THE FLEAS

History

Life is harsh on the streets of Stormreach, and childrengrow up fast or not at all. A number of gangsof feral children prey on strangers to the city. In theshadows of the city, a ghost watches the savage childrenand recruits the cream of this motley crop for hisgang—a twisted family known as the Fleas.The leader of the gang is a ghost named Drifter.He has the appearance of a human boy of ten years ofage, blackened and bloated from drowning. Despitehis youthful appearance, Drifter is an old spirit and askilled thief, and he trains his young protégés in thearts of stealth and deception.Sear and Tick, two current high-ranking gangmembers, have developed signifi cant supernaturalabilities that make them formidable adversaries despitetheir age. Tick’s surprising physical and mental mighthave proven the undoing of more than a few unsuspectingadults.The Fleas don’t claim territory. They movearound the city, focusing their attacks on newcomersand travelers.Fleas rely on their youthful appearance to distractand disorient foreign adults. A common ploy is for sixto eight children to surround a traveler, begging andpleading for coppers or sweets; in the process, they usethe aid another action to help one of their number useSleight of Hand to cut the victim’s purse. If their guiseis discovered, they scatter in all directions. Fleas alsorun simple con games on gullible foreigners. They arealways looking for opportunities to scavenge or takeadvantage of others. If a group of adventurers engagesin a battle in the streets, Fleas dart in and pluck lootfrom fallen foes while the heroes are still engagedin battle.Even though they are children, the Fleas haveseen more horrors than most adults. They have amaturity beyond their years, coupled with an innocentcruelty. They feel no remorse for their actions, andtheir only loyalty is to their adopted family. Becauseof their skills, Fleas advance to join adult gangs oncethey are old enough; as a result, other criminalswatch over the Fleas or pay the Fleas to serve as decoysor lookouts.The Fleas are typically homeless orphans. Drifterhelps them establish safe havens around the city,hideouts they can slip into to escape pursuit. Theymake full use of their small size, and many of theseholes are inaccessible to larger creatures. The ganghas three primary dens, located in the Sloths, theHarbor district, and Locksmith Square. At any giventime, the members of the gang are split between twoof these locations.The level of skill displayed by the Fleas is remarkablefor children, refl ecting Drifter’s strict trainingregimen and the fact that he picks his recruitscarefully. Fleas who survive long enough typicallyadvance to become full rogues instead of experts.

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