Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild

The Handweavers and Spinners Guild or just the Weavers have a monopoly on the fabrics industry in Arbor, in addition they process all of the leaves and fibers produced by The Great Tree to turn them into cloth and thread. As such they have a stranglehold on the industry preventing anyone from so much as making a scarf without their say so. They supply the materials needed to produce most of the clothing made in arbor. As they have a monopoly many have called their prices exorbitant and exploitative but clothing made from the Great Tree Fibers is nearly indestructible to normal wear and tear so with the exception of children many only need to buy clothes when a new need or style catches their eye. In addition to this there is a small subset of weavers that maintain the Great Weave, an enormous tapestry that chronicles the history of Arbor it's rise to power and some say glimpses of its future.

"The Weavers are the threads that hold Arbor together, from the clothes on our backs to the tapestry of our history. Without them, our city would unravel." - Professor Amelia (Historian)

Public Agenda:

The Weavers guild maintains the supply of clothing and other garments to the city of Arbor and in some cases export their wares outside it's bounds for those who can afford it. The Great Tree Fibers are after all a wonder and nearly priceless to those not within the cities walls so command a hefty premium. For those who cannot afford the high prices of the cloth there are a few options available to them, second hand clothing is available from many locations and is usually in quite good condition if a bit dated in cases. If this is still too pricey most Factories and other places of work that have uniforms will take the cost of such clothes out of the pay checks of their workers giving them something to wear while putting them into debt. Hand me down clothes are also common in families and communities especially for children with clothes lasting multiple generations due in part to their durability.

Public Perception

Lower Class

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As the guild primarily produces new bolts of cloths most of which will be out of reach for those in the Lower classes seeing those from the guild is something of a wonder for them. New cloth that hasn't had decades or even centuries of wear is a luxury to lust after and never be able to afford.

Middle Class

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For those in the middle class the guild and their products might represent a new job or an advancement of some type, often gifts of a pair of gloves or hat could be given in celebration of great events in ones life. Thus many assocciate the guild itself with prosperity and wealth.

Upper Class

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As the guild merely produces the bolts of cloth and the job of creating the clothes they wear comes down to the boutique shops the upper class rarely even think about the guild itself and instead focus on these craftsmen producing the finest of clothing. The side that does interest some is the history of Arbor held in the Great Weave how many want to know what it contains and what family secrets are held in it's thread is what they really want to know though.

History:

One of the oldest institutions in the city the Weavers can trace their roots back to the early days and The First Ones. How they exactly formed is a bit of a mystery and the only thing that is known is that the Great Weave began sometime around this point. In fact they are one of the few organizations who have a detailed though not written history of their place in Arbor going back through their entire existence.

The Church Era

The Weavers were originally part of the church more specifically they were absorbed after the Reconciliation as one of the many splinter groups before the eventual founding of The Order of the Fallen Leaves. They were at the time an all female group of nuns that wove and spun cloth from the great tree providing clothing freely to any members of the Order that required it and selling the rest. Even in those times the secrets of how the Great Weave is made and how Great Tree Fiber is extracted were closely guarded and it's in this era that the Weavers developed the ritual of stitching ones mouth shut. In this time period many would consider the Weavers and The Order of the Fallen Leaves the same thing and you would be hard pressed to find the split between their philosophies and goals at this time.

Free Era

With the wane on the Order's power the Weavers took the opportunity to break away formally from the rest of the church redoubling their efforts to produce more cloth and provide more for the tailors not only domestically but abroad as well, further strengthening their position until they gained a seat on The Silver Council
Over the course of the history of Arbor many have tried to usurp control of the production of textiles from the weavers all have failed, the tapestry tells of the tragedy of several of these groups some violent some simply absorbed into the guild itself but all those who have attempted to copy the techniques and produce the high quality and nigh indestructible fabrics that the guild makes have disappeared into history their only lasting record weaved into the tapestry of history.
In the modern context only the First Spinner Home produces any useable yarn for the creation of cloth, string or thread. The secret to how this is done is closely guarded and is how the First Thread maintains a constant control on the supply of textiles in the city.

The Moirai

A heretical subset of the Weavers that exist to ensure the great weave flows ever forward, officially the guild has no ties to them and has publicly said that they are simply deluded but there is a tendency for them to show up at locations where the Weavers interests could be threatened and swiftly dealt with. Those that have lived to tell the tale say they have seen them wield large pairs of scissors and their victims often have their heads removed as if cut by guillotine.

Attire / Common Garb / Quirks:

Weavers like most trade professions have a sort of dress that marks them as such most notably these are a pair of sharp scissors though for the weavers of Arbor these are made with the bark of the great tree and as such do not gleam in the same way that metal shears do.
One other unusual quirk is that all of them save the First Thread have their mouths sewn shut it makes for a most unnerving sight to see a group of them walking down the streets.

Written Description:

Making a brisk pace down the streets wearing quite the presentable habit, a slender framed woman moves with purpose down cobble streets. At her hip are a pair of scissors though they do not gleam they are nevertheless supremely sharp, but it's her face that draws your attention most red lips sewn shut with tiny near invisible thread that make her as a weaver and one to stay clear of.

Structure and Hierarchy:

First Thread

The First Thread is the one who controls everything else they decide how much cloth and thread to give out to the rest of the guild and more importantly for how much, there are a few other titles of import which have to do with the day to day running of the guild and of managing the great weave itself but it's the First thread that matters most.

Shuttle

These people are responsible for running goods to and from the various tailors about town as there is a chance they could be robbed as the finished cloth is quite valuable they are well trained and heavily armed.

The Guide

The One responsible for ensuring the weaving of the Great Weave continues unabated and though their title is common knowledge what functions they perform is largely a mystery and even their identity is kept secret.

Notable People:

Andrea Moonheart First Thread

Territory:

As one of the oldest guilds within the city they are located within the First Ring

Notable Structures:

First Spinner Home: location where all usable thread for other needs is produced

Type

Religious, Coven

Related Ranks & Titles

• First Thread

Controlled Territories

• First Spinner Home

Manufactured Items

• Great Tree Fiber

Related Items

• Great Tree Fiber