The Guilds are one of the most powerful forces on the Tamarran continent. They may not have armies, or landholdings, or claims to any throne, but they do have exceptionally talented, powerful people, and a scientific method that is continually making them more so.

And, perhaps most importantly, they’ll often be a very important part of your characters’ lives.

While the Guilds largely stay out of Tamarran politics, they are still a massive organization themselves, and require some serious structure just to run. For the next few blog posts, we’ll be talking about how the Guilds organize themselves.

As always, please feel free to ask any questions you might have, answer other people’s questions, and just generally discuss. We love to hear what you have to say!

The Structure of the Guilds, from Top to Bottom

The Guilds organize themselves in two main ways — vertically (the interactions between the Guildhouses in different locations), and horizontally (the interactions between the individual Six Guilds).

The vertical organization of the Guilds is fairly simple: there are three levels of Guildhouse. The Central Guildhouses, the headquarters for each Guild, are located in Tarnath. From here, policy decisions that affect Guildhouses and members across the continent are made.

The Central Guildhouses in Tarnath are the most elaborate on the continent, having been built by the great Samron himself during the height of his power. These Guildhouses are also home to some of Tamarra’s most powerful channels, including The Guild Council — Six Channels (one from each Guild) who form the primary governing body of the Guilds.

There are also four Regional Guildhouses, each of which oversees the local Guildhouses in their region of the continent:

• The Inner Sea Guildhouse has jurisdiction over the very southern edge of Tamarra — the Plains of Lochumm, the region of Jowea, and the southern islands. It is located in the city of Riverbend. Since the Stillness War, this Guildhouse has been relatively isolated from the rest of the Guild structure — it is not cut off completely, but it is now considered by many to be something of a “frontier,” and it has been unable to contain an outbreak of sorcery.
• The Naldrin Guildhouse is located in the city of Naldrin, and has jurisdiction over the western/northwestern part of the continent. Its location in the largest and most cosmopolitan city on Tamarra has recently led it to argue that the Central Guildhouses should be relocated to Naldrin — after all, Sessmaryth is no more, and Tarnath is a minor city.
• The Northern Guildhouse is located in the capital of the Kingdom of the Szaskar Crawn. It has jurisdiction over the northern parts of the continent, including Tarnath, the Crawn Empire, and the Icy Wastes. This Guildhouse is perhaps the most politically involved of any on the continent, as it has come to a “mutual understanding” with the Crawn government. In exchange for turning a blind eye to royally-sanctioned sects of sorcerers, this Guildhouse receives political and military support in its endeavors. This is a cause of friction between this Guildhouse and the others on the continent.
• The Eastern Guildhouse, formerly the Quay Guildhouse, has jurisdiction over the center of the continent, including the Plains of Frestehal and the Bay of Perrin. It used to have jurisdiction over the Quay Empire as well, but since that Empire’s de facto destruction in The Stillness War, the territory overseen by this Guildhouse has shrunk considerably. Its influence within the Guilds has shrunk along with it — a definite sore point.

The Regional Guildhouses are all well-equipped. It is not uncommon to find channels who have overcome the 10th barrier in their Energy in such places, and the structures themselves contain laboratories, training facilities, and ample security.

The next level down the ladder the are the local Guildhouses. Depending on the size of the town or city in which they are located, these may have anywhere from several powerful channels from each Guild to one or two low-barrier channels from only a few of the Six Guilds.