Barnabas Clithrow

It is not unusual for the monarch of a kingdom to have a high ranking religious official as one of the most important advisors of their court. It should therefore not be a surprise that in Tyrnabay, where the most practiced religion is that of Wealth, it is the head of the Mercantile - the organization that governs the flow of all goods and all wealth within the nation - that fills this role. Sarcastically called "Bishop Barnabas", the current holder of the title of Mercantile Grandmaster is Barnabas Clithrow.

Rise to Power

Barnabas Clithrow began his career in the city of Delveshadow as a trader in fine gemstones. Stones mined and refined by the dwarves of the Waking Delve to the south would pass through this city on their way across the world to other Dwarven Delves and other cities of the Folk. As he grew in wealth, he entered the moneylending profession as well, and developed a reputation for shrewdness and callousness, but also for brutal consistency that some called "fairness". Terms agreed to were kept to the letter.

As he grew in wealth and reputation, he was elected by others in Tyrnabay's Moneylender's Guild to be Guild Chairman (or Guildmaster), giving him a seat on the inner council of the Mercantile. A few years later, the inner council named him Grandmaster, making him the most overtly powerful member of the organization. This position also gives him access to the monarch of the land, and hence the opportunity to ensure that the global goals of the Mercantile are pursued.

Rumors

There is always a discussion among those in the inner circle aware of such things as to who reports to whom when it comes to interactions between Guildmaster and the The Tactician. There are rumors that Clithrow has somehow learned the identity of the current Tactician, and has some sort of blackmail-based control over them. Others discount this, believing instead that if it were the case, the Tactician's resources would allow Clithrow to be dispatched easily.