Difference between revisions of "The Shadow"

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Revision as of 14:26, 16 July 2010

Reiko is hunting him. So is Yoshi, perhaps to reform him before Reiko kills him.

An Old Buddy Told Li Merit

AKA: The Shadow... no one regularly calls him anything else. Actually, that's quite explicit. He's called the Shadow. No other name is known to be associated with him at all.

Area of operation: Unclear, and seems to change over time. Current influence is believed to be strongest in urban and populated areas, in the north of the empire.

Recent events of note: He was involved in a small war between a couple of Hon'eth Arcade crime organizations, each attempting to expand into the Butterfly Kingdom. He seems to have been supporting the League of the Hidden Hand from Merit's experience in the cave of teleporting opium smugglers. The Circle of Spite (a Tong based out of the southern Arcade) was driven from the island in part due to the Shadow's intimidation.

General Modus Operandi: The Shadow is not, per se, a crime lord. But he's the guy that wise crime lords fear. He doesn't have a large army of grunts and foot soldiers, but is said to have powerful lieutenants with interests in particular specialties, and will hire when needed. He has a reputation for paying well and honoring his obligations, but dealing with the Shadow carries great risks, for while he does honor all of his obligations, he also insures that you honor all of your obligations to him. If you are to deliver something to a place at a time, have that thing at the place, at the time. If you are a few minutes late, he might not notice, or he might destroy everything you care about, in excessive overkill.

On the other hand, he is said to be able to deliver that which others cannot, and his strict enforcement of obligation is useful in negotiations between rivals or groups with different interests. An agreement brokered by the Shadow is more solid and less likely to end in betrayal than one without.

He tends to promote a balance between order and chaos in the criminal underworld in those areas where he has influence. Order in as much as stability increases business and profit across the board. Chaos in as much as he seems to favor new blood over older concerns when there's a direct conflict.

Those who do find themselves in the Shadow's sight, either because they've annoyed him personally, or because he has reason to deal with them, often find themselves the victim of overkill. He goes far enough to make sure whatever he is doing never has to be done again.

Other: It's said that he "knows what evil lurks in the heart of men." This is taken to mean that he has excellent sources for obtaining material with which to blackmail almost anyone.

It's also said that he "can not stand the light of day", and indeed all direct reports of someone claiming to have seen the Shadow himself, have occurred at night.

Description: No reliable description has be obtained, unless you believe in inky black cloaks that radiate fear, and a terrible visage that pierces deep into the soul.