Artisan Guild of Sinderlan
The Artisan Guild of Sinderlan is an international co-operative of craftsmen, artisans, and artificers across the continent of Sinderlan. Formed in Kellenwa under the leadership of the Kellenwa Craftsmen Union, it has since grown and flourished across Sinderlan into the 91st century. Their advocacy has proved essential in the eyes of many Sinderlanian artisans as a bulwark of integrity in the face of exploitation by Kingdom and Consulate trade companies.
Structure
The Artisan Guild is divided into several sub-guilds for deeper focus into specializations. Each guild has its roots in older guilds and unions that operated in more isolated aspects of artisanal practices, ranging from utilitarian crafts to purely aesthetic and artistic trades. All guilds report to the Central Council which helps to govern the disparate aspects, to which all guild dues and tribute are paid to, which are then distributed to ensure equitable accessibility and promotion of trades.
The headquarters of the organization rotates every 15 years to a city in each of the major nations. As of 9048, the headquarters is currently in the city of Hearth of Iron in the Duchy of Redalia.
There are hundreds of sub-guilds, but the most prominent include but are not limited to the following:
Tinkerer Cooperative
For enterprising artificers focusing in clockwork and machinery, the tinkerer cooperative helps such artisans find access to fine machined parts and interested backers in unique invention projects. Finding its roots with Didacy craftsmen who fled the Didacy following the War of the Starfall, it is rumored to hold many of the most ancient and powerful clockwork and construct magics and techniques known to history. Clockwork is the preferred method, but some within the guild seek alternatives. It is rumored that the Cooperative has experimented with Warforged repair techniques, against the terms in the Treaty of Scepter. These rumors have been shot down by Kingdom and Consulate representative alike. The Cooperative also maintains a strong working relationship with the Jewelers' Guild, as many of their finer crafts require similar techniques.Jewelers' Guild
Mainly based in the rough terrain of the northern and western Kingdom, the Jewelers' guild holds great sway over the jewelry trade across Perradin. Originally believed to have been created during the 7th century, its mark can be found on the most ancient of jewelry found in Sinderlan through to the modern age. Its agreement in the Guild's initial formation was considered instrumental in legitimizing the AGS as a whole. Holding immensely high standards, even amongst the other most strict sub guilds, the Jeweler's Guild requires all independent jewelers to submit reports and samples of their work to the Jewel Examiners for evaluation every 5 years. Successful evaluations result in the jeweler receiving a new variant of the Jewelers' Guild Brand, to mark their works as officially sanctioned by the guild. The standards held are meticulously adhered to, with many master jewelers training for years just to meet new standards as they develop. The Jewelers' Guild has a long history of crafting cosmetic and magical jewelry for clients from the lowest rungs of society to the Monarch in Throne themself, with fair and reasonable rates of labor. It is often touted that the Monarch in Throne holds a master jeweler from the guild on retainer at all times, with every crown having been crafted by a sanctioned jeweler since the 12th century. Additional coveted posts include those for Consulate Parliament members and the Prime Didact's office.Blacksmith Union
Tracing its roots back before the era of the First Free City, the Blacksmith Union has a presence in almost every city across Sinderlan due to the ubiquity of the craft. Its greatest membership comes from the dwarven city of Alterporton, the island of Obsidian, and the island city of Crush, centers of forge expertise in Sinderlan. Ever since its unification with the AGS, the Blacksmith Union has operated as a secondary option for many artisans who find their skills lacking for initial fields of interest. The ubiquity of smithing lends a wide breadth of resources, which are used to educate new initiates and sponsor apprenticeships. The Consulate and Kingdom maintain official government agreements with the Blacksmith Union to ensure equitable employment for major projects ranging from civilian construction to military weapon contracts. Hrim and Crag cities operate such agreements on case by case basis, as their needs and resources are far less centralized but the need for smithed materials is no different than elsewhere in Sinderlan.Painter and Sculptor Cooperative
For those seeking more traditional artistic pursuits, the Painter and Sculptor Cooperative ensures fair rates for artistic commissions. Tracing its origin back to the Didacy Fresco Enthusiasts, this sub-guild maintains incredibly high standards for its members. Apprentice artists and sculptors must complete a 15 year apprenticeship, often times traveling all across Sinderlan in search of artistic subjects and styles. Once the apprenticeship ends, the apprentice submits their Masterpiece for review by the guild's subcouncil. If their art is considered master level, they are granted the title of master and can, according to guild rules, take expert level commissions in the name of the guild. The cooperative maintains its greatest presence along the coasts and near mountains, areas considered of highest aesthetic value. Though this has not prevented some guild houses from opening in more remote locations. The most famous artists of Sinderlan have all been guild members, including Herkel Bestron of Lothering, Belken of Obsidian, and Haskel the Basketcase. Some Masterpieces of the Guild are well known cultural touchstone, including the Spray of the Sea mural in the Consulate Parliament chambers and the statue Lesser Diadem of a Greater King in Throne's Emerald Ring.History
Formed in 8354 during the 122nd annual Central Kingdom Craftsmen Exhibition, the Artisan Guild was proposed by the leadership of the Kellenwa Craftsmen Union as a more centralized group to advocate for artisans and tradesmen from all walks of life across the continent. In a unanimous vote, twenty disparate unions and guilds from across the Kingdom and the Didacian Consulate elected to merge to form the Artisan Guild of Sinderlan. Exeter Galvanni was selected as leader due to his current leadership of the Kellenwa Union and his prior experience as the Didacy's former foreman of the Warforged Repair Ward. Under his leadership, the new Guild successfully courted other guilds from the Duchy of the Crag and across Hrim to become members of the organization. By the end of the 84th century, the Guild had members in roughly 80% of all of Sinderlan's major population centers.
Its early history was marked with significant pushback from the Kingdom and Consulate governments, not wishing to have many of their most skilled craftsmen so heavily affiliated with one another across multiple trades. Consulate legislation from mine owners on Obsidian with a vested interest in cheap production labor for their ore attempted to impose a ban on union members with the justification that a foreign power was influencing the domestic economy. After the legislation passed easily through Parliament, the Guild instituted its first general strike. Every blacksmith and tinkerer across Sinderlan ceased all work, beginning the Week of Silent Anvils which lasted from 1 to 7 Low Tide 8357. The strike resulted in a full reversal of the legislation and a formal agreement to meet union working needs in perpetuity. The victory is still celebrated as a national work-free week in the Consulate, now used to celebrate all workers in all trades.
After the immense victory early in its creation, the Guild membership skyrocketed as many individuals and regional guilds petitioned for membership. This expansion led the guild to begin establishing officially designated sub-guilds to ensure excellence in all walks of artisanal trades. Exeter Galvanni led the guild for these formative years, and his contribution to the internal organization ensured individuals would have their voices heard. He also established many apprenticeship programs with extrememly rigorous standards to ensure the guild's excellence.
Across the following centuries, the Guild resolved many labor disputes and continued to expand its available resources. By the 91st century, the AGS is considered one of the most prestigious and important guilds on Perradin. As Pillarin has no equivalent guild of such size and strength, many Free Cities maintain small guilds on a city-by-city basis. The Union of Free Cities currently maintains a policy of disassociation with the AGS, a policy many view as a result of the Free Cities' perceived cultural superiority.
"Unity, Artistry, Excellence"
Founding Date
8354
Type
Guild, Craftsmen
Alternative Names
AGS, Craftsmen Guild
Predecessor Organization
Founders
Location
Comments