The Assassins Guild

Rumors abound of an organization of dark clad men who skulk about at night, creeping in windows and cutting the throats of the unsuspecting. The so-called Assassins Guild is nothing more than a widely-rumored fantasy nursed by men with too much time on their hands and too great an imagination. But as these rumors will not die, I will faithfully report what I have heard from the unsophisticated who traffic in them.

Each Assassins Guild (and supposedly every city has one) is headed by its own Grandmaster Assassin, who is called "The Hand." Working for him are never more than five "Fingers" -- highly skilled Assassins who are still in training under his tutelage. The reasons given for this are somewhat varied, but most boil down to limiting the power of such a dangerous occupation. Another suggests that the Hand is too fearful of having more apprentices than he can keep track of.

Interestingly enough, the "Hand" was the title given to the chief enforcer of the princes of the Aldae -- ancient cities in the Free Provinces. Each Ald boasted two princes (the white and the black) and each was charged with a specific sphere of influence in the governance of those city/states. Of course, since Agronar's conquering the Alds are nothing more than vassals of the High King of Westrun, but the ruins of their culture is not without some effect the world over. There can be little doubt that the title of the Hand made it to other shores after leaving the Provinces and has helped to feed this particular urban legend. 

According to legend, the Hand is a master of disguise who is so adept at moving in and out of respectable society that he maintains a cover as a nobleman by day, and by night is able to practice his true occupation. In fact, the only one who is supposed to know the Hand on sight, other than his apprentices, is the great bogeyman himself -- the so-called Master of the Thieves Guild, in whose employ the Grandmaster Assassin is supposed to be.

In addition to the "Fingers" of the Hand, there are reputed to be men of lesser skill known as "Slayers." Such men have little more than murderous hearts to commend them, however, having none of the Fingers specialized training. The rumors of such a band are no doubt fed by the fact that many cities actually have fighters' guilds -- mercenary companies for hire. While most large cities do have a criminal element in them, there is no doubt that the modern aristocracy could not accept such organizations in their midst, and would do everything to extinguish them.