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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Aug 10, 2018 20:40:21 GMT
Robogdii Free Trade Policy
In the distant lands of Robogdii, the Southwestern Traders ultimately hold sway over the most important taverns, craftsmen, lodges, docks and markets. With this hold, it would appear much trade has previously been discouraged. Although the markets hum with activity, much of it is haphazard or black market. To shine a great light upon the markets and bring some more order, productivity and revenue to the right kind of merchants, it becomes apparent that guild craftsmen open up their services to other guilds and merchants using to engage in trade in Robogdii. Southwestern Trader merchant vessels are open to providing services at reasonable prices to honest merchants, and more importantly, they share food and drink with their prospective clients as well. While it is clear that there is still some favoritism towards members of the Southwestern Traders, the openness with which business is conducted outside of guild ranks in Robogdii is an unprecedented experiment in the Hibernian way, as described by the United Hibernian Traders.
The new policy of open business and free trade upon the reigning guilds of Hibernia is soon confirmed by decrees issued by local guild lodges with support from the Southwestern Trader councils in Albion. Through the policy, it's expected that many goods of Dwarven or Hibernian make will be funneled from Robogdii to Wessex, and then from there to the rest of southern Albion, lending credence to both of those provinces as being essential centers of trade for their respective regions. Likewise in the opposite direction, the opportunity to divest themselves of goods deemed worthless in Albion, but valuable in Hibernia and the dwarven highlands, is golden and much appreciated. Among ship captains, it is welcomed as providing more opportunities for work to be had, as the policy is sure to increase the volume of trade.
The decision to have the decree coincide with the spring fur auction is certainly not coincidental.
To all honest and earnest merchants of Robogdii
In the spirit of cooperation, let it be known that the Southwestern Traders hereby encourage their dockworkers, skippers, craftsmen, innkeepers, and more, to do business with all merchants in Robogdii. They further encourage lords and ladies of the land, and their respective lawmen, to support all endeavors by the same that promote trade in the lands of Robogdii. They encourage such honest merchants to do business in Robogdii and to break bread with their counterparts belonging to other guild halls, that more goods and services might be exchanged.
That such free trade will benefit all, including the many merchants and craftsmen of the Southwestern Traders, who will naturally continue to promote and engage in productive trade expeditions and merchant ventures, and expects the free use of the trade we are so graciously promoting.
And that as State Guild of Caerleon, we are ordained to manage the majority of guild lodges and trade in the region, and will act accordingly, and with no malice or ill-will towards those who respect and follow this decree; this offer of friendship and free trade.
As always, the mention of 'honest' merchants naturally precluded the Eastern Traders from obtaining any support from the Southwestern Traders.
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Aug 10, 2018 20:43:11 GMT
Hibernian Trade Routes
Well-established trade routes already supplied the spring fur auction in Dumonia with much of what it needed, and so the focus from the Hibernian side of things became to supply them with what they wanted, what they didn't know they needed, and what they didn't know they wanted. Access to the Hibernian and dwarven markets, moreso than elsewhere, allowed the merchants in Robogdii to collect wares less common in Dumonia and to sell these at a premium, to the benefit of both the fur auction and the local merchants in Robogdii who bought low and sold high, as good merchants do.
With the demand for their products increasing, the necessity of having regular, organized shipping became more important and the task for providing such shipping naturally fell to those best known for the quality and quantity of shipping they could provide: The Southwestern Traders. By far, most of the trade vessels that became involved with Robogdii ultimately called Albion their home, but, especially those that had used to call Nemeth or Helna their home, re-based themselves to operate out of Robogdii instead. There was money to be made and it was hard to refuse that kind of offer.
And with more regular shipping, upgrades to the existing docks and ports were required. Investments for such was generously provided by the Southwestern Traders. The changes were minute, for the most part, but would greatly aid in improving safety for ships, sailors and longshoremen, and improving the efficiency of the ports and associated facilities.
Even harsh winters could not stop the intrepid merchants from braving the high seas. After all, the waters of the Hibernian sea were always cold regardless and could strip a man of his life just as easily in the summer as it could in the winter. Indeed, summer was the more deceptive of seasons, as captains and sailors often expected good weather and frequently found themselves caught off-guard and surprised. At least in winter, bad weather could be anticipated. With that anticipation in mind for all seasons, the risk of shipwrecks, injuries and deaths among sailors plying the trade routes to and from Robogdii could be lessened and thus trade improved.
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Aug 10, 2018 20:44:33 GMT
An Umbrian Connection
"You want how much?" Elizabeth asked, "And how quickly?"
"That's why I'm here Elizabeth. It's just samples for now, but I'm sure it's a product that will sell pretty well regardless." Peter replied, "Which you don't have to worry about at any rate, since I'm the one that'll end up with the product and I'll pay you the same either way."
"I can definitely do it," Elizabeth said, "It's just not often I get orders like these."
"And what of the quality? I know your staff is... less than human, if you will. How can I be sure that my client won't be offended by the product?"
"While there are some errors from time to time, I've found that my leatherworking skills are better spent reviewing the work done by these goblins than it would be making the craft myself. Sure, I could make you an excellent set given enough time, but in the same time, my goblin workers can produce ten to twenty times the amount, and I only have to sell half of them at a discount. I'll just leave the better product for you, and you can trust that I'll personally inspect every one of them."
"Good. I think my client would be very unhappy if they got sub-par leather armour." Peter replied, relieved. Being the intermediary between craftsmen in Robogdii and elves in Umbria was going to make him (and his Northern Trader counterparts) very rich, but he couldn't afford to mess up.
"Say, who is this client of yours anyway?" Elizabeth asked, to which Peter responded, "You know I can't tell you that. Can't be giving away my trade secrets now can I?", naturally, he also couldn't let the goblins know they were making armour for elves, or the elves know that a portion of their armour was going to be made by goblins. But the lithe and nimble fingers of the goblins just lent itself to producing excellent quality work, and there were plenty of goblins around to work on it. Like Elizabeth had said, they only needed to get some of the pieces right for it to be worth it on the basis of time and effort expended.
Money scarcely cared who the givers or recipients were. It was a neutral, emotionless, but valuable medium of exchange. No more, no less. And in so being, it could allow for goblin goods to eventually find their way into dwarven, elven or even Bayardian hands - and vice versa.
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Aug 10, 2018 20:45:31 GMT
A Pier on Robogdii Waters
There was a generic problem that everyone always faced. Laziness. What people thought was 'good' versus 'good enough' often slipped. As time went by and things deteriorated, the new status quo became the new standard and established what was 'good enough'. In that manner, what was once only acceptable would suddenly become good, then outstanding. Similarly, what was once atrocious would become merely unacceptable or deficient and finally 'good enough'. This was problematic for safety and efficiency alike.
Particularly for docks, ports and piers, it was common for them to start out well-built and in good shape with the quality rarely lasting. Winds and waves would beat upon the wooden pillars and scour the surface. Worms and other creatures would make unpermitted homes in the structure and weaken the integrity. Ice would creep up during the course of winter and chip away until there was nothing left. Boots, barrels and boxes would stomp all over the flexible wooden boards until they too would inevitably fail. What was left, one day, was a pier that was a shadow of its former self. Sloughing sections, missing boards, damaged pillars. Workable, to be sure, but unsafe and inefficient.
To make up for that, and because of its importance to the merchants of the Southwestern Traders, the investment of money, time and skill by craftsmen, sailors and longshoremen alike was at times excessive. Captains often had to wait for days at ports waiting for others, and so reducing the amount of downtime they had to spend loading or unloading gave them a number of opportunities. Firstly, it improved morale, because less sailors would get hurt and more shoreleave days could be offered. Secondly, it improved efficiency, because captains could look for better suppliers and markets while they waited for their contacts to get their things together. Thirdly, if they were truly pressed for time, then it was the one bottleneck they had control over. If they could accomplish their side of the work faster and more efficiently, then they could set sail sooner and make it in time to other markets before anyone else and, in so doing, sell their products at a premium (or at all, in some cases).
Good piers were essential to the Southwestern Trader merchant vessels. Granted that most places had piers, but it was the quality and excellence of the piers that the Southwestern Traders supported that made all the difference. Without support from that guild, the piers would simply not be as effective and less merchant activity was guaranteed to be the result, if other guilds couldn't make it up for it with their own specialties. Indeed, the piers of the Southwestern Traders had no equal save for their peers from other harbours and ports.
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Aug 10, 2018 20:47:50 GMT
Eurwen's Influence
It was challenging to manage a guild spanning as far and wide as the Southwestern Traders. It was true that there was at least one other guild that could claim to span as far and wide, and the challenges were certainly the same for them. Nevertheless, the struggle was real. Rightfully, she could not deny that even other, lesser guilds such as the dwarven craftsmen might themselves span far and wide as well. Even trying to manage a guild spanning just between two cities could be a challenge. That recognition merely exemplified the monumental task she had before her in her daily work. And this was true for Gwyndaf, who had to manage the guild's courtly functions, including its courtiers in other lands. It was true for Victor, who had to manage naval supplies for ships that weren't collected together into a single fleet. Finally, it was true for Eurwen, who had to simultaneously review purchases of supplies in Dumonia, further inland in Albion, and across the sea in Robogdii.
Fortunately, she was not alone in her task and for the most part, her task had a long-term outlook. It was about setting policies that, in the future, might save the guild some funds. To aid in that, she had set up a guild agency to help herself and others in accomplish that task. For her, it was all about hiring the people who knew the right people and then keeping just enough of an eye on them to make sure that they saved more money than they spent. In the end, it was marginal savings. But it meant that experienced people would keep coming back for more work, saving time and thus money. It meant that when quality didn't matter, costs could be saved by purchasing the right products, and vice versa.
She wasn't quite sure what to call the group of people she had collected for this task. Taskmasters? Didn't seem to fit. Officers? They didn't exactly have that kind of rank. She would have to mull it over and try to figure out what to call these people who went about procuring goods and services for the guild.
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Aug 17, 2018 7:41:35 GMT
"The dwarves listened," Mr. Milliken said, "But no 'ne else did. I guess they were too drunk."
"Their loss," Elizabeth answered, "We would have aided them, and near anyone else, all the same. Any word from the council?"
"Aye," Mr. Milliken replied, "We've quite succeeded in our ventures up here, lad, they said, so there ain't being no more weregeld gettin' sent up here to pay for old feuds to be settled. Or something like that. She tried, anyhow, as best she could. Better than most. She has the flair, it's just been a decade."
"E' get it." Elizabeth said, "It's quite 'right. We got wha' our 'alls need. We can help others get the same. See who does eet better."
"Aye. Seems other matters take pre'cendence." Mr. Milliken replied, "But we be quite right. All the ways to the heavens we have been, and always quite will be."
"I'll let me workers know to keep at it; give a helping hand to anyone brave enough to give a go at it. I don't know anyone but the dwarves will try, but they're a good lot to work with anyhow. So I hope they do."
"Aye, they are indeed. Let's hope they do."
"We've got our ships going too, aye?" Elizabeth asked, to which Mr. Milliken replied, "Aye, some brand new ships, made of the finest woods, not by any goblin hands either as far as I know. Good crew. Good captains. Ready to sail. Waiting to see what the Hibernian Traders are up to and if they want to partake in anything we 'ave to 'ffer."
"Let's 'ope they do." Elizabeth said, "Would be good coin for all of us."
And indeed it would be. Many merchant vessels were eager to leave... for great profit!
[OOC: Apologies for the complete and total mangling]
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Aug 28, 2018 20:43:53 GMT
[T26]
Elizabeth looked over her ledgers and accounts. Over the course of a mere summer, she had gone from a scarcely known peddler of knick-knacks, buttons and the occasional outfit to a magnate of the leather armor industry. Beneath her she employed scores of humans and goblins, carefully arranged such that the internal competitions between the goblins kept them busy and productive. Too busy to instigate anything troublesome. Her connections to Albion brought her riches, with her chief responsibility at this point being to verify the general quality of the armours she distributed. In some ways, one could argue she was plundering the wealth of Hibernia for her own ends and it wouldn’t be wholly inaccurate. However, if that was her intent, she was going about it poorly. Her labourers and suppliers still got paid and the alternative would have been that these products would never have been made or sold in Robogdii.
Besides leveraging her clients in Umbria, who seemed to be content with the armour she provided them, she was spreading into the naval supplies industry. Leather was an important factor in most ships one way or another, and large quantities were always in demand by the Southwestern Traders and other lesser guilds. She would have a guaranteed market regardless, given the sheer quantity she could produce and sell to the Southwestern Traders, but what she was seeking to do was establish herself as not just a lesser magnate in Robogdii, but one that spanned across Albion. A magnate that might rival lesser guilds by herself. Always reliant on the Southwestern Traders, of course, since most of her assets were ultimately owned by the guild through investments or loans. But nevertheless, she would rank among the richest.
This was true regardless of whether or not her scheme to expand her markets worked out in her favour. It was true even if her preferred method of expansion, through the Southwestern Traders, fell flat, for she could easily expand using connections in other guilds as well. Indirectly, for the most part, but at least in Robogdii it would be no issue to work with either the dwarves or the United Hibernian Traders, if it came to that. Still, she preferred the company of like minds and that was where her own focus lay, whether that business was taking place in Robogdii, Caerleon or Nemeth. The merchants, workshops and stores already existed. All she needed was to leverage her influence over them. Her guild's influence, that is.
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Aug 30, 2018 6:05:35 GMT
"Captain Smith," Elizabeth welcomed the man, "Congratulations on your new commission. Listen, I've got this shipload of wares that I need sent over to Albion, and I think you're just the man to do it."
"Congratulations to yourself, Elizabeth. I hear you've made quite a name for yourself. Some might even say a killing. Or is that the wrong word to use in these parts?"
"Nah, a killing is about right, Captain," Elizabeth acknowledged, "And you could make a killing too you know. Sail for me and all that."
"Thanks, but no thanks. The pay's good and steady, and as good as you can pay me, I don't think it'd be steady. And there's glory in it too, you know. I get to go places. See things. More freedom than I would have as your lackey. No offense." Captain Smith explained his reasoning.
"Ah well, it was worth a shot. Anyhow, still need this load shipped off to Albion, and I understand your crew is taking requests for the summer?" Elizabeth said, "Not sure how that's different than working for me, but if you say it is, and you get these goods to Umbria, then it's all the same to me."
"Yeah, we're hoping to run some errands. Your goods won't be the only ones on the ship though, so you're quite right - we're not working for you. But it sounds important enough and you seem like you could probably pay for the service, yeah?"
"Alright, alright. Listen, I'll have the wares and the payment ready for you. Just make sure they get to Umbria, and tell him its the finest the Southwestern Traders has to offer. I certainly can't think of where I would get as many of these, as good as they are."
"Sure thing Elizabeth." Captain Smith said skeptically, "I'll get them to Umbria. Don't you worry."
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Post by SouthWestern Traders on Aug 30, 2018 6:12:56 GMT
From Albion to Hibernia
On the opposite side of the Hibernian sea, Captain Ingrid was getting her ship ready to set sail. It was already loaded up with an absurd amount of sheepskin destined for Robogdii, and other more uncommon, rarer wares for more distant lands. Nagnati or North Hold. They hadn't quite decided yet. It depended a lot on the weather. Besides that, they had passengers intent on making their way across the sea.
It was going to be a relaxing journey, Ingrid figured. The ships were well-supplied, the cargo on board, and everyone seemed eager to go. Based on stories she had heard, it seemed more likely that they'd be sailing onwards towards North Hold than trying to sail around Hibernia. Something about some powerful magic keeping things out of certain seas. Still, she'd see where the seas would take them all the same. She wasn't tied down to any one particular route just yet.
Once they got to Robogdii, they could get rid of all the sheepskin and stock up on some other wares. Fill up the holds and make some more wealth, as it were. They'd have to get something heavy to serve as ballast too. It wasn't because rocks and stuff like that was necessarily valuable, although it could in the right markets, but it was one of the more effective ways of making sure that the ships didn't capsize in rough weather. That and loading up with a full crew and more soldiers than the gods knew what to do with. But they weren't slated to carry any soldiers this season, so rocks would have to do, once they got to Robogdii, and sheepskin and other alternative means of weight until then.
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