Bonesmen

Bonesmen
Type	Espionage
Leader	Unknown
Headquarters	Unknown
Goals	Disrupt the followers of Hephaistos
Scope	Global; within Thadria especially
Structure	Loose cells
Members	Bards and spies

The Bonesmen are a secretive organization of bards based primarily in Thadria The Bonesmen are not mere entertainers but rather spies and informants, using their performances to gain access to social circles that would otherwise be out of reach.

Traveling bards are a popular source of entertainment in Viridia, something the Bonesmen use to their advantage. By masquerading as ordinary musicians or actors, the Bonesmen find themselves not only welcome but invited to perform for the wealthy and influential. These invitations allow the Bonesmen to hear or otherwise uncover valuable secrets, which they then sell to any who will pay. The identity and purpose of those to whom the Bonesmen sell this information are of no consequence to them, as long as they get their money.

Bonesmen frequently travel and perform with other, non-Bonesmen bards, a factor that makes their identification quite difficult. One of the few symbols that indicates one is a member of the Bonesmen are the rings some carry, carved from the skulls of those that have betrayed them.

The leadership of the Bonesmen is hidden even from its own members. Loosely affiliated cells communicate with each other through individuals known as runners, who themselves only know members of no more than three cells. This decentralization has made it incredibly difficult for those that seek to crack down on the Bonesmen to locate the figures in charge. Occasionally Viridian administrators will announce the capture of the leader of the Bonesmen, only to face frustration when the organization continues unabated and they realize they have only found the head of a single cell.