The Emporium
"The vessel dropped out of the sky, shedding speed smoothly until it came to a stop hovering over the empty space at the pier. Slowly, it lowered itself into the water, almost managing to not make significant waves, so elegantly did it settle its bulk into the seawater. Before it had even finished lowering, several figures leapt from its deck to the stonework with heavy ropes trailing behind them. They were caught in turn by swirls of mist and air in a variety of shapes, which set them down gently on the ground. Clearly comfortable with the process, they moved almost as one to begin tying the lashings of the vessel. "First time, eh?" my mentor asked, prompting me to close my jaw. "It's a sight, every time." He turned to shout at the waiting dockhands, "Alright, that's your gawking, get ready to start unloading! You know if it's on an Emporium delivery someone dressed in silk is waiting for it, so look alive now!"
Structure
The Emporium is equal parts military force and mercantile group; nowhere is this reflected more obviously than in their role titles and organization. It can perhaps be best described as holding the shape of two nearly-separate structures supporting the upper hierarchy.
As a significant asset to the Agafellian military forces, the first set of ranks and titles within The Emporium is linear, with a path easily traceable from top to bottom so everyone knows who should be directing whom in a military situation. Watchers, at the bottom rank, are stationed near members of the non-military sections to guarantee their safety at all times, and immediately move to secure those they are charged with in an emergency. Above them, the Shields guard physical assets of The Emporium, standing in shifts on the decks of ships and around Emporium offices and headquarters. Directly above the Shields, Emporium Strikers are the offensive units that will jump into the midst of enemy forces to sow chaos and destruction when necessary. Usually found charged with the security of a single ship or building, Barragers command mixed groups of the first three ranks as necessary. Barragers are always officers with a minimum of a year's experience on loan to another military's forces; Although they sometimes are ranged specialists in techno-magy who can live up to their translated title's implication, laying down bursts of heavy effects at range, it is not a requirement for the position. Assets under the command of a Barrager who cannot fulfill this role generally are also assigned at least one Barrager Adjunct who can. Barragers report to the Captain of a ship or the Overwatch for a building or area, and yield to their orders and preferences.
The commercial side of the organization is somewhat more nebulous. Within a location, the Captain or Overwatch is usually the final word of authority but can be overruled by someone with a higher rank within the organization itself, or with specific orders or permissions on a specific situation. Within a ship or building, Specialists are engineers and other craftspersons. A team of Specialists will keep an eye on the structures powering a ship's flight, for instance. Every location and ship bears at least one Treasurer, who fulfills the roles of quartermaster and bookkeeper equally. It is not unusual for larger vessels or hubs of traffic to have several Treasurer Adjuncts working under a Treasurer. The vast majority of mundane but necessary personnel tasks in a group are handled by Sailors (members of a static location fulfilling these roles are also called Sailors, sometimes leading to some confusion when introduced to those unused to interacting with Emporium members).
Above these supporting structures at individual locations, the headquarters and Skyforges in Agafell bear the most exalted and sought-after titles. Working mostly in the Skyforges, the Researchers of the Emporium theorize and experiment on ever-more-efficient and -effective designs for the various models of airborne vessels that make up their fleet and the techno-magy systems which power them. When ready for testing in the field, a Researcher Adjunct from the development team of a new techno-magy design will accompany the vessels affected to maintain and offer advice on the new technology. While they have no direct authority over any part of a ship's daily activities other than to correct the Specialists handling the system if necessary, most crews offer them a minimum level of courtesy out of recognition to their contributions.
In the headquarters itself, the Head Treasurer oversees and manages reports and data received by a large team of Treasurers, delivering the condensed information in a useful format to the Head Overwatch for review and use. Located exclusively within the headquarters are the Archives, overseen by the Head Archive. These keep the extensive records of the organization stored and carefully catalogued, from military actions to re-supply request forms. On the nearly-unheard-of occasion an Archive is sent out for field work, they will not speak of specifically why; members of the Emporium are simply expected to assist them to as great a degree as possible without needlessly endangering Emporium assets. The Head Overwatch reports to the Agafellian government and implements their expectations throughout the organization, leaving actual management of the minutiae specific to the headquarters location itself to an Overwatch under them.
Although only a rumor, it bears noting that most cultures and organizations suspect the existence of a clandestine group within the Emporium, though such a group has never been confirmed nor even hinted at by any official Emporium representative. Nonetheless, stories occasionally swirl through the populace of an area describing a brief sighting of someone in relation to unsavory acts; someone who can't be found after an Emporium vessel leaves port, and who witnesses swear clearly worked in concert with bound elementals or other creatures.
Public Agenda
The agenda of the Emporium is quite straightforward: They seek to cultivate trade relations with every possible major city, kingdom, and port, the better to bring income into their parent city-state of Agafell. Although expensive in comparison to other transportation options, an Emporium vessel is the most guaranteed method for any government, organization, or wealthy individual to ensure the swift and certain arrival of products or personnel at a location.
Because the Emporium also offers transportation services for military forces, the sight of a vessel can sometimes herald a delivery of war to one's doorstep; the organization is exceedingly careful to keep itself removed from direct conflict, ensuring the safety of troops being transported only from the moment they begin boarding to the moment they have finished disembarking. An official Emporium vessel's crew will never act to turn the tide of a given battle or otherwise assist any forces, taking only what actions they must to see their current cargo safely delivered and nothing more. Among other stipulations, Emporium forces strictly adhere to a policy of not dropping troops directly into enemy positions, citing inherent danger to their crew and vessel; while this is a source of cold comfort for cities about to come under siege by enemy forces clearly being off-loaded within sight of their walls, it has nonetheless successfully kept the Emporium out of what would surely become a war of escalating tactics and weapons across the known world.
Assets
Although specific numbers are difficult to pin down, the Emporium regularly has anywhere from twelve to twenty of their famous (and infamous) airships abroad, while visitors to Agafell note that at least ten vessels shaped for landings on dry land visibly rest along or near the walls of the city no matter the time of day or year. Those vessels met in foreign areas often appear somewhat similar to sea-faring ships in the shapes of their hulls, the better to land at water-side docks instead of having to remain hovering. The vehicles kept near the city are recognizably designed with military purposes in mind, taking odd and intimidating trapezoidal shapes that include multiple openings in their armored surfaces from which to launch attacks of unknown varieties.
In stationary assets, the Emporium maintains a regional headquarters in every major trade hub. These are not military outposts, and they only bear the personnel needed to facilitate trade relations, with minor compliments of Shields and Watchers for basic protection.
Exce sim tekmep mitae -"Above all troubles"
Type
Corporation, Commerce
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Trained
Location
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Related Plots
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