On the Beggars Guild

Outside the walls of a city, the poor are the responsibility of the lord baron on whose land they live. In the urban centers, however, paupers are the responsibility of the citizens. And while vagrancy is a crime in most locales, every society recognizes that certain people are unable to support themselves in the usual ways. Into this category fit men with infirmities, diseased women, imbeciles, and the unwanted orphan children who are too young to be apprenticed. For such people, there is the Beggars Guild -- unfortunates who have been licensed to beg for support in the streets.

The Lord Mayor (or city governor in the case of occupation) has the power to issue certificates of infirmity and imbecility. However, the administration of such certificates has typically been handed over to the Prolocutor or so-called "guildmaster of beggars." It is the Prolocutor's role to see that only the truly needy are on his rolls. Those found begging without such certification are presumed guilty of vagrancy, and no trial or offical proceeding occurs. Vagrants can be pressed into service by ship's captain, or else forced into a period of indentured servitude by any lord or gentleman for a period of not less than two years.

Some claim that the Beggars Guild is nothing more than a subsidiary of the legendary Thieves Guild or that it is somehow related to the mythical Assassins Guild. As part of a criminal enterprise that allegedly reports to each city's "Prince of Thieves," the Beggars Guild is supposed to be yet another tool in the arsenal of organized crime. As these stories go, the Beggars Guild is a network of informants who can be counted on to overhear sensitive information, or else keep tabs on city visitors and other noteworthy people. Some also claim that the "guild" is sometimes used as a tool of organized unrest to extract concessions from polite members society. Such stories are little more than unfounded rumors, though. It is well known that the stingy will look for any fanciful reason to avoid helping those in need.