Humble Beginnings
The corporation known as Vinehive Entertainment Industries began as the Vinehive Inn outside of the
Sudlan Bay Trading Post on the Deamei Peninsula in 696. The owner of the establishment, Arun Komra, was a compisceano twice gifted with Power of Melody and was known for the beer he served at the inn. He would also hire entertainers, both local and traveling, to perform for guests. Traveling merchants and others who traveled the central rivers of Leland frequented often enough that the inn expanded within three years of opening.
A Revolutionary Opportunity
Following the creation of the
Leland Confederacy, the new capital of
Deamei City was established not far from where the trading post was located. Komra saw an opportunity to expand his business and offered to invest in lodging for those who would contribute to the building and maintaining of the capital city and country. In 714 Komra opened
Vinehive Deamei, putting his sons in charge of the new establishment. Together they built another thriving property and created powerful contacts with government officials and tradespeople from all over Leland that would help with further expansion of the business.
Gaining Influence
After the passing of Arun Komra in 729, his sons saw a wealth of opportunity in the newly formed provinces where life was beginning to reach a new normal. Places that had burned in riots during the Silver Eagle Rebellion were rebuilding and people were looking for more than just survival. Rather than get involved personally, the brothers began investing in places where venues already existed, taking controlling interest in most of the places they invested in. For the most part this was inns and theaters, but they also held stake in restaurants, sporting facilities, and brothels. In 734 Vinehive Entertainment was officially created.
Change of Hands
After the acquisition and renovation of
Senva Square, Vinehive Entertainment was officially considered a powerful force in the entertainment industry. In 756 the Komra brothers stepped down from the company, the family cutting ties with the business it had started. New management changed the name to Vinehive Entertainment Industries as they began to expand into businesses other than venue ownership and management.
Seeking Talent
A decade later, management began seeking talent to perform at exclusively at Vinehive's venues. This included everything from musicians to actors to acrobats to adult entertainment. Any act that could be considered a source of revenue was offered a contract to perform at any number of venues within a certain region or all over Leland. Performers looking for fame gladly signed on for a chance to make it big. The first contract was signed with Pahali Senghore, a Porcandian dancer, in 768.
Spreading A Message
Over the following years, Vinehive began to take advantage of its position of influence to spread propaganda through the use of its performers and print publications that it had acquired. This often involved smearing officials that had tried to regulate the entertainment giant.
Regulations
By the mid 900s, Vinehive Entertainment Industries had become a household name that was both praised and cursed. Between lawsuits from performers stuck in unfair contracts to smaller venues being forced to sign over ownership or go out of business, there were plenty of reasons to dislike the company. This was especially so when it came to light that Vinehive was using its influence in Deamei City to affect regulations of the entertainment industry to their favor, including donating money to political campaigns and providing company of performers of all types. Provincial representatives thought to be in the pocket of Vinehive faced terrible backlash and the result was a strengthening of regulations on entertainment companies operating in multiple provinces.
Entertainment Technology
It took until the 1100s for Vinehive to begin investing in technological development. Surprising to some who were unaware of the company's more risque endeavors, its first investments were in personal erotic entertainment. With the development of
Metal Channeling in 1173 it began to fund research into methods of signal transmission which led to sound transference technology. Vinehive continues to this day to work with research companies around Leland related to this field.
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