Guild Holdings of Roesone

In Anuire, guilds of various sorts control a great portion of a kingdom's economic power. Many are organized around specific crafts or trades, such as a glassblower's guild or an armorer's guild. Other guilds are organized around regional industries— miners, smelters, and coal carriers may all belong to a guild that operates iron works. Merchants with similar interests often band together to control prices and limit competition. Even thieves commonly work together. This works better than one might expect. If the wool merchants try to make themselves rich by raising wool prices, some other group that the wool merchants rely on—for example, the carters who carry their wares—raise their prices as well. Or a different guild of merchants moves in and offer lower prices. The competition is no longer between individual merchants, but between groups of merchants or craftsmen. Some wealthy and charismatic leaders can build powerful domains from these various guilds, becoming blooded regents. These guildlords may have controlling interests in dozens of guilds or companies, directing the commerce and trade of entire kingdoms. Empires of gold and trade are every bit as common as empires of castles and armies. Roesone follows the general Anuirean model in most respects. Each province of the barony supports anywhere from one to half a dozen major guilds, and two or three times that number of minor associations or partnerships. Three major guildlords compete for control of Roesone's guilds and commerce, sometimes feuding openly with sabotage and brigandage, but more often fighting price wars and battles of influence.