⚠️ Stub — basic pass only. Supersedes former `halfling-private-networks` entry. Note: they would find the term "league" slightly insulting — they are not organized, they are present.
Overview
The ubiquitous connective tissue of the Silk Road — a diaspora-compact whose members are present in every city, every caravanserai, every port, and every court. They do not call themselves a faction; they would dispute the word. They move, they mediate, they know, and they do not share what they know with anyone who has not earned the trust. Their private networks and mediation channels are the infrastructure beneath the infrastructure — things move along the Nine Roads that never appear in any merchant guild's ledger.
Structure & Governance
[TODO — stub]
Relationship to Power
Visible face
[TODO — stub] Hidden influence: [TODO — stub] Leverage: [TODO — stub]
Cultural Character
[TODO — stub]
Key Tensions
- [TODO — stub]
Narrative Hooks
[TODO — stub]
Relationships
| faction | relationship | notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Free Cities | rival | Competition for the neutral-ground / private-network role; the Free Cities are public, the Peoples are private |
| Merchant Guilds | parallel / complementary | The Guilds cannot access what the Peoples move; information and cargo asymmetries cut both ways |
DM Notes
[TODO — stub]
References
- Index: world/factions/_category
- Note: supersedes former `halfling-private-networks` entry per _category.md