Tales, Scripts, and Accounts

Among the Shadows

From a tourist's eyes, the small city of Neilu seems like nothing more than another oversized caravansary. Just another stopping point on the way from the Shamo Inlet to Omashu or the endless Si Wong Desert. And they would be right. For the most part, it's just a place to stay for the travelers. How could such a small place be anything more? It wouldn't make sense for Neilu to be so horrendously corrupt that even the streetside addicts longed to escape the towering walls. Surely a location with such foot traffic couldn't be listening to your every breath or watching your every step. And the dark shadow creeping over the stone walls as you glanced up? Only just a figment of your imagination- at least that's what everyone around you will say.

What they will not mention- by any means- is anything about the looming feel when the sun is down. Or the muffled screams that would be drowned out by crowds during the day. Or the tattoos, scars, and brandings barely hidden behind their sand-ridden rags. And if you persist in asking the wrong person about any of these things- well, you probably won't be seeing the next sunrise. These marks depict various creatures and are carved or inked into shady locals who belong to different gangs within the Shadows. Some are definitely more dangerous than others, but none of them are people you pick a fight with.

More commonly found tattoos are rough images of weasels, rats, and snakes. All these boil down to being lowly criminals. Liars, beggars, eavesdroppers, backstabbers, muggers... nothing too serious. Ones wearing artwork with greater detail likely have a higher status. Those with more than one type drawn on them means they're accepted by multiple gangs and copies of the same animal define how many lessers they oversee. Most members of the lesser gangs don't particularly advertise their statuses because why would anyone openly admit to being a deceptive piece of shit? On the contrary, Hounds and Hornets often make themselves too well known- that is unless they're hunting a target. From a moral standpoint not much better than anyone from the prior list, they just take pride in their work.

The rest are almost religiously kept to themselves. You won't know they're around unless they want you to because their contracts require such secrecy. Moles are nobel spies who also wear a mark of Neilu, but hide it whenever they visit to protect their identity. They're listed among the more dedicated, alongside Spyders and Fangs. Both mentioned are heavily scarred and branded. Easy to identify. If you're ever unfortunate enough to see either of these, you'll know it. Just pray they're not hunting for you.

Spyders are stealthy earthbenders known for silently scaling the tall flat walls of the major cities and listening in on a target's conversation. Similar to the Hounds, they'll track people down. Except when a Spyder follows you, these criminals are relentless. There is nowhere you can run and nowhere you can hide. Expect to be followed across the kingdom- across the seas if need be- and you won't ever have more evidence than the pit in your stomach to prove it. Sometimes that constant feeling is enough to make a person go crazy. And that's not even the worst of them.

Not much is known about the Fangs. No one has ever survived an encounter with one. We do know they're assassins who are- to say the least- quite successful at what they do. The rest are rumors and speculation. One piece of hearsay half the locals deem as true is from a woman who was allegedly kidnapped and forced to watch a Fang torture targets until they begged for death. Instead, they were collected and preserved as trophies for nothing more than pleasure. How do we know this? A lengthy note documenting what she saw, found pinned between the ribs of her corpse by a dagger in one of the Caravanasary's corners. Whoever did this must have been extremely proud of their work.

One thing that can be deduced is that Fangs do the majority of their living underground. Solitary by choice, deep below the surface with a stone floor where no light can reach. As far as anyone imagines, Fangs only resurface to hunt targets, feed, or collect intel on tireless nights and would not hesitate to slaughter an entire village simply to hide an identity. Individuals who have intentionally sought out these terrifying psychopaths are either dead or in the wind. Ghosts either way. For if the Fangs want someone six feet under, they will be. Never have they been suspected of failure. Very few know how to directly contact these vicious murderers. Even then, it's with a great deal of caution and a paid contract in hand.

All these gangs spread across the eastern Earth Kingdom have a history of collaboration through their higher-ups. We know Akuga is King of the Rats and Weasels report to Vibood. The Huntress and Mistress command the Hounds and Hornets respectively, but aside from those four we're in the dark. It's a mystery. Rumor has it that someone even watches over the leaders, but few want to believe such a myth. Even if it were true, no one would ever choose to be nose to nose with such a monster- or on their radar at all for that matter. So if there is a true leader of the Shadows, no one is willing to seek them out. Claims remain weightless with no solid connections, no obtainable proof of existence, and most certainly no witnesses willing to testify.