Falhathian Guilds
Deviating from the normal guilds of thieves, merchants and mages, herein are presented the more novel and influential guilds of Falhath.
Given the large and varigated population of Falhath, there are no shortage of guilds. While many of these conform to the standard guilds found in any fantasy or historical setting, such as thieves guilds, merchant's guilds and the like, others are more unique in their practice, procedure, and area of expertise.
3.png){kind=avatar}
The Pale Guild
Society/Mercantile
Based out of Ozea, the Pale Guild is known for its pungent odors, stark white robes and chemical burns on their bodies. This offshoot of the Ozian Alchemists and Apothecarian Guild has a secret formula that renders bog oil into a slighty viscous clear fluid that bleaches color from clothing, hair and if the concentration is too high can burn the skin from the body.
The popularity of blonde hair, and white cloth is the main force that drives the guild. Funeral procedings are garbed in white, and it is haute couture for a lady to be blonde allowing her to claim visible semblance to Mastere, the most powerful and influential woman in Falhathian history. Ixia, the Silver Forge is depicted as being a blonde as well.
The Gold Talons
Society/Combative
The city guard of Sangreal, the Gold Talons harken back to the days of Old Sangreal before the Trinity. All but a few precious records remain of this era and not even the Talons know that they are oath-sworn to serve the Head of the Trinity from when it was nothing more than the Draconic City Father of Sangreal alone.
The Gold Talons wear white tabards over brass plated scalemail, wear conical helms and have the volge pole arm as a standard weapon and a brass handled short sword as a side arm. The officers have gold pinions, or dragon wings embossed on their helms and the Banner General of the Gold Talons has a full Dragon-Helm and carries a gold handled sword that is 'obviously' magical.
The Maison-Aigre League
Society/Political
Given the Ozean penchant for sour and pickled goods, it is no wonder that the Vinegar Guild is one of the more powerful guilds in the Diocese. The guild has influence over the fruit and grain producers, the brewers and vinters, as well as having dominance over the preparation of vinegar from soured goods. They have a fleet of merchant ships, a senior seat on the Merchant's Guild of Ozea, as well as financial interests quite removed from those of simple pickles and sour wine.
Much like the German Hanseatic league, the Maison-Aigre has turned a lucrative business of vinegar production as well as vinegar preserved goods into something more than a simple commercial venture. With their money and ties to the Merchant's guild as well as other guilds such as the vinters they have a surprising amount of political clout.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar
The Green Cloaks
Society/Combative
The Green Cloaks are a young company of state sponsored and privately funded soldiers. Primarily located in the more lawless area of Buzzards Bay 2489 the Greenies are a compromise. Duke Holmestead could not afford to maintain an adequate city guard given the lawlessness of the area, but he could not allow his minor diocese to be overrun by criminals and bandits so soon after its repair. To this end he conscripted the Green Cloaks, giving them a common uniform and equipping them. They are responcible for policing the township proper, but outlying areas can contract their services for the right amount of coin.
The standard gear of a Green Cloak soldier is a footman's Spear and a shortsword. In the field this tends to break down with other weapons being picked up from defeated brigands and bandits. Armor is piecemeal most of the time with leather and chain being the most common. The soldiers are easily recognized for their green oilcloth cloaks.
The Bellydingle Guild
Society/Mercantile
Named for the Bellydingle Ward of Ozea, this guild is the questionable domain of prostitutes, whores, and hookers. The main bonus of the Guild is that the guild operates as a protector for the working girls against would be pimps and exploitative larcenous guilds. The Head of the Bellydingle Guild has a minor seat in the Merchant's Guild.
Guild houses are easily spotted as they have blue tinted glass lanterns hanging by their doors, while those who are unaffiliated cannot have a blue lantern and are pressured by the local governers to have instead red lamps. There is a level of quality and cleanliness associated with the Blue Lamps that translates to a higher cost of services.
The Guild collects a fee from the working girls and gigolos and pays it to the government as taxes on their income.
The Hostelers guild
Society/Mercantile
this guild has the profitable job of regulating taverns, inns and the consumable part of brothels. This often puts this guild at odds with the Bellydingle and other prostitutes guilds. While fairly wealthy, this guild is not an influential one, and many refer to it as a paper dragon, full of sound and fury, but lacking any bite.
The largest part of the Guild's activities involve controlling prices for goods and services. The guild sets minimum prices for services and goods based on the quality of each establishment, using their own star system. It doesn't matter how much an establishment charges for a night's accomodation or a mug of ale so long as these prices do not fall below their alotted minimums.
The Salt Merchants Guild
Society/Mercantile
This guild is in the unenviable position of being completely under the thumb of the Wizard's Cache. The Cache ensures that the guild maintains salt prices and production, and while this is good for the general populace, the guild has suffered as in some places it could easily be charging two to three times the established salt rate for a talent on salt.
The Salt Guild does have a large advantage in that there are likely to be more mages involved in protecting their operations from those whould gouge them or try to dig into their control of the salt commodity.
The Ironmonger's Guild
Society/Mercantile
The Ironmongers are hard working men and a few women who have the hard task of forcing the earth to give up its veins of iron ore and coal. These thick limbed souls then smelt the materials to produce heavy ingots and massive talents of good grade iron that they stamp with their symbol, the humble iron spike.
The guild has a large amount of influence within the kingdom due to the importance of a steady supply of iron for the ferriers, armorers, blacksmiths, and other workers of metal.
Not Registered Yet? No problem.
Do you want Strolenati super powers? Registering. That's how you get super powers! These are just a couple powers you receive with more to come as you participate.
- Upvote and give XP to encourage useful comments.
- Work on submissions in private or flag them for assistance.
- Earn XP and gain levels that give you more site abilities (super powers).
- You should register. All your friends are doing it!
? Responses (7)
I've said this before somewhere sometime, but I LOVE submissions like this. Instead of a long drawn out post on one entity (something i'm guilty of myself), be it guild, npc or location, you offer several with just enough detail on each to wet the whistle, and get the mind spinning with ideas. Nice overall feel to them all. Gold Talons are just ok, but Pale Guild is my favorite!
I like it, for the same reason as Murometz. A nice little collection to draw inspiration from.
You should really expand these into full posts each. They have that much potential. Even if they are deeply embedded in your culture, they can serve as inspirations for others (or just adapted outright). They can then be linked together by a codex.
An aside: Wrong code:
Ethnic/Cultural These groups are ethnic and subcultures that are associated with a given location or setting. It can also include groups for ethnic preservation or celebration. These are just groups linked through a scroll that has a geographic/ campaign link... kind of like Arth Guilds.
Ethnic/Cultural These groups are ethnic and subcultures that are associated with a given location or setting. It can also include groups for ethnic preservation or celebration.
These are just groups linked through a scroll that has a geographic/ campaign link... kind of like Arth Guilds.
any similarities?
Good job Scas.
Added Hostelers, Salt Merchants, and iron mongers guilds
Cool - nice listing of guilds.
