Buildengands
From the early days of the settlement after the coming of the Blood of Saemon, along with government and rulers came organized crime. Three crime syndicates in particular paralleled the rise of the Eastern Lands of (Osten), Dundaria, and Gladnor. Operating just out of their reach, even the Sea-Kings had respect for their power to strangle trade if need be. Little is known about the syndicates, other than their collective name – The Buildengands. Much is claimed, but little known. What is known is that they vied with legitimate governments to control trade and wealth. It is thought that The Salamander’s Guild was initially empowered to break the power of The Buildengands from the inside – and break it they did, eventually. The last of their power was broken after The Sundering caused a great disruption, leaving only regional crime syndicates, “guilds” and gangs. The Salamander’s Guild eradicated the remnants of Buildengands leadership in the heartlands and passed mostly into myth themselves. Everyone knows it exists today and has its operations world-wide… though its function remains a mystery coated in rumors. Speaking of which, rumors persist of the continued presence of pieces of The Buildengands today – a sort of “crime boogeyman” which is supposedly responsible for all manner of political and economic woes. Of course, it could just be The Salamander’s Guild trying to hide their own efforts… but that’s what you would expect… or is it? The only far-reaching impact of the Buildengands to last was their development of a hybrid of Yvaldeysean, Gladnorian, Osten (eastern – root of Gladnorean) and Dundarian that would eventually become the foundation for Mercat, but is more of a pigeon/slang based set of references and concepts useful to thieves, smugglers, and fences – essentially the “Cant“ used in illicit activities.