Pikers
PIKERS are the sacrificial fodder targeted by the Brokers of the Stock Market. Their suffering is intended to feed the Thing Who Controls the City, and the higher ranks desire credit for feeding the Thing a delicious meal.
Only the rare few are elevated through the ranks. If your character wishes to start here, we don’t sacrifice OCs for no reason, or without consent! Talk to us about how you’d like to have them work through the challenge of rank-climbing.
Pikers who demonstrate a sufficient level of scrutiny are plucked from the bottom tier and elevated to Low-Level Brokers.
Low-Level Brokers
LOW-LEVEL BROKERS are motivated by zealotry. They believe in the cause of becoming more powerful. They are able to see their bosses (the high-level brokers) gaining power, station, riches, etc. They do not yet know that they could potentially exert influence on the City, they just want to be in the “cool” club. The rituals help reinforce this feeling of exclusivity and importance. They look down on the Pikers, even though they need to be quite good at targeting them. LLB crave the company of their fellow Stock Market members when they’re away from them for too long.
On a day-to-day basis, LLB maintain a
day job and a public persona while they hunt for Pikers. LLB are expected to cultivate a reputation in the public for being rich, philanthropic, and successful.
Targeting a Piker to suffer on behalf of the Stock Market can take one of the following roles. While LLM Brokers may have talents in multiple areas, we prefer them to focus their energy on one category:
Conflict Broker
Encouraging mental and physical distress in others. This can be violence, sowing discord, instigating fights, etc. Good old-fashioned war, on any scale.
famine Broker
The removal of resources from others. Because TNC is run in a socialist structure, and resources are plentiful, the removal of housing, food, job security, etc. causes suffering which can be harvested. Famine can also be achieved via the conquest of individuals, removing their personal freedoms in ways that lead to suffering. (Ex: getting someone fired from a job, psychological domination.)
Pestilence/Pollution Broker
Actively making the environment a harmful place, either via damage to the physical landscape or via biological warfare. The negative impacts of this work must be felt by the residents to matter.
Viparinama Broker
Prolonging the discomfort of people who have newly arrived to the City constitutes ‘the suffering of change’. This could also refer to tormenting individuals who are experiencing bodily changes due to being in the City.
Ignorance/Misinformation Broker
Sowing the suffering brought about by lies, miscommunication, and intentional disinformation.
middle management
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT will never attempt to become high-level brokers; they are not seeking the power that others are. They’re doing day to day work, though they are still deeply committed to the stock market.
Bourse
An internal banker, who ensures that Stock Market brokers are being paid for their work.
penny grinder
An assassin who targets necessary deaths outside of killings done for sacrificial purposes. Put to work rarely, and generally in the service of preserving the Stock Market’s secrecy.
The Bear & The Bull
These two individuals work in tandem, and are deeply connected. Job description TBD.
high-Level Brokers
HIGH-LEVEL BROKERS have seen behind the curtain: they know what happens at the top, and how the board functions, and are close enough to it to taste the real power. They are kept invested via promises: one day we’ll open up a spot on the board and all the HLBs are competing for that spot. Don’t you want to shape the City?
Dark Pool
THE DARK POOL has management power over almost everyone, but also has the hardest job. They are the bureaucrats who keep things in balance, and keep everyone else in line, so that the Board can focus on their “noble works.” They’re a little bit less zealous in their faith, more down to earth and business-like. This is a thankless tier and also the most trusted by the Board.
Resurrectionist
Responsible for reinvigorating Stock Market members’ enthusiasm for the cult. They lead rituals, manage the bone dust supply, and keep track of whose zealotry may be waning. Essentially, a cursed party-planner.
Jawbone
One of the rare managers who still has a public persona. This public charmer looks for members who might be worthy of skipping lower tiers to come directly into upper management.
Umbraduct
A vessel for sacrifices and offerings.
Filled by Thursday Zoroel Orobas.
perks
THE DARK POOL has management power over almost everyone, but also has the hardest job. They are the bureaucrats who keep things in balance, and keep everyone else in line, so that the Board can focus on their “noble works.” They’re a little bit less zealous in their faith, more down to earth and business-like. This is a thankless tier and also the most trusted by the Board.
