The Ditchcrawlers
Synopsis
A small-time gang born in the gutters of Strangeways, surviving on fear, petty crime, and a leader who ruled through misery.
What People Know
The Ditchcrawlers were a loose collection of pickpockets, burglars, and street toughs operating in Strangeways’ poorest quarters. They never aimed high—small thefts, intimidation, and protection rackets were their trade. What they lacked in ambition, they made up for in cruelty.
The gang was held together by Reef Marnel, a miserly tyrant who ruled through humiliation and scarcity, hoarding coin while his followers went hungry.
Leadership
- Reef Marnel – Former leader, notorious for penny-pinching cruelty and absolute control (deceased)
Known Members
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Corwin Thorne – Former member; left the gang to become an investigator
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Theena Vale – Remained with the Ditchcrawlers after Corwin’s departure
Recent Events
The Ditchcrawlers effectively ceased to exist when Corwin Thorne killed Reef Marnel in cold blood. Word of Reef’s death spread quickly through Strangeways’ underbelly, shattering what little structure the gang had.
Some former members fled. Others are rumored to be looking for new protection—or revenge.
Reputation
Among townsfolk: pathetic, dangerous, and easily forgotten.
Among criminals: a warning of what happens when desperation is mistaken for power.
Values
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Survival
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Loyalty enforced through fear
Anathema
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Disobedience
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Leaving the gang
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Mercy
Reef Marnel tolerated neither defiance nor hope.
Player Notes
The Ditchcrawlers were never a real power—just a symptom.
Reef’s death ended the gang, but not the damage it caused.
Theena Vale’s fate is uncertain.
Some debts don’t die with the man who enforced them.