The Hospitality Consortium of Eisen
Restaurants, taverns, and inns
The Consortium is composed of those who either own or work in restaurants, taverns, and inns, as well as those who specialize in running or hosting events.
Structure
Guildmaster
The Guildmaster, an orc named Harold Havengral, never actually intended to become the leader of the Consortium; he really just wanted to cook his food and experiment with new ingredients. However, a scandal with his predecessor involving tainted food caused Harold to challenge the former leader to a battle for honor and glory. After soundly beating the other man, Harold was unanimously voted as the new Guildmaster, much to his chagrin. He is still finding his footing and depends a great deal on his representative and administrator.
Guild Representative
Ardis Longbeard is the current representative for the Consortium. A brash, fiery-tempered, clever dwarf, Ardis makes it her job to defend the interests of the guild, even if it means cracking a few skulls along the way.
Guild Administrator
The Consortium administrator, Silvano Marzan, is an immigrant to Eisen from Vodacce. His original inn, The Crocodile’s Wife, was burned to the ground, prompting Silvano to move to Eisen and open a new inn called The Crocodile’s Mistress. Silvano is a jolly, even-keeled man, known for his magnificent handlebar mustache and his tendency to slightly overpour his drinks.
Guild Structure and Ranks
Apprentice: Apprentices in the Consortium are trained in all aspects of hospitality work -- kitchen duties, basic housekeeping, service protocols, and the like. Most apprentices gravitate to one area of work more than others, and will start to learn more specialized skills, such as reservation management, hosting, or more advanced cooking techniques. Journeyer: Journeyers often work as managers, reservationists, or cooks for an establishment owned by a Master. They tend to the day-to-day workings of the business, ensuring customers are taken care of, assigning rooms, and handling complaints or problems. Master: Masters typically open their own establishment of some variety, from high-class dining locations to small bed and breakfasts. Unless a journeyer proves extremely adept, most Masters choose to handle their own inventories, pricing, and other important logistics. Mastery Exam: A Consortium Mastery exam involves running an establishment -- whether an inn, restaurant, or tavern -- for a period of one month, handling any and all problems that arise.Culture
The Consortium tends to draw some of both the hottest and coolest tempers from around Eisen. People working in the restaurant side of things, particularly as cooks, are often brash, loud, and not particularly concerned by manners. Inn-workers and service staff, however, are almost required to have calm, pleasant personalities -- at least on the surface. Guild work tends to be very fast paced at times, and as such many guild members do not stand much on ceremony.
Patron God: Fodla
Guild Symbols
Aprons are the most common signifier of rank within the Consortium. Apprentice aprons are white, since they are expected to need to be bleached often. Journeyers wear black aprons, while Masters wear aprons of a soft gray, the most difficult to keep clean and neat. Aprons are typically embroidered with the establishment’s logo or heraldry. Businesses run by a member of the Consortium have the symbol of a pineapple somewhere on their sign or building so that potential customers know that they can trust the establishment.Guild House Description
The Consortium guild house is a rather nondescript, smallish house on Guild Row. Since most guild members have their own establishments in which to eat and sleep, the guild hall is mostly used for meetings and the occasional class. However, the guild’s library does have an extensive array of cookbooks.Public Agenda
Apart from running most of the restaurants and inns across Eisen, the guild investigates claims of bad service, food making people ill, etc. They also publish a yearly guide to all of the major establishments across the nation, which is written by a joint committee of members from both the Consortium and the Journalists’ Guild. The Eisen Hospitality Book, as it is called, has separate sections for inns and restaurants, and rates establishments on a system of five crowns. Reaching a perfect rating in the Book is a huge point of pride for a business.
Type
Guild, Merchant
Alternative Names
The Consortium, Hospitality Guild
Demonym
Hospitalier
Location
Controlled Territories
Fodla Guild Symbols
Apron, Pineapple