Guildmaster

I miss the simplicity of the forge. All this political stuff is too much for a simple blacksmith.

— Guildmaster Adath of Caelester

Guildmasters act as the political head of their guilds. Elected by the assembly of masters for each guild, they serve both as the chair of guild meetings and as advisors to the city's rulers. Most masters cast their ballot based on their opinion of a candidate's clearheadedness and political acumen rather than their practical skills. Thus, guildmasters tend to be of only moderate skill compared to other masters of the guild.

Role in the Guild

Guildmasters typically devote much of their time to the administration of Guild affairs, particularly the enforcement of guild standards and codes of ethics. The guildmaster is responsible for conducting investigations into complaints filed by the public, and deciding punishments for guild members who are found to violate these rules. They also assign masters to judge masterpieces made by journeymen aspiring to be masters, as well as for masters moving between cities before they can join the guild.

Standards and Ethics

Every guild maintains a strict standard of quality that all masters must maintain in their work, as well as a code of ethics dictating how masters run their businesses. These typically set minimum prices for standard services, specify skills to be taught to apprentices and journeymen working under them.

Election

Guilds typically hold elections every 5 to 10 years. In most guilds, masters must have held that title for more than 10 years, while also securing the nomination of multiple other masters. Each master gets a vote, and some guilds offer a half-vote to journeymen, and the candidate who tallies the most votes becomes guildmaster.

Most guilds keep the rules of conduct for candidates to a minimum: intimidation and magical inducements are both universally banned (and also typically illegal in general). Paying for votes is also usually banned, though historically this often backfires - a master who is so free with their own money seems likely to do the same with guild funds, and might not be the best choice for administering a guild in general.

In Caelester

Caelester's guilds have long been accustomed to having considerable influence over the city's leadership, particularly in matters relevant to their trades. But ever since the Earthquake eight years ago, the Guildmaster's Council has taken on much greater responsibilities.