Aiken Brudenell
Staff member
- Influence
- 2,035.00
The Vengeful
Faction Info:
| Type: | Street Gang |
| Ideology: | Vulpine Supremacy / ‘Vulpinism’ |
| Size: | ~50 full members |
| Status: | Active (1765) |
History:
Though historically home to many of the so-called ‘vermin’ species, Vulpinsula owes the fox it’s name, and its Emperors have often been foxes themselves. It wasn’t a stretch for some vulpines to believe the place belonged to them. For most of the Imperium’s history, that sentiment never truly rose to a point of political force or practical consideration, but it existed in the hearts of a few.
Minister of Misanthropy Vladimir Ullyanov’s seizure of the throne in 1729 ushered in a new dynamic, at least for the Imperium’s modern history. With a wildcat now on the throne, a few foxes began to resent the changing face of Imperial power. The Maelstrom conflict of 1733, spurred on and led in large part by mustelids and a few wildcats, further developed and entrenched the ideas of vulpine supremacy, known as ‘Vulpinism’ to some, causing a number of gangs to form within Bouillabaisse’s lesser quarters.
The Winter War finished most of them off. One Talinn Ryalor, a fox himself, successfully won the support of the vulpine supremacist movement, utilizing the gangs as disposable militia in the war against the invading Coalition. Taking tremendous losses in battles with better trained and equipped Coalition soldiers, many of those who survived the war were duped into travel to the majority-fox island of Eastisle, the base of the Ryalor family, as laborers.
For a time the movement was plainly dead. What few survivors remained in Bully Harbor threw their support behind the anti-Ryalor movement of Mayor Anithias A. Freedom, but nothing organized remained of their number.
It wasn’t until the troubles of the late 1740s that gangs began to reform.
Both years of chaos and quiet dissatisfaction had slowly built up another subculture of foxes that resented their place in the Imperium that bore their species’ name, that so eagerly accepted foreigners, especially woodlanders, and raised them up instead of their own. They saw the Brudenell regime as a hostile mustelid power seeking to cement itself at the cost of vulpines, and – after initial celebration – the new Empress as a victory of greed and opportunism over duty to the nation – to a more Vulpine Imperium that could or should have been restored.
More widespread then ever, the vulpinist movement nevertheless remains fragmented, split between dozens of small groups squabbling in the city, guided and at times directed by shadowy figures with money and influence to make things happen.
The Vengeful are one such small group. Supposedly formed in 1746, its early history is confused and mostly lost to the past, given that nobeast ever thought to write it down. The gang fractured several times during the civil war, with members splitting off to fight for one side or another. Leadership passed hands many times before finally resting with a large todd named ‘Scythe’, one of the original members of the gang, back when he was only 16 years old.
Scythe has done well to earn his place as leader, securing a base of operations in the form of the Skull House tavern, and even winning the support of a couple of old-timers who moved back to Bouillabaisse after the Imperial annexation of Eastisle (now Westisle), though his inclusion of females into the gang’s muscle riled up some opposition from conservatives.
Description:
‘Venges’, as they tend to be known, do not typically dress in any sort of uniform. Their clothes tend to be practical for fighting in the street, or otherwise whatever employment they find outside of gang activity. When unfamiliar, they identify each other either by a combination of code phrases and a paw signal, extending pointer claws to form a ‘V’ with both hands – but the gang is small enough that most beasts within it know each other by name.
Members are both male and female – even fighters within the gang. The ideology of the group is first and foremost the subjugation or expulsion of the ‘foreign’ species of Vulpinsula, and whatever fox approaches with that attitude tends to be welcome and treated equally, at least officially. This makes them an outlier among most of the Vulpinist movement – but also eases recruitment.
Even foreign-born foxes tend to be accepted, though an exception is made for Fyadoran foxes, who are often treated with suspicion, owing to their ties to the much-hated Ryalor family.
Recruits tend to be associates of the gang or friends of its members for a time before being allowed to join, and are usually given certain tasks to prove themselves before being allowed to join as a full member. These are typically robberies, great acts of theft, arson or sabotage, or taking part in important or difficult fights for the gang. Young would-be recruits, sometimes known as 'sharklings' in a nod to old Skulls tradition, are expected to prove their mettle and dedication just like any adult beast, though generally with less dangerous tasks, owing to their youth.
In the streets, the Venges take their ‘job’ of patrolling their territory very seriously, forcing out any sort of nakedly foreign or non-vulpine business activity with open violence. Individuals sometimes escape their ire, particularly those just wandering through, but it isn’t a particularly safe bet, especially on slow or frustrating days for the gang.
Though actually decent brawlers on average, they tend to be untrained and largely uncoordinated, at least outside the few military veterans in their ranks, including a few deserters. Their weaponry also tends towards the paltry side of things, largely consisting of cheap knives, clubs, or chain flails of various forms. They are a Slups gang, after all.
Venges are unlikely to attack openly armed beasts unless massively provoked, or enjoying a tremendous numerical advantage. Not generally the most intelligent beasts in the Slups, most beasts know better than to attack someone ready and willing to kill them. Many will run their mouths, though – using many of the classic slurs for various non-vulpine species and ethnicities that beasts in the harbor have come to know so well.
Characters:
| Name: | Positions Held: | Start Date: | End Date: |
| Payton ’Scythe’ Symes | Member, Leader | 1746 | - |
| Calaisee ‘Cal’ Lewyre | Sharkling, Member | 1754 | - |
Skull House
History:
The headquarters of the Venges, Skull House was once one of the more decent taverns in the Slups, situated near enough to the harbor that it still got business from some of the braver sailors to wander from the docks. Constructed after the Winter War, it survived the troubles of the late 1740s and the civil war, though changing hands several times until eventually inherited by by a few disillusioned young foxes with family ties to the old ‘Skulls’ gang of the 1730s.
Though the latter group had been all but annihilated during the Winter War (1733-1734), it and other gangs like it retained enough of a cultural impact that a band of imitators and would-be successors set up the tavern as their base of operations, turning it into an out and out vulpine supremacist institution that few other beasts would wander into, and naming it after the old gang as a small sign of respect.
Though not technically owned by the Vengeful, the owners are openly sympathetic, there are almost always a couple Venges hanging about inside, and the bar is typically frequented by associates of the gang who do well to remind newcomers that non-vulpines aren’t welcome, sometimes just for their own good.
Description:
The building itself has become rather run down over the years, but remains remarkable within the Slups for possessing two usable floors, unbroken windows, and a mostly consistent coat of red-brown paint. A sign with a large white vulpine skull adorns the front door, with “Skull House” written in small text below, not large enough for most beasts to read from far away.
The first floor has enough space and tables to seat about 40 beasts and serve more than that number standing, with a bar always stocked with passable booze and a small kitchen serving various sorts of soup, stew or gruel, and sometimes more involved meals for special occasions. The walls are adorned with portraits and names of deceased members of the Vengeful gang, including such honorary members as Ripper McGnaw of Skulls fame.
The second floor is occupied by the current owners, Varic and Eryn Withers, who, not quite members themselves, tend to employ or retain a rotating number of Venges muscle and associates as staff. There are a few other rooms for renting, though these are often reserved for Venges and their friends as a space to sleep off excesses in the bar, or recuperate from wounds or other hard times.
Despite open alignment with one of the more violent gangs in the Slups, the tavern generally does well for itself. Scythe has put out strict orders to keep trouble out of the Skull House, wanting to keep on good terms with the Withers. In turn, they have free reign of the place to hold their meetings, play their music, and plan out their criminal acts.
