"The citizens of the Empire rightly
view the Cult of Handrich as an honorable, charitable group with the best
interests of the people at heart. This is why we employ the Brothers of
Handrich—to keep distasteful things out of sight of the people and keep His
name unsullied and pure."
—Gustav Stuttor, Priest of Handrich
Each Cult of the Empire has its own sects,
knightly orders, and Templars to protect its interests and defend the righteous
from harm. Relatively new, the Cult of Handrich does not yet have its own
publicly sanctioned religious warriors. However, the Cult does have a
semisecret branch of dedicated individuals that are used to help enforce the
decrees of the Cult and further its business. Average citizens call them thugs,
enforcers, or “heavies.” The Cult refers to these trusted individuals as the
Brothers of Handrich.
The Brothers of Handrich are people trusted
by the Cult whose skills, contacts, position, and even physical stature are
considered useful. In short, they are exactly what the average citizen thinks
they are—muscle. Talented muscle, however. The Brothers of Handrich do the
dirty work for the Cult, putting pressure on burghers and politicians,
protecting precious shipments, and busting heads as needed. Because the
business of the Cult extends into almost every type of commerce and all
throughout the Empire, the Brothers of Handrich can find themselves travelling
great distances and dealing with all types of people on behalf of the
Cult—often making a profit on the side.
Purpose
The vast majority of the Brothers of
Handrich are used as heavy enforcers of the Cult, doing the dirty work that
helps maintain a respectable face for the public and to further the goals of
the Cult. They intimidate rival businessmen or Cultists, break the legs of
those who are late with payments, and, when absolutely required, kill people
who, in the eyes of the Cult, need killing. Some Brothers are employed for
their special skills, such as simple accounting, forgery, breaking and
entering, and the like. Finally, the Brothers are also used as deterrents, with
certain members being assigned as bodyguards to Priests. The high-pressure
demands and cutthroat (sometimes literally) lifestyle of many Priests of the
Cult put them in situations where the presence of some muscle helps ensure
safety.
The Brothers strive to keep their ties to
the rest of the Cult secret from the outside world. Acting under fronts as
legitimate business ventures, trade guilds, or even straight out thieves’
guilds, the Brothers do the work asked of them by the Cult. The Brothers take
this oath of secrecy extremely seriously and it’s a sure death sentence for any
Brother who willingly divulges the presence or agendas of a ring of Brothers.
History
The Cult of Handrich itself is a relatively
new Cult, without the millennia of history and conflict that belongs to the
other faiths. The Brothers of Handrich can also be considered new, having
formed rather organically as the Cult brought in outsiders to assist them with
matters of violence. At first, there were no restrictions as to what kind of
help a Cultist could employ as muscle, but over time, as profits rose and
agendas solidified, the Cult of Handrich realized that it must organise these disparate
groups to bring them in line with the motives and methods of the Cult
In 1987 IC, the Priests of Handrich in
Marienburg convened and set to the task of organising their membership. The
Cult was divided up into two “rings,” the inner ring composed of the actual
Priests and Cultists, and the outer ring, which was the term utilized to
described individuals and groups friendly to the Cult and its agendas, but
otherwise not affiliated. During the meeting, known as the “Assembly of
Brothers,” the Cult created the Middle Ring, composed of close companions and
servants of the Cult who were not otherwise full Cultists or Priests. Thus the
Brothers of Handrich were born.
Throughout the subsequent years, motions
have been passed to both expand and reduce the influence and power of the
Brothers of Handrich. Some Cultists feel that the Brothers represent the true,
beating heart of the Cult, with its drive, competitive spirit, and first-hand
knowledge of market forces. Others believe that the Brothers claim too much
profit and opportunities best utilized by the rest of the Cult and think that
the Brothers should be reined back or removed altogether. This constant back
and forth ensures that membership in the Brothers of Handrich is dynamic and
interesting, but definitely not for the faint of heart.
The
Brothers Today
The Brothers of Handrich is currently
undergoing a boom in growth, power, and influence. As the burghers of the
Empire grow and expand their reach, so to do the Brothers, piggybacking on
their success. The Cult is also expanding, setting up new Temples and
establishing business ventures in increasingly far-flung portions of the Empire
and even beyond. The Cult sends envoys to new locations in order to set up new
Rings of Brothers, setting the stage for the eventual creation of a Temple of
Handrich.
With the Cult of Handrich taking a more
aggressive hold on trade and commerce in the Empire, the Brothers find
themselves getting involved in bigger schemes all the time. Every new discovery
of resources, technological advancement, or piece of land reclaimed from the
Greenskins represents additional opportunities that the Brothers are more than
willing to embrace.
The biggest threats that the Brothers
encounter are the thieves' guilds who consider the Brothers to be nothing more
than interlopers, the meddling of the Cult of Ranald, and conservative citizens
of the Empire who consider the Cult of Handrich (and thus the Brothers) to be a
backhanded assault on the traditional way of life that the Empire has engaged in
for untold centuries. To help grease the wheels of commerce, the Brothers
utilize the time-honoured method of carrot (money, influence, and favours) and
stick (or hammer, axe, or firearm pressed into the stubborn person’s face).
Structure
In order to understand the structure of the
Brothers, one must first understand the structure of the Cult of Handrich. The
Cult is divided up into three different tiers, or “rings.” The Inner Ring
includes the full Priests of the Cult and has further degrees of delineation
that are not revealed to outsiders. The Outer Ring refers to friendly
businessmen and those who owe favours to the Cult, but do not put themselves in
harm’s way for it. The Cult internally refers to the Brothers as the Middle
Ring.
Every Brother of Handrich is tied to a
particular Temple, which hires certain personnel depending on their particular
needs at the time. Brothers either work in small crews, which have a degree of
autonomy or are assigned to specific Priests to do their bidding. A Priest of Handrich
strives to have control of his own rings of Brothers, and is ultimately
responsible for their actions. A Ring that gets out of hand or endangers the
activities of the Cult must answer to its Priest, who must in turn answer to
the Inner Ring of the Cult. Punishment for poor performers can be extremely
harsh and most Priests keep constant tabs on the Rings that they control and
place serious pressure on the High Brothers responsible for their day-to-day
operations.
Crews of Brothers vary in size, but usually
comprise between four to eight members. The Brother who controls the crew and
directly reports back to a specific Priest is typically known as the “High
Brother.” High Brothers control their crew tightly, constantly on the watch for
signs of disloyalty or for Brothers who try to skim too much from the top.
To help maintain a line of deniability, the
Brothers never refer to themselves as such with outsiders and maintain the
front of some sort of other venture, such as a “normal” thieves’ guild, a union
of workers, or a regular business guild. Other Rings put up the front as
political agitators or members of a completely different Cult to further muddy
the waters and to get them into places otherwise denied by the Cult of
Handrich. Communication between a ring of Brothers and their handlers is done
through messengers, clandestine meetings, and secret codes.
Once inducted into the Brothers of
Handrich, a Brother finds himself running errands, busting heads, and doing
other things of a questionable nature. After a few years of proving himself as
a solid earner for the Ring, the Brother is usually granted additional, highly
lucrative jobs to bolster his earnings and further solidify his ties to the
organisation. Each Brother strives to attain the role of High Brother,
controlling his own band of Brothers and putting his own agendas and
moneymaking ventures at the top of the list.
Outside
the Empire
The Brothers travel far outside the borders
of the Empire on the behest of the Cult. As business is conducted and
agreements are reached, the Brothers also help establish additional Rings in
the cities of foreign lands. The Brothers are particularly numerous in Tilea
and the Border Princes, where they blend in seamlessly with the large
population of criminal groups, guilds, and nebulous partnerships that thrive in
those lands.
The Brothers are rare in Kislev, both due
to Handrich's relative obscurity there and the insular manner of Kislevan
criminals, making it difficult for outside groups to gain many inroads. Bretonnia
hosts a fair number of Rings of Brothers, mostly in the larger cities and
villages closer to the Empire. Couronne and Bordeleaux boast anywhere between
four and six Rings of the Brothers of Handrich, although these relatively new
groups are struggling to stake their claim among the businesses and criminal
organisations that are resentful to these foreign interlopers.
Goals
and Motives
The goals of the Brothers of Handrich work
in tandem with the rest of the Cult—make a profit, expand business ventures, reduce
(or remove) the competition, and keep business ventures safe from harm.
Brothers join up to gain access to the Cult's influence, power, and coffers,
and some do so with hopes of being admitted as a full-fledged member of the
Cult. One thing is for certain, however: they are in it for the coin.
Every Brother strives to find the big score
that will allow him to retire or, for the more devout, allow him to join the
ranks of the Cult of Handrich as a member of the Inner Ring. Brothers watch and
maintain the businesses that are under their control—extorting money where
needed, protecting “clients” from the predations of criminals or opposing Cults
(particularly those of Ranald), sending important missives, or protecting
cargo. In doing so, they receive a cut of the action and are always on the
search for more and more opportunities.
As most Brothers are not part of the Inner
Ring, they are not considered Priests or even full-fledged Cultists (although
many eventually become one). Because of this, the one job that Brothers are not
tasked with is spreading the word of Handrich, which is left to Priests to
administer. Most Brothers are relieved that they do not have to perform this
chore.
Symbols
and Signs
The Brothers utilize the same symbols and
signs as the Priests they work for, most notably the gold coin and the sign of
the crossed fingers. When hired on by the Cult, a Brother is given a special
gold coin that represents Handrich—one side is blank, but the other is etched
with subtle notches, whorls, and letters, each of which has its own meaning.
When a Brother wishes to get his point across to a stubborn “client,” merely
flashing this special coin is often more than enough to make the target realize
what he’s up against.
Each Temple has its own special symbols
that are used on the backs of the holy coins, typically to show a Brother’s
rank in the organisation, special favours due to him when travelling to other
Temples, and other special merits, as well as the Brother’s own unique sigil.
For example, the main Temple of Handrich in Marienburg carefully notches the
edge of a Brother’s coin like hours on a sundial, each indicating a notable
favour the Brother has done on behalf of the Cult.
The more notches on the back of the coin,
the more likely that a Brother is to be inducted as a full Priest. Other
etchings include a square, meaning the Brother is to be granted shelter and
complete assistance if chased by the authorities. The extremely rare “V”
etching indicates the Brother is part of the cadre tasked with serving and
protecting the High Priest himself. A Brother that loses his coin is either
released from service or severely punished for the infraction, including a high
fine and a heavy tax on his pay until his patrons deem him ready to return to
full service.
The coin also serves as a token for voting
or as a literal bargaining chip—a Brother who gives his coin to another is
showing the ultimate sign of trust or is indicating that should he fail in a
given task, his life is forfeit. Many Brothers of Handrich also get tattoos of
these symbols placed on their bodies—inner bicep being the most common
location, as it is readily hidden, but also easily shown when the situation
demands it. When the Brothers choose to leave some sort of sign behind as a
warning to others or to show that someone is marked as an enemy of the Cult, a
simple circle symbolizing the blank coin of Handrich is painted on doors (or
carved on a body) left behind for others to find.
Like the rest of the Cult, the Brothers
make extensive use of body language and hand signals that are used in their
conversations, especially when they believe they are being overheard by the
competition or authorities. Dozens of secret handshakes exist that are used to
show status, distress, or warnings, some of which are specific from temple to
temple.
Some gestures, however, are universal. For
example, crossing the ring and little finger on the left hand indicates the
presence of a Cultist of Ranald nearby. During negotiations, smiling while
rubbing one’s chin with the back of the hand is a way of indicating to fellow
Brothers that the other party is lying. A Brother who taps his fingers
together, but not his thumbs, is signalling that he believes the conversation
is being overheard and that discretion (or lies) should be employed. Lastly,
when a Brother believes he is dealing with a Brother he doesn’t know or a
Cultist of Handrich, he uses the crossed-finger sign of the Cult, with the tips
of his thumb and little finger on his right hand touching as a further cue that
they are not full-fledged members of the Cult, but should still be accorded the
respect they deserve.
Membership
To the outside observer, the Brothers of
Handrich are made up of brutish thugs and cold-blooded killers. In essence,
this is true, but unlike the thieves’ guilds to which they are compared, the
Brothers are picked as much for their ability to keep a low profile as for
their willingness to break legs if needed. In order to be successful, Brothers
must show business acumen and an understanding of the “big picture,” with the
understanding the short-term gains do not always translate to profit later on.
The Cult prefers to work with Brothers with few outside ties or loyalties and
is content to leave most Brothers to their own devices, calling upon them only
when something requiring anonymity or a heavy hand is required.
The average Brother falls into one of four
different categories. The most common is the enforcer. This Brother is hired on
for his strength, prowess with weapons, intimidating manner, or preferably, all
three. He’s willing to engage in whatever type of violence is required, but the
Brothers avoid bringing in truly sadistic people, as they usually prove too
difficult to manage. Some of these Brothers specialize in hurting people, but
not necessarily killing them, simply because of the belief that a dead man is a
lost revenue stream, while a scared man pays as regular as clockwork
The second type of Brother is someone
directly involved in business. This includes burghers, dock foremen, guild
leaders, and the like. These Brothers are obviously chosen for their business
acumen, contacts, and ability to be discreet. They allow the Brothers to
piggyback their own shipments with caravans, act as intermediaries between
other groups, and start new entrepreneurial ventures on behalf of the Cult.
They also launder money, set up false fronts and fake businesses, or fix prices
as needed.
The third type of Brother is best known as
“the specialist.” This is a person with some specific skill in high demand by
the Cult. This includes cat burglars, forgers, interrogators, litigators, and
other occupations that require education, special training, or both. These
Brothers are used sparingly and given the most leeway in their approach, as the
Cult is aware of their scarcity and try to keep them in good graces. They are
also rarely used for “general work” and, unless their given trade is dangerous
by nature, is unlikely to be put in a position where violence is possible.
The last kind of Brother is the rare wizard
or person with magical talent that is willing to work for the organisation.
Unlike many other Cults, the Cult of Handrich (and thus the Brothers) has few
objections to consorting with wizards, seeing it as just another client-patron
relationship. The Cult is willing to overlook a wizard's eccentricities, even a
few blasphemies, as long as the job they are involved in is completed to the
Cult's satisfaction. Persons with magical ability are highly sought after by
the Brothers and are well paid with both money and favours for their services.
Recruitment
Considering the dangerous line of work that
most Brothers find themselves in, turnover is high and temples are constantly
on the search for new members to fill spots in their ranks. The leader of a
crew keep an eye out for street youths that show potential as well as
businessmen that are favourable towards the Cult. These potential individuals
are then watched from afar, as the Brothers ask questions and do research into
the mark’s character, exploits, and personality. Particularly flashy
individuals or those seeking the limelight are usually avoided for recruitment,
unless they possess in-demand skills or have highly sought-after contacts.
Once a person has been marked as a possible
inductee, he is approached by a High brother under the guise of a “regular”
organisation, such as a thieves’ guild or a burgher in need of some special
assistance, and tasked with doing some property damage against a competitor or
threatening a stubborn vendor who refuses to give payment. If he proves his
worth, he’s brought back in for a formal induction ceremony.
The inductee is brought before the rest of
the Ring and made to get on his knees while the others surround him in a
circle, representing the structure of the Cult. The Brothers pull out knives
and point them at the inductee, who then recites his oath of loyalty. Each
Brother then draws his knife along the arm of the inductee, drawing a little
bit of blood. This blood is spilled into a bowl that contains the coin that
he'll carry to show his membership into the ring (see Symbols and Signs above).
He then rises as a full member of the Ring, taking the bloody coin as a sign of
his inclusion. The Brother is then given a list of his particular turfs and
territories for which he is responsible in generating income.
Member
Benefits and Responsibilities
Once a person has been accepted into the
Middle Ring of the Cult, becoming a Brother of Handrich, he can expect life to
be both profitable and dangerous. As long as a Brother does his best to keep
the Cult free from blame or inquiry, he is granted tremendous latitude to do
what needs to be done, and most are allowed to conduct their daily lives as
they see fit until called upon by the Brothers to perform some task.
The Cult of Handrich pays the Brothers well
for their work, as well as granting particularly juicy contracts, business
leads, and the removal of competitors. Although details vary, it's typical for
a Brother to receive the equivalent of half a month’s pay or more on top of
their regular wage for whatever the Brother does on the side. If a Brother does
particularly well for the Ring and the rest of the Cult, they can expect
additional windfalls. In the eyes of most Brothers, moving to the Inner Ring
and becoming a full-fledged Cultist, and hopefully a Priest, is the ultimate
goal, gaining access to the Cult’s tremendous power, wealth, and influence.
The main responsibility of the Brothers of
Handrich is loyalty. A Brother must be willing to drop everything and do what
is asked when called. Requests by the High brother or the Priest that manages
it can also be dangerous, timeconsuming, or even bizarre. For example, a
Brother who specializes in forgery may be asked to first bluff or infiltrate
their way into a Burgher’s home in order to copy a given document and leave the
fake behind. An enforcer might be asked to corner and persuade a minor official
or kidnap the only heir of a business consortium. Other tasks might seem
nonsensical at the time, such as standing at a street corner at noon carrying a
red feather, or traveling to a distant city only to return immediately upon
arriving there.
Secrets
of the Brothers
"They are useful tools, to be sure.
However, like all tools, over time they can become damaged, untrustworthy, and
even dangerous. Worn out things should be replaced from time to time."
—High Priest Goundenkruin
Because the Brothers inhabit the Middle
Ring of the Cult’s hierarchy, they are privy to many of its plans, but are also
shut out from the bulk of its secrets. The Cult looks at the Middle Ring (the
Brothers) as both a breeding ground for potential full Cultists as well as a
pool of expendable assets to be used and cast aside as needed. Also, because
the Brothers work the alleyways and are on the “front line,” they come in
contact with criminals, strange events, and even blasphemous things on a daily
basis. The Cult strives to keep themselves distant from the dirt and
distasteful happenings of the underworld and the activities of the Brothers of
Handrich.
Everyone
is Expendable
Considering the seedy background that many
Brothers come from, few should be surprised to know that their ties to the Cult
of Handrich could be severed at any moment and with little reason. The whole
purpose of the Brothers is to provide a ready source of leg breakers,
bodyguards, extortionists, and other unsavoury types for the Cult, all the
while allowing the Cult to keep their own hands as publicly clean as possible.
The Cult of Handrich also sees this as a way to winnow out the weakest members,
leaving only the best for induction into the ranks as full Priests. In the Cult’s
eyes, a smart and loyal Brother should never find himself in a situation where
he has to be cut off from the Cult or to be stupid enough to be caught in the
first place. The Cult is powerful enough that disgruntled ex-Brothers find
bringing revenge against their former comrades is nearly impossible—at worst, a
Ring of Brothers could be exposed and brought to ruin, which is considered a
small loss by the Cult as a whole.
Rise
of the Middle Class
The members of the Cult of Handrich are
dedicated to giving praise to their God and making a tidy profit in the
process. As a Cult focused on business affairs, its members consider the rise
of all businessmen as paramount to the Cult’s success. While this seems
positive on the surface, there are those in the Empire that consider the
increasing influence and power of the middle class to be a threat to the very
existence of the land. Ancient laws, feudal arrangements, and a clear
delineation between the ruling class and the masses of common folk beneath them
serve as the glue that has bound the Empire together for millennia. The Cult of
Handrich’s active support of the middle class puts coin in the pockets of
common folk with the ambition, entrepreneurial spirit, and cutthroat instincts
to survive. Many noblemen lay awake at night at the thought of the unwashed
masses and lowborn upstarts chipping away at their fortunes and encroaching on
old business pacts and business arrangements.
Although it is rarely spoken in the Inner
Rings of the Cult of Handrich and never with outsiders, one of the goals of the
Cult is to create a healthy and vibrant middle class with the wealth, status,
and influence to dictate their own rules and to do away with outdated and
antiquated laws and business practices that keep a Cultist of Handrich from
doing his best and reaping vast sums of money. To some people, this smacks of
heresy, as it basically means the complete overturning of the Empire and its
method of governance.
Most of the Brothers are kept in the dark
to this inner secret of the Cult, but those who look hard enough can see
patterns in business dealings that indicate a slow, deliberate sea change
occurring throughout the Empire. It may take centuries for such change to break
through the calcified systems and thinking of the Empire, but the Cult is
nothing if not patient.
Mark
Your Territory, Keep Your Cut
Unlike many secret societies, the Brothers
of Handrich are blatant about their purpose—to make money. Because every
Brother has his livelihood dictated by the whims of the Cult, its up to him to
take advantage of every angle to make a profit. If he doesn’t continue to make
his cut to bump up the ladder, he’ll find himself out of the Brothers and
possibly laying in an alleyway with his throat cut. Every Brother has his own
schemes, running extortions, rackets, and even legitimate business ventures,
which he keeps secret from his comrades. Strangely, this is considered
admirable by the Cult, since it both creates a steady stream of income and
fosters the skills and sense of competition that Handrich considers important
in his Cultists and servants. The reason Brothers keep these side ventures
secret, however, is that once one of them is discovered by the Cult, it is
considered fair game for a “tax”—partially to help fund the Cult and partially
to punish a Brother for his sloppiness in allowing his sources of income to be
found out. Most individuals accept this game of cat-and-mouse as part of the
business of being a Brother of Handrich, but some grow weary and resentful of
the subterfuge and hypocrisy.
Changing
Fortune First Hand
One of the reasons that the Cult of
Handrich seeks out talented individuals with a bent for magic is to expand
their own fledgling school of arcane knowledge. The Brothers often serve as a test
bed for ways to bend the rules in a way that Handrich finds pleasing. Knowingly
or not, a few blessed Brothers are able to channel the power of their God to
casts spells that shift fortune in their favour. High brothers are charged to
keep an eye out for Brothers that seem luckier than average or who land deals
that seem
Improbable, even impossible. The full
Priests of the Cult usually watch these individuals with greater scrutiny and
elevate them into the Inner Ring for additional training and insight into the
mysteries of Handrich, sometimes without their consent. The Cult is
particularly interested in magically talented Brothers with visions of
prophecy—if the Cult can see into the future and get insight into how the winds
of the market blow, they will make more money and further the Cult’s agendas.
Brothers with this gift often find themselves living life in a gilded cage:
pampered and protected, but never allowed to leave the Cult—alive...
Allies
One of the main purposes behind the
Brothers of Handrich is to serve as fronts for the activities of the rest of
the Cult. Because of this, they have many contacts, both in the legitimate
business world and among criminal groups. Depending on the Ring, a group of
Brothers may have connections with street gangs, craft guilds, ship crews,
officers of courts, or anyone in between. Some rings travel far and wide on
behalf of the Cult and have contacts in cities and towns distant from their
home base. These allies can be almost anyone, from Roadwardens receiving payment
for their services to city guards and the like. Brothers are required and
expected to make as many friendly contacts as possible for their rings, because
it’s never known when and where a favour must be called in.
Of course, as part of the secrecy that they
take so seriously, the Brothers rarely if ever let their allies know the true
nature of their relationship, so most individuals friendly to the Brothers do
not know exactly with whom they are consorting. This secrecy also has the
advantage of letting the Brothers keep any eye out for prospective new members
without the mark being any the wiser.
This set of circumstances means that
Brothers can find themselves in unusual alliances that may, on the surface,
seem counter to the Cult’s agendas. Business is business, as the Brothers say,
and as long as the alliance works out and Cult secrets are not divulged, then
it is allowed to form without any fuss.
Enemies
Not surprisingly, the Brothers of Handrich
have continuous run-ins with regular, mundane thieves’ guilds, many of which
consider the Brothers to be nothing more than a rival criminal organisation.
Indeed, much of the activity of the Brothers involves taking a direct approach
to thwarting these groups from subverting the agendas of the Cult of Handrich.
The Cult sees the Brothers as perfect weapons by employing the “fight fire with
fire” approach and allow the Brothers a tremendous amount of leeway in
infiltrating and destroying thieves’ guilds that cut into the Cult of
Handrich’s business.
Because the Brothers serve as a buffer
between legitimate authorities and the Cult of Handrich, they are typically the
first to come under the scrutiny of city watches, Imperial investigators, and
Templars of other Cults who have suffered losses due to the Brothers’
activities. The Cult sees this antipathy as a natural part of doing business
and make heavy use of bribes and threats to keep nosy (or greedy) magistrates,
sheriffs, and constables out of the Brothers’ business. Part of the Brothers’
duties involves dissuading these individuals from getting interested in the
darker side of the Cult of Handrich’s activities.
If the Brothers have anything close to a
mortal enemy, it is the rival Cult of Ranald. Many of the business ventures of
the Brothers overlap those of the Ranaldans and the two groups have had a
simmering cold war for generations. Despite the similarity of their methods,
the Brothers still consider themselves a legitimate arm of a legitimate Cult of
Handrich and are extremely vocal in their desire to see the Ranaldans wiped
out. The Priests of the Cult of Handrich do their best to keep things from
getting out of hand and so far the rivalry between the Ranaldans and the
Brothers remains at the level of gang warfare. However, the Cult has little
compunction about allowing a ring of Brothers to expose or wipe out a cell of
Ranaldans if doing so poses little or no threat to the Cult as a whole.
