The Golden Circle
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Group Name: The Golden Circle
A.K.A.: The Circle, The Golds
Group Mark: A single circle painted using pure gold
Group Colors/Livery: Members of The Golden Circle adorn themselves in the
brightest colors possible in whatever style they personally favor as long as
their Badge and Chain (see Organization) is displayed at all times.
Goals: The primary goal of the Circle is to bring modern
conveniences to every part of the world. They feel it is their duty to outfit
the civilized members of society for an "affordable" price.
Leader's Goals: The goal of the Board of Directors is to maintain order
throughout the Circle and oversee any disputes that may arise between merchants
at any level. Their job is to ensure that Circle members are performing to the
highest standards set forth in the Circle charter(1).
Individual Goals: It is the goal of most merchants to someday sit on the
Board of Directors. While there are those who are happy with their current
station, there are fewer still that view their retirement with fondness as the
life of a merchant can sometimes be taxing.
Objectives and Objections: The objective of the Circle is to ensure their merchants
have a foot hold in every hamlet, town, and city in the known world. They wish
to make all members of all the merchants in a given area to ensure their power.
While some gladly join the Circle for the benefits and prestige, others view
the Circle with suspicion and even disdain. Those who reject a membership offer
are heavily scrutinized, and will sometimes fall victim to "unfortunate
accidents" (this however, is not always the case).
History and Motivation: The history of the Circle goes back several centuries to a
wealthy merchant named Abat Fetin Hedjeb. He was a spice trader and noticed
that several of his rival quarreled constantly over the correct price of their
wares. Through some convincing -and conniving- he was able to have a sit down
with the merchants and discuss their grievances. Though many of the first
meetings ended in bloodshed, the merchants were able to agree on a fair price.
Soon after, their profits soared, with many of the merchants thanking Hedjeb.
In return for their thanks, Hedjeb asked for only a small portion of their
earnings to help establish spice trade to the west. He assured them the current
success would be nothing compared to the riches they would surely gain if they
expanded west. After much debate, the merchants agreed to trust Hedjeb one more
time. Hedjeb exceeded all of their expectations and soon each merchant was
close to retirement. Other merchants noted the success of the spice traders and
sought out a few for advice. While most of the merchants were tight lipped
about the matter (thinking the newcomers would surely cut into their profits),
Hedjeb saw a golden opportunity. He met with the more successful merchants and
explained his successes. He promised the others that their profits would almost
double if they followed his practices, with only a tiny portion of their
profits given to Hedjeb as a courteous thank you. In no time, the other
merchants found their coffers lined heavily with gold and the rest, as they
say, is history.
The
motivation of the Circle is to ensure they corner every market in every town in
the known world. This has caused problems with independent merchants in the
past, as independents (or "indies" as they are referred to by the Circle)
complain that Circle merchants will reduce prices of their wares to such a
degree that they cannot continue to do business. This leaves "indies"
with the choice to either join the Circle or close their doors. Some kingdoms
have outlawed such practices, but the power of gold can cause some rulers to
turn a blind eye to such petty matters.
Organization: The Circle is a heavily regimented organization. Everyone
within the organization knows their supervisors and subordinates and rarely
step out of line. All merchants maintain constant communication with their
supervisors via monthly, quarterly, and annual reports. All reports submitted
to the merchant's immediate supervisor, which in turn are copied by a scribe
for the supervisor. The copies are kept for the supervisor's records, while the
originals are sent up through the chain of command. The supervisor keeps copies
of his subordinate's sales and are reviewed on a quarterly basis. These reports
either help or hinder a merchant seeking a larger area to ply their wares,
advance within the guild, or increase their standing with the guild(2).
All information eventually reaches the Board of Directors, who oversee
operations and make judgments regarding performance. The sending and receiving
of information from merchants in the frontier to the desk of the Board of
Directors is handled by courier pigeon or messenger. In the case of the Board
of Directors and Regional Managers, mages are employed to send messages via
magical means (scrying, whisper wind, air elemental, etc.)
Badges
for Merchants:
Merchants:
-Copper Badge w/ copper chain (class 3)
-CB w/ silver chain (class 2)
-CB w/ gold chain (class 1)
LMs:
-Silver Badge w/ intervowen CSG chain
(class 3)
-SB w/ SSG chain (class 2)
-SB w/ GSG chain (class 1)
DMs:
-Silver and Gold Badge w/ Silver Chain
(class 3)
-GB w/ Gold Chain (class 2)
-GB w/ Platinum Chain (class 1)
RMs:
-Jewel encrusted Gold Badge w/ Gold Chain
(class 2)
-JEGB w/ Platinum Chain (class 1)
Board
of DIrectors:
-Jewel Encrusted Platinum Badge w/ Platinum
Chain
Upon
acceptance to The Guild, merchants are given a badge with matching chain.
Chain of Command: The Board of Directors sit at the top of The Circle. Set
up by Hedjeb, each Director maintains checks and balances within the guild and
The Board is required to meet every quarter to discuss trade agreements,
restrictions, supply and demand shortages, and plan for unforeseen
circumstances. They review the Guild Charter and review all current by laws.
Any revisions to the Charter are made by the Directors via a majority vote, and
any addendums/omissions are sent down through the chain of command to It is the job of the Directors to ensure all
of their merchants are treated fairly They employ a network of thieves, who are
tasked with infiltrating town guard halls, other merchant guilds, the courts of
lesser nobles and sometimes advisors to kings and queens for information. The
Board must know everything that is happening and how it affects their trade.
These are power men with nearly unlimited funds at their disposal. They have
the ability to cripple economies to gain the attention of those in charge. The
Directors communicate with Regional Merchants directly and will address lesser
merchants if a dispute cannot be handled by the RMs in charge of the region.
Regional
Merchants (RMs) are in charge of everything and anything regarding their
region. They oversee the movement of products, invoices, and relations with
wealthy nobles, artisans, and other persons of note. They have a charm and
grace unparalleled to many of the best bards and ensure business is always
good.
Rank and File: District Merchants (DMs) oversee their LMs and are tasked
with double checking the books. Their job is quite hectic as they traverse the
countryside to "spot check" all subordinates for quality, and record
keeping. A spot check for any lesser merchant can be an experience, as DMs are
borderline fanatics about the tiniest details.
Lead
Merchants (LMs) are the closest to the action as far
as managers are concerned. They deal supply and demand issues, settle disputes
between merchants
Raw
Recruits: The face of The Guild are the
Merchants. There are three grades: First Class, Second Class, and Third Class.
Each class has access to services provided by the guild and depending on their
standing can employ any Guild Sanctioned guards, scribes, or accountants at a
reduced rate. Merchants of the First Class are next in line for a promotion to
Lead Merchant. They currently have one Second Class Merchant and 3-4 Third
Class Merchants
Methods
and Activities:
Third
Party Abilities: The Guild has interests in other guilds. Each guild
relationship is described in detail below.
Fighters: The Guild has worked out several trade agreements
(including but not limited to: weapons, armor, food, and women) with Fighter's
Guilds in most regions within their trade routes. Most Fighter's Guild leaders
will offer services to merchants in the form of strong arms and body shields.
Many of the private guards employed by the Guild are on "extended"
loan from Fighter's Guilds.
Thieves: Many thieves are indirectly employed by powerful guild
members to ensure their subordinates are "playing straight". Thieves
will often steal and copy books to ensure The Guild is receiving their cut.*
Thieves are employed to spy on rivals, track down lost property, and in extreme
cases, eliminate competition. The Guild finds Thieves' Guilds to be quite
useful in removing "indies" (usually by way of extortion) from an
area if they are hurting business.
Mages: Mages provide an essential service to The Guild. They
allow for communication to happen instantaneously when information is vital.
Diviners are highly prized by the Board for their seeing skills. Many mages
will gladly accept the position of Advisor to a member of The Board or Regional
Merchant, as The Guild's quarterly meetings rarely hinder their arcane
pursuits.
Clerics: The Guild believes in "whatever religion dominates
the area we are selling in"(3) and as such will offer the local
temple/church a reduced rate for any supplies they need or want. The Guild will
also keep the secrets of less pious devotees to a religion in exchange for
trade freedom. Clerics can be helpful healing ailing merchants or bodyguards
and are generally treated with respect when in their company.
Skilled Laborers: Leatherworkers, blacksmiths, carpenters, alchemists,
jewelers, scribes and others comprise the skilled laborers The Guild deals with
on a regular basis. While some of the of the workers are not GS members, they
have grown rich off of The Guild's ability to move their products and sell them
where the demand for their product is at its highest. This helps the local
workers stay in business even though the local community might be suffering in
an economic slump.
Scribes
are prized by The Guild and oversee the vast sums exchanged on a monthly basis.
It is their duty to keep detailed records of all transactions and work in
concert with accountants to
Artisans: Artisans consist of virtuoso musicians, painters,
sculptors, poets, song writers, and others. The Guild may find a buyer for
their work in a distant place and provide the means by which to transport it
safely. They might also arrange a meeting for sellers and buyers to meet and
discuss commissioned and prices.
Unskilled Laborers: Unskilled laborers are the porters, teamsters, wagon
drivers, cooks, butlers, provide many of the unseen services utilized by The
Guild. Messengers are paid well to get messages to an from merchants
expediently. The Guild is looking to form their own messenger network, but it
seems that snags in the best way to compensate the messengers are currently
being disputed by The Board.
Nobility: The Guild has secured itself as the buyer and sellers for
many nobles. Many GS Merchants double as advisors (in an unofficial capacity)
to secure trade agreements, ensure GS Merchants have first rights to new
exports and location selection when new towns are built. Nobles are rewarded
for their allegiance through coin, women, or other riches.
Other Groups: Depending on their viability, most groups (even beggars)
are employed directly or indirectly by The Guild in different capacities.
Guards can be paid to miss details in an investigation or questioning a
witness. Beggars can be paid small fortunes to loiter in front of stores to
affect business for competition.
Resources and Power: The resources of The Guild rivals small kingdoms or
wealthy city-states. Controlling trade in many parts of a given kingdom has it
benefits. They control what comes in and goes out of a particular location,
always ensuring the ruling
house/family/dictator gets their cut. The leaders of a city respect The Guild
and when working together, rulers have grown quite rich in a small amount of
time. The power of The Guild can be quite scary when looked at for an extended period of time. The Guild
controls most of the trade, some of the banking, and has many local officials
in their pockets, receiving kickbacks. Most of the corruption can be followed
from the high seats of city councils to royal courts. The Guild has the means
to move property of any kind from one place to another. ANY KIND.
Areas of Operation: The Guild has the ability to operate anywhere. They have
merchants always eager to make a name for themselves by thriving in boom towns
or frontier outposts. If there is gold to be made, be sure The Guild will be
there with supplies and a smile on their face.
Allies and Enemies: While The Guild has fortified itself with allies, that
does not mean they have not made their share of notable enemies along the way.
Their most immediate enemies are competition: merchants who refuse to see
"the light" and join up with The Guild. Some have formed their own
guilds in an attempt diminish the power of The Guild.
Status Quo: The status quo is ensuring nothing blocks trade. The Guild is sending surveyors to the north lands to assess whether an recently discovered patch of forest will be profitable. To the south, merchants are needed to help establish a boom town that has come upon a vast copper vein. The Guild is also sending their own miners to find an "alternate" route into the mine and divert production.
Internal
Security:
The members of the internal security and compliance assurance department are
known as Adjusters. Abat quickly realized the need to ensure contracts were met
and his cousin Yufet Kajin was able to meet this need. At first Kajin could
handle the work load himself but as The Guild grew so did the need for his
skills. Now there are a dozen Adjusters working at the discretion of the Board
of Directors. Adjusters can be called in to handle any number of situations,
from a merchant fleeing with wagon loads of coin to a contract negotiation that
is costing too much time. Whenever assigned an Adjuster is tasked to achieve a
specific result by any means necessary. Their tactics are brutal but efficient,
if someone is stealing they are killed, replaced and compensation is located.
If a key contract cannot be signed family members will disappear. The Adjusters
have never failed to achieve the desired outcome.
Much like other members of The Guild wear
bright colors the Adjusters wear white. Their badge is smooth polished
mahogany, and the chain is made of steel.
Only a pair of mithril scales are set deep within the badge, the
Adjusters do not display the money bag on their emblem to reflect their
objective oriented station within The Guild.
How they take over a new area:
Initially send a Lead Merchant to review
the area and report back to the board of directors. If determined a sound
investment the board will send a Lead Merchant, usually the one who provided
the report, back with an appropriate number of class 2 merchants and their
respective teams. Never is a merchant who cannot afford to expand their
business offered a new route. Often
merchants who cannot afford to expand into a new route will volunteer to
abandon a current route in favor of an untested one. This curries favor with
the board because it allows proven routes to be recycled back into the pool
which keep many of the lazy Class 1 Merchants happy to fight over them.
Plot Hooks:
·
The Merchant's Guild needs
adventurers to protect their merchants travelling the southern wastes to the
desert city. Bandit attacks have increased, so the merchants do not want to
take any chances...
o The reason for the security is the bandits are attempting to
thwart the merchants from delivering a rare material component needed for a
ritual to resurrect a long dead priest/sorcerer/god that will take over the
world.
·
Mysterious deaths of merchants are
under investigation by the local authorities. The Guild would like to handle
the matter internally and have commissioned adventurers to discover who is
behind the attacks.
o The attacks could be perpetrated by a rival merchant, an
"indie", or other outside agent acting on behalf of a mysterious party
with nefarious intentions.
·
Many independent merchants are
losing their merchant's license in the kingdom of X and are being replaced by
Guild Sanctioned Merchants. One of the merchants could be a relative or friend
to a party member (pick the L/G one) and are seeking justice.
o The Guild wants to eliminate competition and have blackmail
information on the clerk that processes merchant licenses. The party can either
help the clerk or go after The Guild, exposing the conspiracy in the process.
·
A powerful mage/lord/merchant needs
x to cure a rare disease. The Guild had the item enroute, but it appears the
caravan travelling from the north through the spooky forest never made it out.
All attempts to contact them have yet to be successful.
o Could be a ghost train situation a la Final Fantasy III (or
VI)
o A bandit group may have infiltrated the caravan and helped
orchestrate an ambush in the forest (The "Taxman" perhaps?)
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