Brass Jack Combine — a (mostly) goblin syndicate that grew out of Red Jack's casino floors and turned its brass gaming tokens into a shadow currency. They run tables, loan markers, and “security,” then parlay profits into freight contracts, warehouses, and—most recently—mining claims that put them nose-to-nose with the Iron Gospel Railway. Unlike most Red Jack outfits, the Combine works with anyone who makes numbers climb: dwarven engineers on contract, Human brokers, Bugbear enforcers, even Tiefling caravans when a cut is fair.
Their methods are flexible and rarely clean: blackmail, intimidation, counterfeit scrip, forged cords, front companies, and a stable of lawyers who can outlast a sheriff’s patience. They prefer deals over shootouts and bribes over bombs, but they’ll flip the table if cornered. In Red Jack, the Combine acts “respectable”—house rules, posted odds, discreet arbitration. Out in The Dark West, they muscle payroll routes, undercut ore bids, and court towns that want rail money without rail chains. Everyone knows the joke: the Brass Jack won’t promise you heaven—but they’ll sell you odds you can live with.