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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Dec 17, 2015 6:25:34 GMT
Geography
The Southern Traders span the southern realms of Albion; from Dumonia in the west to its small offices in Tir Moreth in the east. From the north, it begins with representative offices in Camelot, to a well-established and ancient foothold on the island of Helna.
It struggles through strife and warfare in the lands, which ultimately reduces the potential for wealth in all of Albion. To its north are the Western Traders, and to the east the Eastern Traders - both competitive guilds in their own right. Within its realm, the Southern Traders has to contend with anywhere between three to five landed domains, not to mention religious differences. When these forces aren’t directly competing with each other through wealth or force of arms, it is but a matter of time until the wealth grows enough that raiders come calling.
Fortunately, it maintains a strong presence nonetheless. The major coastal cities of Dumonia, Alined, Nemeth and Helna all benefit from its presence. As a guild, it operates weigh houses to ensure the accurate pricing of goods, its members organize local militias (particularly naval) to perform light patrols of trade routes and arrange for convoys, and the dues and other income of the guild help expand its operations to the benefit of its members. Currently, a fleet of three longships (not counting smaller fishing vessels and barges) represent the guild’s defensive power, to be used as merchant and intercepting vessels in times of peace, and as raiders and transports in times of war.
It also claims mineral resources. Presently, it operates a silver mine in Helna. This silver is sold to guild members and others in good standing only, such that they might have a ready supply with which to work.
Finally, its members are often the main source of labor for the ports and docks of its provinces, and many fishermen, albeit not craftsmen or traders, are also members (sometimes at reduced rates in exchange for services rendered that would otherwise not be expected).
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Dec 17, 2015 6:25:52 GMT
History
It is a sea-faring guild at heart, and is known throughout the land for it’s shipwrights and longshoremen, even if its sailors are no better or worse than the average fisherman, as most people are. It’s internal politics have led to the rise of the House of Helna, an influential family from the isle of Helna. While always prominent within the guild, it is only within the past few decades they have obtained the best positions.
With its immediate competition recognized, the Southern Traders early on took to the seas, where it might be as free as possible from coastal raiders, feuding lords, competing guilds and zealous temples. It bands together the professions of coastal cities, emphasizing Brewers, Smiths (incl. Silversmiths), Carpenters, Weavers and city Fishermen. Between these port cities, it trades its goods and sends them inland when it must. Of course, the guild is certainly not limited to the aforementioned professions, but it does have its specialties.
In the past, it has invested its influence throughout the southern realms, even as nobles schemed and plotted against each other. The Southern Traders care most for stability and prosperity, both rare occurrences in lands full of nobles vying for power. With competition and a great distance to foreign lands, the Southern Traders have had to be resilient and innovative to survive and thrive. It honors the etiquette of nobility, but honestly cares little for bastard kings, heroes of the people or rightful heirs, beyond what wealth their rule can offer them. It recognizes the guild must play its part, but expects its turn for a chance at wealth. To these merchants, a steady rule is better than a legitimate rule, and it follows the old adage of spending money to make money
The patriarch of the House is Aethor of Helna, Grand Admiral of the Southern Traders. His second in command, First Mate Braede, is considered the guild’s most prominent merchant, albeit also its worst diplomat. Both have a knack for finances, but Aethor’s are better suited to ruling a realm, where Braede aptitude is found in leading an expedition.
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Dec 17, 2015 6:26:14 GMT
Politics and Factions
A guild such as the Southern Traders operates on the basis of a charter. Rules are followed, but they are in flux due to the nature of the guild’s existence. At present, there’s some uncertainty and confusion, largely due to no one quite knowing how the guild will be ruled in the future. Within the next year, it is expected that Aethor will call together a council. While this council will in theory have the power to overrule Aethor, and certain decisions will certainly require a super-majority or unanimous vote, the size of the council is expected to be around four. With Aethor’s ability to break ties, it is expected to be more of a means by which to seek advice and delegate powers of administration, and one that meets infrequently.
For a guild, it’s a challenge between oaths of fealty to the lords, oaths to the guild and religious beliefs. It is not possible to deny oaths to the lords, for they rule the realms, yet at least it is few among commoners that take the oath of fealty as seriously as nobles do. While possible to separate religious beliefs from the work of its members, such acts often find the guild with fewer, and surprisingly less loyal members.
The resulting factions fortunately share common ground in their desire for wealth and prosperity. Their routes to it, their patience and their eagerness in the pursuit do tend to differ.
Some take great pride in procuring the very best arms and armor to lieutenants, captains, generals and kings. They ship the very best stones to churches and graveyards. These men form an unofficial faction that will accept nothing less than perfection. For all their flaws, they tend towards perfection themselves at the least, and tend to make great workers, if awful leaders and followers. As a consequence, these personalities do not tend towards great power within the guild.
One faction “worships” wealth above all - the highest margins, regardless of quality and regardless of buyer. This factions tends to have some influence in the guild, in part because they will do anything for wealth; from selling suspect meat or low quality weapons, to gathering disgruntled peasants or performing acts of subterfuge. Their wealth, and their willingness to perform any act for it, gives them some standing in the guild, although they’re not often well-perceived. They do form a distinct faction and one that must be appeased in order to carry out the very worst acts the Southern Traders are capable of.
A traditionalist faction seeks to consolidate the power of the Southern Traders in the southern realms. They do not particularly care to over-extend into more northern realms, nor do they have a particular desire for distant travel and ventures. They do, however, wield significant experience and are often the very masters who train new apprentices to become the very best of their craft. As with any idea, many of the traditionalists share values of other factions, e.g. some traditionalists may very well worship wealth above all. This faction was also ultimately responsible for establishing the silver mines in Helna.
The sailor’s faction encourages the building of a fleet to rival that of any realm. Recognizing that no landed lord would be caught dead paying tribute to a massive fleet, they view the merchant guild as the perfect avenue through which to maintain such a fleet. They are fishermen, weavers, carpenters, lumberjacks and more. They are whalers, furriers and traveling merchants. They will venture far to procure their goods, and usually prefer to travel home to sell them. As the traditionalists, they may also seek wealth above all else. The sailor’s faction is powerful, in part due to Aethor and Braede being in positions of power, and in part because they are responsible for the intra-guild trade and the current decent state of its fleet.
Finally, a minority elven and half-elven faction represent the interest of the guild’s holdings in Tir Mor. Through the half-elven regent, they exercise far more influence than one would normally expect. Their skills are often unique compared to their human counterparts, making them valued members. However, they demand the guild’s presence (at least) in Tir Moreth, and would far prefer to see the Eastern Traders driven from the lands in favor of the Southern Traders (which is not to say that is the interest of the Southern Traders!).
Magic too plays a part, but more often as a purchaser. For the Southern Traders, that means always being on the lookout for components wizards and priests alike may desire. In the spring ,during the whale migration, whaling expeditions might be organized. Summer winds bring good trade both near and far. Autumn harvests offer an opportunity to purchase where harvests were good, and sell where they were bad - often on information built earlier in the year. Winter cuts off the north for certain, but a skilled captain can make good coin when and where none else are willing to travel. The ice in the winter also opens up hunting opportunities for lesser marine mammals that are harder to hunt in the spring and after.
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Jan 26, 2016 21:22:06 GMT
The path to the Silver Mines
If one were to take a small barge up one of the smaller rivers from Novas, one of the slow-flowing ones if the rains aren't pouring down, it would be possible to journey south to the windswept ridges of Helna. On this ridge, the Southern Traders operate a small silver mine.
Typically, travel occurs by boat, although it is possible to follow the river by land if absolutely necessary. The occasional hunter or trapper along the river can help ford it at key-points when traveling by land, and provide good re-supply points for smaller groups - larger groups must bring their own supplies.
Once near the ridge, the river becomes impossible to navigate, as it splits into many smaller streams, fed by the Ridge. The river itself is rich in silver, and it is at this point that the Silver Mine begins in earnest. The mining village is set up here, with a warehouse to store supplies, tools and the silver to be sold, and there are huts for miners coming and going. There's also a smaller operation to extract silver from the river itself, however, the bulk is ore processed from caves in the Ridge. Although a wild location, it has usually never been considered more dangerous than the activity of mining itself (a risky job usually best left to prisoners condemned to death or slaves if one were immoral enough, but some well-paid mining engineers and skilled miners are to be found among the workers).
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