Merchant States of Eck-Ta’Quay

The Merchant States of Eck-Ta’Quay is a nation established by the Treaty of Thune of the continent of Abeir. It extends from the north western edge of the Continental Shelf to the western edge of the Silver Lake and south to the Lurking Forest. It shares its borders with four of the Treaty of Thune nations, Corvair Providences, Sunhill Prinicipalities, and the Free Consortium of Uxangard. It’s capital is the great city of Eck-Ta’Quay. An agrarian society outside of the capital. The Merchant States provide most of the food to the rest of the continent of Abeir.

Demographics

• Humans 64%
• Dwarves 10%
• Elves 10%
• Halflings 5%
• Half-elves 5%
• Gnomes 2%
• Trolls 2%
• Half-Orcs 1%
• Other 1%

Government

The Open Lord of Eck and the Council of Masked Lords form the government of the city. The council votes on proposals brought forth by members, guilds, or wards of the city. The Open Lord presides over the council and provides a tie breaking vote if necessary.
The Open Lord of Eck: The Treaty of Thune established that the Merchant States would be governed by the Open Lord and a council made up of the heads of the individuals states that make up the rest of the nation. This mirrors the government of the city of Eck-Ta'Quay.
Lords of the Merchant States: A council made up of the heads of the merchant states. Ther Merchatn States governement operates in much the same way as the city of Eck-Ta'Quay's governement. A council of each heads meet with the Open Lord to discuss how to guide the nation forward and in its dealings with the Abeirian Alliance.

The Code Legal

Punishment for a crime can include one or more of the following, based on the nature of the crime, who or what the crime is committed against, and the criminal record of the convicted:
Punishments

• Death
• Exile (for a number of years or summers)
• logging (a set number of strokes)
• Hard Labor (for a period of days, months, or years depending on the seriousness of the crime)
• Imprisonment in the Dungeons of Castle Eck (for a period of days or months depending on the seriousness of the crime)
• Fine (Payable to the city; inability to pay the fines leads to imprisonment)
• Damages (Payable to the injured party or the victim’s kin; inability to pay damages leads to imprisonment and/0r hard labor)
• Edict (forbidding the convicted from doing something; violation of an edict can result in imprisonment, hard labor, and/or a fine)

Crimes against Lords, Officials, and Nobles

• Assaulting or impersonating a Lord: death
• Assaulting or impersonating an official or noble: flogging, imprisonment up to a tenday, and fine up to 500 gp
• Blackmailing an official: flogging and exile up to 10 years
• Bribery or attempted bribery of an official: exile up to 20 years and fine up to double the bribe amount
• Murder of a Lord, official, or noble: death
• Using magic to influence a Lord without consent: imprisonment up to a year, and fine or damages up to 1,000 gp
• Using magic to influence an official without consent: fine or damages up to 1,000 gp and edict

Crimes against the Nation

• Arson: death or hard labor up to 1 year, with fines and/or damages covering the cost of repairs plus 2,000 gp
• Brandishing Weapons Without Due Cause: imprisonment up to a tenday and/or fine up to 10 gp
• Espionage: death or permanent exile
• Fencing Stolen Goods: fine equal to the value of the sole goods and edict
• Forgery Of An Official Document: flogging and exile for up to 10 summers
• Hampering Justice: fine up to 200 gp and hard labor up to a tenday
• Littering: fine up to 2 gp and edict
• Poisoning A Well: death
• Theft: flogging followed by imprisonment up to a tenday, hard labor up to 1 year, or fine equal to the value of the stolen goods
• Treason: death
• Vandalism: imprisonment up to a tenday plus fine and/or damages covering the cost of repairs plus up to 100 gp
• Using Magic To Influence An Official Without Consent: fine or damages up to 1,000 gp and edict

Crimes against the Gods

• Assaulting A Priest Or Lay Worshipper: imprisonment up to a tenday and damages up to 500 gp
• Disorderly Conduct Within A Temple: fine up to 5 gp and edict
• Public Blasphemy Against A God Or Church: edict
• Theft Of Temple Goods Or Offerings: imprisonment up to a tenday and damages up to double the cost of stolen items
• Tomb-robbing: imprisonment up to a tenday and damages covering the cost of repairs plus 500 gp

Crimes against Citizens

• Assaulting A Citizen: imprisonment up to a tenday, flogging, and damages up to 1,000 gp
• Blackmailing Or Intimidating A Citizen: fine and damages up to 500 gp and edict
• Burglary: imprisonment up to 3 months and damages equal to the value of the stolen goods plus 500 gp
• Damaging Property Or Livestock: damages covering the cost of repairs or replacement plus up to 500 gp
• Disturbing The Peace: fine up to 25 gp and edict
• Murdering A Citizen Without Justification: death or hard labor up to 10 years, and damages up to 1,000 gp paid to the victim’s kin
• Murdering A Citizen With Justification: exile up to 5 years or hard labor up to 3 years or damages up to 1,000 gp paid to the victim’s kin
• Robbery: hard labor up to 1 month and damages equal to the value of the stolen goods plus 500 gp
• Slavery: flogging and hard labor up to 10 years
• Using Magic To Influence A Citizen Without Consent: fine or damages up to 1,000 gp and edict

Defences

The City Guard is headquartered in Castle Eck. The Guard is made up of professional soldiers responsible for defending the city, protecting the gates, and guarding important citizens and locations. Guards wear scale or chain shirts and carry short swords and shortbows.

Force Grey - A special force faction that take an oath to protect the city, its citizens, and uphold its laws.

Harpers - A network of spies that provides valuable information to the Council of Lords.

Order of the Guantlet - Seek out and destory evil before it gains a foothold anywhere on the Abeirian continent.

Industry & Trade

Exports - Grain, vegetables, fruits, meats (poultry, beef, chevaline, pork), ale, cloth, livestock, leather, ore, timber, and exotic goods from all lands.
The Merchant States are responsible for the production and distribution of food to the rest of the Abeirian Alliance.

Infrastructure

Well travelled roads lead to and from the many villages and towns of the Merchant States.

• The Long Road is a trade route that connects the northern Merchant States
• The High Road crosses the southern part of the nation
• The Trade Way is the road that follows along the River Eck.

The River Eck also runs throughout the nation from the Eastern edge of Silver Lake to the Continental Shelf. These waterways provide travel and trade routes and the sides of the river are lined with plow lines for pulling larger vessels.

Districts

• Eck-Ta'Quay
• Shady Vale
• Good Mead
• Lonelywood
• Good Haven
• Gor Todir
• Khurgrog Dram
• Skoll
• Greycloak
• Deccard Kren
• Rorgash
• Ashbourne
• Servale
• Northcrest

Guilds and Factions

City Guard: Like the City Watch, the Guard is headquartered in Castle Eck. Unlike the Watch, the Guard is made up of professional soldiers responsible for defending the city, protecting the gates, and guarding important citizens and locations. Guards wear scale or chain shirts and carry short swords and shortbows.
High-Magisters: The 12 high-magisters are made up of two judges from each ward voted in by all the magisters within each ward. The number of magisters from each ward is often changing and almost never set in stone as the bar to become a magister is simply that you are nominated by two noble houses, pay the fee (currently 150 gp's), and have your magister-ship signed off on by one other judge.
Magisters: Similar to the High-Magisters these are lower level judges who are able to make decisions regarding already established law on the fly for the City Watch. They may be found throughout each ward and will also help settle guild disputes when needed. The number of registered magisters is fluid and ever changing as the noble families will often make a friend or friendly party a magister when in need of a favorable ruling. All that is needed to become a magister is the endorsement of two noble parties, one filing fee (currently set at 150 gp's), and the approval of another magister (though this is often forged after the favorable ruling by another friendly magister). They are also tasked with choosing who will represent the ward in as the High-Magisters.
Lawful Factions:

1. Emerlad Enclave - To foster Harmony between Nature and Civilization
2. Force Grey - A special force faction that take an oath to protect the city, its citizens, and uphold its laws.
3. Harpers - A network of spies that provides valuable information to the Council of Lords.
4. Order of the Guantlet - Seek out and destory evil before it gains a foothold anywhere on the Abeirian continent.

Neutral Factions:

1. Greenbeards - An order of Druids that are devoted to protecting the lands and seas of Abeir.
2. Bregen D'aerthe - A self serving network of Airship Pirates that hail from the island of Luskor. A breakaway part from the continent of Malivor.
3. Silver Flame - Protect Abeir from the unholy and undead that wish to do it harm.

Unlawful Factions:

1. Xanathar's Guild - An organized crime syndicate that operates out of Skullfort in the Deadrüt below Eck-Ta'Quay.
2. Zhentarim - A crime organization spread across Abeir. They traffic in drugs, illegal magic items, and anything that can add to the power of the organization and its leader.
3. Crimson Order - A religious organization that operates several legal and philanthropic businesses to maintain cover of illegal activities. They maintain several organizations that support the citizens of Abeir. Such as: The Crimson Cross - a blood donor program that helps to supply the nation sof Abeir with blood when needed; Crimson Salvage - one of the largest salvage companies on the continent of Abeir; Crimson Trading - a trade organization that maintains footholds in all of the major cities; and the Crimson Ledger - a money lending organization that operates as a bank in both Eck-Ta'Quay and Sunhill.

History

1395 AC With the signing of the Treaty of Thune four nations and two territories were carved out of the landscape of war. The Merchant States of Eck-Ta'Quay was one of these four nations and the Open Lord Lady Silverhand was an integral leader in the writing of the treaty.
The city is the import and export hub for all of Abeir after the establishment of the 4 Roles by the Abeirian Alliance during the Treaty of Thune
Eck is also responsible for food production and supply to the rest of Abeir after most of the fields throughout the continent were destroyed and even today remain infertile except those located to the far north in the Greycloak highlands.

Points of interest

• The City of Eck-Ta'Quay
• Good Mead Brewery
• The Ruins of Khurgrog Dram
• The Shade

Geography

The merchant states encompass the areas north of the City of Eck-Ta'Quay to the Greycloak Highlands and south to the northern edge of the Lurking Forest. West to the Continental Shelf and east to edge of Silver Lake.

Natural Resources

1. Agricultural Fields
2. Salvage from the River Eck
3. Livestock from the Greycloak Highlands
4. Lumber from the Crimson Oak Glade and Lurking Forest
5. Kinetic Sap from the new Undermountain mines

Founding Date

1395 AC

Founders

• Lady Laeral Silverhand

Alternative Name(s)

Merchant States

Type

National Territory

Population

1,250,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Merchanters, Ecktians

Location under

Abeir

Included Locations

• Eck-Ta’Quay

Owner/Ruler

Lady Laeral Silverhand

Ruling/Owning Rank

Open Lord

Owning Organization

Abeirian Alliance