The Guilds of Coin

"The city can have a king, the city can have a council, but its ruler will always be gold and those who hold it."
— Dismactus o Phe

Within Thripia, commerce and the flow of wealth is controlled by twenty three powerful guilds, otherwise known as the Guilds of Gold or the Guilds of Coin. Established by rich and ambitious Merchant Lords, guilds deal above all in the the purchasing, selling and cultivating of ichor which the law mandates must be traded only through them. They control agricultural land outside the city walls, dedicated to the farming of bees and sungold trees and also dominate the market of various other trades which they compete among each other for control over.

Organisation

The structure of guilds is an ancient hierarchy that has existed for hundreds of years and is maintained to the day. At the top of this structure is the Merchant Lord. Sometimes a noble, other times not, the Merchant Lord organizes his subordinates and holds dominion over what trades the guild will participate in. They are also responsible for ensuring the guild's prosperity. For the people of Thripia, the title and position of Merchant Lord is not only prestigious, but highly desirable and readily sought after. To attain such a rank is to sit at the top of society's order. They typically lead decadent and luxurious lifestyles on account of the great profits they ascertain as a result of their trades. From beneath the Merchant Lord, the hierarchy descends.

Master Merchants, to whom all report to, and who make up the Merchant Lord's inner council and closest confidants.
Grand Merchants who are chiefly responsible for negotiations, trade deals and diplomacy with other organisations and enterprises.
High Merchants who are skilled traders and are put in charge of individual businesses.
Low Merchants who are stall workers and street traders.

All guild workers begin as Low Merchants with those that bring in more coin though their skill in bartering or business rising up the ranks, gaining more subordinates and more wealth as they do. However, to truly become a Merchant Lord is a complex process. Often Master Merchants, specifically relatives of the Merchant Lord, are the ones destined to inherit the guild once its current leader steps down, is removed from power or dies. To even achieve the rank of Master Merchant as an outsider to the guild is near impossible. Although guilds frequently exchange hands between families, they do so under the precedent of longstanding, even ancient relationships. Other than such circumstances, becoming a Merchant Lord normally involves a great deal of political maneuvering and subterfuge.

Agenda

The guilds wield extensive power over politics in Thripia thanks to their large offerings of coin, which some might call bribes, to whoever is willing to serve their interests. Although constant infighting and conflict between the guilds leaves them rarely a united front, they have banded together on past occasions to serve their common interests. This occurred during the People's Uprising in which roughly half of the guilds allied themselves with the Gold Army alongside the Cabal of the Black and Wise Council with the other half being loyal to the Dynasty Kings, referred to as Imperial Guilds. Ultimately, the Gold Army successfully overthrew the monarchy. In general, the Guilds work within the Wise Council to manipulate politics in order to ensure they are free to pursue their trades without imposition from the law. Despite, in the past, aiding the guilds, the Cabal of the Black is their most active opponent and the adversary most likely to see them cooperate with one another. Their extrajudicial power, vast resources and extensive network of spies, assassins, infiltrators and saboteurs, all dedicated to fighting against greed and corruption, make them a great threat to the collective interests of the guilds.

Type

Guild, Merchant

Alternative Names

The Guilds of Gold

Location

Thripia

Manufactured Items