The Guilds of Erenth

What began centuries ago as simple trade agreements between distant city guilds has grown into the Consortiums—vast networks stretching across seas and mountains. Bound by shared codes, mutual benefit, and the ever-turning wheel of commerce, these guilds have become the invisible hand that shapes kingdoms and empires alike

All economic traffic in cities and towns is controlled by various guilds. Not only does belonging to a guild guarantee a certain level of quality of work, it provides permission for free men to work a trade at all. Those who attempt to set up shop without guild membership can be brought before a city judge or a province's baron to answer for his crime.

All of the guilds belong to consortiums. Each consortium is led by its council of guildmasters.

Charm Consortium -- The guilds that belong to this organization provide their members with price structures, but little else. Of all the guild types this class is the most loosely organized. There are three guilds:

• Trollops Guild
• Actors Guild
• Tout, Pitch and Sales Guild

Craftsman Consortium -- These guilds regulate the quality of merchandise offered by their members so that a silversmith, for example, does not tarnish the name of silversmiths everywhere by his shoddy workmanship. 

• Associated Clothiers Guild
• Needlers, Spinners, and Shearsmens Confraternity
• Weaponsmiths Guild
• Woodworkers Guild
• Metal Workers Guild
• Necessary and Mundane Loyal Craftsmans Society
• Leathermans Guild
• Guild of Accomplished and Luxury Craftsmen
• Mechanist and Contraptionists Collegium
• Colliers, Claymen and Brickmakers Guild
• Guilded Artisans of Finery and Exquisites

Hospitality Consortium -- Distinct from the other guilds are those that provide entertainment, lodging and medical care. The Guild determines the quality of establishments and their fare by assigning the Poor, Good, Fair, Fine ratings and the prices for each. But aside from levying a small fee and suffering a rudimentary fire inspection each year, there is little to belonging to this guild and anyone with enough cash can do so easily.

• Remesmen (healers)
• Druggists, Chemists and Surgeons Guild
• Acclaimed Ladlemen and Masters of Repast Guild
• Caregivers, Drawers and Service Workers Guild
• Bards and Bands Guild
• Miterers, Minders, and Menders Guild
• Nightwarders Guild

Ink Consortium - The workmen who make a living by putting pen to paper are generally members of the Ink Guilds. In their case, the guild exists to safeguard the knowledge of specific subjects, the ability to know standard languages and to understand ciphers, but also to provide bonds of assurance for trustworthiness and honesty.

• Guilded Society of the Learned
• Metronists Society
• Calcularium League 
• Guilded Men of Letters
• Totalers and Census-takers Guild
• Wardsmen Society

Laborers Consortium - The workmen who make a living by strength of arm and back. The guilds determine hours of legitimate work and payrates.

• Churls and Tenders Guild
• Collectors Cabal
• Sailor’s Guild
• Shovel and Pickmans Guild
• Toters and Hefters Guild
• Red, Black, Tan and White Society

Managers Consortium -- These organizations provide their members with price structures, as well as, best hours and business practices as they are related to buying and selling. There are three guilds:

• Maestro’s Guild
• House Masters Guild
• Castellan’s League
• Sea Masters Society

Merchants Consortium -- These organizations provide their members with price structures, as well as, best hours and business practices as they are related to buying and selling. There are three guilds:

• Food Rationers and Storesmans Cartel
• Drapers Guild
• Spice and Powders Guild
• Guilded Caskmasters of Spirits and Preserves

Trades Consortium - That class of workmen who rely primarily on strength of arm to do work, rely on the labor guilds to provide work recommendations. The guild ensures that men who say they are teamsters can actually operate a wagon with some degree of skill. That those who say they dig mines are not merely men with shovels, for example.

• Materials and Makers Guild
• Erectioners Guild
• Teamsters Guild
• Shaftsmens Cartel
• Huntsmans and Game Takers Association

Still Other Guilds - It is often said that even the thieves and their ilk are organized into guilds.  To the minds of officials and respectable citizens, such a notion is preposterous. Still they are listed here to be complete:

Assassins

Beggars

Spies

Thieves

Guild Organization of Erenth

At the head of each guild is the elected Master -- a guild member who has been elevated to the nobility, if he was not a member before. Reporting to him are the Conner and the Purseman. 

The Conner's job is to inspect the goods and services of members to make sure that the name of the guild is not imperiled by what they offer for sale. The Purseman's job is to act as the accountant of the guild. He lays fines and collects dues. He pays salaries and pensions.

The Arch Master Guildsmen are the retired members of the guild who are no longer active but are living on the pensions provided by the dues of the active members. They also serve as a body of advisors to the Guildmaster and who help the Master Guildsmen by evaluating the output of the Journeymen who want to turn in their master work.

The Guidance of Rodalon, Founder of the Rangers of Old

In the Summer of 3229ey I was imprisoned by the crown for the crimes of general indebtedness, counterfeiting gold, poaching deer and reiving cattle. It was sixteen months from the issue of his royal warrant until my capture. During that time I evaded all the king's men arrayed against me while ranging no further than forty miles on any side of his Keep at Menea.

After capture, my trial was swift. I was found guilty, along with my brother Jonsalon on all charges. By the crown's mercy I was to spend twenty-two years in captivity. But in 3231, while still languishing in the king's dungeon, word came to me that the city was besieged on all sides by the vile hordes of Vareg Greatjaw the so-called goblin. So, the King himself sent for me and issued a pronouncement.

"I do therefore hereby appoint you, the villain Rodalon, to be Captain of an independent company of scouts and raiders, and such other men as might be raised at your discretion. You are to be formed and employed in the distracting of the Horde from the walls of the city. You are to engage them by whatever means or stratagem you see fit to employ, so long as it shall see to their defeat."

Thereupon, I recruited my brother and such other men as I felt could be taught from among the imprisoned murderers and thieves. I felt these men had little to lose and, like me, might earn their freedom by great deeds. I took to me one of the king's huntsmen also, for it was he who finally managed my capture those years earlier and his skills were apparent. We numbered only one dozen at that time and called ourselves Striders for the king would not spare us his horses. 

Thankfully, our first skirmish added to our numbers greatly. After which it became my preferred method to recruit vengeful captives and untamed freeholders to my cause. I did so whenever such opportunity arose and whenever they could be persuaded to adopt my methods, and no other.

My methods were as if winnowing grain. From the recruits I winnowed the men who would not voluntarily cover forty miles in a day on foot -- even if they did not first know how long or how far they were to travel. Next I winnowed those who could not be taught to make and bend a bow; then use it to strike a mark with three arrows -- placed no farther apart than the diameter of a garland wreath. Then I winnowed those who could not learn the art of the sword sufficient to sever a tightly bound sheaf with either hand in a single blow; sufficient to parry a dozen coins cast in quick succession. Finally, I winnowed away every man that could not learn to track deer at dusk, and yet leave no trail himself even if he must cross a bog. Finally, I winnowed those few men who would not swear their allegiance to me; and also an eternal vengeance upon the goblin.

These ranging men of mine carried a blade, a bow, a blanket and water. When we could not hunt, we took food from those we slew. We traveled light and hungry. We vowed not to eat except that we had paid the price in blood spilled or plunder taken.

According to the King we were to harry those outside of the Keep at Menea and cling to the walls whenever possible, but once upon the plains we traveled as near or as far as we might find suitable targets. The King was not given to chase us, so we followed the seasons and learned the routes of the goblins. We stole what we could, burned what we couldn't, and killed as any as we were able. In pitched battle we did not engage. We struck quickly and brought chaos. We retreated when met with superior numbers. We struck mercilessly upon those that left themselves open and slaughtered those who fell behind.

We quickly made a name for ourselves that spread even among the Elder Races. In time we were accepted by the White Robes. They gave unto us the gift of understanding the natural world. We learned that we could be the force for good that should balance the threat of evil. So we left off our former lives as outlaws and embraced a new, more excellent Observance among us. 

With the Observance we were able to master the beasts, and draw strength from the wild places. The ground and the sky spoke to us, the leaf and the rock heeded our call. Of all these things we made allies, and from all these things we took power. Our savagery was not diminished, but was made sharper and more deadly.

In time, our band became a company. One company became two; two became four; four became eight; eight became sixteen. Over each new company were placed such men as whose skill demanded it; regardless of his former station or rank. So the sons of slaves were as likely to lead as the sons of chieftains; and former outlaws as often as the worthies. By our Observance we defeated the hordes. By our Observance we slew the ancient enemies of all people.

But now that is long past and we are fading. I myself am old and the light is dim in my eyes. I can no longer track by dusk nor stride too far. The kings and chiefs of men all fear us. We are told we must disband or face their justice, but our Fraternity must live on. For this reason, my guidance is firm: We should travel no more together lest we be seen as lions among the lambs.

Let us not noise our presence among the uninitiated. Let each Strider keep the company of but one other of our number. Let each take a learner to pass on his skills. And despite our great distance, let us forgather from time to time to reconstitute our chapters and take a census of who is still able to follow our Observance. Once our forgathering is over, let us fade back into the high grass so our numbers are unknown to friend and foe alike.

This then is the Seven-fold Observance:

1. We will not work evil; neither in time of war, nor time of peace.
2. We will not neglect the gift of the White Robes; nor forget to master its power.
3. We will not permit friend nor foe to pass without raising our notice.
4. We will not permit our foes to note our passage; nor to predict our ranging.
5. We will not be heavy, nor loud; neither encumbered with spoils, nor girt with noisome armor.
6. We will not be found wanting, even with only a minute's warning.
7. We will not forget the binds of the brotherhood -- more valued than gold, more sought than titles, and more precious than any embrace.