Factions

There are many Orders, Guilds and other organisations in Xentaria. They all have different duties and responsibilities in the world. The Guild System for example was created to give many traders and workers a fair and safe structure. There are ten official guilds in the world. If you want to join one, you need to pay for their services. In return you might get education from the best people in the guild, protection from thieves, or help with setting up your wares. You will also get a letter of affiliation that many customers put high value on. Joining a guilt is a safe, but costly matter and many people can’t keep it up to pay for their services. Others just think the guilds are a scam and try their luck on their own. But life without the protection of one of these powerful institutes can be incredibly hard and many merchants who try to make their own way fail.

Even though every guild has one domicile, you will find a facility for all of them in any major city. The seat of the mage guilt is in Dasdasien for example, but there are smaller, less prestigious colleges in Cascia, Aston, Eliasien and even Geddoz. The size of these facilities is highly dependent on the population, the necessities and the demand of the region. While the hunters guild has many branches in Karogon, there are very few ones in the Cascian Empire, because of the lack of hunting grounds. Some facilities are only populated by a single guild leader, others have docences of permanent employees who make sure that the customers are taken care of and that they regularly pay.

All guilds have one so-called master, who usually takes care of all the political affairs with the kingdoms or other royal leaders. They have many workers under them and the network of some of the bigger guilds can be quite difficult to keep track of.

In the following chapter a quick description of the guilds and some other organizations is given.

Trade Consortium (Merchants Guild)

What most people simply call the merchants guild, the people of Dornoth call the Trade Consortium. It is based in the desert city of Armedestan, where hundreds of people do their daily business every day. It is not the most prestigious of guilds, but the locals are proud of the business it brings to the city. Without it Armedestan would have little say in foreign affairs. The Trade Consortium basically sells everything that isn’t sold by any of the other guilds: Candles, black powder, oil, torches, baskets, barrels, food, horses, sleeping bags and other supplies the public needs. This guild is probably the most spread one in all of Xentaria and you will find one of their facilities in even small villages all around the world.

Arcane College (Magic Guild)

Arcane college, magic guild, wizards emporium, all names for the same thing. Dasdasien is the seat of this reputable organisation where most wizards learn their craft. Hundreds of magic users memorise the knowledge of how to do simple spells here. Most people are astounded by all the ghostly hands that float around the town when they enter it for the first time. All arising from young apprentices who try to learn their first cantrips. The college has a complicated educational system with many different teachers for each arcane school. Every student has to go through rigorous exams before getting the badge of a full grown wizard. The best of them might also be taught the fine art of crafting magic items, a rare and difficult skill that only few manage to perfect. There are also many classes for trade, to sell the items that are created here, and for court manners, because many kings request personal wizards as advisors.

The Iron Company (Mercenary Guild)

No place in the world creates tougher, faster, smarter and more experienced warriors then the Iron Company. Or at least that is what they will tell you in Geddoz, the seat of the guild. The training each newcomer has to go through is rough. From sparing, to real arena fighting, up to real world assignments, all is necessary to be able to get the Iron badge, that makes you an official member of the guilt. Since the seat is in Orc territory, most mercenaries here are of the tougher races and it is hard for a Human or an Elf to find success. But the Company has facilities in every capital and in many militarily important towns. To hire the soldiers of the guilt you need to spend quite some money. But they are well worth it and the strongest among them are considered the best warriors in all of Xentaria.

The Mesmien Brotherhood (Thieves Guild)

The Thieves Guild is not an official guild at all, but everyone knows that she exists. It has its own language (Thieves’ Cant), its own leaders and its own structure. No one outside of the Guild knows where its headquarters are, or if there is such a thing. And even the ones who have good connections with the Brotherhood are usually kept in darkness until they have proven themselves. However, in the more dangerous and less lawfully regulated places in the world, like Dornoth, Iseria or the Rainbow Islands the Guild has a strong presence. Shop owners usually have to pay fees to not get robbed blind, but if they do so, they get valuable protection. Because people from this association don’t like competition. Anyone who is not a member of the Guild better needs to make sure that he doesn’t steal from one under their protection, or they might never rob anyone again. The name, Mesmien Brotherhood, comes from the founder, Tobias Mesmien. He was the most famous rogue ever known, who robbed the crown of four kings just to prove a point. This was nearly two hundred years ago, but his tale is still the stuff of legends.

The Order of Steel (Smiths Guild)

In the city of Cascia, the Order of Steel resides. This famous school teaches anyone who is willing to learn how to create the best armor, weapons, and tools. Every country, institution and company buys from the Smiths’ Guild, if they can afford it. While the Guilds are supposed to be politically neutral, the Cascian Empire has its grasp on this Order in particular. Having access to the finest weaponry production gives them military prowess that other kingdoms can’t keep up with. But the facility in Cascia is not the only one. Many merchants, smiths and artisans travel the world, or set up their shops in towns and cities. Geddoz itself has the second largest branch of the Smith’s Guild, mostly because of the high demand for all the warriors of the Iron Company.

The Hunters Lodge (Hunters Guild)

If you join the Hunters Lodge you can learn how to survive in the wild. They teach you tracking skills, animal skinning techniques, stealthy approaches and other useful abilities that you might need when you are looking for a way to survive the icy tundras of Iseria, or the harsh barren lands of Karogon. The Guild is based in Everwinter, with many facilities stretched across the kingdoms. They mostly reside in places near forests, or where there is actually game to kill. If you are ever in need of a tracker, a navigator or a hunter, you can hire trained professionals here any time. The Dwarves of Tarork have their own Hunters Guild which is technically a part of the Lodge, but only Dwarves can become members. They learn how to roam the ‘Way of the Depths’ and look for treasures and mining ores. These are quite different skills then you would need on the surface.

Order of the Stone (Masons Guild)

The Masons Guild is based in Tarork. The Dwarves being incredibly proud of their stonework value this profession probably above all others. Here the delicate skill of creating tunnels, statues and buildings that will last centuries is being taught. However, Dwarves are really protective of their craft and you won’t find many other races among them. Maybe a Human or an Elf if they have the coin to afford it. You can hire a mason for your construction work though and the workers of the Guild are happy to point out what others did wrong in their craft. Some of the finest buildings in the world have been crafted by the Order, like the Temple of the Dead in Cascia, or the Statue of Gexos in Everwinter. There are facilities nearly everywhere in the world, except maybe for Karogon.

The Buff Collective (Leatherworkers Guild)

Seated in Aston, in the Vultai Kingdom, the Buff Collective produces some of the finest armor, shoes and coats you will find. Having close ties with the Hunters Lodge, the Guild can provide you with a full leather outfit in a short time. You can learn how to stitch, burnish, dye and skive your products and sell them as well. The Guild is probably the second most common one after the Traders Guild and there isn’t a town that doesn’t at least have a store or two.

The Circle of Healing (Alchemist Guild)

Want to brew a love potion, cure yourself of the nasty herpes you’ve been struggling with or find some remedies against combat wounds? All that and more can be accomplished by, or learned from the Alchemist Guild. Being seated in Cascia, it lies at the center of the Empire and many people rely on the hundreds of tinctures that are created here every day. Also a very wide spread Guild, the Circle of Healing's reputation and reliability varies quite a bit. While in the richer kingdoms it seems more like a science to figure out the best combination and concentrations to make remedies, in some of the poorer areas it sometimes comes close to voodoo. The effectiveness of these different styles of alchemy can be debated, but many people vow to its powers and you will find followers of the craft anywhere.

The Gem Emporium (Jewelers Guild)

The only thing Dwarves like more than their stonework is their money. The Jewelers Guild is based in Tarork, where gems are directly minded from within the ‘Way of the Depths’ and processed further. After cleaning and evaluation, they are burnished and weighed to be ready for the market. The appraisal skills of a member of the Jewelers Guild is legendary. Some can tell the authenticity of a gem from just a single glance. Similarly to the Order of the Stone, the Dwarves are very protective of this skill and only few foreigners are allowed into the Guild. There are however a wide amount of facilities scattered around the world, mostly in the protective environment of a city though.

The Artisanry Collective (Crafts Guild)

If you are in need to build a bridge, create some weaponry or construct some furniture you need to talk to the Crafts Guild. It is based in Cascia and is responsible for some of the most advanced machinery that you can see there. The drawbridge near the capital was created by the finest artisans from the Collective and it is considered one of its kind. Most ships of the Cascian Armada were also created by the Guild. While there are many facilities in the world, none are as famous, or produce as impressive of objects, as the ones in Cascia. Due to the nature of the art, the Masons Guild and the Crafts Guild often have to work together to finish projects, a fact that has led to many issues between the Empire and Tarork.

The Royal Convention

The royal convention is a yearly event that has existed for nearly four centuries. Here the leaders of the five kingdoms meet in one of the capitals to discuss foreign politics and treaties. Established after the end of the ‘underground wars’, the goal of the convention was to establish peace among the kingdoms and in the broadest sense it has succeeded at that, even though there had been many fall-backs.

While the event is supposed to be a royal and honoroble meeting, in reality there is more bickering and backstabbing here then on a Bugbears wedding. Every leader usually tries to get as many advantages for his own nation as possible and will gladly betray his neighbour for more trade contracts or military access. While officially there are only five rulers part of the convention, oftentimes more important personnel attend. Like the Dwarves from Tarork, or important businessmen from Madara. While a political slugfest, the public usually enjoys this event and the city who hosts it is usually a big tourist attraction for the week that it lasts. It is very common that the royal leaders bring excotic creatures or artists from their kingdoms to show off their abilities and skills. A jousting tournament also accompanies the royal convention and the whole event feels like a big festival that everyone can take part in.