The Queen’s Guard is responsible for policing Freyk’s Wall. Or most of it. Residents of Dragon’s Reach and Cliffside hire private security to keep order in their districts. The Guardians, mages working for the Academy, keep student mages from getting too out of hand in the Spires. No Guardsmen have dared patrol in the Tyr or Kalltown for years.
The Guard does a reasonably good job in keeping order. Most citizens are safe walking the streets during the day. Pickpockets and cutpurses work crowded areas. Muggers watch out for lone pedestrians at night. The Guards catch most burglars and other minor criminals, unless those criminals belong to one of the more powerful or more affluent gangs. The Guard has less success solving major crimes. Most kidnappers and hired murderers have influential protectors.
Pickpocketing: Several of the gangs start junior members at pickpockets and cutpurses. Many independent thieves are also drawn to this type of crime. An independent caught by a gang will be beaten or maimed, if they are not very skilled, or recruited, if they are.
Mugging: Most gangs do not condone mugging by their members. In Freyk’s Wall, this crime usually has a relatively high risk for a relatively low reward.
Burglary: Burglary is a fairly rare crime. Burglars caught in Dragon’s Reach or Cliffside tend to disappear. Worse may happen to those caught by the mage Guardians in the Spires. The gangs that rule the Tyr and Kalltown have their own methods of suppressing unauthorized crime. Guard patrols in other districts are effective deterrents.
Prostitution: Prostitution is legal but highly regulated in Freyk’s Wall. Prostitutes can only work in licensed brothels. Street walking and many of the more abusive sexual practices are illegal.
Gambling: Bets between private parties are not illegal. Bookmaking is. Private stock companies are rare, and stock markets do not exist.
Smuggling: Intercontinental freighters and smaller river boats move in and out of the Docks at all hours. Most of these goods go through legitimate traders. A substantial portion are transported under forged tax seals. Small, high value goods may arrive or depart in hidden compartments never seen by port officials.
Piracy: The interception of ocean-going ships does not occur in Freyk’s Wall itself, of course. Lone ships traveling between Freyk’s Wall and Glorien are vulnerable.
Kidnapping: Kidnapping for money can be lucrative in Freyk’s Wall, particularly kidnapping of younger members of affluent noble families. A Duke would rather pay a ransom than admit that he could not protect his family. Kidnapping for other reasons, such as coercing a financier into providing a loan, are also common.
Spying and blackmail: Freyk’s Wall is riddled with factions and a focus for intrigue. Acquiring faction secrets is highly profitable. As is selling those secrets back to the original faction.
Counterfeiting and forgery: Commerce and trade produce the wealth of Freyk’s Wall. Fake goods and fake documents put some of that wealth in gang pockets.
Illegal magic: Many illicit acts are made easier or made possible by application of magic. Even licensed mages can be tempted by the rewards, monetary and otherwise, for criminal activity.
Murder: The Guard is reasonably successful in catching amateur murderers of commoners. They rarely catch hired killers. Nobles rarely cooperate with the guard when one of their own family or retainers has been killed.
The following gangs operate in Freyk’s Wall:
The Fallen: These Galliana control Kalltown, both legitimate and illegitimate activities.
The Shadow Chapter: Mages for hire. Specialties: Counterfeiting, forgery, spying, blackmail, kidnapping.
Sewer Rats: A mostly disorganized group of ruffians headquartered in the sewers. Specialties: Pickpocketing, cutting purses, burglary
Paper Ghosts: Accountants, lesser financiers and merchants, port officials. Specialties: Forgery, counterfeiting, smuggling.
Corn Combine: A consortium of otherwise legitimate merchants and traders. Specialties: Counterfeiting, forgery, smuggling, spying
Red Room: One of the most successful and powerful gangs. Their five leaders meet wearing masks to keep their identities secret even from each other. Each leader is responsible for one type of criminal activity: Rook - Spying and blackmail, Hood - Kidnapping, Book - Gambling, Muff - Prostitution, Shiv - Murder.
Blue Knives: A violent gang focusing on Midtown and Dragon’s Reach. Specialties: Pickpocketing, cutting purses, kidnapping, murder.
Lanterns: A multitalented gang that operates entirely at night. Specialties: Burglary, prostitution, kidnapping, and murder.
Pleasure Garden: Not so much a gang as an illicit enterprise providing high-class prostitutes.
Brotherhood of the Beam: A pirate fleet that is also responsible for smuggling goods into or out of Freyk’s Wall.
Kylfings: Nickname for the Dalibor pirates.
Den of the Red Wolf 