The Silver Lining League
The Cimerus Sea Mariner Trading Company (or the Silver Lining Alliance) is a league of allied merchants & trading established by explorers, traders and sea captains from across the southern coastlines of Aetha'Shar. Predominantly hailing from the mercantile centre of the Bolotani Bay, adjacent to the Vashara Desert, the north-western peninsula of Savasha & upon the fringes of the Diarchy of Ankh'hera.
Currently led by Admiral Belfire Silverdew, who maintains control over the Silver Tydellan Alliance in his headquarters within the city-state of Tydellan. It is the focal point of Cimerusian Halfling & Tortle expansion into southern Aetha'Shar, and a potential challenger to the Bronzimm Concord as the foremost trade organisation in the central hemisphere of the world.
The Silver Lining Alliance trade in a variety of goods; the near-endless supply of Titan Metal excavated in their home colony of Promethea is prized across the Cimerus Sea, as well as their stakes in gemstone, spice & silver trades make them a supplier of luxuries to many kingdoms and cities across the northern, southern and eastern sides of the Cimerus Sea. This is also bolstered by the natural forays into shipping in textiles, foodstuffs and art from the home archipelago of the Spice Halflings, traditionally the domain of Ankh'heran merchants. Recent discoveries and quantities of lost Mancioran treasures have also uncovered prominent magical artefacts, items and scrolls thought lost since the Arcane Era - but prominently taken advantage of by Tydellan Tortle privateers and treasure-seekers.
Structure
The Silver Lining League is an influential commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns across the southern & eastern coasts of Aetha'Shar. Growing from its centre of Tydellan in the Bolotani Bay, ultimately encompassing dozens of different settlements across five present nations.
The Silver Lining Company answers to themselves and their central independent council of high-ranking guild masters and admiralty, known as the Pearlage. Made up of two Piece-Masters & six members of the Silver Gentlemans Councils (local leaders of member communities) from three different parts, the Triangs - meaning six Piece-Masters and 18 Silver Gentleman at a time. The Piece-Masters lead operations across the Cimerus Sea, and the Silver Gentlemen work alongside and under them, directing & handling various aspects of the companies operations and monopolies. They handle settlement administration, naval trade, land trade, logistics, workforces, control of pricing of goods, guild laws. Of particular significance, the Silver Lining Alliance has its own private and seasonal army of Tortles, supplemented by the Spice Halflings, and its own naval force to protect its interests.
It operates as an early stock exchange, each holding its own treasury, court and seal. Like most guilds, the individual states or merchant colonies were led by Aldermen, or Piece-Masters (referring to the silver coinage referred to as 'silver pieces). The Statute of the Silver Linings had modified its laws and rules to ensure equal representation to the league's members - to that end, member communities from different regions were pooled into three circles, or 'Triangs' (Three Parts): the Tydellian Triang, the Promethean Triang & the Azeronin Triang. The merchants from their respective Triangs would then each choose two Piece-Masters and six members of the Silver Gentlemens Council, to administer the Silver Lining Alliance for a set period of time.
The Silver Lining Alliance only had one central institution, gathering alongside the shore of Tydellan. However, with the division of the Triangs (Thirds), the members of the respective subdivisions frequently held Triangtages (Triang meetings) to work out common positions which would then be presented at a central gathering of leaders, at the Pearlage. On a more local level, league members also met, and while such regional meetings were never formalised, they gradually gained importance in the process of preparing and implementing Pearlage decisions.
Culture
The culture is dynamic and cosmopolitan, but it retains its cultural traditions and values from a combination of Tydellian & Promethean influences. While it employs a multitude of nationalities, races and local groups, it is almost exclusively made up of fifth-generation Promethean (Halfling) colonisers that make up the executive and upper echelon of the organisation. Numerous different nobilities have adopted a number of their traditions and cultural past-times as part of their efforts to gain prestige and standing amongst the merchants league, occupying parts of the middle echelons. The physical workforce and labourers consist of mainly wanderlusting Halflings from the Spice Archipelago, Fey Isle inhabitants, coastal Tortle tribes and contracted workers from Ankh'hera, Savasha and other nations along the Cimerus Sea.
Public Agenda
The Silver Lining League's public goals are the greater establishment of trade networks, the fortifying of their sea routes and central trade routes across the east to west deserts and divides, and the river routes through Savashan sub-continent. Secondly, they seek partnerships and protections for both Halfling and Tortle citizens across the various settlements and nations of the Cimerus Sea.
Assets
In addition to its material wealth, the Silver Lining League control numerous trade outposts for their exclusive use in the Cimerus Sea and central Aetha'Shar continent - holding exclusive mines for their own use in the island of Promethea, as well as several clan-family plantations across the Spice Archipelago. They also have a sizable security force and naval force of an estimated 30-45 Baochuan 'treasure' ships, 50 Caravels in addition to other merchant vessels.
History
The Silver Lining League is a long-lasting and ever growing commercial league across Aetha'Shar's southern coasts and across the Cimerus Sea, formally established by the original Six Piece-Masters of Tydellan as it grew as the first Halfling colony from Promethea. For the last few centuries, Halfling and Tortle sailors have been working together to create this centralised network, competing against the magocratic Ankh'herans and the notorious descendants of the old Manciore thalassocracy. Setting up outposts across the Bolotani Bay, competing and driving away the Mek'rodemzai tribes and clans, expanding further westward into the Savashan coastlines and forming partnerships with the Reignarate - although through a series of shoreline and short naval battles to establish the greater control over trade.
It was with the aid of the Silverdew family and their holds over the Promethean mines of Titan metals that allowed them to establish a monopoly of trade and push away competitors and ally with other groups. Prior to this, trade across the sea was often met with naval battles particularly between the competing nations of Ankh'hera, Savasha and Ozon'Siiari - the Silver Lining League began to approach them as an intermediary between them, acting as a neutral partner of supplies to one another. The Silverdews sent their representatives to each ruler to lead their expansions, and establish the common laws to be upheld between separate territories - offering different privileges and tolls to their trades, in exchange for the luxurious goods, particularly spice, that each one desired.
Tydellan operated as the beating heart of the League, though its partners to the west, beyond the Gates of Azeron would directly deal with Ankh'hera and compete with the Bronzimm Concord over different resources - the Tydellan would operate the trade that connected Ankh'hera with Ozon'Siiari, sharing in the wealth but avoiding the war as best they could and remain independent from each others nations and rivalries, and the Promethean Triang was established as the great supply to each Triang of the Cimerus Sea.
As of 868 PD, the Silver Lining League holds the monopoly across the Bolotani Bay for trade and land-access routes between Ankh'hera and Ozon'Siiari, with a major presence in the western Dens of Savasha. Though, this has brought rivalry and resistance from some of the competitive clans of Gnolls of Savasha, and they have endured multiple raids from their landed colonies in the northern Bolotani Bay from the desert nomads of Vashara, the Mek'rodemzai, the so-called 'Demons of the Dunes'.
There's always a silver lining.
Founding Date
495 PD
Type
Financial, Merchant League
Alternative Names
Silver Lineman. Tydellians. Fragrant Vagrants. Silver Spicers.
Training Level
Semi-professional
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Tydellian - Cimerusians
Leader
Leader Title
Location
Related Ethnicities
