In the Emporium Crew game, the tension between Red Sashes and the Lampblacks was ‘in the background’ for the first two seasons (22 sessions).
To begin with, one of the Emporium Crew (Leander) had a neutral contact in the Lampblacks (Bazso Bas) and another of the Crew (Hal) had a negative contact in the Red Sashes (Mercy) - this influenced the Crew’s interactions with the two groups.
Both the Red Sashes and Lampblacks were ‘arming for war’ over the first 22 sessions. If there was any direct conflict between the two parties, it didn’t happen ‘on camera’. Hence there was tension, but not War…
During those first 22 sessions, the Emporium Crew had a few run ins with the Red Sashes, and came into conflict with the Circle of Flame (Tier 3). The Emporium Crew eliminated the Circle of Flame’s muscle, the Umbra Hunters, and the Red Sashes filled the void. Members of the Red Sashes started working at the Centuralia Club, which was controlled by Harvale Brogan, a member of the Circle of Flame. The Emporium Crew eliminated Harvale Brogan, and Leander (the Crew’s Slide) took over control of the Centuralia Club as part of the truce with the Circle of Flame. Leander decided to retain the services of the Red Sashes at the Centuralia Club.
Hence when the War finally broke out, the Emporium Crew were now Tier 3 and many of the Red Sashes were working at the Centuralia Club (which was being managed by the Crew’s Slide). This meant that the Emporium Crew had a Tier advantage over the Red Sashes (who were still only Tier 2).
In Session 23, War finally broke out – see Part 5 of the linked writeup.
It broke out because Hal (The Crew’s Cutter) finally ‘snapped’ - he had had enough of Mercy (his negative contact) and the tension between the two groups (Lampblacks and Red Sashes). He pushed the Emporium Crew to pick a side, and they decided to back the Lampblacks.
Leander (the Crew’s Slide) decided that he wanted to salvage as many of the ‘good and reliable’ Red Sashes as he could, so he organised to put them on the same shift at the Centuralia Club.
The Emporium Crew had access to a Tier 5 weapon (an electroplasmic gatling gun), but had to recover it from the Greycloaks. Getting ammunition for it proved relatively easy.
They then tried to enlist the Lampblacks to start the War (so that the Emporium Crew - a bunch of smugglers - were not found out). This proved harder to achieve than expected because Bazso Bas didn’t believe Leander at first. After all, here was Leander, known to be operating ‘a candy store’ (with a bit of smuggling on the side), urging the Lampblacks to wipe out the Red Sashes in one night.
Bazso Bas was a bit shaken when he realised that Leander was serious. Bazso hadn’t realised that the Emporium Crew had the resources to pull off something like this.
Mylera Klev was ambushed by the Emporium Crew (with Lampblack allies) and held hostage.
The Lampblacks then sent a letter to the Red Sashes (the letter was written by the Emporium Crew) under the pretense of a negotiation.
The Red Sashes were already understrength, so they called in their own allies (extra muscle from the Docks).
The end result was that the Emporium Crew (with the gatling gun and many improvised mines) massacred the Red Sashes in the catacombs beneath Doskvol. Hence the Tier 3 Emporium Crew laid a good ambush, and they succeeded in wiping out a disadvantaged Tier 2 Gang.
The fall-out from this is as follows:
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The remaining Red Sashes at the Centuralia Club were taken under Leander’s wing (for their own protection), and they agreed to this. After all, they had nowhere else to go.
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Nyryx (the Possessor Ghost) was encouraged to possess Mylera Klev, and hence Nyryx is now walking around in her body. (how long this will last is anyone’s guess)
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The Lampblacks have now attracted the attention of the Crows (the dominant gang in Crow’s foot) and there is new tension building.
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Because the gatling gun was used (it has only been used once previously, again to murder a Tier 1 Gang, the Bloodletters), there are now Inspectors and members of the Imperial Military investigating. There are also Spirit Wardens on the case because of the number of dead.
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The Red Sashes in Doskvol are not the only Red Sashes. They have connections in other cities and on some of the Leviathans. The sudden demise of the Red Sashes in Doskvol has not gone unnoticed.