‘The Misty Marionettes’

“‘Ay there, laddy! Would you care to come aboard? We’re need help with some hard labor. Would you care to lend us gals your muscle?”

An hour later…

“Those boys were just as gullible as the last! Pass me another bottle!”


The Medial Sea and the rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes that it connects to are a prime source of transportation for many denizens of the Ring. Traveling by boat is much less expensive than hailing a Darter to get around, plus boats are better suited to hauling heavy cargo. Many of the most prosperous city states in the Ring have their own port and the largest have navies as well. Together, all of these ships on the water act as a kindling, which, when it met with the spark of human greed, led to the rise of piracy across the Ring.

Pirates are not uncommon on the water. They tend to lurk in the rivers and tributaries on the outskirts of the Medial Sea, where they can easily hide their ships. Then, when the time is right, they will attack their targets and flee just as quickly as they arrived. Naval ships are not often used to pursue pirates but are merely a deterrence to keep the pirates from coming too close to civilization. Deploying multiple ships could leave a city-state at risk, while deploying a single ship could result in state-funded piracy, depending on the competency of the crew. For these reasons, the naval ships typically do not pursue pirates onto the open sea.

Pirates typically operate as independent groups from one another and the Misty Marionettes are no exception here, even though the group itself is exceptional and noteworthy. A group consisting entirely of lady pirates, they are known for their daring and ingenious heists as well as their lavish tastes. Worth noting, the Misty Marionettes will typically not kill their victims, although they’ve been known to rough up and even maim a man or two, given the right circumstances. With all of their success on the open seas, they have managed to cultivate quite a hideout on Piano Island. This island lies to the east of Lanta City and holds the ruins of what was seemingly a castle long ago. Since the Marionettes moved in, it has since been repaired and outfitted to capture some of its long lost splendor.

The Misty Marionettes are not without their leader. Maura the Mist is the Captain aboard this ship. She is a small woman, sleight of frame, with short, dark, wavy hair and chestnut brown eyes. It is rumored that Maura is a Disruption user with the power to call forth a heavy fog on open waters, hence her nickname, ‘Mist’. Not much is known to the public about Maura to the public though.

‘The Covetous’


“What does they covet, you ask? Simple. Whatever it is you’ve got that they want. Might be your wife. Could be your kid, even the clothes off your back. Whatever it is they want, they take, and once they take it, it’s theirs. You don’t get it back unless you take it back. Easier said than done most of the time.”


The Outer Ring is home to many a bandit camp and marauder tribe. Off in the East, the Covetous are among the most notorious of these groups. Led by a giant of a man called Snatch, the Covetous roam the wilds just past the City of Lanta. In fact, the Covetous might be one reason why the City of Lanta’s so populated these days — if you are caught by the Covetous out in the wild, the odds are slim that you will make it out unscathed, or even survive at all. Even those who are refused entry to the city will still camp around its walls, believing it to be far safer than the forests to the south or the badlands to the east.

The Covetous are a capable group. Their leader, Snatch, commands them with not one, but two iron fists. They have managed to secure a stable supply of gasoline and build a fortress around it. Using this resource in combination with their fleet of gas-powered motorbikes, they are able to cover great distances quickly. They often use this to surprise their victims once spotted. It is very difficult to escape from the Covetous once they’ve set their sights on you — their bikes are fast and maneuverable. For most people, your best bet is to avoid being seen in the first place.

One important thing to note about the Covetous that distinguishes them from some of the other lawless groups in the area: they are not cannibals.

‘The Rat Pack’


“The rat pack? What? Oh! You mean my little monsters. Right. Well, this is like a social experiment, but then it’s also a charity foundation. Whatever you want to call it, it’s one of those things where we all win and then we get to walk home feeling like a jar full of lightning bugs. No? OK. Bathtub full of gasoline. Still? I give up. Moving on.”

“Why do they worship a rat? Good question. I guess it was just one of those cause and effect things. The first kid I saved was lonely. One day I came back with another kid I saved, and we found the first kid hanging out with a statue of this half-human, half-rodent character, carrying on a one-sided conversation.”

“So I left the second one there with him. Over time, I sent more to join them. Before I knew it, they were worshiping some kind of ancient rat god. No name, they just call him the Rat. I suppose it’s all harmless fun, right? After all, the Rat had some pretty good rules, like ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ and… I’m pretty sure there were other ones too. Anyways, the kids seem to love him so… why not?”


The Rat Pack. A tribe of young rapscallions orphaned by the often cruel world that we live in. It’s unclear who or what led to this state of affairs, but make no mistake – this ragtag band of upstarts owns the City of Nemo. This city is known as the Orphan City in some circles, but if you were to ask any of the Rat Pack where they live, well, they probably wouldn’t tell you since you’re an adult. But that aside, they refer to their home as Nemo.

As for their moniker, well… you could probably say they’ve lost it, all things considered. The Rat Pack adhere to a cult-like religion that worships the Rat King. Nobody from outside Nemo has ever seen the Rat King, but then again, most people don’t go out of their way to visit Nemo unless they’re desperate to find a lost child. Most that do visit don’t make their way home, though. The Rat Pack are a protective group and while their small stature may not be very intimidating, they more than make up for it with their childlike creativity and fearlessness.