Merchant

House Overview

Summary

COMING SOON

Structure

COMING SOON

Application, Induction, and Promotion

Overview

Interviews are conducted at Corvalius Manor by the Chief Merchant. When there is no PC Chief Merchant, the role falls to Haerdoth Corvalius IV (3817). Details regarding Haerdoth's character and personality are provided below.

1. Applicant sends letter declaring their financial resources and explaining their future plans.

2. House members formally submit their thoughts or concerns regarding applicant.

3. If there are no major objections, the Chief Merchant summons the applicant to Corvalius Manor.

4. The first portion of the interview takes place either at the Manor palisades or in the Manor Gardens (interviewer's choice). This section should be used to suss out the character's motivations for applying, any existing faction affiliations/enemies.

5. If the Chief Merchant finds the applicant suitably impressive, s/he may invite the applicant to discuss the issue further over drinks or dinner. This section of the interview may take place either in the Formal Dining Room (3814) or the Parlour (3815), depending on the setting the interviewer believes fits the applicant better.

6. The second stage of the interview focuses more on the applicants aspirations and their ability to conduct themselves in a "business" setting. While the applicant should obviously be able to display that they have future ideas for the expansion of their own mercentile holdings, a successful candidate should also be able to present this idea in a way that is appealing and convincing. A merchant is unlikely to go very far without a degree of personal magnitude, after all.

7. If the applicant is able to convince the Chief Merchant that their vision and aspirations are deserving of the Federation's partnership, the Chief Merchant provides the applicant, through emotes, with a contract to sign. While the contract is not a tangible item or note, the Chief Merchant should convey its contents (detailed below) verbally during the exchange. The applicant is inducted upon signing the contract.

Titles

Rank and file partners of the Federation should have the extitle "Merchant of Avendar." The "standard" house leader extitle is "Chief Merchant of Avendar", though role-appropriate custom titles and extitles are encouraged.

Induction Contract

Prior to induction, the Chief Merchant should emote handing the applicant a contract, while verbally explaining its contents. In a nutshell, the Merchants' contract states: 1) the applicant agrees to partnership in the Grand Federation of Merchants; 2) agrees to abide by the Rules of Acquisition; 3) understands that s/he will be operating under the direction of the Chief Merchant of the Federation. Breach of this contract will result in termination of partnership.

Promotion

To promote a PC to the role Chief Merchant (house leader), Haerdoth should summon the PC to the Chief Merchant's office (VNUM) for a meeting. During this meeting, Haerdoth should explain the responsibilities of the Chief Merchant, namely overseeing the well-being of the house, leading discussions and negotiations with other houses/adventurers, orchestrating house activities or business ventures that require multiple members, and enacting embargoes. The PC should be asked to indicate verbally that s/he understands these roles and is willing to take on the house leader role. If the PC agrees, Haerdoth should then (via emote) provide the player with a contract that roughly states: "I, NAME, agree to take on the responsibilities of Chief Merchant of Avendar until the time that Haerdoth Corvalius IV returns from his voyage." Haerdoth's absence can usually be explained away by saying that he is traveling abroad for business.

After the PC signs the contract, Haerdoth should then explain the progs that come with the office, and (if the PC is an applicable class) hand over the leader-only weapon, "a Gleaming Sword of Jagged Ice" (3824).

House Mobs

COMING SOON

Rules of Acquisition

Rules of Acquisition for the Grand Federation of Merchants

Revised by

Haerdoth Corvalius IV

Chapter I………………The Rules of Acquisition

Chapter II……………Relations with the Great Houses

Chapter III…………Embargoes

Chapter IV……………Corvalius Manor

Chapter I

The Rules of Acquisition

As partners of the Grand Federation of Merchants, our membership is called to abide by the two binding Rules of Acquisition set forth in this document when making their financial decisions. While individual Merchants are largely free to decide upon their own business practices, these guidelines are non-negotiable, and failure to abide by the Rule is grounds for the termination of partnership.

1.Under no circumstances are Merchants to do bodily harm to another member of the Federation. While it is expected that the diversity of individual Merchants’ approaches will lead to disagreement, armed conflict between members of the house is detrimental to the reputation of the Grand Federation as a whole.

2.While individual members are allowed flexibility in their dealings, authority regarding the Federation’s activities, including trade restrictions and political relations, rests with the Chief Merchant of the Federation. The Chief Merchant is also the sole member of the Federation with the authority to enact a Federation-wide embargo against any Great House or political faction.

Chapter II

Relations with Avendar's Great Houses

The Federation's default stance towards the other great houses is one of neutrality. As powerful political entities, these houses can often provide substantial opportunities for profit, and Merchants may build and maintain relationships to this end. However, in the event that another great house poses a risk to the Federation's ventures, Merchants can and should seek to reduce the offender's influence by any means necessary, per their own best judgement. However, final decisions regarding a total trade embargo with a house remain with the Chief Merchant.

Chapter III

Embargoes

In the event the activities of the Federation are significantly threatened by a political faction, religious sect, or Great House, the Chief Merchant may call upon the Federation to enact an embargo. Once an embargo has been declared, the Federation’s partners are to immediately sever all business ties with the entity in question. In the case of an embargo against another Great House, Merchants are to ensure, when possible, that Stones of Power have been removed from the competition’s vault and instead are used against the embargoed house’s membership. While open martial conflict is not directly called upon (though it is certainly appropriate), Merchants are encouraged to use their resources to hinder the physical or financial well-being of adventurers associated with an embargoed organization. These actions are to be continued until the Chief Merchant declares the embargo lifted.

Chapter IV

Corvalius Manor

The Corvalius family's ancestral manor serves as the headquarters for the Merchants' Federation and the home to its greatest treasures. As such, the Federation's partners are called to respect and safeguard the manor, its grounds, and its assets. Those who intrude within the grounds should be handled with the utmost severity, and partners are expected to assist in repelling assaults upon the Federation's grand vault. Though Merchants should not foolishly throw away their lives in the face of insurmountable opposition, a failure to assist in times of crisis may result in a renegotiation of a partner's contract.

In order to aid in their negotiations and political dealing, partners of the Federation may allow guests limited entry into the manor's gardens and first floor. Sound judgment should be exercised when granting this privilege, and any ill-behavior on the part of a partner's guest will be considered the responsibility of the Merchant themself. Negotiations with potentially hostile parties should be held away from the manor's grounds.