Vale Dust Runners

"Opportunity makes a thief."

- Francis Bacon The Vale Dust Runners (formally Vacuo Dust Runners) is a network of thieves, criminals, and disenfranchised under the employ of Neil Huong. An impartial and ravenous band, they steal from anyone who seemingly had more than enough Lien and Dust to lose, hitting their targets quickly and quietly. They have aligned themselves with the The Nine Dragons of Vale with Neil himself becoming one of the Nine.

Organization
Unlike most street-gangs and mafias, the Dust Runners compose themselves in a close friendly manner, verging on familial. Their ranks are closed off and kept in line not by fear or some sense of honor, but trust and respect born of kindness. Most members are those dissatisfied with their place in life, Faunus who can't find work, homeless who beg and scrape for meals, and even Hunters who seek to escape their duties; the dredges of society normally overlooked and forgotten about. They are given a chance to better themselves and earn a living by taking from those who flaunt their affluence carelessly.

Usually recruitment occurs through word of mouth, Runners find those in desperate situations and present their cases to Neil, who then decides when and if to fold them into his network. His brand of initiation is a little unorthodox, as it requires the recruits to spend an entire 24-hour day at his side, helping him perform not only work pertaining to the livelihood of the Dust Runners, but mundane activities such as paying bills or grocery shopping. This period of closeness allows Neil to gauge the recruits personalities and catch any deception and potential problems that may arise from them. It also gives him a chance to manipulate and condition the recruits to accept the life they would lead as one of his Runners.

Jobs
Work underneath Huong is dealt in a case-by-case basis, almost mercenary-like, as he chooses Runners whose skills best pertain to the plans he has in mind. In a typical night of activity, fifteen or more Runners could be called upon to assist their boss in his endeavors. Skill-sets are varied between Runners, with only a minor sub-set having any form of combat training and weapon handling. Rarely are these skills called upon, as violence and a full on confrontation is frowned upon. Most offer something more standard for their line of work, transportation, safe houses, and diversions. Alongside those who have experience stealing and selling their new wares and goods. Those who have earned Neil's trust are allowed to tap into the network and run their own jobs, but at the cost of splitting a percentage of their hauls with the gang and any other Runner that assists them during the hit. Rarely, the Dust Runners take on contracts to steal certain items for customers. The entire network being used to plan and execute the heist to prevent any chance of failure and capture.