Historical Overview
Founding
Officially founded in 476AR, the Bank of Anhara was a formalization of
House Semillon's existing system of loans. The house had grown wealthy off of having one of the few standing, organized armies in early Anhara,
The Free Company. By renting them out to other houses, as well as by collecting a portion of their plunder, House Semillon amassed more money than they needed to manage their small holdings, thus they began loaning to nearby houses.
"From the coffers of the loyal minor House Semillon, by the pleasure of our mutual lord Salis, we extend to you, council of Reedbury, a loan at the amount requested above, to be repaid with an interest over the next two decades." - Text of a loan to Reedbury
In 450AR, House Semillon launched the
1st Semillon Usurpation War, defeating
House Braelea and taking
Surlee, as well as control of the Blossom Fields. Seeking to bolster both their coffers for rebuilding the city, as well as to build relations with angry houses, formerly loyal to House Braelea, the Semillons offered generous loans to cities throughout the
Vinelands. After the conquest of Surlee, they established the bank formally in 476AR, basing it in the newly constructed Aure Halls.
Rise
The Bank of Anhara provided an important source of soft power for House Semillon, which was crucial to their survival as the lords of the Blossom Fields. Still a minor house, albeit a powerful one, the Semillons were vassals of
House Salis. One of the
original noble houses, House Salis were appointed by
Vestria herself to rule over the Vinelands from their seat of
Nocboro. However, in 55AM, with Vestria's protection out of the picture, House Semillon attacked in the
2nd Semillon Usurpation War.
House Salis' vassals were slowly whittled away through links to House Semillon, and the most important city on the way to the Salis seat of Nocboro,
Reedbury, opened their gates willingly. This was largely thanks to the system of debts built up by House Semillon, rather than any respect for the house itself. A crucial motivating factor in much of the house's activity is the lack of respect for their legitimacy, built off of mercenaries and money changers rather than ancient or familial ties, but nonetheless House Semillon takes pride, if not somewhat insecurely, in having lent to so many ancient and haughty houses.
"The Rostrum has today recognized what we have long known, Semillon is dominant in the Vinelands! Our Lord's well-deserved seat is granted to him." - The Violet Velum
After having taken the Vinelands, House Semillon was able to use their economic power to extend loans to the
Rostrum for a number of public works being pushed by the present
Rhetorlord. In exchange, they gained the seat on the Rostrum formerly held by House Salis, and were confirmed as the rulers of the Vinelands. Over the next few decades, House Semillon gained consistent control of the great office of the
Keeper of the Purse, and thus much of the nation's finances.
State Bank
On the advice of the Semillon Keeper of the Purse, the Rostrum eventually, in 104AM, granted the Bank of Anhara the status of the government's official lender, currency exchange, and the only valid bank nationally. This restricted competitors, such as the
Merchants' & Traders' Trust, dominant within the region around
the Promenade, to local banking, angering many opposing houses.
"The Honorable Windston Silver of Meridia has ruled in favor of House Swann, finding M&T Trust does not violate the Bank of Anhara monopoly legislation, a truly just ruling indeed." - Podspot Herald
Under this new law, the Bank of Anhara greatly expanded their branch within
Meridia, and even opened branches as far as
the Litoric Islands. While this extracted great profit for the house, the law would eventually be challenged by
House Prominere, another major house and member of the Rostrum, before the
Court of Mediation. The Court of Mediation, in charge of interpreting laws from the Age of Rule, took up the issue as the law establishing the monopoly, though passed in 104AM, was based on prior, pre-
Crossing Over, legislation. It found the law to be outside the power of the Rostrum, and reduced the monopoly to the status of the government's preferred bank, thus allowing competition once again.
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