Guilds (general)

Guilds are the backbone of Valor, and the hands and feet as well.

They can be lumped broadly into the working guilds (such as the Fishers Guild or Stonecutters Quarry) and the scholar guilds (such as the Alchemists Table or Astronomers Guild). However, even the working guilds see to the education (of such degree as is needed) of their members, and even the scholar guilds oversee employment and labor (when such things are necessary). It is merely a difference in balance; which duty is seen as the higher value. Some, such as the Masons Quarry, straddle the line between the two types--pursuing research, theory, application, and craftsmanship with equal rigor--and so are sometimes called complete guilds.

The various temples, with their workforce of priests and clerics, function similarly within their spheres; remarkably so, at times. It is hard to say whether the guilds modeled themselves after the temples or vice versa, but either way, it seems that emulation must have taken place.

Career

Qualifications

Different guilds have different qualifications for potential members, ranging from "breathing" to "passes a stringent series of tests and puzzles."

However, the most common qualification is that a child is recommended by a family member already in the guild. Mostly, a Valorian child will choose their guild (and by that, their education, future career, and other prospects) from those that employ their parents, or perhaps their aunts or uncles.

It is generally expected that one will enter a guild around ten years old (for humans, or a similar developmental stage for the other races), and definitely before fifteen. Changing to a different guild as an adult is possible but difficult, generally requiring the agreement of both guilds, which will likely become bundled into other negotiations. It is expected that any guild should work towards its members' best interests, even where that includes letting them go, but guilds and their members do not always agree about their "best interest."

Other Benefits

In addition to education and employment, guilds often subsidise their members' health care, ensure continued means once the person has retired, and even provide entertainment. Many of the guilds provide amply for their members at certain holidays or contribute to public festivals.

Perception

Purpose

At their most basic, guilds facilitate vocational training, and the distribution of available workers to available work. However, they have grown far beyond that to regulating the prices of goods and services, ensuring that work meets appropriate standards for safety and quality, pursuing research and higher education, and even providing social services for their members.

Social Status

The general perception is that scholar guilds have a higher status than working guilds, though there may be the occasional exception (such as the Jewelers Table, a high-status working guild, and the Chemists Guild, a scholar guild that many are suspicious of). Even apart from the exceptions, members of working guilds may have an inverse opinion based on their own pride. Complete guilds can be likewise complicated, but usually have a good deal of prestige, above all but the loftiest scholar guilds.

In practical terms, however, most every guild has both opportunity for significant fiscal and social rewards, and plenty of unrewarding positions for those who can't grab hold of those opportunities. Every guild has those who petition for their childrens' admission, and those who would all but disown a child pursuing it. Politically and economically, they all have a place in Valorian society--and none can be safely trifled with or ignored.

Known To

General Knowledge