Trade Winds Guild

Airtight Deals

Written by Endrise

It is my divine right to stand at this table. Pray Tressa's mercy is willing to keep any of you in business if you seek to exploit her descendant's support.

— Nicolas Sauter

The leading business of all trade and merchants across Peripatia is the well known Trade Winds Guild. Born from the mortal turned deity Tressa Sauter Sauter, it is as much a home to the folk who speak with coin as they do in religious texts and prayers. The guild house itself stands within Faramund's walls, led by the descendents of the goddess, the Sauter Family.

Home of Divine Deals

Structure

The guild is both a religious sect dedicated to Tressa and a merchant guild for the salesmen of Faramund. Both worshippers of the merchant goddess and business folk fill their ranks, with several being both at once. Swearing to the tenets of Tressa is crucial for all to even join.

Every merchant in the guild gets a say in its organisation, but most decisions get made by a council belonging to the upper class. Though the final decision always comes from the Sauter Family, whose vote weights in heavier because of their heritage with Tressa herself. Any decisions made that go against the tenets are denied without question.

Tenets of Faith

The Divine Right of Merchantry

Founding Date

794

Type

Guild, Merchant

Leader

Nicolas Sauter

Ruling Organization

Sauter Family

Economic System

Market economy

Deities

• Tressa

Location

Trade Winds Guildhouse

Notable Members

• Nicolas Sauter

History

Founding

The Great Sangfroid Empire's’s collapse and the end of the recent war affected Sichelan's economy. Closed borders and disrupted trade routes made it difficult for supplies to move around, causing a myriad of problems across the continent. Peripatia got hit the hardest, with a drought ruining harvests and outside trade being impossible due to shifting powers in neighbouring regions.

Unregulated markets led to people going out of business, either because of prices going up or supplies running dry. Competition drove out local merchants, endangering the lives of thousands that could not afford the cost of living. They needed to take direct action.

Several merchants from across the region came together in Faramund with the royal family to discuss the situation, trying to find answers to solve the economic crisis. The one to give an answer was the fabled wanderer, Tressa Sauter. She offered the idea of pumping resources towards the working class, supporting a local production. To aid with that, she suggested providing employment to war refugees, giving them the needs to survive as payment. Both of which would offer some stability in the region.

From there, merchants could buy excess production to sell across the borders, trying to reconnect with businesses to establish new trade routes. Soldiers unemployed after the war could then be hired to protect these routes, preventing ambushes from bandits or other creatures. Many saw it as a risky idea, but agreed upon the solution under documentation. The program was made, and the Trade Winds Guild was born.

The Tale of Tressa

The program occured over a few years as the Trade Winds guild overlooked Faramund's recovery. Profits were low during the first quarters, as lots of resources went into providing tools and equipment for farmers and workers alike. But Tressa's efforts paid off, as the supplies grew plentiful and outsider trade became feasible once more. The second phase could begin, with the Sylph aiding in the task as well.
She assisted multiple ships and established strong bonds with neighbouring regions across Sichelan. Over the course of four years, she sailed alongside the coastline, meeting up with hundreds of merchants and sellings thousands worth of goods. Legends say her efforts alone brought pack Peripatia's prosperity, bringing in wealth for its people during a dark age.
The Sylph became well known across the continent, even after her retirement