The Guild of Apothecaries (Baeleth)

The Guild of Apothecaries is a Baelethian association comprised of apothecaries, herbalists, physicians and other individuals in similar fields. Though once it was a legitimate professional association, as they still claim to be, it has over the decades warped into something with a murkier purpose and a more sordid set of central activities. The primary among these are blackmail.
The shift in the organization came about as a result of the often intimate look into the private lives of nobles that physicians and apothecaries often are afforded. Some crafty individuals within the original guild decided to begin capitalizing on this, exchanging secrets with each other such that they could demand money from each other's patients in exchange for keeping them. Gradually, and with the aid of greed and unscrupulousness, this scheme became more complex and begun to involve more and more guild members, until it by far eclipsed the original activities of the guild. No longer satisfied with the secrets that happened to come their way, the members also began to make an organized effort to gather information through a network of spies and informants.
Currently, the Guild of Apothecaries may be considered one of the most powerful organizations in Baeleth. Though officially just a professional guild, its members have enough power that they can skirt, or even break, the law with impunity. Apart from filling its coffers and the pockets of the members, its activities have allowed it to have a great influence over the political and commercial powers in the country, including marrying into several noble families. In certain cities, it is said that anything one wants to do, from getting a building permit to writing a will or even marrying, needs the blessing of the Guild.
It should be noted that not all apothecaries in Baeleth are members of the guild. In fact, those that service the average citizen and take little interest in the goings-on of the nobility are barred from entry, leading to the rise of the Guild of Common Apothecaries, a legitimate professional association focused on mentorship programmes and other professional concerns like the sharing of new medical discoveries and the purchasing of raw materials.

Type

Illicit, Other