Cartographers' Guildhall
The front of this modest building contains a small office and a reception room where potential customers can interview cartographers about their knowledge and hire a map viewing or copying session.
For a few silver pieces, a visitor can be admitted to the Hall of the Flanaess, a large chamber at the rear of the building. The entire floor of this room is a detailed mosaic, hand-lettered, depicting the known reaches of the Flanaess.
For an additional silver piece, one can study any map in the extensive library housed here. The collection includes detailed maps of most nations and street maps for major cities across the Flanaess. Purchasing a map typically costs 10 gold pieces.
The Cartographers' Guild
Maps and charts are always in high demand from the military, the Directorship, merchants, and adventurers alike. The Cartographers' Guild boasts one of the most extensive collections of geographical and topographical knowledge in all the Flanaess. Guild members spend their days copying, updating, and verifying maps, often cross-referencing travelogues and merchant accounts to ensure accuracy.
The entire guild operates from its headquarters. Apprentices spend their first years learning to craft fine parchment and mix dyes and inks before gaining access to the Guild Library, where they undergo rigorous training in map reproduction and verification.
The Guildmaster – Jawan Sumbar
The current Master Cartographer, Jawan Sumbar, is an aging gnome, now 643 years old. His insatiable wanderlust has taken him from the Sea of Dust to the Spindrift Isles. Fascinated by maps from childhood, Jawan joined the Guild not for prestige but for access to its vast archives. His firsthand knowledge of distant lands quickly propelled him to the top ranks of the guild.
Guild Policies & Services
- Access to Maps: Only guild members may enter the library. Non-members must submit inquiries to a guild cartographer, who will conduct research on their behalf.
- Expert Consultation: The guild functions as a sage in the following specialized fields:
- Geography
- Astronomy
- Geology & Mineralogy
- Topography & Cartography
- Purchasing Information: The guild buys maps and travelogues from adventurers, no matter how fragmentary or crude. Dungeon maps are particularly valuable.
- Exploration Commissions: Adventurers may be hired to chart uncharted regions such as the Sea of Dust or Hepmonaland or to scout new trade routes (which are later sold to the Merchants' and Traders' Union).
A Notorious Side Hustle…
When funds run low, guild mapmakers fabricate "treasure maps," embellishing existing dungeon layouts with illusory treasure hoards. These false maps are sold to desperate or gullible treasure hunters in the city's inns and taverns, ensuring a steady flow of income while keeping adventurers coming back for more.
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