Sky-Guild

“Trade Connects, Commerce Sustains”

“In a shattered world, we are the threads that bind islands together.”

Quick Reference

Sky-Guild Symbol and Headquarters

Overview

The Sky-Guild is the Aetherium’s dominant economic power—controlling majority of inter-island trade, setting prices, managing trade routes, and wielding influence through financial leverage. Under Guild-Master Elara Song’s leadership, it’s become increasingly aggressive: expanding into new markets, consolidating power, and treating economics as warfare by other means.

The Guild provides genuinely valuable services: standardized contracts, dispute arbitration, route security, market stabilization, and credit systems. Without it, trade would be chaotic. But its monopolistic practices, price manipulation, and political interference create resentment. Necessary but resented describes the Guild perfectly.

Internal tensions simmer: regional Factors disagree with Song’s aggressive expansion, embezzlement funds secret expeditions, and some members question whether profit alone should guide decisions. The Guild is powerful, wealthy, and possibly overextended.

Structure

Leadership

Guild-Master: Elara Song (Ironhold) - Supreme authority - Sets policy - Appoints Factors - Serves indefinitely (until death, resignation, or removal)

Factor Council: 12 senior Factors (advisory) - Major regions represented - Vote on major decisions - Guild-Master has veto

Regional Organization

Factors: Regional representatives - Manage local operations - Negotiate contracts - Report to Guild-Master - Notable: Factor Marlena Swift (Skyport Eos)

Agents: Local merchants (Guild members) - Conduct trade - Follow Guild standards - Pay dues

Support Staff: Accountants, guards, administrators

Membership

Requirements

Application: - Sponsor (existing member) - Fee (substantial) - Background check (character, financial) - Apprenticeship (1 year)

Benefits: - Guild protection - Access to trade routes - Contract enforcement - Credit facilities - Political connections

Obligations: - Follow Guild regulations - Pay dues (percentage of profit) - Support Guild policies - Maintain standards

Tiers

Apprentice: Training (1 year)

Merchant: Full member (majority)

Factor: Regional leader (appointed)

Guild-Master: Supreme leader (elected, theoretically)

Operations

Trade Routes

Managed Routes: - Guild secures major routes (patrol, maintenance) - Charges fees (access, protection) - Sets standards (safety, speed)

Independent Routes: - Still exist (Guild can’t monopolize everything) - More dangerous (no Guild protection) - Often cheaper (no fees)

Services

Contract Standardization: - Templates (reliable, enforceable) - Arbitration (neutral third party) - Enforcement (Guild backs agreements)

Market Stabilization: - Price controls (prevent gouging during crisis) - Supply management (stockpiles) - Sometimes manipulation (controversial)

Credit & Banking: - Loans (to members) - Letters of credit (inter-regional trade) - Investment (major projects)

Insurance: - Cargo protection - Ship coverage - Life insurance (merchants)

Power & Influence

Economic

Market Control: 60-70% of major trade (estimates)

Price Setting: Significant influence (not total)

Resource Access: Can deny (effectively weaponized)

Credit Power: Make or break businesses

Political

Influence Methods: - Financial leverage (donations, loans) - Information (market intelligence) - Essential services (trade dependency) - Bribery (where necessary)

Relationships: - Ironhold: Partnership with Vask (uneasy) - Skyport Eos: Elder Mira negotiates frequently - Other Settlements: Varying (cooperation to resentment)

Military

Guild Guards: ~200 (protect caravans, facilities)

Mercenary Contracts: Additional security as needed

No Army: Economic, not military, power

Philosophy

Official Position

“Free markets benefit everyone. Guild provides structure enabling prosperity. Profit motivates excellence.”

Practical Reality

Oligarchy: Few benefit greatly, many moderately, some exploited

Efficiency: Yes (Guild is competent)

Fairness: Debatable (depends on perspective)

Necessary: Probably (alternatives untested)

Current Issues

Song’s Secret Expeditions

Problem: - Diverted resources (20% over 5 years) - Unauthorized (embezzlement) - Failing (poor return) - If exposed: Constitutional crisis

Who Knows: - Song (obviously) - Factor Marlena (investigating) - Some high-level staff (suspicious)

Impact: Guild profits declining (hidden by accounting)

Internal Opposition

Factors’ Concerns: - Song too aggressive (overextension) - Secret expenses (budget problems) - Authoritarian decisions (less consensus) - Need new leadership? (some think yes)

Marlena’s Coalition: - Building support (careful) - Not ready for challenge (yet) - Watching for opportunity

External Competition

Floating Market: - Growing competitor (independent traders) - Guild can’t control (mobile, decentralized) - Market share eroding slightly

Black Sky Cartel: - Illegal competition (smuggling) - Undercuts Guild prices - Can’t eliminate (too distributed)

Independents: - Always exist - More dangerous but cheaper - Guild tolerates (can’t stop all)

Relationships

Allied

Ironhold Government: - Mutually beneficial (Song’s influence) - Strained (Vask and Song diverging)

Constellation Clergy: - Professional cooperation - Guild funds some Clergy work - Clergy provides social stability

Neutral

Skyport Eos: - Major trading partner - Elder Mira negotiates hard - Functional relationship

Outland Clans: - Trade for resources - Some exploitation (Guild pays low) - Resentment exists

Opposed

Black Sky Cartel: - Direct competition (illegal) - Undermines Guild control - Can’t eliminate

Floating Market: - Economic rival - Legal (can’t ban) - Growing concern

Notable Members

• Guild-Master Elara Song: Leader (Ironhold)
• Factor Marlena Swift: Skyport Eos representative, secretly opposing Song
• [Various Factors]: Regional leaders (DM can populate)

Secrets

The Embezzlement

Song’s Expeditions: - Tens of thousands diverted - 5 years of systematic siphoning - Hidden by complex accounting - Criminal if exposed

Cover-Up: - Financial reports manipulated - Internal audits delayed - Whistleblowers silenced (bought off, not killed)

The Cartel Connection

Rumor (unconfirmed): - Some Guild members work with Cartel - Double-dip (legal and illegal profits) - If true: Massive scandal

Evidence: Circumstantial (suspicious patterns)

The Periphery Deal

Secret Agreement: - Guild trading with Periphery scavengers - Buying artifacts (pre-Shattering tech) - Below market value (exploitation) - Reselling high (major markup)

Morality: Questionable (taking advantage of desperate)

Joining the Guild

Membership Process

Requirements: - Proven trading ability (successful business record) - Capital (1,000 Coins minimum—prohibitive for most) - Sponsor (existing Guild member vouches for you) - Clean record (no major crimes, no Cartel ties—officially) - Oath of loyalty (to Guild interests)

Application: 1. Petition: Submit business proposal and financial records 2. Sponsor: Find Guild member willing to vouch (political maneuvering) 3. Review: Factor evaluates application (weeks to months) 4. Interview: Guild council questions applicant 5. Vote: Council approves or rejects (majority required) 6. Initiation: If accepted, formal ceremony

Initiation Ceremony: - Oath taken before Guild-Master - Membership coin presented (gold, engraved with member number) - Contract signed (binding, enforceable) - Welcome feast (networking opportunity) - Begin trading under Guild protection

The Oath: > I swear to uphold Guild principles: fair dealing, contract honor, mutual prosperity. > I swear to pay Guild dues promptly and honestly. > I swear to submit disputes to Guild arbitration. > I swear to protect Guild interests and fellow members. > I swear to maintain Guild reputation through ethical conduct. > I am Guild member. Profit with honor. Trade with integrity. Prosper together.

Cost: 1,000 Coins (initiation fee) + 10% of profits (annual dues)

Benefits: - Guild protection (legal, physical) - Access to Guild markets and routes - Arbitration services (dispute resolution) - Information network (market intelligence) - Legitimacy (Guild membership is status symbol)

Daily Life of a Guild Merchant

Dawn: - Check overnight messages (Guild courier network) - Review market prices (updated daily) - Plan day’s business (meetings, negotiations, shipments)

Morning: - Trading: Buy and sell (market hours) - Negotiations: Contract discussions (new deals) - Meetings: With clients, suppliers, Guild officials - Correspondence: Letters, orders, invoices

Midday: - Business lunch (networking disguised as meal) - Guild Hall visit (check announcements, gossip) - Continue trading

Afternoon: - Shipments: Coordinate cargo loading/unloading - Inspections: Quality control (Guild standards) - Accounting: Track profits, expenses, dues - Planning: Strategy for tomorrow, next week, next month

Evening: - Guild Hall social hour (networking, deals made over drinks) - Dinner (often business-related) - Personal time (if any)

The Reality: Constant work - Competition is fierce (other merchants, non-Guild traders) - Margins are thin (10% profit is good) - Stress is high (one bad deal can ruin you) - Success requires: Intelligence, ruthlessness, luck

The Reward: Wealth (if successful) - Comfortable life (good food, nice home, security) - Status (Guild members are respected) - Power (economic influence) - Legacy (pass business to children)

Guild Jargon and Slang

“Coin-Blessed”: Successful merchant (making good profits)

“Anchor-Broke”: Failed merchant (bankrupt)

“Factor’s Eye”: Being watched by Guild officials (audit, investigation)

“Clean Books”: Honest accounting (rare compliment)

“Creative Accounting”: Embezzlement, fraud (euphemism)

“Cartel-Touched”: Suspected of illegal dealings (serious accusation)

“Song’s Gambit”: Risky investment (after Guild-Master’s expeditions)

“Marlena’s Audit”: Thorough investigation (after Factor Swift’s reputation)

“Guild-Broke”: Expelled from Guild (social and economic death)

“Floating Profit”: Money from Floating Market (untraceable, possibly illegal)

“Ironhold Iron”: Guaranteed quality (Ironhold goods are premium)

“Murk Money”: Profits from black market (dirty but profitable)

Internal Politics

Factions Within Guild

Traditionalists (Conservative Merchants): - Position: Maintain current system (stability over growth) - Argument: Guild is successful (don’t fix what isn’t broken) - Method: Resist change, enforce rules strictly - Support: Established merchants, older members - Leader: Senior merchants (collective, no single leader)

Expansionists (Aggressive Merchants): - Position: Expand aggressively (new markets, new routes, new methods) - Argument: Stagnation is death (must grow or die) - Method: Risk-taking, innovation, sometimes rule-bending - Support: Younger merchants, ambitious members - Leader: Guild-Master Elara Song (expansionist, risk-taker)

Reformists (Ethical Merchants): - Position: Reform Guild practices (reduce exploitation, increase fairness) - Argument: Current practices are unsustainable (creating enemies) - Method: Fair pricing, worker protections, community investment - Support: Minority (idealists, those with conscience) - Leader: None (too weak to organize)

The Power Struggle: Ongoing - Traditionalists vs. Expansionists (main conflict) - Song pushes expansion (secret expeditions, risky investments) - Traditionalists resist (Factor Marlena investigates) - Reformists ignored (no power) - Outcome uncertain (depends on Song’s success or failure)

The Marlena Investigation

Context: Factor Marlena Swift suspects Guild-Master Song of embezzlement

Evidence: - 50,000+ Coins missing from emergency fund - 12 expeditions to Periphery (officially “trade missions,” actually exploration) - Suspicious accounting (creative but legal—barely) - Song’s obsession with finding Nexus Spire

Marlena’s Dilemma: - Expose Song (upholds Guild integrity, but creates crisis) - Ignore it (maintains stability, but enables corruption) - Blackmail Song (personal gain, but betrays Guild)

Current Status: Investigating quietly (gathering evidence)

If Exposed: Political crisis - Song removed (embezzlement is crime) - Guild reputation damaged (leadership corruption) - Power vacuum (who leads next?) - But: Some sympathize (knowledge is valuable, Song’s goal is noble)

The Monopoly Debate

Current Reality: Guild controls 80% of trade

Arguments For Monopoly: - Stability (prevents chaotic competition) - Standards (quality control, contract enforcement) - Efficiency (coordinated networks) - Safety (Guild protects members)

Arguments Against Monopoly: - Exploitation (high fees, price manipulation) - Stagnation (no competition, no innovation) - Corruption (power without accountability) - Inequality (wealthy get wealthier, poor stay poor)

Independent Merchants: Resist Guild - Operate outside system (barter, local trade) - Outland Clans especially (refuse to join) - Guild tolerates (as long as they stay small) - But: Guild crushes serious competition (economic warfare, sometimes violence)

The Question: Is Guild necessary evil or just evil?

No Consensus: Depends who you ask

Regional Operations

Ironhold Guild Hall (Headquarters)

Size: Largest Guild facility (marble and iron, impressive) Staff: 50+ (administrators, factors, guards, support) Functions: Leadership, arbitration, major contracts, policy-setting Culture: Professional, disciplined, ruthless Leadership: Guild-Master Elara Song (ambitious, secretive)

Skyport Eos Guild Office

Size: Moderate (functional, not impressive) Staff: 20+ (factors, clerks, guards) Functions: Regional trade, contract enforcement, member support Culture: Practical, busy, less formal than Ironhold Leadership: Factor Marlena Swift (efficient, suspicious of Song)

Floating Market Guild Presence

Size: Small (mobile office on lead ship) Staff: 5 (factor, clerks, guards) Functions: Market regulation, fee collection, dispute resolution Culture: Flexible, adaptive, tolerant Leadership: Factor Rotating (changes with market location)

Outland Guild Outposts

Size: Tiny (1-2 people per outpost) Staff: Junior factors (often first assignment) Functions: Monitor trade, collect fees (when possible), represent Guild Culture: Isolated, often ignored, sometimes dangerous Challenge: Outland Clans resist Guild authority (enforcement difficult)

Success Stories

The Trade Network Establishment (Year 175 S.)

Achievement: Connected all major settlements with reliable routes Guild Role: Coordinated, standardized, protected Impact: Food security improved, economic growth, cultural exchange Legacy: Guild proved its value (trade networks save lives)

The Famine Prevention (Year 251 S.)

Crisis: Crop failure in Windmere Farms (food shortage) Guild Response: Redistributed food from other sources, prevented starvation Role: Logistics, coordination, resource allocation Result: No deaths from starvation (could have been catastrophic) Legacy: Guild as crisis manager (economic stability)

The Currency Standardization (Year 195 S.)

Achievement: Guild Coin became universal currency Guild Role: Backed currency, enforced acceptance, maintained value Impact: Trade simplified, economic growth, reduced fraud Legacy: Guild Coin is now standard (economic power)

Failures and Controversies

The Guild Wars (Year 172 S.)

Event: Independent merchants challenged Guild monopoly Guild Response: Economic warfare (price-cutting, route blocking, sabotage) Violence: Ships “disappeared,” merchants “had accidents” Result: Guild won (superior resources) Legacy: Guild’s ruthless reputation (will crush competition) Guilt: Many current members uncomfortable with this history

The Exploitation Scandal (Year 267 S.)

Event: Guild caught paying Outland farmers below-market prices Exposure: Archivist documented, published findings Public Reaction: Outrage (Guild exploiting vulnerable) Guild Response: Denied, then admitted, then promised reform Reform: Minimal (prices increased slightly) Legacy: Guild’s reputation damaged (greedy, exploitative)

The Embezzlement (Ongoing, Year 282-287 S.)

Event: Guild-Master Song embezzling emergency funds Amount: 50,000+ Coins over 5 years Purpose: Secret expeditions seeking Nexus Spire Discovery: Factor Marlena investigating Status: Unresolved (evidence gathering) Impact: If exposed, leadership crisis

In-World Documents

Guild Membership Contract (Standard)

SKY-GUILD MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT

Member: [Name] Membership Number: [Assigned] Date: [Year, Day]

Terms: 1. Member pays 1,000 Coin initiation fee (non-refundable) 2. Member pays 10% of annual profits as dues 3. Member submits to Guild arbitration for disputes 4. Member maintains Guild standards (quality, honesty, professionalism) 5. Member protects Guild reputation 6. Member may not engage in illegal trade (Cartel dealings forbidden)

Benefits: 1. Guild protection (legal representation, physical security) 2. Access to Guild markets and trade routes 3. Arbitration services (fair dispute resolution) 4. Information network (market intelligence, warnings) 5. Legitimacy (Guild membership is credential)

Termination: - Voluntary (30-day notice, forfeit initiation fee) - Involuntary (Guild expels for violations—rare but permanent)

Signature: _________________ (Member) Signature: _________________ (Guild-Master or Factor)

“Profit with honor. Trade with integrity. Prosper together.”

Guild-Master Song’s Private Log (Classified)

Expedition Log, Year 287 S.

Expedition #12: Periphery exploration, seeking Nexus Spire Funding: 5,000 Coins (embezzled from emergency fund—Marlena doesn’t know yet) Crew: 6 (Captain Jorah, specialists) Duration: 3 months Result: Failure (Spire not found, again)

Total Spent: 50,000+ Coins over 5 years Total Results: Fragments, hints, nothing definitive

Marlena’s Investigation: She’s getting close. I can feel it. She’s smart, thorough, incorruptible.

Options: 1. Confess (lose position, but honest) 2. Cover tracks (possible, but risky) 3. Find Spire first (vindication—if I succeed, embezzlement is forgiven)

Decision: Option 3. One more expedition. If I find the Spire, the archives, the knowledge—everything is forgiven. I’ll be hero, not criminal.

If I fail, I’m ruined. But I can’t stop now. Too invested. Too close. Too obsessed.

The Nexus Spire is out there. I’ll find it. Or die trying.

Factor Marlena’s Investigation Notes

CONFIDENTIAL - PERSONAL RECORDS

Subject: Guild-Master Song Embezzlement Investigation

Evidence Collected: 1. Emergency fund discrepancies (50,000+ Coins unaccounted) 2. Expedition records (12 missions, officially “trade,” actually exploration) 3. Captain Jorah’s testimony (hired for Periphery expeditions, paid from emergency fund) 4. Accounting irregularities (creative but suspicious)

Conclusion: Song is embezzling. Clear evidence. Provable.

Dilemma: What do I do?

Option 1: Report to Council (upholds integrity, but creates crisis) - Song removed (embezzlement is crime) - Guild reputation damaged (leadership corruption) - Power vacuum (I might become Guild-Master—do I want that?)

Option 2: Confront Song privately (give her chance to confess, resign) - Preserves Guild reputation (no public scandal) - Song escapes justice (wrong, but pragmatic) - I become complicit (uncomfortable)

Option 3: Blackmail Song (personal gain) - I profit (leverage for advancement) - Betrays Guild (everything I stand for) - Unthinkable (but tempting)

Option 4: Ignore it (maintain stability) - No crisis (Guild continues functioning) - Enables corruption (wrong) - Cowardice (I can’t live with myself)

Decision: Pending. Need more time. Need to be sure.

Personal Note: I joined Guild because I believed in fair trade, honest dealing, mutual prosperity. Now I’m discovering our leader is embezzler. What does that say about Guild? About me?

Guild Arbitration Record

CASE #287-156: CONTRACT DISPUTE

Plaintiff: Merchant Vex (independent, non-Guild) Defendant: Guild Member Torven Swiftship Dispute: Breach of contract (cargo delivery failure)

Plaintiff’s Claim: - Hired Torven to deliver cargo (50 crates, Skyport Eos to Ironhold) - Paid 500 Coins (half upfront, half on delivery) - Cargo never arrived (Torven claims storm damage) - Demands refund + damages (750 Coins total)

Defendant’s Defense: - Storm damaged ship (true, verified) - Cargo lost overboard (claimed) - Contract includes force majeure clause (storm is act of nature) - Refuses refund (not his fault)

Evidence: - Contract (force majeure clause present) - Storm reports (storm occurred, verified) - Cargo manifest (50 crates listed) - Witness testimony (conflicting—some say cargo was never loaded)

Arbiter’s Decision: Defendant wins (force majeure applies) - No refund required - Plaintiff absorbs loss - Plaintiff pays arbitration fee (50 Coins)

Plaintiff’s Response: “Guild protects its own. I’ll never use Guild services again.”

Arbiter’s Note: Technically correct decision. But feels wrong. Torven might be lying. Can’t prove it. Guild member gets benefit of doubt. That’s the system. That’s why people hate us.

Merchant’s Diary (New Guild Member)

Day 1 as Guild Member

Paid 1,000 Coins initiation fee. Took oath. Received membership coin.

I’m official now. Guild merchant. Protected. Legitimate. Successful.

Worth it? Time will tell. 1,000 Coins is my entire savings. If this fails, I’m ruined.

But if it succeeds, I’ll be wealthy. Respected. Secure.

The Guild promises protection, access, legitimacy. I’m betting my future on those promises.

Day 47 as Guild Member

First arbitration. Contract dispute. Guild ruled in my favor (other party was non-Guild).

I won. But I’m not sure I was right. Other party had valid claim. But Guild protects members.

Is that fair? Is that corrupt? Is that just how business works?

I don’t know. But I won. That’s what matters. Right?

Day 134 as Guild Member

Profitable quarter. 10% dues paid (expensive, but worth it). Guild protection saved me twice (contract enforcement, physical security).

I’m making money. I’m successful. I’m Guild.

But I’m not sure I like who I’m becoming. More ruthless. More calculating. More willing to exploit.

Is that success? Or corruption?

The Guild says: “Profit is measure of success.” I’m profitable. So I’m successful.

But I’m not sure I’m happy.

Guild-Master Song’s Public Address (Year 287 S.)

Fellow Guild Members,

This year, we’ve achieved record profits. Trade volume up 15%. New routes established. New markets opened.

This is success. This is what Guild does. We enable prosperity. We create wealth. We build future.

Yes, some criticize us. They call us greedy. They call us exploitative. They call us corrupt.

Let them. While they criticize, we’re feeding settlements, connecting communities, maintaining civilization.

Without Guild, trade collapses. Without trade, people starve. We’re not greedy—we’re essential.

Profit is not sin. Profit is survival. Profit is how we measure success.

And we are successful.

Continue trading with honor. Continue building wealth. Continue serving Guild.

Together, we prosper.

—Guild-Master Elara Song, Annual Address

Anonymous Complaint (Posted in Guild Hall)

TO THE GUILD COUNCIL

I’m Guild member. I pay my dues. I follow rules. I trade honestly.

But I’m ashamed.

We exploit Outland farmers. We manipulate prices. We crush competition ruthlessly. We protect corrupt members.

This isn’t “profit with honor.” This is greed with excuses.

I joined Guild because I believed in fair trade. Now I’m complicit in exploitation.

Reform or I resign. Others feel same. We’re minority, but we’re growing.

Guild can change or Guild can collapse. Choose.

—Anonymous (afraid to sign, afraid of retaliation)

Quest Hooks

1. The Negotiation: Need Guild resources/access (negotiate terms, navigate politics, pay fees)

2. The Investigation: Help Marlena investigate Song (gather evidence, moral dilemma, consequences either way)

3. The Exposure: Discover embezzlement (report to Council, blackmail Song, or ignore for stability?)

4. The Contract: Dispute resolution through Guild arbitration (fair process or rigged system?)

5. The Membership: Apply to join (worthwhile investment or selling soul?)

6. The Expedition: Song hires party for “business trip” (actually Nexus Spire search, dangerous, illegal)

7. The Coup: Internal power struggle (traditionalists vs. expansionists, take side or mediate?)

8. The Alternative: Help establish independent trade system (challenge Guild monopoly, dangerous but noble)

9. The Cartel Deal: Discover Guild-Cartel connection (expose corruption or profit from knowledge?)

10. The Crisis: Economic disaster (Guild’s response determines outcome, help or hinder?)

11. The Reform: Join reformist faction (change Guild from within, uphill battle)

12. The Exploitation: Witness Guild exploiting vulnerable (stop it, report it, or participate?)

13. The Arbitration: Serve as arbiter (judge disputes, navigate politics, maintain integrity)

14. The Expulsion: Guild member expelled (investigate why, help them, or enforce ruling?)

15. The Secret: Learn about Song’s expeditions (join her quest, expose her, or blackmail her?)

Related Topics

• Guild-Master Elara Song
• Factor Marlena Swift
• Ironhold
• Black Sky Cartel
• Floating Market

“We don’t create wealth. We enable it. Every ship that flies safely, every contract honored, every market stabilized—that’s us. Profit is simply how we measure success.”

“They call us greedy. But greed built trade networks feeding millions. What has altruism built?” — Guild-Master Song