Wadjidir

The Wadjidir are an order or guild of clever fellows who improve the overall intelligence of the Ghyllian race by relieving of their funds those members of it sufficiently greedy or foolish to be easily deceived. Or at least that is their view of the matter. The local authorities of Folktown and Iganefta, as well as their more rustic counterparts elsewhere, consider Wadjidir to be mere criminals, hardly better than smash-and-grab artists or second-story men. Blivingdel has made a special study of the Wadjidir, and most of the rest of this article is derived from his publications on the subject in Quester and Phorrus.

In order to become a Wadjidir, one must serve an apprenticeship, traditionally seven years with the same master, although this rule may be broken in cases of necessity. After the apprenticeship term is up, the proto-Wadjidir wanders the lands of Ghyll, learning the slightly different traditions of the craft as it is practiced in the various haunts of the guild. The Wadjidir is admitted to Mastership only after devising and successfully practicing a hitherto novel scam, or "master game" in the argot of the Wadjidir.

This argot or cant is constantly varying, but certain elements remain common. In general, the Wadjidir do not devise new words, but use existing words of Modern Standard Ghyllian in new senses. In particular, the victims of their scams are known as "tools" (this word has now become widely used in general slang); the authorities (particularly those of a military bent, as in Iganefta) are called "the heat"; and the jargon itself has various names in various parts of Ghyll, but is most often known as "the Noise". Finally, the word "dust" is applied to the takings, particularly those that are in non-monetary form. The origin of these terms is not understood by scholars.

Wadjidir typically remain anonymous until retirement, at which time they usually become gentlemen of leisure, living off their ill-gotten but well-laundered gains. They are typically protected from further prosecution by an edict of the Paramount Queen. Frandos Wakami of DermPachyges was an apprentice Wadjidir, but abandoned the craft before attaining the status of journeyman.

Citations: Criminals, Modern Standard Ghyllian, Paramount Queen.

--John Cowan 01:42, 1 Apr 2005 (EST)