New Smoke Guards

Summary

The New Smoke Guards are a group of enforcers working for the thug organization that recently seized control of New Smoke. In Session 8 of the campaign, they are encountered at the Meat Party stall, where they extort the Meat Party Vendor for daily protection money. Described as "a couple rough dudes," these guards shoulder past people in crowds and use threats to collect payments. When Vasso confronts them about their exploitative practices, they reveal their indifference to the welfare of the merchants they shake down, stating that if one vendor dies, they simply replace them with another source of revenue. After Vasso successfully intimidates them with Safia's assistance, the guards back down temporarily but promise to return the next day. They report to someone they refer to as "the boss man."

Appearance

The guards are characterized as "rough dudes" who move through crowds with physical aggression, shouldering past people as they make their rounds. They carry themselves with the casual menace of street-level enforcers, comfortable wielding threats to extract payment from local merchants.

History

Session 8

The New Smoke Guards arrive at the Meat Party stall during Session 8 to collect protection money from the Meat Party Vendor. One guard opens the encounter with a simple declaration: "Hey, all right. Collecting."

When questioned about their demands, they justify the extortion by claiming infrastructure needs: "Hey, you know, we don't make the rules, so, you know, we gotta. We gotta. You know, costs are getting high. There's a lot of holes in the wall. We gotta do some stuff, so pay up." One guard mentions having seen "a pretty sick bird around here earlier today" that they need to kill, suggesting pest control duties among their claimed responsibilities.

When Vasso challenges them about the fairness of demanding payment from a struggling merchant, the guards respond with callous indifference: "If she dies, then we get somebody else to bring in a new stall. We get money from them." This response reveals their purely transactional view of the merchants under their protection racket.

Vasso's intimidation attempt, aided by Safia, succeeds in making the guards back down. They respond with irritation: "Okay, all right. Whatever, kid. Okay, calm down. Okay? Jesus Christ." However, they make their intentions clear before leaving: "We're gonna be back tomorrow and you better be ready to pay up."

Key Attributes

Enforcement Role: Collect daily protection money from merchants in New Smoke on behalf of their organization
Recent Authority: Part of the thug group that recently took over New Smoke, representing a regime change in the settlement
Callous Attitude: Display complete indifference to merchant welfare, viewing vendors as replaceable revenue sources
Organizational Structure: Report to "the boss man" and claim to be following orders rather than making independent decisions
Infrastructure Claims: Justify extortion by citing maintenance needs, specifically mentioning "holes in the wall"
Pest Control: Assert responsibility for dealing with sick animals in the area
Vulnerable to Intimidation: Back down when confronted by determined opposition but maintain their threats for future collection