Cirkadia Banking Guilds
The Banking Guilds are arguably one of the strongest financial institutions within the Empire. They were founded by executives and profiteers from the exploitation that occured in the Mid Rim that occurred during the time of the Republic, they used their wealth to prop up the Industrial Party and the fascists that let them loose with low regulation. They now have a death grip on the Imperial Senate, and have their own selected representatives. The guild has started to grate against the controls imposed by the Court, meanwhile, rival banking groups have begun to gain traction, and rumors of Imperial Houses taking out money and loans from the Corporate Assembly has given cause to the guild heads to pursue a more aggressive stance to keep their power.
The extent of the Banking Guilds' power is powerful enough to rival some of the greater political groups within the Empire. They maintain their own private army, under the guise of "Corporate Security", often snaking some of the most skilled assets away from the Imperial Army and Navy. They have an armed trade fleet, for which they make ample use of in the Mid Rim , enforcing the contracts and deals negotiated far away in the Core. It is also not unheard of for a Grand Admiral to divert some of his resources at the request of guild oligarchs, or for a Police commander to step aside to allow for a corpo backed security squad to hunt down a debtor.
Structure
The Guilds are a myriad of complicated internal politics, competing factions, and two-faced bureaucrats. Each guild is usually a consortium of investment companies tied together by a unifying oligarch. Power is derived from the ability to move around credits and fund the internal politics of the Imperial Court. The oligarchs of the guild have long held their titles, and many of them serve on the Senate, shaping policy in their own favor. This barely covers all the inter-guild espionage, using dangerous corpo spies and wet work squads behind the scenes. They try to avoid interference from the government authorities, using these assets carefully, and with the bought permission from local military and police authorities.
They are organized by a secretive guild charter, that carries with it heavy financial penalties if one breaks these bylaws. However proving a break in the charter can prove difficult. It requires one to move through the guild courts, which usually favor discrection over bombastic public courts.
There are 24 different guilds that compete for power, that is constantly shifting with the ebbs and flows of the empire. They invest in everything from Titan Industries to colonial expansion project.
Culture
Within the Guilds, it is just as ruthless as the internal politics and games played by the Imperial Nobility. The difference here is the guilds must abide by the laws established by the empire. Many noble families try to seed in relatives to the banking guilds, in order to garner influence and power. Money rules these power structures above all else, and most noble families work with the guilds to help fund ventures and their corporate interests.
Founding Date
738
Type
Consortium, Financial
Alternative Names
Banking Guilds
Parent Organization
Location
Controlled Territories
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