Merchant Lords
The times of the March have produced a new form of nobility, one not based on lineage, favor, or battle... but on wealth. The power of the merchants had been steadily increasing for centuries, but it was the mobilization or coin and resources during the Industrial era that led to the wealthy not only moving to the status of nobility, but in effect replacing the old caste.
Structure
Being a Merchant Lord is not an official position or title. It's the phrase used to describe the businessmen who have acquired enough wealth to largely do what they please, and the ambition to use it. Not all merchants or business owners have the money to rise to this level, and many of the wealthy are happy to sit back and enjoy lives of opulence and pleasure. These are not Merchant Lords.
Culture
There is an incredible variety to be found among the Merchant Lords. The only requirements to be one are vast wealth and the economic know-how to use it. They come from diverse backgrounds: some have always been merchants, some were nobles, and some were even adventurers. While many are Human, there are goblins, dwarves, and even an ogre mage among the Lords' ranks.
Public Agenda
The Merchant Lords are the driving force of the March, pushing the boundaries of Industrial Magic, the borders of the The Imperial Republic of Addam, and rewriting the rules of society. They fund the factories and construction that provide most of the wage-paying jobs, they pay for the rail lines and roads, arm settlers on the frontier, and fund mystic research into new areas. They also buy politicians, run the city slums, and often fight against any regulations on businesses or rights for workers. The Lords run a wide gamut morally, though most are dedicated to their personal fortunes first, and anything else a distant second. Many dedicate themselves to charitable causes, while at the same time pursuing further wealth through any avenue possible. Few of the Merchant Lords ever take official positions in the political world. It would cost them to much power. After all, some of the Lords are rumored to be worth more than the Addam itself.
Currency is the currency of the realm
Type
Social, Group
Alternative Names
Robber Barons, Grand Entrepeneurs
Notable Members
Comments