House of Crows

No one fails the crows and lives

It is said that the power of Antiva lies in the trade of Rialto Bay, of the ties it holds with Rivain and the northern Free Marches. Whilst there is truth in this it cannot be denied that Antiva thrives mostly due to the menacing presence of the House of Crows. This guild of assassins is the only of its kind throughout Thedas, and for good reason; it is thought they have seen to the end of all attempts by non-aligned assassins to form structure as they have, whether it has been through recruitment, or more commonly, death.

It is known that death follows those who have been marked as a target of the Antivan Crows, even to the point where the eyes of many a Tevinter Magister hold suspicion lest the infamous killers lay hidden before them; this reputation has been earned in blood and money, equating to more power than a simple assassin would know what to do with.

But they are not simple assassins. ..

Timeline

 * Early Glory - The Crows form (unofficially) as an order of Chantry monks in Treviso who used the herbs in their gardens to create a poison to dispose of a cruel, despotic duke, later extending this ‘service’ to supposedly ‘help the helpless.’


 * 2:38 Glory - After the Antivan city-states unite, the order begins to defect from the Chantry, becoming smaller, independent groups of mercenary assassins.


 * 2:40 Glory - Seven Masters defected from the Chantry and formed the House of Crows.


 * 3:12 Towers - By this point the House has grown into a large Order and begins setting up smaller safehouses in the other areas of Antiva.


 * 3:35 Towers - It becomes apparent to the leaders of Thedas that the chaos of the Blight and its aftermath gave the House of Crows their greatest resources for expanding. The group becomes known for what they have transformed in, their influence spreading with each passing year.


 * 3:47 Towers - Members of the tribes of Rivain begin to declare newly forged relations with the Crows.


 * 3:86 Towers - The Antiva City compound is constructed.


 * 3:95 Towers - Rumours of an escalating conflict between the Crows and the Chantry run rampant, before being met by the news that the Imperium has declared it will not attempt to cross its borders with Antiva.


 * 4:01 Black - The Chantry declares it will not interrupt the governance of the throne of Antiva.


 * 4:47 Black - Many Antivans begin to celebrate a holiday, which marks the country as independent from Thedas. The Crows are the main focus of affections shown during this holiday.


 * 4:61 Black - Rivaini citizens become brazen in reflecting their ties to the Crows, flaunting markings upon their skins and openly hosting those believed to be assassins of the guild.


 * 5:12 Exalted - Many Crows disappear in the face of the darkspawn, their bases across Thedas becoming seemingly abandoned.


 * 5:15 Exalted - The group is believed to be responsible for a slaughter at the major Free Marches town of Belfae. Three hundred bodies are found, each with marks of stealthy kills. One third of the dead are either Sisters of the Chantry, or Magisters of the Imperium.


 * 5:42 Exalted - Two Masters are recorded as attending the coronation of King Calenhad.


 * 5:90 Exalted - Rumours spread like fire. It is believed that both the Imperium and the Chantry have been in contact with the Crows.


 * 5:99 Exalted - The Exalted Age ends, and with the assassination of Queen Madrigal of Antiva (she is found deep within the forest during a hunt with four steel swords plunged into her chest, the work suspected to have been done by the mysterious Antivan Crows), the Steel Age is named.


 * 6:30 Steel - The group disappear yet again in the face of the Qunari invasion.


 * 6:77 Steel - Their re-emergence is declared by Imperial freedom fighters, though no evidence exists suggesting they were ever within Tevene borders.


 * 7:01-99 Storm - A century of conflict with the Qunari. Any other operations are unknown.


 * 8:23 Blessed - Rialto Bay is dominated by the Crows.


 * 8:24 Blessed - Many leaders and influential merchants of Thedas suspect that the Merchant Princes are in league with the Crows.


 * 8:85 Blessed - Antiva is secured by the throne, its borders secure from the rest of the world. The Crows are endorsed as an official guild of Thedas, as agreed by the leaders of Rivain, Free Marches, Nevarra and Orlais.


 * 8:95 Blessed - The bodies of four people believed to be Masters are found at the harbour of Antiva City.


 * 9:01 Dragon - War in Antiva sees the Crows secure the allegiance of all the Merchant Princes. The wealth of the guild increases significantly.


 * 9:13 Dragon - The guild's influence spreads across the coasts of the Free Marches, culminating with a significant presence within Kirkwall.


 * 9:23 Dragon - Much of the guild's influence in Free Marches is apparently lost, with their public influence within Kirkwall seemingly lost.


 * 9:37 Dragon - The Crows publicly denounce the actions of all rebel magi.


 * 9:41 Dragon - The Chantry grants complete freedom to the Crows within the borders of Antiva.


 * 9:46 Dragon - Rumours swirl once again. It is said that contracts for each rebel mage leader have been issued by the Guildmaster.

NOTE: The history of the Crows will be elaborated on at a later date.

Hierarchy

 * Guildmaster


 * Masters; of which, there are seven, all based in Antiva City.


 * Captains; of which, an unknown number, but that there are at least a handful per base. They manage the Agents from bases in cities and large towns.


 * Agents; of which, too many to know. These are the footsoldiers of the Crows, spread throughout Thedas.


 * Auxiliaries; of which, a number unknown as they are part-time recruits.

Chain of Command
The Guildmaster is the nexus of the Crows. He is the brain whereas all of the other members are like nerve cells. Information funnels in and out, circulating through all the core members.

The only Crows who seem to have any sort of contact or knowledge of the Guildmaster are the Master Assassins, who are sometimes referred to as the guildmasters themselves due to the speculation on the idea of a one true Guildmaster. Some doubt his existence, assuming he might be just some figurehead the Crows use as metaphor; a personification of sorts or for intimidation purposes. The Crows probably spread inconsistencies about exactly what the guildmaster is to keep things in the unknown. One Crow might up and say he's a human man, the other an elf woman, the other a child in order to mislead and confuse.

The next rank down from that would be the Masters, who are the next most powerful Crows second to the Guildmaster, if he exists. Normally they don't handle contracts, contrary to their title. They are the most elite and professional and normally handle the formalities of the House. The politics, the decisions, forming alliances and trade deals, etc. If a job is particularly grandoise or complex to be placed in the hands of the average agent, a Master may take up the job. Masters may also organize contracts on a vaguely bureaucratic sort of level. They are the most trusted of the whole House, and supposedly the second most deadly should you have cause for them to do more than speak.

Next down the latter are captains. Captains are the ones that basically 'manage', as they call it, the agents. When a Master works out a contract, it is then sent back down to the captains, who either chose the assassins to go on the job, or leave it out in the open for assassins to take themselves, depending on the contract.

The agents are your average Crow assassin, essentially the footsoldiers of the House. They can be the deceivers; the sly tongues that usually go out to meet potential contractors or perform espionage work. Or they can be the killers themselves. They are sometimes referred to as the 'ears' or sometimes the 'tongue' or 'eyes' of the Crows, depending on the agent and their skill set. Some agents specialize more specifically in one field, assassination over espionage for example, but most agents are expected to perform both in equal measure.

Last on the hierarchy are auxiliaries. Usually, these are not even officially members of the House, rather as outside contact kept for a number of reasons. These auxiliary members more often than not remain in the place they were recruited and gather information, operating as spies and occasionally even brought along on missions as extra blades, should the Crows need them. While the Crows sell being dubbed an auxiliary as a golden opportunity with little to no drawbacks and even infamy, most of them are disposed of once the Crows feel they are no longer of use. Whether the method of disposal ends ultimately with death is up to whomever is in charge of the task.

Domestically
The compound in Antiva City is of course the largest concentration of Crows. The numbers are unknown, the Crows themselves saying somewhere in the high hundreds. The Crows choose to remain vague on this information, sometimes lending to the notion that there are perhaps thousands of Crows in Antiva City alone.

Bases
There is a base in each nation, sometimes within the very bowels of a city in an unassuming location, or off away from the cities. There are also safe houses across Thedas, in various locations, usually near or within most major cities. The only nation where there might not be a major hub is within the Imperium.

The major base of operations for the Crows is within the compound in Antiva City, wherein also lies the Archive, a grand library that was built with the sole purpose of storing information gathered and recorded over the hundreds of the years the guild has existed. They claim to have information on every noble family that has ever existed within Antiva, royalty included, and even outside of their borders. Some have even labelled it as little more than 'a box to store their blackmail'. There is some truth in that. The assassins play on the rumors to instil a feeling that if there is anything you did not want anyone to know about, it is recorded within the Archive. The fact that the building in itself exists also lends to prove the little acknowledged fact that the Crows are very well educated.

There is also Velabanchel, the massive prison that looms over Antiva City from it's home on the rocky coast. The Crows like to think it serves as a constant reminder of their influence over the nation, as the prison itself was not always under their control. There are only few other prisons in the rest of Antiva and they rarely are beyond drunk tanks. If you anger someone enough to actually have yourself arrested, you will most likely wind up at Velabanchel rather than any other prison in Antiva.

It is unknown which of these locations houses the Guildmaster.

The Merchant Princes
The waning power of the throne of Antiva has coincided with the rise of two groups: the House of Crows and the Merchant Princes. The latter are a group of a dozen merchant families who dominate the trade industries that Antiva has in turn come to dominate, specialising in seafaring. The ties between the Princes and the Crows was inevitable, as the guild's skillset expanded beyond mere assassinations and into espionage, information trade and personal protection.

The Merchants usually pay the Crows with assets, be it monetary or in the form of goods, most often as a form of insurance. A prince who fears he may be soon at the mercy of a Crow's blade might try to pay them off with wealth or arms, or likewise to try and ensure their loyalty. It usually doesn't work. The Crows kill a prince if a contract is brought up. Often times if more than one prince wants to kill another, they'll informally auction the contract off, try to get the most money and influence out of the ordeal as possible.

The relationship between the guild and the Princes can vary from informal agreements through to written documentation, such as contracts and trade deals.

Felicisma Armada
The relationship the House has with the Armada varies from raider to raider. Some Felicisma Armada raiders are informally associated with the Crows, acting to bring goods, transport members and perhaps even bring back possible recruits. Sometimes Antivan Crows may operate from within the Armada to fufill a contract, and likewise some raiders may have no association with the Crows whatsoever. The House of Crows also owns a good portion of smuggling ships and often invest in certain crews.

The Crows in recent years have sought to gain as much loyalty and control with the Armada as possible, buying many of the ships and crews and investing in some of them as well. Some crews pledge allegiance or are at their service informally for whatever the guild may need, most often transporting goods as well as members of the guild discreetly over the seas. Even if an Armada ship might fly the flag of the Armada itself, it could easily be owned by the House of Crows.

While many of them agree to serve the House with the promise of goods and sometimes even protection from the House itself (which is not always true), some crews still blatantly deny the guild's terms and refuse to serve or aid them in any way. The Crows do not take such lightly, as by gaining control of the Armada, they gain control of the seas and their influence spreads even further. The exact number of Armada raiders that operate with the Crows is unknown, but it is not quite the majority.

Roles Across Antiva
The Crows are an extremely important part of Antivan society, particularly the culture and politics. You could mention the combat prowess of any Antivan to a Thedosian and have them scoff in disbelief, whereas if you mention the House of Crows you might have him shaking in his boots. While some of Antiva, and even some of Thedas might like to pretend the guild does not exist, they have become a presence impossible to ignore.

The Crows hold all but the entirety of the wealth of Antiva, and all the power. They appear to have even managed to get their fingers around the neck of the Chantry, at least in Antiva. Officially now, the Crows have complete unrestricted movement throughout the whole of the country, their influence spreading to all corners of the land. A common saying heard from the mouth of an Antivan is that there isn't even a single blade of grass that the Crows have not corrupted.

Internationally
It is estimated that there is an average of fifty Crows at least in each nation, which can vary, depending on the nation itself. Of course the Crows exaggerate these numbers freely to further cause confusion with regards to their presence.

Presence in other nations
Most of the time, the guilds presence in lands outside Antiva is kept as a secret to the majority; however, they may make a rather grand statement to some parties that they have a presence somewhere. One thing they do keep completely under mystery is the location of their safe houses and compounds outside of Antiva.

The nation with the most Crow activity outside of Antiva would be the neighboring land of Rivain, the guild and the nation as a whole apparently having a very close relationship for centuries which has become slightly strained over the past two decades due to the Mage-Templar War. The Crows apparently have denounced the rebel magi, but have not spoken out in support of the Chantry directly either. The government of the nation itself and the Crows still maintain a rather healthy business relationship, the guild as well as the two nations themselves often trading and conducting business.

They are least present, and likely active within the Imperium and the Anderfels. There is at least one base in the Anderfels, and the Crows are rather hesitant to create a larger presence within Tevinter. Contracts are rarely carried out within the nation due to their lack of numbers within it's borders. However, the Crows will never refuse a contract, even if they were asked to assassinate a magister.

Nevarra, Orlais and Ferelden are fairly consistent, though arguably Nevarra and Orlais may have a higher presence. A lot of their interest currently lies within the Free Marches due to the conflict between Magi and Templars, although they have yet to act openly as far as the average Thedosian knows. It is common speculation their presence in Kirkwall and the rest of the Marcher states has dwindled in the past few years.

Relevance within diplomatic agreements
Most countries are hesitant to decline any sort of diplomatic or trade agreement with Antiva the rare time it is put on the table. Most of the time, Antiva scarcely has conflicts with other nations. Nobody dares challenge Antiva or anger it out of fear of provoking the Crow's wrath, not even the Qunari. Not to say that the Crows do it out of pride for their homeland, no; it is normally just profitable, and upholds the Crows' reputation. As an added bonus, if the other nations stay out of Antiva's business, the Crows are free to continue their own unhindered.

Recruitment and training
Life of a Crow is dog eat dog from day one. They instill one ultimate dogma; kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest.

The Crows take in orphaned children or buy them, and more frequently take in elves rather than humans due to what the Crows perceive as a cosmetic advantage; many humans view elves as attractive and hold to the perception that they are the inferior race, as seen in the eyes of most humans. The heavy presence of elves amongst the Crows can also be accounted for simply with numbers; despite the human species being the greater population, the number of orphaned elves far outweighs that of orphaned humans.

While dwarves and kossith are generally not present in the places that Crows find children, it is not unheard of for them to act as Auxiliaries. It is known that kossith are hired to guard Velabanchel.

Unlike the rest of Antiva, they have no prejudice towards gender, which is one of the more peculiar aspects of the Crows considering their high standards for success. Men are recruited just as well as women and trained to fight just the same. The genders are equal within the Crows, a balance maintained against the backdrop of a society where women are expected to fit to specific, traditional feminine ideals.

Children are raised together in tight, dirty quarters, usually in the Antiva City compound. They are given little other than a bedroll to sleep on and perhaps sack cloth pants to wear. Children are expected to do whatever it takes to survive, more often than not including killing their peers. In fact, they are sometimes encouraged to do so. Some adults may, for example, give one child a pair of shoes to entice other children to try and take them by force, normally as a test to see if the favored child can defend themselves, as well as if the others are able to slay him effectively.

In previous years the Crows would take in sometimes as much as a hundred children in a whole year, the guild being incredibly lucky to have at least half of those make it to the age of eight. During the active years of the recent War the Crows are estimated to have taken in at least a thousand recruits, both children and Auxiliary members. They have, however, pushed the rumours that these numbers are anywhere up to three thousand, or even so much as double or even something as absurd as triple that amount.

Just before puberty, if a child manages to make it to that age, they are usually made apprentice of an Agent. Rarely does a Master or Captain take up the act of mentoring, but it is not completely unheard of. A mentor takes on the responsibility of educating and training their ward. This does not only include combat, but also reading, writing, and even some form of arts, depending on the mentor. A mentor is expected to bring up a young Crow to be the best possible asset for the guild, and that responsibility is placed almost wholly in his or her hands. If they fail in their duty, usually by their ward dying in some way or another, the mentor is not formally punished. However, he is shamed, mocked, humiliated and ostracized. Such is the intensity of the indirect assault by other members that the failed mentor is most often drive to committing suicide.

Usually by the age of thirteen a Crow is considered an 'adult'. They are free to leave the cramped quarters they grew up in and spend most of their time training more in the physical aspects. The other thing that starts around this age is the torture training. Crows put their assassins through hours upon hours of torture in order to make them more resilient to the tactics themselves. During this, they may also be taught how to torture. Sadism and masochism is very encouraged, even at this age, as is sexuality.

Assassins will usually be sent on their first mission as early as sixteen, most often on simple contracts that an older assassin really couldn't be bothered with. Before this, the Crows and the mentors may make up additional tasks for training. Often vagrants and drunkards who wander too deep into alleyways become victims to young assassins in training. In addition, young assassins also may practice on prisoners and the like, mentors even demonstrating assassination and torture techniques. They do not hesitate to expose children to anything and everything that they will be expected to do in their later years as a member of the House.

Mission procedure
The Crows missions are usually gathered first by a member abroad, who then delivers the information back to a master; records of this system failing number less than half a dozen in the five centuries it has been in operation. Alternatively, a Captain or a Master himself may obtain a contract if it is particularly lucrative, depending on the nature of the employer and the contract. No matter how the contract is obtained, it goes to a Master first. Depending on the mission, a Master will pick and choose members who he deems the best for the job, or alternatively, it will be handed down to a Captain who will choose, or leave the job up for grabs. The process in which members are sent to carry out the contract depends wholly on the contract itself.

Crows will do whatever is necessary to complete a mission, more than frequently stepping around and even laying waste to morals and boundaries. A Crow is not beyond killing others for the sake of a mission, or stealing, bribing or even torture or other obscene acts. Missions may often consist of a number of members, with solo missions being less regular. Crows may even go undercover for long amounts of time in order to complete a job.

If a Crow fails to eliminate a mark or otherwise fails a mission, they are mercilessly tortured and often killed. It would be very rare and a very special case for a Crow not to be killed if they fail. This would only occur if the Masters judge that they'd be better alive than dead. However, the Crows often leave very little tolerance, if any at all, for failure of any kind. Saying a Crow has failed in an area is a very serious accusation, an insult to all Crows. Even the weakest link in the House can cause the entire foundation of it to crumble.

Interaction between members
While the life of a Crow revolves around the concept of 'survival of the fittest', it is not an all out slaughter. Not all of the time.

When a Crow reaches the age of 'adulthood', usually somewhere in the pre- to early teens, he is thrust into a new sort of world where everyone seems friendly and welcoming, eager to get on very good terms with each other. However, the truth of the matter is, most Crows view their colleagues as constant threats to their own progress. Most often, Crows will plot a way to hinder their fellows, if not kill them, however in a less brutish way than when they were children. As children, fights break out all the time and the relations are more savage. Savage relations may continue as they age, but they are at least under the mask of allegiance.

The one way to avoid being conspired against or having your death plotted out would be to find some way to be of more use to another Crow alive than dead. This may be proven by combat prowess, persuasion or more commonly, sex. There is a general mentality, embedded within their culture, that being better at sex will possibly make some question twice about killing you in your sleep.

The Crows are incredibly sexual. It's treated just as a normal part of the lifestyle, or a necessary one. Sexual interaction frequently occurs between members with little restraint, the only possible one being rank. Crows tend to keep any form of socializing within their own ranks. It is not unheard of for mentors and fledgling assassins to even have physical relations.

Outside of sex, Crows are still competitive with each other. The only ones who don't have to constantly worry about their lives within their 'home' are the masters, but some fear may still be relevant. Killing one of a higher rank than yourself is considered an honor, even if you are hunted down and killed afterward as punishment. Masters generally don't seek out to kill other Masters. Killing those of lesser rank is frowned upon if it is not done as a punishment, but there are no consequences as such. There is occasionally a child that gets the idea to kill the infant recruits, and this is the only exception; this is in fact sometimes considered as going an 'extra mile' to get the job done. However, constantly doing this may result in punishment, as it is a waste of resources.

Crows frequently scope out weaknesses and insecurities in their fellows and point them out, mocking and harassing them for it. Although all genders are treated equal in the Crows on a large scale, it isn't uncommon for women to be harassed for their sex; the equality is gained by way of the women having fought for it, being as equally skilled in the arts of manipulation of death. The only thing that wouldn't be open to be mocked are sexual orientations and other sexual quirks, mostly because the Crows are far more sexually diverse in comparison to the rest of Thedas.

Manipulation is also the standard. It is not to say every Crow is untrue to another, but it is certainly common. This is especially common with mentors. Some, but not all, manipulate their wards in order to form some sort of psychological dependence on them, one way or another. This acts as a sort of deterrent against Crows defecting from the guild. If a Crow defects, they are more often than not, tracked down and killed. In some special cases, a Crow may be permitted to rejoin, but have severe torture punishments for reconditioning.

Romance between members is viewed as a weakness; more often than not it might as well be painting a target on each other's heads. Another assassin will generally see such a relation as an opportune moment to do serious damage. If a child is produced by a relation between members of the House it becomes their property, like the rest of the members, and they are thrown in with the rest of the child recruits. Unlike the Circle, they are not barred from being involved with their children. However, any interfering or actual parenting that goes beyond what any other assassin would do is not permitted. It's like cheating. Likewise, it displays a weakness that others will use against you.

Interaction with non-members
Crows keep interactions with outsiders a minimum. Nothing beyond casual contact is really permitted outside of the order. Friendships are stretching it, and anything romantic (not sexual; romantic) is not permitted. If the Crows find out, and the reputation is that the Crows know everything, the lover will be slain. They see it as a liability, or so they say. In addition, if a child is produced with an outsider, it will be either slain, if the mother was an outsider, or taken away the same as a child produced within the Crows. More often than not it will be taken within the ranks and pitted with the other children just the same as any other recruit.

Rituals
There is very little pomp or ceremony if you ascend rank within the Crows. In fact, there is hardly any at all. It is very unofficial. You often are just told of this and then are told your duties as the new rank. One common thing that could be considered a ritual within the Crows their perception of body modifications. Piercings and tattoos, similar to the Rivaini tradition, are generally looked upon as physically alluring, and as a display of a heavy pain tolerance. Self harm would be an even more grand display. Masochists (even and especially those who take it in a sexual regard) and those with high tolerances for pain are generally looked upon with high respect. Sadists are more common, and do not gain as much respect for their behavior.

Those the Crows deem mentally unfit or insane are watched with scrutiny. They fear such damaged minds, which aren't uncommon, could become a liability. Wanton slaughter is generally frowned upon, and those who engage in such are usually tortured and executed. Random acts of violence and the odd murder are fine, but going overboard could alert the attention of the Crows. Those who are considered insane but still function properly and prove to not be a liability are looked on with a serious amount of respect in the form of fear. Most damaged minds are considered to have torn down the walls of normal human morality and are thus more capable of committing truly cruel and violent acts. Within the Crows, true fear usually comes hand in hand with respect.