Golden Pillar Society
The Golden Pillar Society is a fraternal organization for the wealthier members of Freeport’s middle class. They sponsor many charitable works in the Eastern District and beyond. Some folks say that the members of the Golden Pillar try so hard to act nobly that they must have something to hide. Others say that view is unfairly cynical, and no-one has seen reason to dispute the group's charitable reputation.
History
Not everyone in Freeport is a crook, conman, or corsair. There are plenty of respectable burghers who own shops, keep scrupulous records, and take pride in the merchandise they sell. These are the folk who inhabit the Eastern District. While many Easterners are young and hungry, there is an “upper crust” of the middle class who has managed to hang onto their wealth over several generations, while never quite making it to the Merchant District. They live in tasteful townhouses— not fancy by any means but comfortable enough to afford a lifestyle worlds away from the average Freeporter—a closet full of clothes, a gaggle of children with eccentric nannies, handcrafted furniture, a cellar for wine and awkward heirlooms, and an attic for mad aunties. Among this enlightened bourgeoisie, wealth has bred a strong sense of social responsibility. They may have money now, but searching just a few branches down the family tree reveals tradesmen and servants. Go a bit further, and you may find beggars or—heaven forbid—adventurers. So the upper middle class of Freeport are especially generous to people needing a hand up. Anyone who’s anyone in the Eastern District is a member of the Golden Pillar Society, a fraternal organization that specializes in charity work founded seventy-eight years ago. The society runs fund raisers for orphanages and hospices, creates jobs for criminals trying to go straight, and hosts summits on any number of cultural flashpoint issues, inviting speakers to lecture on “The Half- Orc Question” or the economic effects of the Great Green Fire. Among this enlightened bourgeoisie, wealth has acted as a spur to charity; it also has become an ever-tightening steam valve. The burghers see the extravagant life of the Merchant District’s wealthy, of the Captains’ Council, and of the famous privateers who make the town their home—and they quietly lick their lips. They want the license that goes with excessive wealth, but wild living would cost them the station they’ve carved out—generations’ worth of crawling up from the gutter blown to bits with one indiscreet night in a brothel.Through Good Work and Deeds is one known.
Founding Date
771
Type
Guild, Professional
Leader
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
The World of Nor
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