Fagin's Riches is the name of the vast criminal empire ruled over by Lord Fagin, the Pirate King, and centered on Tomin Kora. Fagin's Riches is a large and powerful organization that dominates the region of the Orion Arm known as The Fringe. While it is primarily known for its various criminal enterprises, in practice Fagin's Riches is a force to be reckoned with politically, economically and even militarily.
Contents
History
Fagin's Riches was established in the year 2414 by Lord Fagin, who was able to bring together the scattered bands of pirates and smugglers operating in the Tomin Nebula under his own control and establish the first guilds on Tomin Kora. According to legend, Fagin declared his intent to build an empire that would dominate the Fringe during a gathering he had called in the hollowed-out asteroid known as Nepthys, which orbits Tomin Kora. During the gathering, which included perhaps two hundred unaligned pirates and smugglers from throughout the Fringe, Fagin laid claim for the first time to the title of Pirate King, and demanded the rest pay homage to him and supply him with a cut of all their profits. Most refused, and as weapons had been banned from the meeting, they prepared to leave. But Fagin had secretly purchased the loyalty of 12 pirate captains and their crews, who had secretly hidden weapons in the cavern, which they now used to hold the rest prisoner until they submitted to Fagin's rule. A brief fight ensued, during which Lord Fagin himself, so the story goes, seized a nearby pickaxe and drove it through the eye of one of his main rivals, killing him. Fagin's supporters quickly cowed the rest of the gathering, after which Fagin laid out a plan in which all those present would become richer and more powerful than they had ever dreamed. This was enough to end all opposition; Fagin was accepted as King. The pirates and smugglers who attended the meeting were organized into the first Guilds, and Fagin appointed Guildmasters from among his surviving former rivals. The 12 captains, with their crews, who had supported Fagin's bid for power became the basis of the newly formed Elite Guard.
The cavern where this meeting allegedly took place is today the home of the Cloak and Dagger Tavern on Nephthys Station, and is among the most popular taverns in the Orion Arm.
In the aftermath of this bid for power, Fagin was able to secure control of all of Tomin Kora. Beneath the sleepy town of Freewheeling he began to build a great palace, which would not be completed for many years. Slowly, Fagin's grasp stretched out beyond Tomin Kora to the other worlds of the Fringe.
In 2593, Fagin's Riches obtained Otherspace Drive technology. This allowed his power and influence to spread exponentially. Under the power of the Elite Guard, and with the aid of the Guilds, Fagin was able to turn Tomin Kora into a major hub of commerce and trade, and Freewheeling into a thriving, if dangerous and unruly, metropolis. Gradually, the governments of Ungstir, Antimone, Quaquan, Val Shohob and Odari all came to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Pirate King. While Fagin leaves these worlds to govern their internal affairs most of the time, he has the right and the power to intervene any time he chooses on any Fringe planet, and members of Fagin's Riches are guaranteed safe conduct on all Fringe worlds. Fagin's Riches dominates the space and the commerce of all these planets, and the organization has a strong presence on each world.
Organization
Lord Fagin
There are many legends and rumors about Lord Fagin, the Pirate King, yet no one ever sees him. As "Fagin" has been ruling without any apparent interruption for over 200 years, it has long been speculated that there has been more than one Lord Fagin, and that Fagin's Riches is governed by some sort of dynastic succession the exact rules of which are unclear. "Lord Fagin" may therefore be more of a title than a personal name, and the events of Fagin's Riches' founding would have surrounded the first Lord Fagin. How many have ruled since then is anyone's guess; on Tomin Kora, it is never directly acknowledged that the current Fagin is not the same man who swung the pickaxe in that cavern on Nephthys long ago. It is not known what race Fagin is, or even for certain if the current Fagin is male or female, though he is always referred to as male. It is presumed that Fagin lives in his legendary secret palace beneath Freewheeling. The palace is said to contain unfathomable riches accumulated by Fagin in the over 230 years of his reign; the approach to the palace is hidden, and rumored to be defended by various booby traps of cunning lethality. Periodically, treasure hunters descend into the sewers beneath Freewheeling hoping to be the first to make it to the palace and perhaps steal a small part of the Pirate King's great wealth; while it seems Fagin actually encourages this practice and has been said to offer a reward to anyone who can pull it off, so far no one who has attempted it has survived. Fagin is defended by the Elite Guard, who serve as both his bodyguard and military force.
The Majordomo
The public face of Fagin's Riches is not Lord Fagin himself, but his majordomo. The process by which the majordomo is chosen is unclear, but he or she is usually a member of the Elite Guard, and serves as the effective commander of that organization. The majordomo acts and speaks for Lord Fagin to the outside world; thus the majordomo could be said to possess the powers of the Pirate King whenever Fagin is not present. This close relationship between majordomo and Pirate King has led some to speculate that they are not in fact separate people; that the majordomo may be a public identity assumed by the current Lord Fagin to allow him to exercise the powers of his realm while maintaining the air of mystery surrounding his person. All members of Fagin's Riches ultimately answer to the majordomo, who (presumably) answers only to Fagin himself.
The Elite Guard
The Elite Guard is the military force of Fagin's Riches. Its exact size and composition is unknown, but it ranks among the major militaries of the Orion Arm. It enables Fagin to dominate the other worlds of the Fringe, and maintains his rule on Tomin Kora. Soldiers in the Guard wear uniforms of silver and blue. It is commanded by Fagin's majordomo, who is almost always a member of the Guard.
The Elite Guard has bases, ships and military assets throughout the Fringe. It is powerful enough to deter any interference in the Fringe from the Stellar Consortium and the Vanguard. It would take a determined and large scale attack to overwhelm the Guard and successfully invade the Fringe.
It has long been assumed that the Guard is a mercenary force, but this is not strictly true. Its loyalty to the power structure of Fagin's Riches is unshakeable. Exactly how one is recruited into the Guard is unknown. It is presumed they have some sort of secret training facility somewhere deep in the Tomin Nebula.
The Elite Guard is the source of Lord Fagin's power. It enforces his will on Tomin Kora and Nephthys. Fringe planets such as Ungstir, Quaquan, Val Shohob, Odari and Antimone are "protected" by the Guard, which far exceeds the power of their own local militias. At the same time, Fagin can use the Guard to enforce his will on these worlds should they ever attempt to defy him.
According to legend, the Guard was founded by Fagin himself, using the 12 pirate crews that were loyal to him at the establishment of Fagin's Riches. Whether or not this is true, the Elite Guard clearly played a role in the establishment of Fagin's rule, and is largely responsible for maintaining it.