duties |
| Reidgard | Halfling cleric 10, NE | Guildmaster & House of Knives high priest |
| Khuuloa | Half-elf thief 4, NE | Treasurer & gossip minister |
| Sharek | Tharthy-Dejy Assassin 1, NE | Dedicated murderer |
| Eyka | Half-elf cleric 1, NE | Reidgard's protege |
| Due-paying members | ||
| Character name | Race, class, level, alignment | Guild duties |
| Brenac | Half-elf Thief 1, N | Valuing, laundering, market research |
| Giroor | Half-elf Mage/Thief 1, CG | Lockpicking |
| Hullifean | Half-elf Fighter/Thief 1, CN | Trap making |
| Magla | Half-elf Thief 1, N | Tailing, staking out, and lookout |
| Norrothy | Fhokki Thief 1, CN | Casing, trap spotting |
| Snowy | Half-orc Fighter/Thief 1, CG | Trap disarming |
| Soolran | Wood-elf Thief 1, N | Active breakins and burglaries |
| Taolaar | Reanaarian Cleric 1, NE | Weapon and transportation logistics and upkeep |
| Winnie | Half-elf Rogue 1, NE | Bookkeeping, salesmanship |
| Freelancers | ||
| Character name | Race, class, level, alignment | Thief-domain skills |
| Iko | Raitho-Dejy Thief 12, CE | Sneaking, disguise |
| Sunny | Dwarf Fighter/Thief 12, LN | Opening locks, disarming traps, climbing |
| Blackberry | Dwarf Thief 19, LN | Mining, fast talk, law, oratory |
| Nenno | Elf Thief 2, CN | Climbing, escape artist, rope use |
| Iaanan | Reanaarian/Fhokki Thief 17, CG | ??? |