The posters litter the walls,

The fliers plague the walkways,

Wankish Knightsbane businessman, philosopher and entrepreneur !

A shadow slithers onto a nearby fruit cart before taking the form of a young man possibly mid to late twenties dark chestnut hair drooping from beneath his top hat his cane grasped tightly in his left hand the man begins to clear his throat.

Ladies and Gentlemen allow me to beg your indulgence for just a moment,

Let me introduce myself as the man standing before you.......Wankish Knightsbane.

Wankish paused to gauge the reaction with a wry smile he tipped his hat and began...

I see you all have many questions as to who i am and why i am here of all places, standing before you in the very spot of many famous or should i say infamous legends have stood and delivered speeches to rival the gods themselves.

You want to know my intentions and why i have the audacity to stand before you begging your attention as was the way long ago... 

Now i shall not lie i am not here to deceive you this was an ancient tradition to stand before you all watching and speaking as the crowds gather their ears desperate for the nectar that was spouted.

And i am a man of tradition and this is one i uphold most importantly because with first impressions you only get to make one am i correct?

Wankish gives another smile before pacing up and down

Now that i have your attention it appears i can begin for i have some questions of my own....

The look of dread on your faces for what i am about to say is most intriguing alas i can assure you that the questions i have are more then just and require little more then self indulgence.

Now as i look around i see that our many traditions have started to fade... gone are the days of ambitious elegant businessmen and women who would take pride in their work.

Gone are the hungry young little cubs seeking advancement, seeking a place in folklore forever

Gone are the times when people would grasp a chance with both hands and wrench it down with everything they had.

Gone all gone and i must ask WHY? why and where......

Do not mistake my intentions i am not here to patronize or to jibe for i am a Gentleman of old a true businessman of an ancient bloodline stretching as far as any other would span.

I am merely here to uphold these ancient traditions, i am here to enlighten and bring back finally the order and prestige of times long past.

But what times do you speak of you may ask?

Wankish turns and glances directly at the vast growing number a full smile decends

I speak of the times of Scandia and the honorable organisation,The Cult of Cthulhu, Oliver_Mctavish and his protegee JohnnyAxe for those few that remember these times i applaud you.

For those that don't.....no matter should you require a short history lesson my doors are always open.

I must say it feels a little strange standing on the very spot my ancestors stood upon and to give a speech that does them justice.. you could argue it's all in the genes but wouldn't that be something...

I fear i have taken up enough of your time on a mere introduction but fear not this is not the last you have seen of Wankish Knightsbane for i have taken up a permanent residence here and those that agree with my ideals i can only say this is just the begging stay tuned folks.

And may the father of understanding guide us....

His movement was sudden and in the blink of an eye he was a shadow once again leaving behind only a poster...

Wankish Knightsbane businessman, philosopher and entrepreneur !

The circumstances surrounding those situations were quite different to what they are now. If we go even further back than the time you talk about you'll find that mobsters were even more bolder with their actions compared to the mobsters you speak of.

I'm not going to stand here and name them all, however we have far more 'tools' are our disposal now and the mighty dollar carries much more weight than it used to. There are things we need to pay astronomical amounts for, like HQ forts and bodyguards which we must buy because if we don't, our opposition will and they're at an advantage. By proxy, this makes the decision of whether to 'strike out and take what's yours' a much tougher one as who wants to see all their hard work and money put at risk for something you have minimal chances of making a success? 'Back in the day', sure the hours were put in, but the amount of money was on a totally different scale.

People are more of the persuasion of 'waiting their turn' now. Hoping to survive a huge war and then being given their slice of the pie, from which they can build a strong base to eventually hold sway over all 6 cities.

We still get the same 'end game', it's just done in a different way nowadays.

Wankish Knightsbane appears again suddenly from the crowds...

Ah my good man Kevin, 

How are things on this common day?

It appears you have misunderstood my intentions my speech was not to critique or to bring attention to matters that are already festering with possibility,

No not at all my good man.

Wankish escorts Kevin away from the crowds

I was merely making a statement of who i am and what i believe in, the traditions i uphold and the mantra to my existance

Here take a seat my good man i am sure that work is tireless and your amateur boxing career has taken its toll on your energy levels... please allow me to buy you a drink in fact a whole round of drinks at my favorite bar together me and you can have a relaxing chat as i happen to have a keen eye for talent and i have watched many of your underground fights Mr Owens and i do believe i can say i am a fan.

I never assumed you were critiquing, I just replied with my version of an explanation as to why we dont see the types of people you mention much anymore.

'Now that i have your attention it appears i can begin for i have some questions of my own....'

But you clearly weren't just making a statement, as you were asking questions.

Rhetorical questions my dear friend Mr Owens i know the answer to every single one it is a mantra of sorts something of a cause i need no explanation as to why things have changed people change in time it's part of progression it's what sets us aside from the neanderthals and the reason we are in prohibition.

It appears as though i may have touched a nerve and offended you my good man, never was that the intention for it to cause an issue merely an introduction into who i am and what i stand for.

It would seem a friendly drink is in order the offer is still there Mr Owens otherwise it would seem it is farewell until the next time we meet it's been a pleasure...Should you accept it you know where to find me

Without further ado Wankish tipped his hat before disappearing once again into the crowds

Again, you are assuming and you know what they say about assumptions...

You didn't touch any nerve, maybe I come across as a bit 'cutting', but you'd be well aware if I took any offence to anything you said.

Sounds to me like you're making assumptions fueled by a misguided sense of nostalgia.

Mr Knightsbane,

May I touch upon something you said,

I believe you stated:

"Do not mistake my intentions i am not here to patronize or to jibe for i am a Gentleman of old a true businessman of an ancient bloodline stretching as far as any other would span."

Those are some bold statements my friend. I believe there are plenty of folks here with bloodlines that stretch much farther back than the examples you had provided.

It is not gentleman like to make such boastful claims about oneself. 
 

A little drunk a little woozy Wankish Knightsbane staggers into the street barely after hearing such a commotion.

I see my little introduction did not go down well with some of our more established members of society allow me to clarify that i have not been unreasonable neither have i attacked any organisations or pointed any blame i have been kind i have been courteous and yet there still seems to be an issue,

Maybe i did not word it correct who knows? i thought my intentions were  coherently clear either way no harm is done my good man Sovereign is it? is that what they call you forgive me for sometimes i forget even my own name.

Anyhow Mr *hiccup* Sovereign i think we can both agree that the best course of action would be for me to buy us all a round of drinks and maybe a card game or two.... it just so happens that a few good games sprang to mind albeit friendly games.

Wankish clutches his cane as to stand his eyes fixed on a point as to regain balance

Perhaps a cup of tea and biscuits my dear man.....?

Wankish, please don't take our responses to heart.
As you came to the streets in a manner that you felt would give homage to the times past that you ancestry was accustomed to, I did just the same.

As you see, my lineage stretches back to a time where the streets were ruled with sharp and witty tongues. Venturing into the streets and making a name out of yourself generally required the ability to take something one said use it against themselves. 
I won't mention any names out in the streets, however if you would want a history lesson, I'd gladly throw some names out there over a drink sometimes in the future.

Unfortunately, not just now, as I am a bit occupied with some other tasks. 

Wankish turns towards Phil "The Steak" 

I see why they call you "The Steak" my good man, let me indulge you a gentleman may boast of his heritage as such is the etiquette of any proud individual....

I can assume you too have some powerful ancestors who have graced these shores perhaps even coinciding with my own? i would not be too informal in asking such a question would i... you seem a lively sport and very knowledgeable i can't help but think i remember my great grandfather speaking of a Steak back in his day... 

Although he was a belligerent drunk and could of just been speaking about his dinner, nevertheless you seem a good man and as such i salute you! and your heritage.. 

Wankish raises a glass only to realize most of its contents are lacing his garments, regardless he let's slip a friendly smile and a nod of respect 

My blood traces back to the Googlez lineage. The family spent a lot of time between this world and the old country. There were generations that we missed completely, but we generally always kept up with the happenings.

As for why they call me The Steak.... it's because of my great looks. 
People, especially of the female variety, seem to always stare at me like I'm just some piece of meat... Wish they would also acknowledge my personality as well... 
 

And they say chivalry is dead....

That would be a correct evaluation of the "female variety" as you describe them here in Philadelphia.

One could say that a name such as my own is most fitting considering the circumstances of prohibition... with all the illegal alcohol and backroom taverns it's almost as if it was catered for Gentlemen such as ourselves.

I was considering opening my very own establishment as to the description of which we just spoke.... but that is a project of the future and i would be honored to serve such patronage such as you fine gentlemen

I'd love to sit down, have a few smokes, a pot of coffee, and listen to you tell me about the old days! I'm so young, I don't know about how things where done before these times. You seem to have much to share, so you should know you have a audience willing to listen. Even if it is an audience of one.