The stone is a symbol of violence, steadfastness, and death. And today, the Stone is the unshakable authority that controls the world of killers.
Nobody knows the name of the person, or people, who sit at the top of the Stone. What’s certain is that the Stone makes the rules and sets the laws, and that all killers are bound to obey their orders, and to serve to the best of their abilities.
The Stone’s leader is a mysterious figure known only as the First. The First is never seen in public, their voice is never heard, and they only manifest their will through the words and actions of Legates and Judges.
The only people who have a direct contact with the First are the six leaders of the six Families who preside over the Stone Seats, and gather around their table. Even then, the six bosses maintain that they have no information about the First, don’t know whether they are a man or a woman, how they are elected, when, or by whom.
The Families are much more than groups of killers who happen to share blood relations. They are powerful criminal organizations subject to the Stone. Each of them is granted control of a large area, and their influence allows them to shape entire nations, establishing rules, controlling contracts, and grooming the best killers to use as their tools.
Since only the six most powerful Families earn a seat at the table, these criminal organizations are in a constant near-war state, working every possible angle in order to gain power over the others.
Eliminating key opponents or snatching important contracts from opposing factions is always a good way to sway the power balance, so long as things don’t boil over, as any sign of open conflict will surely upset the First.
When the Stone needs to address someone directly, they send a Legate. These emissaries have the power to speak on behalf of the Stone and can be easily recognized because they carry written messages in adorned scroll-cases.
Judges are simultaneously first-class killers, tireless hounds, and generals of the Stone. They are usually tasked with solving the most delicate or thorniest situations. When someone breaks the laws, a Judge is sent to take stock of the situation, reach a verdict, and carry out the deserved punishment on the spot.
The Stone maintains a special force of trained soldiers known as Pretorians. Chosen among the most promising killers and trained for years in secret facilities, these legendary super-soldiers are always seen wearing tactical gear, including bullet-proof masks, and sometimes display the emblem of their leader.
While they do not hold a Seat at the Stone, and do not belong to the most important Families, Patricians are still full-fledged members of nobility in the world of killers.