The Hoods: Enforcers of the Red Market’s Dark Order

The Red Market is an underground realm governed by an unseen hand, maintained by enforcers known only as The Hoods. Cloaked in long, black garments and wearing featureless hoods that conceal every part of their face but their eyes, The Hoods are an enigmatic force within the Market. Their eerie presence alone is enough to keep patrons and traders in line. No one knows who or what they truly are—whether they are superpowered, supernatural, or something else entirely remains a mystery. All that is certain is their authority within the Red Market, and the deadly consequences for anyone who violates its unspoken laws.

The Hoods are more than just guards; they are the silent gatekeepers of the Market’s sanctity. Their dark hoods reveal only a pair of watchful eyes, cold and unyielding, giving little indication of what lies behind them. They speak to no one and answer to no one; their purpose and allegiances are known only to themselves. For many who frequent the Market, The Hoods feel more like a myth—a presence, rather than individuals, whose actions are seen more often than they themselves. However, when someone transgresses the Market’s rules, The Hoods make their presence undeniably real.

The Green Light: Death’s Silent Command

The Hoods enforce the Red Market’s code with an iron resolve, and those who dare break its laws do not live to speak of it. When someone violates the Market’s strictures—whether by selling tainted blood, attacking a fellow patron, or revealing the Market’s secrets to outsiders—their fate is sealed by what is known as a Green Light. A Green Light is effectively a death sentence, a bounty placed upon the violator’s head that turns them into prey for any Red Market associate, patron, or bounty hunter looking to collect. The price on their head ensures that no corner of the world is safe.

The Hoods rarely dirty their own hands. Instead, they rely on the allure of the Green Light, turning any willing soul into an extension of their reach. Once a Green Light is issued, it is known that The Hoods will offer a significant reward to the one who completes the contract—though few ever know exactly what that reward might be. This mysterious compensation only adds to the speculation surrounding The Hoods and their motives, raising questions about what drives them and why they choose to act.

But for all their might, even the most daring and powerful beings avoid risking one ultimate punishment: being blacklisted from the Red Market. For those who rely on the Market, exile is a fate nearly as bad as death itself. The Red Market is a lifeline, a wellspring of rare goods, secret intelligence, and hidden opportunities. For a Blood Borne vampire or a rogue Magi, losing access to the Market means losing a vital edge and the ability to set plans in motion, secure rare resources, or forge alliances. No amount of strength or bravado can replace the value of access, and The Hoods alone hold the power to sever that connection. This threat of expulsion alone ensures that even the most brazen patrons think twice before crossing the line.

Speculation and Fear Surrounding The Hoods

The Hoods’ presence in the Red Market is one of quiet dread. They take only a small percentage from Market transactions, an uncharacteristic show of restraint in a place where power is bartered for as dearly as gold. This modest cut has led to theories that The Hoods deal in something far more valuable than money or conventional trade. Some believe they are guardians of ancient secrets, collecting information and artifacts that only a few even know exist. Others whisper that they possess knowledge of bloodlines, ancient rites, or forbidden magic, hoarding truths that no faction would dare claim publicly.

Still, no one dares question The Hoods’ motives too closely. To pry into their business is to court disaster, and every seasoned trader knows better than to invite their attention. The mere sight of their cloaked forms sends even the bravest Blood Borne or most powerful Magi into respectful silence, for the cost of angering them is a fate worse than most can imagine. To cross them is to invoke a death sentence that not even the most influential beings can avoid.

The Magisterium’s Unspoken Stance

The Magi government, known as the Magisterium, is fully aware of the Red Market’s existence but largely turns a blind eye—until their interests or laws are directly challenged. When they do act, they do so with precision and purpose. Magi from the Justice Sect are known to raid the Market, but never recklessly; they target only their intended quarry and avoid causing general disruption. The Magisterium knows that open interference in the Red Market would lead to widespread resistance, not only from its traders and patrons but from nearly every faction with a vested interest in the Market’s survival.

The Magi recognize that disrupting the Red Market would harm their own interests. The Market serves as a vital channel of information and resources, even for some within the Magisterium’s ranks. Therefore, when Magi enforcers appear on Market grounds, they make it clear through their actions that they are not there to police the Market itself. Their focus is solely on their intended target, leaving others to conduct their business undisturbed. Outside the Market’s boundaries, however, the Magisterium’s agents hunt their quarry without hesitation or mercy, holding the Red Market’s sanctity to its invisible borders.

Motives Beyond the Material

The Hoods’ refusal to capitalize heavily on the Market’s riches only deepens their mystery. Their willingness to take so little from each transaction suggests a motive beyond mere wealth. The Hoods seem to be playing a long game, and what they truly gain from the Red Market’s existence remains unknown. Some believe that they are collecting information on every individual who trades within the Market, a silent ledger of supernatural connections and allegiances that grants them unseen control. Others suspect that they seek relics, artifacts, or knowledge of the ancient powers that govern the supernatural world, keeping them from falling into the wrong hands.

Regardless of their true intentions, The Hoods maintain the Red Market’s fragile order, preventing chaos within a realm where power and desperation frequently collide. By enforcing strict rules and dealing out punishment with unerring precision, they ensure that the Market remains a space of mutual—if uneasy—respect among its patrons. And while their silence leaves many questions unanswered, few dare to test the limits of their control.

In the end, The Hoods are the unseen hand that keeps the Red Market alive, a spectral force watching from the shadows, ensuring that no one becomes too bold and no rule is left unbroken.