TEXT: The Corporation Public Document Version 6.0  
  An organization that does not exist 
   
  A Gran March Meta-campaign Organization written by J. Mark Brooks, Will Dover, Sean Flaherty, and the 
  Gran March Triad 
   
  Organization Alignment(s)   
   
  Members: Any but Lawful Good 
  PC Organization: 
  Yes 
   
   
  There is no such thing as organized crime in Gran March, only criminal gangsters who seek to 
  mislead and deceive the public about the extent of their power. 
  - Special Constable Ferrule Garde in a speech before the Electors, CY 590.  
   
   
  This document is public information regarding an infamously secretive organization — The Corporation. 
  The purpose of this public document is to provide players with an overview of what is generally known 
  about The Corporation. From a meta-campaign perspective, it outlines the entry requirements and 
  provides only general information about this mythical organization. A great deal of the information about 
  The Corporation is secret, and can become known only to members and even then only as those 
  members advance within The Corporation itself. This is a necessary precaution taken by the shadowy 
  leadership of The Corporation for survival in a lawful state such as Gran March.  
   
  Much of this document contains information that is not commonly known by everyday Marchers. In fact, 
  most still debate whether such an organization exists or is merely a fiction designed to enhance the 
  reputation of petty criminals. This information is included in the public document because it is information 
  available to historians, magistrates, government officials, and other interested parties. Players are 
  encouraged to select for their characters an appropriate level of knowledge regarding the Corporation. 
   
  Organization 
   
  The Corporation, once known by the name of The Body Corporate for the Defense of the Rights of the 
  Commons, is the chief organized crime group in Gran March. No other criminal organization approaches 
  it in power or extent. Everyone has heard rumors of it and though it is chiefly used to frighten misbehaving 
  children, those who walk in the urban shadows of Gran March justly fear it as an institution that has is as 
  ruthless as it is daring. Despite this there are some in Gran March who also see The Corporation as a 
  refuge from the lawful, militaristic character of Gran March’s government and institutions.  
   
  Little is known about The Corporation’s structure. The smallest operational unit appears to be the gang. A 
  gang will typically specialize in one particular area of operations, such as burglary or robbery. Seemingly, 
  a gang can operate anywhere, from the dank Rushmoors to the steep mountain passes of the Lortmils to 
  the dark streets of Gran March cities. How the gangs work together (if they do at all) is unknown save for 
  the outlandish tales of the tavern. 
   
  Philosophy and Credo 
   
  The goal of The Corporation is simple to understand: the acquisition of wealth by any means available. 
  Such means are typically illegal. Thus, loyalty and secrecy are highly valued to the point that death 
  comes to traitors swiftly and leaves slowly. It is this secrecy that has fooled many Gran March officials into 
  doubting the organization’s very existence. These officials believe that The Corporation is nothing more 
  than a fictional boogey-man promulgated by individual criminals or small gangs to discourage active 
  investigation or punishment of their criminal activity. This theory is given additional credence because 
  
  Gran March Corporation Public Document 6.0 
   
  2 
  Ferrule Garde is one of its ranking proponents and as Chief Investigator for Gran March he is in a position 
  to know more about criminal activity in Gran March than perhaps any other individual. 
   
  One of the more persistent rumors about The Corporation concerns their choice of targets. Military targets 
  are almost never hit by Corporate operations as such operations would surely lead to public exposure. 
  Similarly, truly violent crimes are typically not part of their standard operations due to the publicity such 
  crimes attract. Secrecy is the one certain characteristic of The Corporation. 
   
  While some criminal organizations may be racist or sexist in acquiring or promoting their membership, 
  The Corporation appears employ its member based on their skills and abilities and welcome members 
  from all quarters and walks of life.  Simply put, any operative who contributes profitably to the Corporate 
  coffers is welcome. 
   
  Day-to-Day Activities 
   
  It is believed by many that The Corporation’s gangs have their hands in most (if not all) non-violent 
  crimes. It has been said that if someone thinks of a crime, chances are good that The Corporation 
  thought of it long before and is committing and profiting from it while others contemplate it. Smuggling, 
  pick pocketing, burglary, and confidence games provide the funds for other sorts of operations. Even 
  gambling and prostitution (though not expressly illegal in Gran March) are likely operations for Corporate 
  gangs due to the general public disapproval of such activities. In many cases, these low level activities 
  can provide fodder for riskier ventures; such as robbery, embezzlement, blackmail and higher crimes. 
   
  Important Dates, Holidays & Ceremonies 
   
  There are rumors of induction ceremonies for membership. These rumors typically involve criminal acts 
  and oaths of secrecy enforced by death. These seem to be only rumors, however, with no public facts 
  available. 
   
  Headquarters / Major Power Centers 
   
  The operations of The Corporation can be anywhere, or so the common Marcher believes. A dark and 
  lonely road is just as likely to be home for a Corporation gang as a carpenter’s shop or a weaver’s guild 
  house. The local gossips talk about “Houses” and “Orders” as names for such operations, but there is 
  nothing definitive to indicate whether these names refer to the same thing or if they even truly exist at all. 
  There appears to be no central headquarters controlling broad operations, however.  Rumors of such 
  operations appear to be only the subject of drunken hearsay and local superstition. 
   
  History 
   
  The information in this section is not widely known, but is part of Gran March history and 
  available to the educated and well informed. 
   
  The Corporation originated as The Body Corporate for the Defense of the Rights of the Commons. The 
  Body Corporate began with an agreement called the Grayfriars Accord in CY 422 (so-called because it 
  was made at an estate outside Buxton’s Crossing called Grayfriars). The Accord bound together nobles 
  opposed to the Commandant, common resistance movements, Flan from Farvale and the Rushmoors, 
  demihumans tired of the prejudice of the Suloise-Oeridian dominated government, and various criminal 
  gangs. The group disintegrated in the years following Berlikyn’s death in CY 438. It briefly revived during 
  the demihuman troubles of the early 500’s, but once again was all but extinct by the 520’s, except in 
  name only among smugglers in the Rushmoors and a few criminal groups in Hookhill and Shiboleth. 
   
  The nadir of organized crime in the early 580’s seemed to coincide with the rise of the Special 
  Constables, a reserve company who recovered stolen goods and apprehended criminals as a profession, 
  sometimes without any official brief to do so. Some of the Special Constables have even been accused of 
  organizing their own criminal gangs in order to ransom stolen goods back to their owners. The most 
  
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  3 
  prominent Special Constable in the early 580’s was Ferrule Garde, whom Commandant Vrianian 
  appointed to Chief Investigator in CY 584. In his new contract, the Commandant gave Garde broad 
  authority to track down criminal gangs throughout Gran March. This Garde did with great enthusiasm, and 
  in a matter of months, the Special Constables either eliminated most of the criminal gangs of Gran March 
  or forced them to go dormant. His steadfast enmity towards criminals of all kinds and his amazing ability 
  to recover stolen goods for their owners has earned him many friends and has made him a hero to many 
  law-abiding citizens of Gran March. 
   
  Yet, in the late 580’s came the disquieting rumor that The Corporation, the real Corporation, had revived 
  and become stronger than ever before. Certain merchants and electors found notes pinned to their 
  pillows with jet-black daggers and moved to Keoland or even further places. Ordinary street crimes, which 
  had risen with the dislocations of war, seemed to decline, but bold thefts by stealth and trickery seemed 
  to increase. A rash of crimes committed by the swollen refugee population slowed to a trickle, and among 
  the refugee population, there arose a rumor of black-clad men in the night, with offers of employment in 
  various nefarious enterprises in one hand, and a dagger in the other for those who did not toe the line. 
  Smuggling increased in the Rushmoors, bypassing often-stringent border taxes imposed by local lords. 
  The ever-present camp followers who trailed after the Army suddenly had much better organization, and 
  were less likely to deal in rotgut liquor, engage in fixed gaming, or promote disease. Various new 
  entertainment establishments offering shady if not necessarily illegal services sprang up, while older ones 
  offering similar entertainments suddenly disappeared. There were rumors of banditry abroad and of an 
  underground organization to guide serfs from surrounding war torn lands to Gran March and freedom for 
  the price of an assassination, blackmail, or worse. Even some guilds and militia companies came under 
  suspicion as pawns or fronts for The Corporation. 
   
  Magistrates who inquired too closely into alleged Corporation activities often found that it was difficult to 
  maintain their positions. Today, however, many magistrates and consulting detectives simply refuse to 
  believe the organization exists. Even Ferrule Garde stated as recently as CY 590 that “There is no such 
  thing as organized crime in Gran March, only criminal gangsters who seek to mislead and deceive the 
  public about the extent of their power.” Garde’s assertion represents the official position of the 
  government of Gran March today—that there is no organized crime except on the most local level in the 
  form of small criminal gangs. 
   
  Allies 
   
  The Corporation allegedly has allies everywhere in Gran March. It is a common belief that its agents have 
  infiltrated every institution that could provide a profit for organization. Additionally, The Corporation has 
  rumored contacts with other like-minded groups throughout the Sheldomar Valley, although many of 
  these have not resulted in allies. Finally, certain fringe cults who worship crime and deception, such as 
  Olidammara, are rumored associates and partners in Corporate operations. 
   
  Rivals 
   
  There are no known long-standing rivals to The Corporation. Independent criminal activity is ignored if 
  petty enough, coerced into Corporate management if profitable, or made to disappear permanently. As for 
  the evil cults rumored to be present in Gran March, there is no known connection between them and The 
  Corporation.  In recent years, to those who believe in the existence of The Corporation, have come 
  rumors of conflict between The Corporation and the dominant forces of crime in neighboring countries.  
  These rumored foes include the publicly acknowledged Midnight Ravens of Geoff, the Shadowdark of 
  Keoland, and in more informed circles even a mysterious coven of Illithid. 
   
  Foes 
   
  The Special Constables and the Magistrates are the greatest threat to Corporate activities. Typically, this 
  trouble comes from a true servant of the people who pursues justice with vigor but in some cases, it 
  comes from a corrupt official who uses the power of their office for their own profit, limiting the availability 
  
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  4 
  of such crime for others. In any case, the political power and insight of most of these detectives 
  jeopardizes the anonymity of the Corporation’s activities. 
   
  The major churches also oppose the activities of the Corporation, even though they do not officially 
  recognize its existence. Each provides opposition based on its tenets of faith, with the followers of St. 
  Cuthbert being the most active in destroying Corporate operations. Many constables are also followers of 
  St. Cuthbert, making them particularly dangerous adversaries. 
   
  The Gran March military is also a potential foe for the Corporation. Military warehouses and caravans do 
  tend to carry valuables. As crimes against military targets tend to have high visibility and generate 
  negative public sentiment, however, there seems to be little Corporate activity in this area. 
   
  Heraldry / Symbol 
   
  Obviously, a secret society has no known symbols. Tales exists, however, of secret symbols and glyphs 
  used for Corporate communications. Such symbols could be used to mark Corporate territory, to indicate 
  Corporate safe houses, and to designate information drops.  
   
  Requirements 
   
  In order for a character to gain The Corporation’s attention and thus be allowed to work with them as a 
  Lay Member, a character must: 
   
  1. Be of any alignment other than Lawful Good. 
  2. May not be a squire to or member of the Knights of the Watch or the Knights of Dispatch and may 
  not be a Special Constable. 
  3. Possess two ranks of Bluff. 
  4. Possess two ranks in any one of the following skills: 
  • 
  Diplomacy 
  • 
  Intimidate 
  • 
  Sense Motive 
  5. Possess two ranks in any one of the following skills: 
  • 
  Craft (trapmaking) 
  • 
  Disable Device 
  • 
  Disguise 
  • 
  Forgery 
  • 
  Knowledge (dungeoneering) 
  • 
  Open Lock 
  • 
  Sleight of Hand 
   
  Spellcasters who have access to 1st-level spells can substitute this ability for either requirement 4 or 
  requirement 5. PCs with the Track feat and the favored enemy special ability can substitute those for 
  either requirement 4 or requirement 5. Non-spellcasters can substitute the rank of Corporal in the Army 
  for requirement 4 or requirement 5. Those PCs who meet two of the three exemptions (for example, being 
  a Ranger and a Corporal in the military or being a Ranger/Cleric) can waive both requirements. 
  Requirements 1, 2 and 3 are mandatory. 
   
  A player may become a Lay Member in any adventure set in Gran March, or by contacting the Gran 
  March Triad. The player should obtain a copy of the Corporation Lay Member MR, have it signed by the 
  DM or Triad member, and attach the MR to the character’s next AR, since further advancement will be 
  dependent in part on meeting time requirements. 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Metaorg Material/Gran March/Gran_March_Corporation_Public_6.0.pdf