The Blue Grith

The Blue Grith was founded by escaped slaves seeking to free other slaves. They have engaged in a war of attrition with the slaveowners of the city for hundreds of years now. They were originally independent bands of outlaws and renegades, but they eventually coordinated into a complex network leading people to freedom. Since the founding of the Grith, they evolved to expand their criminalized activities, but maintaining a focus on attacking the city's elite rather than preying on other poor people. They have a code they follow about who is harmed by their work and who they work to aid.

The Blue Grith is led by the Counterblast, whose mother (who used the same title) was one of the founders of the Grith 200 years ago. She and her mother escaped slavery together (though she was a child at the time). She serves as the public face of the Blue Grith - she is the only leader known to the entire city as she openly provokes the government and speaks out against them. The Blue Grith operates democratically otherwise.

Though the Blue Grith's goal is liberation, their methods are often violent, dangerous, and even terroristic as they are subject to such extreme oppression by the ruling class.

Hierarchy

The Blue Grith is separated into separate committees, each dedicated to a different task:

• Committee for Liberation: those dedicated to the Blue Grith's primary function, freeing slaves and prisoners.
• Committee for Support: those dedicated for gathering resources for the Blue Grith, such as money, weapons, tools, or food, and disbursing it.
• Committee for Information: those dedicated to gathering information for the Blue Grith.
• Committee for Warfare: those dedicated to precise assassinations, terrorism, and outright warfare against the slaveowning class.

Each committee is led by an elected group of five, with a first-among-equals being the Secretary who is responsible for keeping minutes and coordinating meetings. Subcommittees sometimes for temporarily for special tasks

Roles

Headquarters

The Blue Grith is headquartered in the Old Textile Mill, an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town. It is heavily protected with magical enchantments and constant guards. It was the site of a terrible union struggle that saw many of its workers killed, leading the company to close the Mill. The Blue Grith took over and let everyone think the activity there was the ghosts of the dead workers. They have left much of the outer works of the factory inactive, but have reconfigured internal works to machines that help serve the purposes of the Blue Grith.

There are other critical spaces for the Blue Grith throughout the city, including six illicit medical clinics, eight safe-houses, ten waystations of supplies for fleeing slaves and other fugitives, two taverns that serve as secret meeting spaces, three shops run by their fences, two shop fronts run by their gangsters, and two homeless encampments that are under their protection. They also have three secret schools.

They also have sympathetic fellow travelers among the dock workers, nurses, factory workers, and artisans in the city. There is a hidden cove a few miles outside of the city used by their pirates and smugglers.

Members

The Counterblast, face of the Blue Grith

Amiltu, Secretary for Support (nb)
Elvetia, Secretary for Liberation (f)
Mahaut Blanchet, Secretary for Information (f)
Qeshta, Secretary for War (f)

Chaido Michelakos, Na'qia's lover (f)
Dipaka, yukatsa gangster bodyguard to the Counterblast (nb)
Fitri Jamison, Old Textile Mill tegerist harborer (f)
Khayri Jelassi, lead outlaw (m)
Captain Mardavij Gilani, dashea smuggler (m)
Ostenaco, duldinavi bondsleader gangster (m)
Captain Tiyaga, the pinuan piratess (f)
Yongin Soo-Ah, guilgachin beggar leader (nb)
Signy Sissellssdottir, frostling street guardian

Chepi, nitotem amshuar (assassin)