Underbelly

The Underbelly

General consensus

The Underbelly is a neutral faction, meant to serve as a undercity that lives under town. They have a win condition - and that is to pay their crippling debt. The Underbelly is mainly inhabited by petty criminals, towners down on their luck, vagabonds and other undesirables that just simply cannot live on the surface.

They operate out of the Whitevein mainly, using it as a front for their dealings.

Scum are a higher PQ requirement role because they're held to higher roleplay standards - and as such, admins will punish them more harshly for failure to uphold expectations, needlessly antagonize, or create issues without much reason. They are not wretches, they're just sewer rats trying to pay off a debt. You are also warned when you fully initialize into your character, and led to this wiki.

Faction Relations:

Town - Neutral

Whitevein - Friendly, Welcome

Keep - Uncertain, shaky

Church - Uncertain

Bandits - Hostile

Wretches - Hostile towards Zizoids, otherwise neutral

Adventurers - Neutral

Other Antagonists - Hostile

Scum cannot be Zizoids.

Common Misconceptions

Scum are anti-isolationist. Their mechanics and gameplay loop FORCES them out of their hideout. This creates ROLEPLAY.

Compared to Bandits and other travel-tile users, entering the Underbelly is instant due to the fact that it has many counters that other travel-tiles do not. The Doorman can be Breached open with Strength(avg. 13 STR-18 bashes), Lockpicked open (legendary is 35% per attempt to unlock) and can have their doorman coins stolen for at least one time use OR unlimited access into the Underbelly.

Scum are Neutral - but this doesn't mean they will just bend over for anyone to harass them. The common complaint of them being 'another antagonist faction' is false - considering the fact the same people who complain, actively seek conflict with a neutral faction. Why are you surprised when people don't let you win for free?

Scum have guns - which are code wise statistically weaker than Bows and Crossbows. And in practice, too.

The Hand Cannon's explosion deals 48 brute damage equally spread across a player that gets hit and knocks them down. The Fireball deals 60~ burn damage, and applies fire stacks. The fireball can be cast over and over and the mana necessity is a nothingburger, cannonballs cost a lot.

Scum live in town - they are not foreigners.

Scum will prioritize paying their debt and protecting their home. If they have a reliable enough income that they do not require to intervene in external wars (e.g. the 1000th Church Vs Keep Round), they will almost always (99% of the time) deny any coin in regards to intervening in conflicts. The 1% of the time, where they get desperate, they might take action.

Lore

The Vale's rot under the carpet - The Underbelly is filled with The Scum of the society on the Flipside, it's inhabitants, also known as Scum, are outcasts from society surviving an overwhelming debt, and battle with lyfe itself, making ends meet by making shady dealings with Flipsiders.

Flipsiders in town, as in, the Keep, Church, and Towners, know of the Scum's existence. Depending on the morality of the characters, they can see them as what they wish: Scum, parasites trying to live off of The Vale's resources and coin, or fellow men and women who are just so truly down on their luck, beggars and vagabonds who just couldn't afford to lyve Flipside, and instead turn to this lyfe.

The Gutter King was the patriarch (or matriarch in the case of a female one) which, after taking a loan from the Kingsfield Criminal Syndicate - they must now pay it back, otherwise their entire people, their family that they harbored and house in this place, will suffer...terrible fates.

One thing is for certain: The Underbelly is so deep, barely anyone will hear them scream in suffering.

The Roles

THE UNDERBELLY

ROLE	PQ REQUIREMENT	Description	Expectations	Difficulty
GUTTER KING	100	You built something down here. Not a Kingdom - nobody'd call it that. But it runs, it pays, and when you say 'do it', people do it. The Keep above think they own this town. You own what's underneath it. Keep the Scum in line, keep the Flipside from burning you down, and don't get careless.	Manage The Scum. Keep relations stable. Don't piss the Keep off. Don't leave the hideout unless you really have to. Send your goons to do the dirty work for you. Convert people to Scum (willingly). Cry at the end of the round in OOC that your faction was fucking useless and didn't get the maximum reward tier.	DUKE
CONSIGLIERE	85	A Consigliere in the Underbelly is what a Councillor is in the Keep. You are the Gutter King's right hand. You help them organize the Scum, carry words when the King cannot, and grease the right palms with the right coins. You are no fighter. You have never needed to be	You are basically the Hand, but in the Underbelly	HAND
SCUM	35	Work for the Underbelly. Break legs, move cargo, disappear people, or keep the Flingers safe. It doesn't pay well, but it pays, and it beats starving Flipside. The Gutter King expects results. The kind that don't require explaining.	Protect the Underbelly. Protect Flingers by setting up ambush spots. Have Ultimate Swag. Play Dice with your fellow Scum in the common area. Gamble. Get skullcracked by the eventual Keepoid Deathball. Die and then salt in LOOC. Be the biggest threat in the server, technically.	HARD
FLINGER	40	Coin is the only God worth worshipping, and you've devoted your lyfe to it. You have access to goods nobody Flipside can acquire legally, or easily - and a list of clients who will pay anything not to have their name associated with acquiring them. Keep it quiet. Keep it profitable.	Be the Emissary for the Underbelly. Be the sole reason the Underbelly has coin to begin with. Become completely untraceable with your hat that magically hides all your features. Get arrested anyway somehow, even though the guard cannot see your name, descriptors, gender or race. Give non-Scum fetch quests. Make a ton of coin.	THE STEWARD BUT HE'S ACTUALLY USEFUL FOR ONCE
RIPPER	50	Medicine for coin. Surgery for more coin. You'll do what the clinic won't - pull a crossbow bolt without asking how it got there, stitch a face closed that shouldn't be walking around, and charge accordingly. The Pestran relics you carry are not strictly legal. That suits everyone just fine.	Be the Underbelly Dr House. Revive the Scum that died for the 4th time in a row now. Give that person that's totally not a bandit an organ that makes them The Terminator - except if he was made out of paper, and fucking useless. Make potions. Sell two exclusive potions - one is all the healing pots combined, but it drains stats, and knocks you out, and the other is just giving someone a fever. Have the Flinger sell your potions. Sell Lux.	MORE MOUSE BITES!!!
PROLETARIUS	10	An escaped, or freed slave-worker from the depths of the Otavan Inquisition. These poor, restless souls have had their minds torn asunder, hearing the laughter of their tormentors every so often. Their bodies raped, abused and starved, their heads encased in a helm welded to skin, they serve no purpose other than working meat, waiting for Necra's sweet embrace.	Be the housewife with a jar on your head. Be useless because you have 3 in all stats. Go insane because you hear laughter every 2 minutes. Have the most diverse skill-line in the game otherwise.	SUFFER

I am X, what do I do if I see Scum?

This table should help you decide what your character should do.

I AM	MY MORALITY IS	WHAT SHOULD I DO?	NOTE
KEEP	INTACT	Dismiss them. Send them back to their shithole. Give them a beating.	Generally speaking, it's more beneficial to release a Scum rather than killing them. They provide to the round, and aren't generally disruptive. This circumstance changes, of course, if they cause too much trouble. They are, after all, lower than dirt.
KEEP	GREY/NOT THERE	Make a deal with them. Hire them to kidnap someone or make them disappear. Ignore them	It can be seen as shameful/dishonorable to make deals with such Scum, however, it can be incredibly beneficial, as Scum provide you with plausible deniability and a layer of protection, considering the fact that they're not exactly looking to take the Keep or Church down, but rather pay off their debt, and survive in a shit-city.
CHURCH	INTACT	Ignore or dismiss them.	The Scum don't want to mingle in church affairs. They're Scum, not heretics. Generally, at least. Scum are just people down on their luck, some from town, that suffered a stroke of bad luck, Xylix truly abandoning them. Of course, this circumstance can change based on things going on.
TOWNER	INTACT		Generally speaking, Scum won't bother towners, since they have bigger issues. Though, A Flesh Trader might kidnap you for your precious kidney - otherwise, the rest will leave you alone.
TOWNER	GREY/NOT THERE	Make a deal with them. Make coin. Hire them to disappear your competition.	Scum are about the best way for Towners to get goods at a reduced price, bulk shipments of goods that would otherwise cost a lot more from the stockpile/vomitorium, and weaponry that would otherwise cost more at the smithy. And maybe even a gun! Though, what would you even need that for?
ADVENTURER/WRETCH	INTACT	Dismiss them. If you need to get into town, you can maybe talk to them to get you through their expansive sewer network.	Scum can offer adventurers safe passage into town for a price. They have a whopping EIGHT(8) exits all over Rockhill, so they can get around very fast. They likely, probably won't work with evil-ass-zizo necromancer, though.
ADVENTURER/WRETCH	GREY/NOT THERE	Make deals with them. Get into town for a price with their expansive sewer network.	Ditto as above. Except you can maybe buy stuff from them.
BANDIT/OTHER ANTAGS	DONT MATTER	Probably get shot or stabbed.	Scum will NEVER work with antagonists. Especially bandits. The Scum HATE bandits, because they steal their hard earned coin - even though they're poor as fuck (surely). Why would you even steal from a poor person???

THE LAWS OF THE SCUM

(these are to be treated as game rules, but also an unspoken law between Scum. The Gutter King makes sure those are enforced)

1. Scum aren't murderers or rabid, mindless heretics. They wish to survive, and pay off their debt. They respond to The Gutter King first and foremost.
2. Scum will not dealmake with Bandits, period. It's already a stretch for them to do so with Wretches. Bandits look to steal our way of lyfe, by taking our coin that we could instead use to pay off our debt.
3. Scum are very hesitant on selling their incredibly expensive ranged weapons. They will never sell weapons to foreigners(wanderers) or bandits.
4. Strength in numbers. Generally, the more Scum, the easier it is to pay off the debt, and operations become a lot easier.
5. Based on the above, Scum should look to protect Flingers and Rippers. Most importantly, the Gutter King. Though, if they have a gun, they should look to be ambushers, rather than chasers. Losing that weapon and getting it in the hands of Bandits would be devastating.
6. Finally, the ordeals of the Keep and Church do not concern the Scum. They should concern themselves with their own people, the debt, and their survival. You can only break this rule if the survival of the Underbelly is at stake, for example, a Lich attack, or a vampyre takeover. The Gutter King decides what is best.
7. Do not needlessly antagonize people, without having a reason to do so. This can and likely will destroy relations with the Keep. We need the Keep's COIN--legally, of course.

THE DEBT

Scum are stricken with a fat debt they have to pay off if they wish to 'greentext'. The more Scum present, the harder the debt becomes, but the higher the rewards will be.

N = Scum Count

REWARDS (If 100% debt paid)

Tier	Scum Count	Formula	Total Owed	Triumphs	PQ
1 (easy)	1-3	250xN + 250	500 to 1000 mammon	+10	+0.5
2 (medium)	4-6	650xN	~2600 to 3900 mammon	+15	+1
3 (hard)	7-10	700xN	~4900 to 7000 mammon	+20	+2
4 (expert)	11+	1000xN	a maximum of 10050 mammon	+30	+3.5

Partial payment drops effective tier: 75% is -1 tier, 50% is -2 tiers. Below 50% counts as debt not paid. Above 50% counts as partially paid until 100%. Scum cannot fall below tier 1 - as it is the minimum.

Gutter King also gets a bonus of +1 triumph per 2 living Scum if at least 50% was paid.

The Debt cannot go over 10050 mammon.

The Debt scales with the peak of Scum.

Spoiler Area

New Items

Scum get access to exclusive items.

NEW ITEMS

Role Exclusive?	Cost (mammon)	Stock	Name	Description	Note
No	20	5	marked coin	A ziliqua with a small notch cut into its edge and a dark stain pressed into the face. It means nothing to most.	Allows non-underbelly roles to freely use the Doorman and access the Underbelly. It's one-time use per coin, however.
No	100	1	etched coin	An older, heavier ziliqua. Engraved on the face is a sigil too deliberate to be decorative. Worn smooth at the rim. Whoever holds it is known.	Allows non-underbelly roles to freely use the Doorman and access the Underbelly. It has unlimited uses, but a cooldown of 5 minutes.
Yes - Scum	85	1	Defacer	Knuckles hardened with ancient alloys and Steel. Hits harder, breaks faster.	A variant of Steel Knuckles. Less durability but a bit more damage.
Yes - Scum	120	2	Reinforced Firing Pin	Hits harder. Fits any underbelly firearm. Apply it to the gun.	Makes any underbelly have +5 force.
Yes - Scum	130	2	Filed Sights	Tighter Spread. Easier to put the ball where you want it. Apply it to the gun.	Reduces aim time for any underbelly gun.
Yes - Scum	150	2	Baffled Powder Sleeve	No more smoke cloud after you fire. Apply it to the gun.	Removes the smoke cloud upon firing a weapon.
Yes - Scum	180	2	Extended Cylinder Plate	One more round in the chamber. Apply it to the gun.	Adds +1 bullet capacity.
Yes - Scum	450	1	The Abomination	The work saiga of every Scum! Only you lot know how to use this...thing.	A nock-rifle, breechloaded. It doubles as a mace or axe if you add an axe to it. It can only be used by Scum.
Yes - Scum	750	1	The Ironshot Repeater Mark 1	A fancy weapon of one of them Kingsfield Nobles. Quite a treat.	A repeater arquebus-pistol reskin with a capacity of 3 lead spheres.
Yes - Scum	300	1	The Ironshot Mark 1	Ser Ironshot's single-shot pistol. Load it, point it, make it count.	A reskinned arquebus pistol, but made cooler.
Yes - Scum	1150	1	Hand Cannon	Heavy as sin and twice as loud. Plant your feet, point it at trouble, watch trouble disappear. Only the strong handle this one.	STR Requirement of 13 to be used. Loaded with cannonballs....or kobolds (or any small race for that matter) It deals about 48 brute damage spread across the body to players (weaker than a fireball) It one shots any mob (gibs them)
Yes - Scum	600	3	Cannonball	An iron sphere the size of a fist. Fits the hand cannon	Ammo for the hand cannon.
Yes - Scum	1500	1	The Devastator	What the hell are you planning on taking down with this? Zizo? BAHAHA!	The most devastating gun in the game, arguably. A rusty, iron modified blunderbuss, filed down to a small barrel to reduce spread of the grapeshot. It has a fat cylinder able to hold two grapeshots. It doesn't require ramming from the ramrod, but it does require blastpowder. If a limb is damaged hard enough, the Devastator can blast it clean off. Though, this gun is prone to misfire and malfunction, more so than other guns. It has a 1 in 100k chance of appearing, since it's a joke weapon.
No	60	1	capocollo	Etruscan, freshly off the caravan. We beat up like 5 wise guys for this.	The wise guys will call this gabagool. Very good food, for the price. Even better if it's from a shipment. It gives a new food buff, Stellar Food, which gives +1 FOR and +1 SPD for 20 minutes.
Yes - Flinger	120	1	Tipped Hat	Nobody's seeing that face. Nobody's knowing that name.	Completely masks name, gender, race, descriptors, everything - except what you're wearing, of course.
Yes - Ripper	200	1	Suffocator	Load it with Zizo's bane, then press it onto an unguarded face. A moment's hesitation is all it needs.	A zapists favorite item in the entire game. Attack with this item on someone's head - while it's completely unprotected - to slap it on them. They have about 3 seconds to get it off, otherwise they will pass out. They can roll a CON check to completely bruteforce through the knock out, otherwise.
Yes - Ripper	80	2	Voss Serum	A pale little bottle. Slips into a drink without a trace. The body does the rest.	Inspired by a loving Kingsfield Potion maker - it's a poison that makes a person have a fever. It deals periodic toxin damage, and makes them sweat. It goes away by itself, or with treatment.
Yes - Ripper	80-280	1	Mysterious Organ	Varied	Depending on the tier, it gives critical weakness, then clumsy, then narcolepsy in that order. However, you get healing to brute, oxy, fire and bloodloss. The higher the tier, the better the healing.
Yes - Ripper	150	1	Blood Red	Whatever's in this, it isn't wine. Don't let anyone drink it unless you want to watch them fold.	It's literally strong red + normal red + holy water, except it drains -3 to all your stats for 5 minutes, and knocks you out for 1 minute. An amazing emergency heal.
No	280	1	Golden Cockroach	Drop it on the floor of a vault and walk away. Don't ask how it works.	Every cycle(90 seconds), spawns between 12 to 20 gold coins (120 to 200 mammon). It has a chance, however, to notify the steward of your tomfoolery. It can only be placed in a vault (steward's, or nightmaster's). A special interaction happens if it triggers the alert in the Steward's vault.