How it All is Organized

By Mekreen Dronnaal, Professor, Naldrin’s First University

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

Even though the Guilds officially stay out of Tamarran politics, they are still a massive organization, and require some serious structure just to run.  Perhaps most importantly, they have a very important place in the lives of most folk on the Tamarran Continent, whether you are a member of the Guilds or not. They especially have an effect on your life if you are a Sorcerer, which is, of course, strictly forbidden (by the Guilds)!

The Guilds organize themselves in two main way: internally (within a particular Guild), and externally (interactions between the different Guilds). This very short treatise will focus only on their internal organization.  

There are three levels of each of the six Guildhouses; namely, Central, Regional, and Local.

The Central Guildhouses, which are the headquarters for all of the Guilds of that type (e.g. Charismatics belong to the Charismatics Guild, Mentarchs belong to the Mentarch’s Guild, and so on), are located in Tarnath. From here, policy decisions that affect Guildhouses and members across the continent are made. These Guildhouses are the most elaborate on the continent, having been built by the great Samron himself during the height of his power. They are also home to some of Tamarra’s most powerful channels, including The Guild Council, composed of six Channels (one from each Guild) who form the primary governing body of the Guilds.

There are Regional Guildhouses for each Guild.  They oversee 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 Lochuum, the region of Jowea, and the southern islands. It is located in the city of Riverbend. Since the Stillness War, it 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 in Naldrin City has jurisdiction over the western/northwestern part of the continent. Because Naldrin City is the largest and most cosmopolitan city on Tamarra, this Guildhouse has recently argued that the Central Guildhouses should be relocated here, rather than in Tarnath (which they consider a minor city, especially since it is no longer the grand center that it was during Emperor Samron’s time).
• 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 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 sorcerers (frowned on by the Guilds but surreptitiously employed by the Szaskar Crawn Emperor), 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 has shrunk along with it — a definite sore point.

The Regional Guildhouses are all well-equipped. It is not uncommon to find powerful Channels here who have overcome the 12th barrier in their Energy and are considered to be amongst the top of their Guilds. The structures themselves contain laboratories, training facilities, and ample security.

The third, and last, level of the Guild organization’s hierarchy are the local Guildhouses. Depending on the size of the town or city in which they are located, these may be relatively large (6-10 powerful channels from each Guild) or quite small (one or two low-barrier channels from only a few of the Six Guilds). Each local Guildhouse has a great deal of autonomy. They have the freedom to decide on their own rules and their own leadership structure (if one is even necessary). The only rule that is strictly enforced from the top down is the decidedly fierce opposition to Sorcery and anything that might be related to it. There are, however, suspicions that some of the local Guildhouses have bent the rules and either tolerate or even go so far as to cooperate with local Sorcerers. As stated before, this is strictly forbidden!

We will discuss the interactions between the different Guilds (external organization) in another message.