Clan Saputo

L'organisation criminelle la plus puissante de Sharn a commencé comme une famille d'immigrants d'hobbits des plaines de Talenta. Ils appartiennent aux Soixante, un groupe prestigieux des familles puissantes de Sharn. Depuis leur humble début en tant qu'une gang de voleurs et de contrebandiers, les Saputos sont devenus l'une des forces les plus influentes de la ville. Ils ont la mainmise sur le marché noir et possèdent la majorité des salles de jeux de la ville. La plupart des receleurs et des voleurs de Sharn travaillent directement pour les Saputos ou paient un tribut en échange de leur indépendance. Le clan contrôle un vaste réseau d'extorsion, de chantage et de corruption qui s'étend des bidonvilles de la Basse Dura aux hauteurs de la Voie du Ciel, avec son siège social dans le quartier hobbit de Petites Plaines.

L'influence des Saputos s'étend bien au-delà du monde criminel. Les premiers patriarches Saputo ont investi judicieusement au cours des siècles, de sorte qu'aujourd'hui, les Saputos sont l'une des familles des Soixante de Sharn. Ilyra Saputo siège au conseil municipal et un certain nombre des autres conseillers sont de proches alliés du clan. La famille est liée par mariage à la Maison Brunet. Un Saputo assiste à chaque soirée de la Voie du Ciel. La famille possède des tavernes et des auberges dans toute la ville et ont un intérêt considérable dans le commerce maritime, stockant à la fois des biens légaux et de la contrebande dans de nombreux entrepôts de Précaire et des Porte des Rouages.

Même si certains membres du Conseil de Sharn et de la La Sûreté aimeraient voir les Saputos démantelés, il est peu probable que le syndicat s'effondre de si tôt. Dans de nombreux districts, les élus locaux et les officiers de la Sûreté reçoivent des pots-de-vin des Saputos depuis des générations.

Le cœur des membres du clan Saputo - comprenant environ un membre sur six - est une famille élargie d'Hobbits descendants d'immigrants venus à Sharn depuis les Plaines de Talenta. Un autre tiers des membres sont des hobbits non apparentés aux Saputos, et le reste appartient à d'autres espèces. Le syndicat emploie une grande variété de comptables et d'administrateurs ainsi que de cambrioleurs, d'escrocs, de contrebandiers et autres criminels. Lorsqu'une situation appelle à la violence physique, les Saputos engagent généralement des pigistes, des membres de la Sûreté ou des agents de la Maison Tarkanan. La famille Saputo proprement dite a une équipe de gardes du corps personnels appelés les Longues-Griffes, qui sont pour la plupart de féroces guerriers hobbits récemment déplacés des Plaines de Talenta. Ils défendent principalement les intérêts et le quartier général des Saputos dans le quartier hobbit des Petites Plaines.

The criminal nature of the Saputo Clan is an open secret, and in some districts the Saputos are seen as hometown heroes. They are immigrants who've made good, common people who've risen to rival the barons and kings. They give the people what they want, whether it's untaxed gambling, cheap spirits, or dreamlily. The clan operates with a degree of impunity because its operatives adhere to an unspoken rule: whenever possible, criminal acts against individuals should target tourists and travelers. Saputo pickpockets don't prey on the people they see every day. Instead, they seek out the many strangers who move around the city all the time. The Watch officer who turns a blind eye to a pickpocket thus feels justified, since it's not the citizens of Sham that are victimized.

Saputo's longstanding status at the head of Sham's criminal enterprises has recently come under challenge. After nearly a decade of slow growth, the Droaamish mob known as Daask has recently started targeting Saputo holdings. The halfling clan hasn't faced such a serious threat before, and it's scrambling to figure out how to deal with Daask's guerrilla tactics.

La nature criminelle du clan Saputo est un secret de polichinelle et, dans certains districts, les Saputo sont considérés comme des héros locaux. Ce sont des immigrants qui ont fait de bons gens ordinaires qui se sont élevés pour rivaliser avec les barons et les rois. Ils donnent aux gens ce qu'ils veulent, qu'il s'agisse de jeux de hasard non taxés, d'alcools bon marché ou de lis de rêve. Le clan opère avec une certaine impunité car ses agents adhèrent à une règle tacite : dans la mesure du possible, les actes criminels contre des individus doivent cibler les touristes et les voyageurs. Les pickpockets de Saputo ne s'attaquent pas aux gens qu'ils voient tous les jours. Au lieu de cela, ils recherchent les nombreux étrangers qui se déplacent tout le temps dans la ville. L'officier de garde qui ferme les yeux sur un pickpocket se sent donc justifié, puisque ce ne sont pas les citoyens de Sham qui sont victimes.

Le statut de longue date de Saputo à la tête des entreprises criminelles de Sham a récemment été remis en cause. Après près d'une décennie de croissance lente, la mafia Droaamish connue sous le nom de Daask a récemment commencé à cibler les avoirs de Saputo. Le clan hobbit n'a jamais été confronté à une menace aussi sérieuse auparavant, et il se démène pour trouver comment gérer les tactiques de guérilla de Daask.

Saputo OPERATIONS The Saputo Clan has a hand in all types of crime in Sharn. Most Saputo leaders despise unnecessary violence, but the clan has a host of enforcers and a handful of capable assassins. The clan's web of extortion is so thoroughly woven into society that many residents simply consider it another form of tax. Saputo specializes in three fields of activity: gambling, smuggling, and thievery. Gambling isn't illegal in Sham, but all legal games are taxed by the Brelon crown and are required to follow regulations that spoil the experience for many. Saputo's operations are cheaper to participate in and offer the lure of greater profits. Smuggling has become an increasingly important business since the Last War disrupted many traditional lines of trade. The clan's primary import is the narcotic called dreamlily. But the Saputos traffic in a wide range of goods, from arcane and alchemical weapons to foreign luxury items that have been made scarce by embargoes and sanctions. Under Boranel's law, it's forbidden to sell Aundairian wine in Breland, so if you want the good stuff, you'll need to work with the Saputos. Saputo-sanctioned acts of thievery include the activities of the ubiquitous pickpockets that can be found across the city as well as the well-planned jobs of professional burglars. As mentioned earlier, Saputo thieves focus their attention on visitors to Sham, thus avoiding friction with local law enforcement. When appropriate, stolen goods are transported out of the city by the fences and porters that drive the clan's smuggling operations.

Allies.

The Clan Saputo has a reputation for omnipotence that makes even the forces of law and order in Sharn hesitant to cross it. It's far safer to be an ally of the syndicate, or at least to stay out of its way, than it is to be its enemy-and it's more lucrative to boot. The following groups count themselves among the Saputo Clan's closest allies: Housebrunet. The head of the Clan Saputo, Saidan Saputo, is married to an unmarked heir of House Brunet, Mala Saputo de Brunet. This marriage has created important ties between the Saputos and the hobbit healers of Sharn. Members of the Saputo family can secure healing for free, and other members of the syndicate receive a 10 percent discount atBrunet houses of healing. Sharn Council. Of the seventeen members of Sharn's city council, four have close ties to the Saputo Clan-including one, Ilyra Saputo, who reports directly to the head of the syndicate. These four vote as a bloc to ensure that the council doesn't take direct action against the Saputos, while enough of the other council members fear the syndicate that they tend to carry the vote. A member of the Clan Saputo can call in a favor to secure an audience with one of these councilors, though such does not guarantee aid. Sharn Watch. The Saputos have been bribing captains of the Sharn Watch for generations. What's more, if the Clan Saputo collapsed, the underworld would erupt in anarchy as dozens of petty crime lords fought for territory and position. As a result, a member of the Saputos can call in a favor to get minor criminal charges dismissed.

Enemies. Despite the Clan Saputo's position of strength in Sharn, it has many foes, and their unrelenting assaults have put the syndicate in what might b􀀞 its most precarious position ever. Currently, the followmg groups pose the greatest threats to Saputo interests:

Daask. The monstrous criminal guild called Daask, a pawn of the leaders of Droaam, has started launching violent raids against Saputo holdings over the last two years. A mobile organization using guerrilla tactics, Daask has managed to circumvent Saputo security and avoid serious reprisals for a rangel of violent thefts and sabotages. Agents of Daask go out of their way to harm up-and-coming Saputo agents.

Sharn Council. Despite four friends on the city council, the Clan Saputo has several enemies as well. At least three councilors oppose the Saputos because of genuine concern for their constituents; two more oppose the syndicate because they're part of rival organizations (L'Aurum and the Les Tyrans). Because of their influence, the council has so far refused to devote any resources to combating the rise of Daask, hoping the monstrous guild will bring down the Saputos. Individual members of the Clan Saputo can be sure that these councilors will oppose any petition they might bring to the council.

• The Clan Saputo is the oldest and most powerful criminal organization in Breland. The Saputo hobbit leadership maintains ties to the Plaines de Talenta. Other notable criminal organizations include the monsters of Daask and Maison Tarkanan, an alliance of assassins and thieves with aberrant dragon marks (see chapter 4 for more about these crime syndicates).

Saputo C LAN N P C s The Saputo Clan employs people o f all races, but most of the organization and nearly all of its inner circle are made up of halflings. Some of the organization's most important people are these: • Saidan Saputo is the current patriarch of the family. He grew up in Lower Dura and worked as a thief and assassin there before taking over the organization. • Mala Saputo de Brunet is an heir of House Brunet and the Saputo family matriarch. Her position in the family ensures that important members of the Saputo Clan receive Brunet healing services at no cost to them; Saidan reimbursesbrunet from the clan's treasury. • Councilor Ilyra Saputo is the eldest daughter of Mala and Saidan and a member of the city council. The Saputos' enemies on the council have grown bolder in the face of increased Daask attacks against the clan, and some of Ilyra's influence has eroded as a result. • Halak Saputo is the family's chief enforcer. A recent immigrant from the Talenta Plains, Halak leads the Clawfoots, the Saputos' personal guard, and is an accomplished warrior. Ilsa Saputo is the family's leader in Callestan. She is ruthless in protecting her family's interests. • Castar, a gnome, is the lone non-halfling in the Saputos' inner circle. He serves as Saidan's chief advisor and the organization's intelligence expert. The family looks to Castar to come up with a plan to defeat Daask, but so far none of his ideas have worked.

SHADY NIGHTCLUB The Saputos control gambling dens and nightclubs throughout Sham. The finer establishments are places for the Saputo Clan to wine, dine, bribe, and extort the city's powerful elite. At the other end of the spectrum, the run-down gambling halls and dreamlily dens in the poorer districts are places where those in the employ of the Saputos plan heists, store smuggled goods, hide bodies and wanted criminals, interrogate Daask spies, make good on threats, and unwind. These places are public and expertly run by the city's most powerful criminals, so an openly violent approach to problem-solving in such a spot is likely to end in tragedy for the characters. When combat does occur in one of these nightclubs, it's usually because the instigators have brought enough strength of arms to take on the Saputos. SHADY NIGHTCLUB FEATURES The nightclub shown on map 4.12 could be tied to the Saputo Clan, or it could be any Sham nightclub you need it to be. Made to accommodate customers from halflings to ogres, the club's double doorways are 10 feet wide, and its ceilings are 15 feet tall. Hooks, shelves, handrails, and furniture are provided at three different levels and sizes. The nightclub has three entrances. Two are connected to the outside: a main entrance guarded by a bouncer and a back door that is locked from inside. Another locked entrance is connected to a stair that leads up and down to other levels in the nightclub's tower. The club's main entrance opens into an entry vestibule. The attached cloakroom has a hidden door that leads to a secret room where criminal meetings and illegal activities take place. The casino floor in the nightclub has tables running games of chance, a bar, and a raised stage. Bathrooms, a kitchen, and private rooms for high-roller games (and more criminal meetings and illegal activities) are accessible from the casino floor. Saputo's security and management offices are connected by a hallway to the casino floor, the secret meeting room, and a second secret area used to store illegal contraband or captives. Occupants of both offices can see into these attached areas by way of magic oneway mirrors.

Saputo C LAN CAMPAIGN THEMES

THE Saputo CLAN The Saputo Clan began as a family of halfling immigrants from the Talenta Plains. Today the Saputos are one of Sham's most influential families; there's a Saputo on the City Council. Also, the Saputos have close ties by marriage to the local branch of House Brunet, and clan members can be seen at every Skyway gala. The Saputo Clan specializes in gambling, theft, and smuggling. In addition, it governs a wide network of lesser gangs and crime lords across the city. In the past, the clan's reputation was sufficiently strong to prevent any challenges. Over the last decade, however, the Boro­ mars have been fending off a serious challenge from Daask. Those monsters have been aggressively target­ ing Saputo agents and holdings, and the feud between the two forces grows more heated all the time. Having a connection to the Saputo Clan makes you part of the established power in Sharn. It's an organiza­ tion that values tradition and prefers to avoid violence. As an associate of the clan, you'll be expected to respect the hierarchy and follow the rules, and you might be tar­ geted by Daaskjust as if you were a Saputo yourself. If you have a contact in the Saputo Clan, you might know someone on the Saputo Contacts table. Saputo CO NTACTS d6 Contact Sundry (gnome) is a fence who runs a pawn shop in the Bazaar of Dura and has ties to many smugglers, sailors, and burglars. 2 Canon (halfling) is a pickpocket who works across Sharn and is at home throughout the lower districts. 3 The Rake (dwarf) runs a handful of gambling dens and sets odds on the sporting events ofSharn. 4 Myri Olar (halfling) is a burglar and socialite, familiar with many ofthe mansions ofthe upper districts. 5 Hass Faldren (half-elf) is a smuggler and the captain of the elemental sloop Ice Storm. Hass is also well con­ nected on the docks and in the warehouse districts. 6 Cala Saputo (halfl ing) is a lawyer by trade but with specialties in blackmail and intimidation. Ca la loves engaging in the art of negotiation and is always inter­ ested in acquiring secrets.

PATRON BENEFITS With a crime syndicate as your group's patron, you gain the following benefits: The Clan Saputo doesn't pay you, but it might assign you to particular tasks. Sometimes these are tasks someone has hired the syndicate to perform (such as an assassination), in which case the syndicate passes 85 percent of the fee on to your group. Other times, your aim is to enrich the syndicate (such as by pulling off a heist), in which case you have the priv­ ilege of keeping 85 percent of what you steal. Other syndicates might take more or less than a 15 percent share, at the DM's discretion. Contraband. You have access to your syndicate's “busi­ ness” of dealing with contraband, such as poisons or narcotics. You don't receive a discount on these goods, but you can always find someplace to purchase them. Fences. Members or associates of your syndicate are skilled at disposing of stolen goods, and you have access to this service as well. Fences are useful for selling not just illicit goods but also expensive items such as works of art and even Objets Magiques. In the case of Objets Magiques, this allows you to delegate the work of finding a buyer (a downtime activity described in the Dungeon Master's Guide and Xanathar's Guide to Ev­ erything) to the fence. The drawback is that you don't get to choose whether to accept the offer you might receive-the fence makes that call for you. Immunity. As a member of the Clan Saputo, you are protected from other members of the clan. No one in your syndicate targets you for their own criminal op­ erations. (Of course, the same is expected of you.) On the other hand, if you have rivals within the clan, they might find other ways to interfere with your activities. Syndicate-Owned Businesses. The Clan Saputo owns several businesses, primarily as fronts for laun­ dering money. When you buy from one of these busi­ nesses, you get a 5 percent discount. The DM decides what goods and services are available. Assignments.

SHADY NIGHTCLUB ADVENTURES The Shady Nightclub Adventures table offers reasons for the characters to enter one of these dangerous places. If the characters have a Saputo patron, that NPC could use a shady nightclub as a base of operations. S H A DY N I G H TC L U B ADV E N T U R E S d6 Adventure Goal Get accepted i nto a private h igh-stakes card game, and try to win the grand prize. 2 Find out which Sharn Watch captain has a private meeting with a Saputo fence, and steal whatever the captai n is buying. 3 Track down a missing noble hu nted by assassins. 4 Steal a h idden stash of d ream l i ly. 5 Broker a deal with the Saputos on behalf of a city councilor who's too scared to face the family i n person. 6 Find evidence that cou ld be used to blackmail a member of a d ragonmarked house. Saputo VILLAINS With few exceptions, Saputo villains shun violence and would prefer to bribe, deceive, or manipulate the characters rather than send a squad of goons to attack them. That said, any of these villains and their minions will respond in kind if they are attacked or threatened. Examples of Saputo Clan villains appear on the Saputo Clan Villains table. B O R O M A R VI L L A I N S d6 Villain A halfl i ng d ream l i l y dealer (an excoriate of House G h a l landa) smooth-talks new customers i nto sampling her wares. I f pressed, she can call i n favors from a number of dangerous clients. 2 A j udge known as “the Turnkey” always rules in favor of Saputo Clan m e m bers. 3 A halfling pickpocket using alter self to pose as a child of another race plants contraband on people the Saputos are tryi ng to frame. 4 A Saputo rogue has kid napped the child of a strongly anti- Saputo city cou ncilor. 5 A kalashtar psychic serves the clan by detecting thoughts that suggest possibil ities for blackmail. What stray thought m ight they pick u p from an adventurer? 6 A Saputo s m uggler is bringing u nstable explosives or an especia lly addictive form of d ream l i ly i nto Sharn, and innocents are being h u rt.

The true power of the Saputo Clan lies i n its institutions: watch officers who have been allied to the clan for generations, judges who are blackmailed into compliance, and officials who receive lucrative bribes in exchange for their cooperation. Adventurers who oppose the Saputos might discover that people they think of as friends and allies are in the pocket of the clan. The Saputos are villains in the noir tradition, and adventurers determined to tangle with them will be drawn down into the mud. The Saputo Clan could serve as a group patron for a party of adventurers, as described in chapter 1 . The Saputo Clan Assignments table provides goals for adventurers who are working with the clan, and the “Crime Syndicate” section of chapter 1 includes additional ideas. B O R O M A R C L A N AS S I G N M E N TS d6 Assignment Find evidence of an affa i r between two mem bers of different d ragon ma rked houses. 2 Collect from a fence who is late with a payment. 3 Steal the bank records of a city councilor. 4 Convince a Sharn Watch captai n to aggressively root out Daask operatives. 5 Retrieve a package of d reamlily that has gone astray. 6 D iscover the location of a Daask safe house. Saputo CLAN ADVENTURE HOOKS The Saputo Clan Adventure Hooks table presents ideas for additional adventures themed around the Saputo Clan. 8 0 R O M A R C L A N A DV E N T U R E H O O K S d 4 Adventure Hook Daask forces capt u re Saputo family m e m bers who are visiting Sharn from the Talenta Plains. The Saputos offer a reward for the safe return of their fa m i ly and a larger reward for the kidnappers' heads, leading to gang violence i n the streets. 2 A beloved Sharn Watch captai n who openly spoke out against the Saputo Clan d i s appears. The Saputos claim they had noth i n g to do with it, but some Sharn Watch mem bers use the i ncident as a n excuse to go after the organization. 3 A changelin stole a smuggled artifact of great value from the Saputo Clan. Saputo enforcers shake down people a l l over S harn to fi n d it, and clan leaders consider goi n g to war with the Tyrants. 4 The Saputos stage a festival in Cal lestan for Saidan's birthday. A l l of the fam i ly's al lies will be there, creating opportu n ities for espionage and assassi nation .