Secret Identities
The Good and Decent Citizens
The Good and Decent Citizens are the established and
well-connected organizations, which claim to represent
the Public Interests of All, but especially Themselves.
These are the guilds, trade associations, aristocratic
clubs, civil defence militia and charities, which dominate
public life in Kraków.
They mingle with the mighty at every reception, state
occasion and religious ceremony on their busy calendars.
They lecture the masses from moral high ground, but
privately indulge in each of the cardinal sins. Beware of
their crocodile smiles and tears, especially when they
discuss the Public Good or the Plight of the Poor.
The Good and Decent Citizens are sworn enemies of the
Underworld. Their usual allies are the Monks & Mystics.
The Monks and Mystics
The members of this Group are the guardians, judges and
salespeople of the spiritual realm. They include leading
figures in the powerful Catholic Church, which owns most
of Kraków and the lands beyond. But there are also many
spiritual innovators, who dabble in mystic arts of magic,
obscure medicine and fortune telling.
Their influence on Royal affairs, as on the daily lives of
ordinary townsfolk, depends on their capacity to offer hope,
solace and absolution. But obviously, these valuable gifts
still need compensation in the currencies of the mundane.
Even monasteries, travelling visionaries, illusionists and
postmortal communicators require their upkeep.
The Monks and Mystics hate the faithless Secret Societies,
but are in good books with the Good and Decent Citizens.
The Secret Societies
The Secret Societies cover a wide range of brotherhoods,
cults and conspiracies, which have 2 common features:
massive resentment towards The Establishment and a
highly secretive nature. Many societies spend a lot of time
arguing about suitable outfits or secret code languages.
Some Societies are busy winning the hearts and minds of
the people, while upsetting the apple carts of the Rich at
every opportunity. Powerful societies are the Illuminati,
Atheists Anonymous and Angels of Hell Horse-Riding
Club. Their bravest and most outspoken members fill
Krakow's prisons, where they serve their lengthy jail
sentences fiercely arguing with each other.
The Secret Societies' main enemies are the Monks,
Mystics and Magicians, while they are rumoured to have
secret ties to the Underworld.
The Underworld
Most citizens think of them as the ultimate evil:
the crime lords, pimps, smugglers, murderers and
thieves that make up the Underworld in Kraków.
Instead, they consider themselves to be innovative
and successful businessmen, the driving force of a
modern economy.
Although outside the King’s Laws, their profitable
ventures still have clear rules: about access to
markets, about loyalty, trust and confidentiality,
about who runs the show and who pays the piper.
And anyone who breaks the rules will soon be
walking the bottom of the Vistula River wearing
new lead boots.
The Underworld absolutely loathes the Good and
Decent Citizens, but is often in cahoots with the
Secret Societies.