I follow the theory that Black Fang is a mafia-like organisation, though only local to Pavis and, to some extent, Adari and Sun County. They control (or provide protection for) the hazia, prostitution, blackmail, begging, assassination, and kidnapping rackets.
I believe it is an ancestor worship cult. Black Fang himself is the ultimate Godfather! (The shaman who originally contacted Black Fang's spirit was only able to do it by proving ancestral links - whether real ones of HeroQuested ones.) Each of the shamans of the cult are lesser godfathers who lead families of worshippers.
There are big family rivalries, especially around who leads the cult. Outsiders can join the cult and be adopted into a family, but they have to commit heinous and murderous acts to prove themselves worthy of membership.
During the Lunar occupation Gimgim the Grim (the leader of the Lunar Moon Masks
and secret Krarshti worshipper) revealed himself as a shaman and family member
and rose to lead the organisation. He used the cult for his own vile ends (and
those of the Lunar Empire). However, other families in the cult eventually
plotted against him and the Lunars in order to enable the liberation of Pavis
(and get business back to normal).
For proof of this read the story in King of Sartar about the Argrath of Pavis
(p.175). He's obviously a Black Fang, and the New Teeth are a Black Fang family
(or perhaps an alliance of families). There are a number of inaccuracies in this
story - which suffers from a rather rose-tinted view of the motives of this
Argrath (a title which probably equates to liberator) and mixes him up with the
Argrath White Bull. In fact, the victorious Argrath of Pavis executed Gimgim
because he tried to assassinate him in gang wafare and had no respect (Marlon
Brando Godfather accent mode on: "Ya gotta have respect"). At a later date
scholars wrongly attributed this act to the Argrath White Bull, and the quote
has been variously misquoted to make it more meaningful in a White Bull context.
Many mafia parallels can be adopted for Black Fang, such as the code of silence, a paternalism toward the local people (as long as they are deferent and co-operative), and their control of the local bureaucracy. However, so much of this would just not be talked about in Pavis out of fear, which is why the Black Fang appears to be a relatively minor organisation at first glance (and in all the write ups to date).
Cheers,
David Hall
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