Organized Crime, Thieves Guilds, Mafias, Syndicates, and Mobs refers to transnational, national, or local groups of centralized enterprises that engage in illegal activities, most commonly for profit. Here, organized crime only refers to criminal organizations and societies. Many criminal organizations rely on fear or terror to achieve their goals and maintain control within their ranks. Some forms of organized crime exist simply to meet demand for illegal goods or to facilitate trade in products and services banned by the state, such as illegal drugs. In other cases, criminal organizations force people to do business with them, as when gangs extort protection money from shopkeepers. While some of these groups may appear noble at times or might fund money back into their neighborhoods, these are often simply fronts for their actual criminal intentions.

Since there are countless crime families, groups, and guilds across the world, all notable ones are listed here on this page.

Aurial

Aldrigvinter Thieves Guild / Dragoncoast Thieves Guild

One of the oldest if not the oldest criminal group still active, the Dragoncoast Thieves Guild traces its roots back thousands of years to the founding of the city of Aldrigvinter which serves as its "true" headquarters. Technically, it isn't a well-oiled centralized guild, and is moreso a group of individual smaller thieves guilds across many cities. For example, a local thief might belong to the Brill Thieves Guild, which would only be a smaller sect of the larger Dragoncoast guild.

Although criminal by its very definition, for untold years, local authorities in places throughout the western coast of Aurial have tolerated the existence of the guild for its role as "crime regulator", as it does not tolerate competition or egregious conduct from its members (not to mention the personal financial benefits for authorities who play nice). It is by far the biggest criminal group in western Aurial, stretching its influence all the way from Aldrigvinter down to Sergorod.

Alveronian Mafia

Emerging as a form of local protection and control over land and agriculture in the wake of the The Great Aurian War in 3E230, the "Mafia" of the city of Alverona gradually evolved into a powerful criminal network. By the late third era, it had infiltrated politics, construction, and finance, later expanding into drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. At its core, the Mafia engages in protection racketeering, arbitrating disputes between criminals, and organizing and overseeing illegal agreements and transactions.

The basic group is known as a "family" or "cosca". Each family claims sovereignty over a territory, usually a town, village or neighborhood of a larger city, in which it operates its rackets. Its members call themselves "men of honor", although the public often refers to them as mafiosi or mafiosos. By the late third era, wide-scale emigration from Alverona led to the formation of mafiosi style gangs in other locations, in particular in the city of Sombus.

Silvestri Family

One of the two largest mafia families within the city of Alverona, the Silvestri Family is one of the most successful and oldest mafia-style criminal organizations in the region. Founded by an elf named Silvus who took on the name Silvus Silvestri, it was one of the first criminal organizations in the city of Alverona succeeding its older thieves guild. Don Silvus Silvestri was killed in a turf war in 3E387, and was succeeded by his younger son Gliron Silvlestri who is still the don of the family to this day. Under his rule, the Silvestri family has come to be seen with respect and some semblance of honor. That being said, it is still a crime family and has its roots deep within the city's administration.

Bianchi Family

One of the two largest mafia families within the city of Alverona, the Bianchi Family is one of the most successful and oldest mafia-style criminal organizations in the region. Far more insidious and sinister in its approach as compared to the Silvestri Family, it is more popular in the rural areas south of the city in the Balena Bog. It has been led by a line of human Dons, although its said that unlike an actual family, Bianchi is quite possibly a name that any successor can take and it is actually the fifth iteration of the family by the present day.

Rubino Family

One of the five families of Sombus at the beginning of the fourth era, the Rubino Family controls much of the eastern part of the city including Fayshine. It is one of two Alveronian Mafias of the city, with the other one in power currently being the Ratti Family. The Rubino Family was founded around 3E432 by an Earth Genasi named Alfeo Rubino and has been led by his sons and grandsons since. Alfeo was a member of the Silvestri Family in Alverona until he and his family moved to Sombus. There, he got involved with a turf war with the then-ruling Faeori Family, which he ended up winning and taking over their turf. The Rubino Family still maintains good connections to the Silvestri Family.

Ratti Family

One of the five families of Sombus at the beginning of the fourth era, the Ratti Family controls much of the western part of the city. It is one of two Alveronian Mafias of the city, with the other one in power currently being the Rubino Family. The west city has always been divided amidst countless criminal groups, and the Ratti Family is relatively new as they only got control of their turf and cemented their position around 3E457 after Don Roberto Ratti, a Rattic Kobold, won a long and bloody turf war in the west city and made his base in Sewertown. It is currently led by his son, Don Rico Ratti. The Ratti Family has its tails in all sorts of factories and industries within the west city, and they control one of the most important turfs of the city, being the primary docks.

Cinohan Yakuza

The Cinohan Yakuza emerged in the second half of the second era. While some are simultaneously noble families within the political atmosphere of Cinoh, many of these clans and families emerged from peasants and lower-income citizens. The Yakuza is structured rather similarly to Alveronian Mafia Families, but have their own aspects such as their strict codes of conduct, their organized fiefdom nature, and several unconventional ritual practices such as yubitsume, or amputation of the left little finger. Members are often portrayed with heavily tattooed bodies and wearing a fundoshi, sometimes with a kimono or, in more recent years, an Aurian-style "sharp" suit covering them. There is an association of Yakuza groups and Onilings, as the subrace tends to find themselves in positions of power in Cinohshima. In recent years, some of these groups have emigrated alongside the Cinohan population to the rest of the Jasivian Sea and Sombus where new groups have popped up.

Aekai Clan

The Aekai Clan is one of the oldest Yakuza clans of Cinohshima. It is based out of their own personal compound in Abbeyin on the inner coast of the island. It has a long and historied past of its connection to the original Aomoya emperors of the Empire of Cinoh, but they took a backseat from politics to a degree in the Shogunate era. The Aekai were considered to be peacekeepers and were known to keep the other Yakuza groups in line, especially the Akumakai Clan. However, after the death of its patriarch Singularity in 3E450, the Aekai Clan lost most of its power and led to the rule of the Akumakai Clan for the next few years. In recent years, it has begun to recover and restore some of its former glory but is yet to find a true leader. Many already consider it to be dead and an icon of a fantastical past never to be seen again.

Akumakai Clan

One of the older clans of Cinohshima, the Akumakai Clan, also sometimes known as the "Demons", is a clan primarily led by Onilings of the Daimaō family. Historically opposed to the Aekai Clan, the Akumakai had long meddled with the politics of the island. It funded much of their home cities of Taiyo & Tsuki, and came to be seen as rightful rules in the eyes of many peasants. After the fall of the Aekai in 3E450, the then-chairman of the Akumakai Clan, Daimaō Damien, assassinated Shogun Kagegojuu Iwale and tried to coup the Shogunate by marrying Princess Kagegojuu Aite. However, he was killed by the Phoenix Nebula and the Akumakai took a backseat for some years to recover. The Akumakai Clan's plot to coup the Shogunate was foiled, and it retreated back to Taiyo.

Hanryū Clan

A notable Yakuza clan in Cinohshima is the Hanryū Clan, also known as the Hanryū Family. It used to be under the Aekai before their fall from grace, and gained its independence as a clan of its own in 3E450. Since then, it has grown considerably from its humble beginnings in Okuyama. It is currently under the control of Patriarch Hachūjin Gankyō.

Shinpi-Gumi

One of the five families of Sombus at the beginning of the fourth era, the Shinpi-Gumi was founded by immigrants to the city from Cinohshima. Not much is known about its history, origins, or even operations as the Shinpi-Gumi excels in keeping to the shadows and mythologizing its own existence. Even its name translates to "Mysterious Group". It controls much of the central city, and has funded much of the urban redevelopment of Somton. Many of its members tend to wear Oni masks, even those that aren't onis or onilings. By the early 22nd century, it was under the control of a mysterious human woman going by the name of "Enigma".

House of Rust

One of the five families of Sombus at the beginning of the fourth era, the House of Rust is one of the oldest criminal organizations of the city that is still active. Founded in 3E253 by Warforged post Great War, it controls much of the central as well as western city. It is based in the Ironheart Casino, the largest casino on the continent. While it is both led by and employs many Warforged and automatons, hundreds of non-construct people work for the House of Rust as well. It is by far the most legitimate of the five families of Sombus, partly due to its financial stability and role in the upper crust of the city.

Roja Cartel

One of the five families of Sombus at the beginning of the fourth era, the Roja Cartel is by far the least 'mafia-like' of the families. Instead, it is a ruthless seafaring syndicate that dominates the Jasivian Sea. Based on Roja Island, its influence stretches so far out from Sombus that it can barely be called a Sombian crime family. It operates somewhat like pirates on the surface, but it is a well-oiled machine running the sea like their private highway. It cultivates islands into drug fields, enslaves coastal villages into production just under the law, and bribes naval officers to look the other way. Its product is smuggled through both harbors and roads. It is feared not only for their brutality, but for its silence, leaving no witnesses, no survivors, only the lingering taste of salt and smoke. The Crimson Navy has long tried to fight against the Cartel's power but has been unsuccessful in removing its influence. The organization is run like a navy itself. Orders flow one way, and disobedience means you disappear overboard before sunrise.

The Pirate Court / Lunar Pirate Federation

While pirates are known for their freedom and lack of laws, they are bound somewhat by what is known as the Pirate Code. The Pirate Court, based in Shipwreck City, used to be a unifying force of pirates across the Blood Sea and beyond led by seven pirate lords. After 3E452, the role of the court has decreased as the lords were abolished. However, the code persists. A subset of the Pirate Court acting in the Lunar Sea and the Ashfall Sea is known as the Lunar Pirate Federation. The LPF has good communication with the Lunar Collective, and limits actual piracy in the region. They appear to reduce traditional piracy in order to gain the freedom for other illicit operations sanctioned unofficially by the Collective, such as slavery.

Eqos

Kav'orran Underworld

Originating as classic thieves guilds, dacoits, thuggees, and highway robbers, many of these groups have collectively come to be known as the Kav'orran Underworld. They don't seem to have any centralized administration at all, and only have vague ties to each other. However, some of these groups are notable for their influence.

Nightfall Gang

The Nightfall Gang is one of the largest thieves guilds in the Kav'orra, based in the capital city of Kasaaq. It was founded relatively recently in 3E435 by the Plasmoid Nanun, and operates out of Nanun's Pub which serves as the public-facing front for the underground Nightfall Club. They consolidated many of the existing thieves guilds of the city into one, and now control a considerable portion of the ancient city as their turf.

Namkeen Gang

The Nameen Gang is a notable criminal group originating in the city of Ammba, hidden away in its underground Fairy Caves. Employing many dwarves and humans of all varieties, it was founded and led by a bugbear known only as Namkeen-Bhai around 3E458. The Namkeen Gang takes the title of 'underworld' very literally, as it uses the underground rivers of the Eqosi Underdark as their smuggling routes. At the same time, it employs many surface smugglers across the many desert routes of the Kav'orra.

Newhope Junker Gangs

The scrapyard city of Newhope has given rise to a new variety of organised crime, known as the Junker Gangs. These teams of artificers and wild-west fighters use scrap machinery, constructs, explosives, and firearms to act both as bandits and cartels of their own right in the Vyzum Wastes and beyond.

Pluggers Tech Gang

The Pluggers is one of the first Junker Gangs, specializing in the creation, distribution, and smuggling of various constructs, firearms, and other mechanical pieces of technology. It is famous for selling the scrapyad technology of Newhope to the rest of the world, and controls much of the city.

Deadscourge Gang

Founded in 3E464 by an elf named Lachon, the Deadscourge Gang rose to prominence in Newhope rather quickly. The criminal party became infamous for its many train heists terrorizing the railways of the Vyzum. They came into contact with the Chimera in 3E467 when they tried to steal the engine of a Kasaaqi Army train, getting wrapped up into their business and having to work with them.

The Nemesis

An infamous organized crime mafia, the Nemesis is a criminal organization with its roots firmly planted in the underbelly of Eqos and even some other continents. Created a few centuries ago, Nemesis agents, assassins, and thieves are found anywhere you look hard enough on the continent. The true ingenious nature of the organization is how few actually know of it- They operate as suppliers for local distinct thieves guilds and gangs, leaving the authorities none the wiser that all these groups are further connected to a larger organization. Even if a criminal group isn't tied to the Nemesis, individual members more than likely are. It is actually an anarchist organization, who wants to see the downfall of all the current political structures of Eqos. Many suspect that the Nemesis was responsible for the current warlike climate of the continent, and that it is actively making the situation worse through the shadows.