The Guilds

The guilds are political, economic, and educational institutions designed to consolidate the power of different trades, crafts, and occupations within the city-states. Each guild is in competition with the others, but they also have agreements and alliances. They are run collectively by the Council of Guildmasters, which votes on major changes. There are eight old legitimate guilds, one newly legitimized one, and two secret and criminalized ones.

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Builders, Smiths, and Machinists Guild

Membership: 1,200
Guildmaster: Fulgano Zeni
Emblem: Hammer and Nail
Headquarters: Alveo

The Builders, Smiths, and Machinists Guild is the combined guilds of many different artisans. It has had much longer names in the past, and it includes other occupations of those who make things out of wood, stone, or metal. It is the oldest contiguous guild (the Guild of Food and Medicine claims to be older, but its history has a few dissolutions in it). It started about 120 years ago and was formed in Alveo in response to the loss of work for many builders and smiths especially. The main goal of the guild is to see the expansion of industrial works in the region and to regulate the training and mastery of their crafts.

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Entertainers Guild

Membership: 800
Guildmaster: Ugotto Rondello
Emblem: Mask and Ribbon
Headquarters: Cenpianu

One of the newest guilds, this was formed by theatrical troupes and musicians who banded together as laws were passed limiting theatres and public entertainments in a misguided attempt to curb the plague. Formed about 15 years ago, the guild ranks swelled and gain influence as they formalized many traditions of entertainment. When they managed to get the chariot-racers of Lupposto to join, they truly established themselves. Now poets, writers, actors, puppeteers, singers, musicians, bards, storytellers, athletes, street performers, sex workers, and so many more who engage in art and entertainment are welcomed to join. They are popular in cities where there is a need to regulate entertainment in the eyes of the authorities, though there are often conflicts between the guild and local governments who want to censor them. Their goal is to legitimize the arts.

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Guild of Fang and Leaf

Membership: 1,000
Guildmaster: Bonacorso Uzzo
Emblem: Fang and Leaf
Headquarters: Nuoposto

A guild that is the combination of several different guilds, including gardeners, hunters, gameskeepers, groundskeepers, papermakers, farmers, and a variety of others who work with either animals or plants, it is a relatively new guild - only 25 years old - and formed in large part in response to exclusions from the Food and Medicine Guild. The guild recently added zookeepers and moved their headquarters to Nuoposto to be close to the first public zoo in the region, made from a group of traveling animal shows settling down in the city. Their goal is to expand and eventually take over Food and Medicine.

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Guild of Food and Medicine

Membership: 600
Guildmaster: Alaimo Quirini
Emblem: Bone and Bottle
Headquarters: Montacqua

About 40 years ago the Barber-Surgeons Guild merged with the Grocers Guild, then absorbed the Restauranteurs Guild. Later, they revived the dissolved Guild of Chemists and Apothecaries within their own halls, laying claim to being one of the oldest guilds (though this is heavily disputed). They are a guild of disparate professions banding together under loose association of regulating food and medicine and any craft that involves those. They welcome any cook, chef, baker, grocer, fishmonger, doctor, healer, surgeon, barber, apothecary, chemist, or other related profession. Nurses and midwives are not allowed. Their goal is to protect their members and to maintain standards for food and medicine that others won't regulate.

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Guild of Merchants and Money Changers

Membership: 120
Guildmaster: Beletto Divino
Emblem: Coin and Cap
Headquarters: Fiorire

The Merchants Guild formed 75 years ago, and they started letting Money Changers in about 10 years ago. They are by far the wealthiest guild, as they work with the richest in society, including financiers, bankers, and investors. They are a guild that keeps tight secrets on their membership and their work, letting the merchants and money changers in their title be the public face while the bankers truly run things. Their goal is to maintain the extreme wealth they have accrued and increase it.

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Shipping and Transport Guild

Membership: 2,000
Guildmaster: unfilled
Emblem: Ship and Wheel
Headquarters: Laccio

The culmination of many shipping and transportation groups merging together over the last century, the Shipping and Transport Guild includes anyone who works as a wagoneer, mail carrier, driver, rider, messenger, porter, sailor, or other transportation worker, as well as those who run the shipping companies. It tries to be inclusive just to swell its ranks, but there are many complicated rules for membership. Their goal is to keep shipping lanes open.

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Spicers Guild

Membership: 200
Guildmaster: Menes Fragile
Emblem: Red Powder
Headquarters: Lupposto

The newest guild, formed 10 days ago out of former members of the Food and Medicine, Shipping and Transport, Merchants and Money Changers, and Fang and Leaf. Started by Menes Fragile, a spice merchant from the eastern part of the continent (he seems to be Stayflian), it is small but powerful and influential. It formed in response to the spicing boom, as the price for spices has always been high but now rivals that of gold. Their goal seems to be to consolidate power and ride their newfound wealth to more prominence.

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Textiles Trades Guild

Membership: 800
Guildmaster: Drudo Rondello
Emblem: Cloth and Needle
Headquarters: Cenpianu

The combination of Weavers, Tailors, Clothiers, and Tanners Guilds formed the Textiles Trades Guild 80 years ago, and it has been a powerhouse ever since. The heart of their wealth is the silk trade, but they have major cotton growers as well as shepherds, leatherworkers, and others that tangetially fit. They are an influential and old guild, but they try not to stir the pot. Their goal is to keep the silk and cotton trades running smoothly.

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Thieves Guild

Membership: 1,000
Guildmaster: Finola Carbone
Emblem: Hood and Dagger
Headquarters: Piapperto

An illegal guild made up of a variety of criminals, it is truly an organized crime syndicate modeling itself after the guild sysem in an attempt at maintaining power. They are a ruthless organization that is not recognized anywhere, but is known everywhere. They are feared and hated for the mockery they make of the legal guilds. They formed about 50 years ago as a rival organization to the extremely powerful Fuegolumina family who have a stranglehold on organized crime in the region. Their goal is their own enrichment and survival.

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War Guild

Membership: 500
Guildmaster: Rustico Qurini
Emblem: Sword and Shield
Headquarters: Lupposto

A guild of weaponsmakers that has grown to include mercenaries, soldiers, and others whose work supports the massive war industry upon which the world runs, the War Guild formed 20 years ago out of the ashes of a dozen other guilds. It is an extremely powerful guild because of their connections and contracts. Their goal is always to keep wars going.

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Women's and Workers Guild

Membership: 2,400
Guildmaster: Ercolana Fabbri
Emblem: Labrys and Sickle
Headquarters: Santamaria

An illegal guild outside of Santamaria, it is modeled on the guild system but has more in common with a union. Operating openly in the free city and secretly elsewhere, the goals of the guild are to empower the oppressed.