Guilds of the Free Cities
Guilds
Almost the entire economy of the free cities is regulated by Guilds. One cannot run a business or pursue training in a particular profession without the sanction or approval of one of the associated guilds.
Common City Guilds
These guilds are common and exist in all five of the Free Cities; they tend to associate with one another and as such, if a person finds him or herself blacklisted by one of the guilds in any city, they will often be shunned by their sister guilds in the others.
Mercantile Guilds
Scribes' Guilds
Thieves' Guilds
Entertainers' Guilds
Agricultural Guilds
Other Guilds
The Guild of Scales
The members of this guild serve as the highest authority on dragon lore. If rumors can be believed, they still treat with the drakes and are sometimes gifted scales by the dragons of Visici.
Unique Guilds
Tyrose
The Sons of Tyrath
The Sons of Tyrath is perhaps the most powerful guild in the Free Cities. This mages' guild has chapters in each of the cities, however their influence is most powerful in the city of Tyrose where their headquarters, the Tower of Tyrath, looms above all.
Avemroth
Temple Guild
Syr
The Black
Membership within The Black is highly regulated, their numbers tightly controlled and kept secret from the general public. All members of The Black are registered, and a description of what powers they possess is usually provided to several guilds, primarily The Scribes and the Sons of Tyrath. All members of The Black must wear their robes at all times. As sorcery is feared and loathed in the cities, members are kept visible to be distrusted and poorly-received by the common person.
Kertos
The Grey Order
A group of rangers or wardens as some prefer to be called that work as protectors for the Free City of Kertos. They are the law when it comes to keeping peace in Kertos and providing protection to the city. In addition to just the everyday rangers that keep guard over the city; The Gray Order also has five specialized units within their ranks. These units are made up of the best of the best that the Order has to offer. The units are made up of six men each, special care is taken to making units with complementary strengths.
- Cerberus - The most well trained and senior of the units, often stationed within the city itself they are a moments notice ready to move out and protect Kertos from far-reaching threats.
- Gryphon - Acting as scouts in and around Kertos their first job at times is to locate threats and assess them; making them the first line of defense as well as those to first alert the city.
- Manticore - A unit of heavily armored Wardens, this unit is most focused on the outer security of the city walls and acts to find and amend breaches or possible weak points.
- Selkie - This unit of Wardens is in charge of policing the waterways to the North and South of Kertos. By tradition, the Selkie unit is comprised of all female members; based on the legend of Hazel O'Neil who created her own unit within the Gray Order when her husband was slain by a band of roving river pirates. In the process of recruitment, she recruited others that had been widowed in the attacks and thus created the first ever all-female unit.
- Baskalisk - This unit of Wardens are focused more within the city of Kertos, focusing on finding organized criminal elements within the city proper. They tend to be made up of members that are adept at stealth and the use of subterfuge.