For merchant families in the Shining Roads, the proper bloodline is just as important as quality wares. Weak will and tainted blood can only lead to tainted goods.
Mother Nira was the matriarch of the now nameless merchant family when it fell from grace on the
Shining Roads eight generations ago. Her family had worked their way up from obscurity in the Fog Zone to the pinnacle of prosperity as a successful merchant family of the Shining Roads through a combination of finely honed talents, carefully planned connections, and impeccable lineage control by the matriarchs before her. Trained at their skirts, Nira was no different. Highly skilled and ruthless, she guided the family at the very height of their glory.
Despite all this, a feud broke out with another merchant family who could not continue competing with her family. Embarrassed and desperate, the other merchant family started spreading rumors about faulty goods and undercutting the other merchant families. The resulting chaos on the Shining Roads prompted the
Radiant Spire to get involved in the situation and investigate all families involved. Although Nira's family was found faultless, the damage had already been done. Years of quiet resentment toward h er family's ascension had found an outlet, the t he truth of the situation was not enough to stop what had been started. The family was systematically cut out of deals by the other merchant families and blocked from trading directly with any other merchants as well.
It was not long before the family's previous wealth was gone, tied up in merchandise that could never be sold, and they were forced to leave the merchant district. Forced to abandon the Shining Roads the family returned to the Fog Zone, only to find that rumors had preceded them below. Despite the verdict of the Radiant Spire the rumors painted them as a fallen family who swindled customers. A house Her light does not reach.
Devoid of options, Nira stripped the house of their name. With no prospects and no name, Mother Nira led the house into the shadows. They still had knowledge, skills, and connections even if they could no longer sell their wares. With their newfound bitterness and deep resentment, they collected new wares in the shadows; information and power.
Thus began the Astral Guild.
The Guild Family
Mother Nira grew the Astral Guild from her once prosperous family, using everything left at her disposal. In the rage over what had been done to them and the impotence of the Order to uphold their own verdict, she turned from the teachings of the Order and the ways of the Shining Roads.
If She shall cast us from Her sight, then we shall cast Her from our hearts, minds, and bodies. — Mother Nira
Anywhere the family had previously been restricted by rules, decorum, or religion Mother Nira now sought opportunity. She taught her family to embrace the dark areas of Chronwhorl and seek out anything the Order would want to know of, to keep the information from them. One of the first changes she made was to halt the push for purity of the bloodline. Instead she procured access to a captured Mythic and began the process of having all women of childbearing years within the family select and mate with strong Mythics. This change from a focus on bloodline purity to pure opportunity and power was met with some resistance, but not much. With all of their connections cut, the family had no prospects and limited options. Every young woman in the family had lost their marriage contracts when the family fell from grace. The command from Mother Nira meant a new opportunity to contribute to the family while still following their matriarch.
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