History & Lore
Conceived of by the Humans to create an Espen-wide standard for currency, trade policy, and negotiations, the Guilded Summit first occurred in UE 615 in the then-small settlement of Pra'Shad. Chosen for its lack of affiliation to any specific religion, race, or culture, Pra'Shad provided a much-needed neutral ground for these talks. In attendance, were the Humans, Wood Elves, High Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, and the Goblins of the Free City of Hatchetwinks. Despite invitations, the Genasi choose to abstain from participation citing their longstanding policy following the Second Genasi rebellions to refrain from any talks that involved the Dwarven Kings Union.
The talks saw a vast exchange of not only gold and goods but information that aided to shape Espen for the next 100 years. While this marked the first time that such diplomatic and economic debates did not end in some type of skirmish, the event was not without incident. The humans and their budding interest in espionage managed to place 21 spies in various camps in each of the major cities during the summit. The full extent of the information they stole and cultural trade secrets lost to humans has been estimated to be more than 300,000 GP over the next hundred years.
The human delegation engaged in 254 documented trades during the summit, some of which consisted of them simply giving away gold, weapons, or access to information. However, this was clearly a part of the plan to gain the confidence of other races as they robbed them blind. This has led many cultures to adopt (or at least know the meaning behind) the phrase "Humans don't trade." As many well believe anytime a human appears to be losing a trade, they are most certainly not.
Current Relevance:
The Guilded Summit now acts as an annual event that has evolved to include both the Genasi and Tabaxi. The summit has been less about commerce and more about the proliferation of knowledge and making diplomatic inroads between cultures and occasionally interculturally. This has led to Pra'Shad becoming well-known the world over for its hospitality and multicultural spirit. As an ongoing tradition and ode to the first Guilded Summit, it is customary for individuals traveling to Pra'Shad to bring a gift from their hometown. Stored in the Opus Library, these gifts and books have made the Opus one of Espen's most diverse forums of thought and culture.
Observances:
Considered the be the humans' largest event of the summer, The Guilded Summit begins on Lumice 88 and concludes on Shenzen 93.
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