Possum at 20:39, 14 October 2025

2025-10-14T20:39:10Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:39, 14 October 2025
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	The city of concrete, the bustling hub of commerce, the great grand city of Daggard Keep in all its monument to the Onokrin Empire. It was here that the humble origins of the ~~Ashwood Syndicate~~ began and where an unknown street urchin came to be known as the lord of coin, Bagman Herod. How he became such is a subject of legend, a tale filled with half-truths and lies and grander and grander renditions trying to outdo each other with every telling. What is true and what is false is known only to Herod himself and no one is a greater liar of his legend than the lord himself. Herod only knew for sure that the secret to his success was his uncanny and almost fate defying luck. He was always in the right place at the right time, he always made the right bet, he would always succeed when anything was left to fate. It was this control of his luck, for chance to always resolve in his favor, that made him the lord he was today.		The city of concrete, the bustling hub of commerce, the great grand city of Daggard Keep in all its monument to the Onokrin Empire. It was here that the humble origins of the Blackwood Abbey began and where an unknown street urchin came to be known as the lord of coin, Bagman Herod. How he became such is a subject of legend, a tale filled with half-truths and lies and grander and grander renditions trying to outdo each other with every telling. What is true and what is false is known only to Herod himself and no one is a greater liar of his legend than the lord himself. Herod only knew for sure that the secret to his success was his uncanny and almost fate defying luck. He was always in the right place at the right time, he always made the right bet, he would always succeed when anything was left to fate. It was this control of his luck, for chance to always resolve in his favor, that made him the lord he was today.

	Yet, it also made him arrogant, prideful, to know that fate favored him and that every fight, every encounter, every challenge down to a meaningless coin flip to an assassination attempt he would always be simply too lucky to lose made one feel like they were unstoppable. Such arrogance cannot live forever, it engenders ire and resentment from those who were forced to rely on or work with Herod. This problem only grew as the ~~Ashwood~~ grew, a criminal empire of smuggling and racketeering that nearly every noble paid into for any number of reasons. Herod’s reach extended across not just the federation he hailed from but to the Onokrin and even the Steel Legion. His criminal empire was one of envy and the greedy eyes saw what he built and began to plot against him.		Yet, it also made him arrogant, prideful, to know that fate favored him and that every fight, every encounter, every challenge down to a meaningless coin flip to an assassination attempt he would always be simply too lucky to lose made one feel like they were unstoppable. Such arrogance cannot live forever, it engenders ire and resentment from those who were forced to rely on or work with Herod. This problem only grew as the abbey grew, a criminal empire of smuggling and racketeering that nearly every noble paid into for any number of reasons. Herod’s reach extended across not just the federation he hailed from but to the Onokrin and even the Steel Legion. His criminal empire was one of envy and the greedy eyes saw what he built and began to plot against him.

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	Boss Yaga, the woman he now considered his right hand, a towering lagus of good looks and full figure marred only by the plain quality of her appearance. She had her own legend, a lord outright, the master of shadows and the butcher of men. Her long and storied tale of blood was well known to Herod when his contacts revealed that his rivals had commissioned her to come and kill him. At the time, Herod had not yet become a true lord, but he felt he was on the verge of it. Deep down, he knew that this fight against Yaga would determine either his final rise into legend or his death.		Boss Yaga, the woman he now considered his right hand, a towering lagus of good looks and full figure marred only by the plain quality of her appearance. She had her own legend, a lord outright, the master of shadows and the butcher of men. Her long and storied tale of blood was well known to Herod when his contacts revealed that his rivals had commissioned her to come and kill him. At the time, Herod had not yet become a true lord, but he felt he was on the verge of it. Deep down, he knew that this fight against Yaga would determine either his final rise into legend or his death.

	In the end, it resolved in his favor, Yaga was a strange and mercurial woman. In a way and even after decades of knowing her he did not truly understand how her mind worked or why she did what she did. In many ways, he was not sure why she had betrayed her employers and joined him, he knew that they had planned to pay her a pittance for what they would earn if Herod died but beyond the money he could never quite tell. None the less, to not only live when the lord of assassins had come to kill him but to convince her to betray her employers and join him? That secured his legend, that made him a lord, from that point forward he was known as Bagman Herod, the lord of coin. His operations went into overdrive then, with Yaga at his side as his enforcer and people lining up to join his ranks. His businesses and ventures were quite literal money mines. Within a few years, everyone paid into the ~~Ashwood~~, everyone was either on his payroll or paying him to even operate. Those who caused problems were easily killed and anyone who even got close to rising against him was struck down swiftly and mercilessly.		In the end, it resolved in his favor, Yaga was a strange and mercurial woman. In a way and even after decades of knowing her he did not truly understand how her mind worked or why she did what she did. In many ways, he was not sure why she had betrayed her employers and joined him, he knew that they had planned to pay her a pittance for what they would earn if Herod died but beyond the money he could never quite tell. None the less, to not only live when the lord of assassins had come to kill him but to convince her to betray her employers and join him? That secured his legend, that made him a lord, from that point forward he was known as Bagman Herod, the lord of coin. His operations went into overdrive then, with Yaga at his side as his enforcer and people lining up to join his ranks. His businesses and ventures were quite literal money mines. Within a few years, everyone paid into the abbey, everyone was either on his payroll or paying him to even operate. Those who caused problems were easily killed and anyone who even got close to rising against him was struck down swiftly and mercilessly.

	But that was years ago now, Herod rarely tried to expand his business these days. He enjoyed the fruits of his labors, his success, the unshaking fist he had upon the criminal world rarely ever needed to squeeze now. Hell, just looking down the street to the Silver Iscariot he could note that nearly every business was paying the ~~Ashwood~~ protection money. From the Iscariot itself to the two-bit thugs lurking in the alleys, Herod was getting his due. Why bother trying to make all the money in the world when he had more than he could ever spend? Just a shame he could never really own the Silver Iscariot, that special place that was held by a family far older than his syndicate.		But that was years ago now, Herod rarely tried to expand his business these days. He enjoyed the fruits of his labors, his success, the unshaking fist he had upon the criminal world rarely ever needed to squeeze now. Hell, just looking down the street to the Silver Iscariot he could note that nearly every business was paying the blackwood protection money. From the Iscariot itself to the two-bit thugs lurking in the alleys, Herod was getting his due. Why bother trying to make all the money in the world when he had more than he could ever spend? Just a shame he could never really own the Silver Iscariot, that special place that was held by a family far older than his syndicate.

	For a tavern and gambling hall, the Silver Iscariot was one of the best, owned by an ogre who catered almost exclusively to the upper echelons of society. It was high class, flashy, the type of place you needed a reservation to get a reservation unless you were a lord. Lords could get a table, a seat at the bar, a drink and a meal for free any time any day because it was the one place a lord could drink among only the finest of society. The nobles and tittering sycophants that attended to be among these lords, desperate to make connections and curry favors, paid their weights in gold to simply have a chance and more than made up for whatever a singular lord’s appetites were. Herod liked the place, but he did not attend it much, he learned long ago the best way to keep his reputation was to be enigmatic and let his legend proceed him. Now, on such an auspicious morning, he walked up to greet the lone doorman.		For a tavern and gambling hall, the Silver Iscariot was one of the best, owned by an ogre who catered almost exclusively to the upper echelons of society. It was high class, flashy, the type of place you needed a reservation to get a reservation unless you were a lord. Lords could get a table, a seat at the bar, a drink and a meal for free any time any day because it was the one place a lord could drink among only the finest of society. The nobles and tittering sycophants that attended to be among these lords, desperate to make connections and curry favors, paid their weights in gold to simply have a chance and more than made up for whatever a singular lord’s appetites were. Herod liked the place, but he did not attend it much, he learned long ago the best way to keep his reputation was to be enigmatic and let his legend proceed him. Now, on such an auspicious morning, he walked up to greet the lone doorman.
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	Herod did not break his stride, he waltzed into the room with his black eyes roving from face to face taking stock. The room itself was large, austerely decorated and dominated by a large circular table fit for gambling and meetings. The electric lights back here were better, brighter, allowing everyone to see clearly so any attempt to grab for a weapon would be easily spotted. The enforcers each crime boss had were elsewhere, shuffled off to side rooms to keep things polite no doubt. The ogre, likewise, did not follow and merely remained in the doorway while Herod turned his inspection to the six men. Each boss was effectively on par with a noble, as prone to crime and slightly more honorable than the scum that hung from the coat tail of lords. Each one was in it for themselves and out to gain as much as they could, always looking to move up and gain power for only the sake of it. This nature of backstabbing was, in a way, a form of stability as none would band together long enough to truly shake up the status quo. More importantly, it made true lords like Herod more secure within their positions. Or at least, Herod still believed that.		Herod did not break his stride, he waltzed into the room with his black eyes roving from face to face taking stock. The room itself was large, austerely decorated and dominated by a large circular table fit for gambling and meetings. The electric lights back here were better, brighter, allowing everyone to see clearly so any attempt to grab for a weapon would be easily spotted. The enforcers each crime boss had were elsewhere, shuffled off to side rooms to keep things polite no doubt. The ogre, likewise, did not follow and merely remained in the doorway while Herod turned his inspection to the six men. Each boss was effectively on par with a noble, as prone to crime and slightly more honorable than the scum that hung from the coat tail of lords. Each one was in it for themselves and out to gain as much as they could, always looking to move up and gain power for only the sake of it. This nature of backstabbing was, in a way, a form of stability as none would band together long enough to truly shake up the status quo. More importantly, it made true lords like Herod more secure within their positions. Or at least, Herod still believed that.

	At the table sat six crime bosses and of those four of them were directly on ~~Ashwood~~ payroll and two were indirect subsidiaries controlled by two of the bosses at the table through means they tried to obfuscate thinking Herod would not discover the deception. He allowed it to continue as it was beneficial, despite the cut these two took. The first was Mackenzie, an orc boss who handled smuggling imports over in Far Water, a man that Herod knew resented him deeply because Herod had a habit of using low slang when addressing him knowing Mackenzie could do nothing about it. He was moderately good at his job and Herod did not replace him because it was more trouble than it was worth at this point. The second was Cannis, a goblin, one who was about as authentic as an elf accepting honorable surrender. Cannis was a mildly interesting case as he was just discrete enough that Herod did not fully know what the little green man was up to. Herod considered having Yaga tail him at one point but ultimately decided against it, after all he was sure that Cannis would side where the money was. Thus, the goblins work hitting rival organizations through the use of mercenaries and ~~Ashwood~~ agents continued without much oversight.		At the table sat six crime bosses and of those four of them were directly on blackwood payroll and two were indirect subsidiaries controlled by two of the bosses at the table through means they tried to obfuscate thinking Herod would not discover the deception. He allowed it to continue as it was beneficial, despite the cut these two took. The first was Mackenzie, an orc boss who handled smuggling imports over in Far Water, a man that Herod knew resented him deeply because Herod had a habit of using low slang when addressing him knowing Mackenzie could do nothing about it. He was moderately good at his job and Herod did not replace him because it was more trouble than it was worth at this point. The second was Cannis, a goblin, one who was about as authentic as an elf accepting honorable surrender. Cannis was a mildly interesting case as he was just discrete enough that Herod did not fully know what the little green man was up to. Herod considered having Yaga tail him at one point but ultimately decided against it, after all he was sure that Cannis would side where the money was. Thus, the goblins work hitting rival organizations through the use of mercenaries and blackwood agents continued without much oversight.

	Those two were the biggest players at the table, the other four were of minor concern, the one’s on ~~Ashwood~~ payroll being Jeremiah and Gregory, two middlemen who were little more than overseers for ongoing operations that had been set up years ago. Fairly competent, nothing special, both humans and as plain as they come. The latter pair were Leo and Ricket, the former being an ogre necromancer who ran a protection racket in Crullfield, a very lucrative venture. He had contacts within the local lord’s higher caste of black magicians and was no slouch himself. Leo was a skilled and cunning man, in particular for an ogre, and had Herod not known he was working under Mackenzie already he would have made moves for a hostile takeover of his racket years ago. Ricket was the only man here from the warren federation like Herod himself, a kobold who was an expert at cooking books. He controlled a vast network of warehouses, shippers, and inventory workers ranging from train porters to importers and exporters where supplies would always go missing in such a way that it could never quite be traced to the shop front where they were resold for cheaper directly to the ~~Ashwood~~. Herod liked that, it made small amounts of effort come with a greater reward and more beneficially allowed the ~~Ashwood to~~ buy “legal” goods for an insanely low price and make it a tax write off to recoup the base cost on top of that when it was reported purchased for a higher price by both companies.		Those two were the biggest players at the table, the other four were of minor concern, the one’s on blackwood payroll being Jeremiah and Gregory, two middlemen who were little more than overseers for ongoing operations that had been set up years ago. Fairly competent, nothing special, both humans and as plain as they come. The latter pair were Leo and Ricket, the former being an ogre necromancer who ran a protection racket in Crullfield, a very lucrative venture. He had contacts within the local lord’s higher caste of black magicians and was no slouch himself. Leo was a skilled and cunning man, in particular for an ogre, and had Herod not known he was working under Mackenzie already he would have made moves for a hostile takeover of his racket years ago. Ricket was the only man here from the warren federation like Herod himself, a kobold who was an expert at cooking books. He controlled a vast network of warehouses, shippers, and inventory workers ranging from train porters to importers and exporters where supplies would always go missing in such a way that it could never quite be traced to the shop front where they were resold for cheaper directly to the blackwood. Herod liked that, it made small amounts of effort come with a greater reward and more beneficially allowed the blackwoodto buy “legal” goods for an insanely low price and make it a tax write off to recoup the base cost on top of that when it was reported purchased for a higher price by both companies.

	Herod went to his seat, all six sets of eyes falling on him and the room going silent while he walked past them to sit at the head of the table. He climbed onto his chair and leaned it back with a careless footpaw, pulling a new cigar and gold-plated zippo from his coat, “So, down to business, eh boys?” He said cheerfully, bringing the flame to his smoke.		Herod went to his seat, all six sets of eyes falling on him and the room going silent while he walked past them to sit at the head of the table. He climbed onto his chair and leaned it back with a careless footpaw, pulling a new cigar and gold-plated zippo from his coat, “So, down to business, eh boys?” He said cheerfully, bringing the flame to his smoke.

Possum at 15:53, 20 May 2024

2024-05-20T15:53:22Z

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Possum at 15:00, 14 September 2023

2023-09-14T15:00:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:00, 14 September 2023
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	They thought of a plan and after only an hour began to talk. It was time to figure out how to escape.		They thought of a plan and after only an hour began to talk. It was time to figure out how to escape.

	[[Category: ~~Roles~~]]		[[Category: Lore]]

Possum at 14:37, 14 September 2023

2023-09-14T14:37:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:37, 14 September 2023
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	They thought of a plan and after only an hour began to talk. It was time to figure out how to escape.		They thought of a plan and after only an hour began to talk. It was time to figure out how to escape.

			[[Category: Roles]]

Possum at 19:34, 26 August 2023

2023-08-26T19:34:02Z

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Possum: Created page with "The city of concrete, the bustling hub of commerce, the great grand city of Daggard Keep in all its monument to the Onokrin Empire. It was here that the humble origins of the Ashwood Syndicate began and where an unknown street urchin came to be known as the lord of coin, Bagman Herod. How he became such is a subject of legend, a tale filled with half truths and lies and grander and grander renditions trying to outdo each other with every telling. What is true and what is..."

2023-08-26T19:33:25Z

Created page with "The city of concrete, the bustling hub of commerce, the great grand city of Daggard Keep in all its monument to the Onokrin Empire. It was here that the humble origins of the Ashwood Syndicate began and where an unknown street urchin came to be known as the lord of coin, Bagman Herod. How he became such is a subject of legend, a tale filled with half truths and lies and grander and grander renditions trying to outdo each other with every telling. What is true and what is..."

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Bad Hand - Revision history

Possum at 20:39, 14 October 2025

Possum at 15:53, 20 May 2024

Possum at 15:00, 14 September 2023

Possum at 14:37, 14 September 2023

Possum at 19:34, 26 August 2023