Kunrai's streets are littered with the bodies of thieves whose reputation outgrew their skills. Entire communities have vanished into the waves of the Strangling Sea. Even nobles, creatures whose wealth and power has insulated them from even the direst of threats, have been found hanging from the fences that surround their lofty estates. If there is one constant in this city, it is that men and women die.
But the neighborhoods, unions, and dynasties founded by mortals can survive beyond their deaths. Guilds are much the same, allowing commoners to create an organization that will outlast them and carry on in pursuit of these wishes. The ties that bind mortals to their guilds are thicker than blood, and stronger than iron.
Founding a Guild
Anyone who can gather a few friends together for a common cause has the foundation of a guild. There are no formal papers to file with the government, no grand announcements to declare your arrival, and no charter to be written. A guild is created through actions, not forms or gestures. When you and your allies act like a guild then, and only then, can you declare yourself to be one.
In the most general terms, a guild consists of four or more individuals who have banded together for a common cause.
What Does a Guild Do?
In the simplest terms, a guild provides resources to protect and secure the livelihood (and often lives) of its members. Because this protection and security is limited by the size and strength of the guild, it is usually restricted to a particular district or neighborhood. The Clockwinders' Guild, for example, vigorously defends its territory (the Tumblespire District) from any non-member clockwinders who try to ply their trade within its bounds. It has no sway in Emberhome, though, despite the fact that the two territories are adjacent.
Many guilds also look after their communities. They use their wealth and influence to make life better for those who live within their territories, and are richly rewarded for those efforts with loyal informants, extra bodies if needed for non-violent work, and a much more pleasant environment in which to do business. The most successful guilds are those who work hard to maintain a balance between their growth and the prosperity of their territory. Nothing incites a riot faster than a guild that fattens itself on the blood of its community.
Are Guilds Legal?
Aside from a handful of official guilds formed to regulate trade and other essential services, no, they are not. The powers that be in Kunrai seek total dominion over the city and its populace. They view guilds as a threat to that dominance, and will seek to exterminate or subvert them wherever possible. That doesn't stop guilds from forming, of course, it just means they have no official power in the Strangling City and are at constant risk of exposure to law enforcement and hostile rivals.
This pushes many guilds underground, forcing them to turn to a criminal lifestyle. Guilds that specialize in stealing from nobles and wealthy merchants are quite common, as are those who focus on smuggling, protection rackets, and even assassination. Unless otherwise noted, all guilds referred to are of the illegal variety.
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