On the river bordering
Palushrok,
Lyzantus, and The Free Lands stands Fort Dorwynd. Within these walls lie perhaps the most influential non kingdom in all of Orzadama, and perhaps even the entire known world. Fort Dorwynd is home to the halfling guilds that many claim are the primary source of peacekeeping through the world, the ribbon keeping unsteady alliances held together through profit and prosperity for the last 159 years. These guilds are a cornerstone in Orzadama, and some reach even farther still. Working closely with the dwarves to aid in the sales of their stone and gem troves, with much of the seafaring elves that make their fortune on the seas south of Lyzantus, and being the only major power with a working agreement with The Kircian Dominion (which gives them access to Kircite in a limited supply), the guilds are a major player financial and in terms of influence. These guilds range from Laborer and Banker guilds to the world renowned Adventurers guild, which has posts in every major city outside of Al'Arad Haba and is the primary source of coin for many mercenaries, monster hunters, and those with no other place to turn for quick (but not always easy) coin. Most full members of any guild run by this organization have a token that represents their affiliation, like the ornate golden compass given to full fledged members of The Gold Compass, a subsect of the adventures guild that focuses in exploration and expeditions into ruins and unknown places.
The respective elected heads of each guild has an office here at Fort Dorwynd, and meet often to discuss and refine deals and plans to protect and raise profits while ensuring the continuation of good relations on all sides. With rooms available for foreign emissaries from every known region in the world, the guilds are always very clear about their willingness to work with any and all who would come to barter and bargain in good faith. Because of the sheer amount of wealth and influence in these halls, it is not uncommon to see a small armies worth of loyal mercenaries guarding the gates, walls, and interior of the fort, not simply doing their job, but protecting their own investments as well. Because of the wealth, neutrality, and safety that the guilds seem to provide, small towns have popped up in the last ten or twenty years, surrounding it and making their homes here.
While any can take a job from or with the guild, signed members get priority in job postings and will not have a fee deducted from their final payment (received upon completion), instead paying a fee based on their standing within the guild at year's end. Besides priority in jobs, being a fully fledged signed member of any of these guilds means you can always request lodgings when in any town or city where they have a headquarters and have open beds, and unfettered access to the guild markets, which often include unique, rare, or interesting goods found on expeditions or given in trades, not to mention the possibility to get something with an enchanted piece of Kircite, or if you are obscenely lucky and wealth, an unrefined raw hunk of the magical stone.
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