The Guilds
The Guilds of the Bright Lands are not
confined to any one country or region. Wherever civilization flourishes, the
Guilds soon show up, persuading (with force, when needed) all crafters to join.
In order to avoid being "invited" to join a guild, a crafter cannot seek to make
a living from their craft. The sole exception is that Herders may make peasant
cheeses and peasant butter (very plain fair) for local sale without undue worry.
Though they do employ strong-arm recruiting
tactics, the Guilds are very protective of their members. Any guild member,
acting within the guidelines set by their Guild, can expect the full support of
their Guild should they face any legal issues. When hardships fall upon their
members (for instance, a serious illness or accident), the Guild supports them
until they are well enough to support themselves again or until a family member
may assume the burden without causing severe economic loss. The money for this
support comes from the Guild dues, an annual tithing of the year's profits.
When a Guild member marries, their spouse,
unless already enrolled in a Guild, is assumed to become a co-owner in the Guild
member's enterprise. They are assumed to do the work of an apprentice for the
first five years of marriage and thereafter that of a journeyman, unless they
should enroll in the Guild. If the spouse does enroll with the Guild of the
crafter, they are subject to the same testing standards as any other member.
Within each Guild are several specialties,
otherwise known as Craft or Crafter Halls. The importance of each Craft Hall
within their parent Guild is a fluid thing, measured by a mixture of the
training necessary to achieve Master rank, the number of members the Hall
boasts, the economic importance of the Hall, and the perceived royal favor
granted to each. In some Guilds, the number of High Masters starting from a
given Craft Hall may be counted in that equation, as well.
All of the Guilds' Main Houses are located in
Vo Guild. Regional Houses are generally located in the capital cities of each
country, with individual Crafter Halls located by regional support. For
instance, South Watch in Corrum boasts a Brewer's Craft Hall because of the
prevalence of vineyards and barely fields. Each Guild House contains a Hall for
each Craft within the Guild's influence.
The ranks within a Guild start with
apprentices, then journeymen, then Craft Master. After Craft Master (or simply
Master) rank is attained, a Guild member may attain High Mastery by gaining
journeyman rank in at least two related Halls or Craft Master rank in one
related Hall. Guild Mastery is awarded to those who attain Craft Master rank in
two or more related Halls, while an August Guild Master has attained Guild
Mastery and holds at least journeyman rank in every Hall of their Guild.
Each Guild sets the maximum number of
apprentices a Master may have at any given time. In the normal course of
events, a child's name-parent arranges for the child to be apprenticed to a
Master, who charges the parent for room and board of the child during the first
three years of apprenticeship and a nominal fee for the time teaching the child
will take from their business. Each Guild fixes the maximum that a Master may
charge for this fee, though a Master may always charge less or even waive it
entirely.
No Master may take on a child of their name or
of their spouse's name as an apprentice, whether the child was born in union or
not, except in extremely rural areas. Also, no Master may take on a foundling
fulfilling their indenture, nor a foundling raised in the Master's home.
The term of apprenticeship runs from three to
seven years, during which time the Master is responsible for teaching not only
the basics of their Guild and Craft, but also ciphering and letters. The
apprentice is not paid for his labor, nor may the Master sell any item made
solely by the apprentice without first disclosing that it is apprentice work.
The sale price of apprentice work may not exceed 10% above the cost of
materials. After the first three years are completed, the Master takes the
apprentice to the nearest Craft Hall of the Master's Craft. There, the
apprentice's level of learning is tested. At that point, the apprentice may
continue with his Master and learn his Master's craft or he may seek to transfer
his apprenticeship to another Craft Hall. Regardless, at least every second
year the apprentice will be tested within the Craft he chooses for journeyman
rank.
If the apprentice fails to become a journeyman
after the seventh year, the Guild will open an Inquiry into the Master's ability
to teach. Should the Master be cleared, the apprentice will receive one year's
journeyman wages and be sent off. If the Master is condemned of poor teaching,
he will lose the right to take on apprentices and pay the Guild a fine per
apprentice he is currently training. The Guild will then use that fine to
locate Masters willing to take on the apprentices. The apprentices will be
afforded three more tests at two-year intervals.
Once apprentices pass the journeyman exams,
they are sent to the nearest Guild House, where they spend a term of not less
than two years laboring for the Guild. During that time, they are given room
and board and paid on commission for the products of their Craft. After the two
year term is over, journeymen may apply for Craft Master rank or seek out a
Craft Master with whom to partner. Journeymen may work in a Craft Master's
shop, making commission on the items they produce with their craft.
The value of journeyman work is generally two
to three times the cost of materials, whereas a Craft Master generally commands
no less than five times and frequently ten to twenty times as much as the raw
materials. The higher the rank in the Guild, the more a member may command for
the products of his Craft.
The
Culinary Guild has the Crafter
Halls of Baking, Cooking, Fermenting, Dairy, and Candies, among others.
The
Guild of Cloth and Clothiers boasts
the Crafter Halls of Tailors, Weavers, Spinners, Cobblers, Hatters, Glovers,
Knotters and more.
The
Guild of Cunning Artificers
includes the Crafter Halls of Black Smiths, Clockmakers, Carpenters, Harnessers,
Architects, and Engineers
The
Jewelers Guild has the Crafter
Halls of Gem Cutters, Gold Smiths, Beaders, and Assayers.
The
Guild of Service includes the Craft
Halls of Hostelry, Scribes, Clerks, and Accountants, among others.
The
Bardic Guild counts among its
numbers Bards, Heralds, Minstrels,
The
Mercenary Guild is unique in that
it does not really have any Craft Halls. Instead, Mercenary Companies may
obtain a Charter through the Guild or individuals may obtain bonds through the
guild, which most Merchants require before they will hire a guard.
The
Merchant's Guild also holds a
unique organization. Instead of Crafter Halls, the Merchant's Guild has
Chapters. For merchants who only do business in one country, they pay dues to
the Country's Chapter. International traders pay dues directly to the Guild
Headquarters.
The Merchant's Guild also offers insurance contracts to
traveling merchants through a deal with the Mercenary Guild. The Mercenary
Guild provides guards on the Merchant's Guild's behalf to insured caravans. If
the caravan doesn't arrive or arrives light, with merchandise unaccounted for,
the Mercenary Guild doesn't get paid and the merchant is reimbursed the
Merchant's Guild's standard for the lost item.
The
Guild of Pleasures includes the
Halls of Massage, Companionship, and Courtesans. The Hall of Courtesans will
not allow an apprenticeship until the apprentice has attained journeyman rank in
the Hall of Companionship. No apprentice of this Guild may serve a client at
all.
Farmers don't have a Crafter Hall,
per se. However, in each region a Farmer's Council can generally be found –
most likely in a central pub or tavern. The Farmer's Council is usually a
rather informal gathering of the local farmers and herders to settle disputes by
consensus over land infringement, breeding rights, and such like as a step
before taking the dispute to the local magistrate.
As farmers don't have a formal Guild, let
alone a Crafter Hall, they retain the surnames of their childhood throughout
their lives. It is a sign of respect to use their profession as an Honorific,
such as "Farmer Karisdan" or "Herder Geraldssen".
The
Thieves Guild is not a regular
Guild, as such. It's more of an organized crime syndicate, with each Chapter,
located in a city, independent of each other. Beggars and various criminals,
such as thieves and assassins, pay dues and receive turfs within the city to ply
their trade.