The Guilds

The Guild System

While Dair Olgar holds the absolute executive power of the Dairswyn government, much of the day to day affairs of the kingdom are delegated from him via the Guilds. The Guilds are small, specific organizations with the power to create laws via legislature and enforce those laws via their own judicial, and sometimes martial, action. However, Guilds only have jurisdiction over narrow domains, such as agriculture, sanitation or transportation. Together, the nine Guilds work like a clockwork timepiece as each cog helps the others to function for the greater whole.

Beyond their governing function, the Guilds also operate as large corporations. Each one functions with the buying, selling, producing and distributing of their own brand of goods and services that pertain to the specialty of the Guild in question. For example, the Weather Guild will make laws about where and when a rainstorm can be unleashed in the city but they will also have a local distribution center where one may buy said rainstorm. But if you were to create an unscheduled rainstorm or use weather in an unauthorized manner, you’d be arrested by Weather Guild agents and stand trial in a Weather Guild court for the crime.

In this way, the Guilds can operate entirely autonomously from the main monarchical government of the Dair, allowing them to wield a great amount of power under the Dair’s watchful eye.

Since the Guilds are a part of daily life, all citizens of Ammingrad have some dealings with them in one way or the other, this can be either directly (you work for them) or indirectly (you buy their goods and services). Either way, the ebb and flow of the Dairswyn runs on the Guilds and their relationship to each other.

Historical Context:

The Guild System was instituted by Dair Olgar some 1500 to 2000 years into his reign. In the beginning of the city’s history, the Dair oversaw much of the day to day running of the city and patterned much of the government and law on what was known to him from “The World that Was.” After time though, this proved a poor way to govern, especially as the city grew and Dair Olgar’s necessary attention was spread thin. Eventually, the Dair saw the necessity to delegate his influence to other like-minded parties. Initially, this influence and power was given to other Seelie. These original heads (Governors as they were called) eventually delegated further, giving unprecedented power to the High Fey Houses (such as Sariene and Trake). With each Seelie giving influence to favored underlings and those who impressed them, the government structure began to assume an almost feudalistic hue. Rival Seelie Governors began to pit their favorite fey and humans against each other, and as the centuries progressed the city became a game board on which the Seelie could compete and gain power. It was only when one such contest threatened to delve the city into an internal war did the Dair intervene. It was here that he created the Guilds and set strict rules for Seelie involvement. He passed much of his power from the Seelie to the Guild organization and placed High Houses as governing individuals with Seelies as overseers rather than rulers. While the process of ending the Governor System was swift, the Guild System took some 500 years to solidify into the thriving, well-oiled machine we know it to be today.

The Guilds hold much of the Power in Warda along with the Government. They are a bit like governments and corporations mixed together and hold a great deal of power in all aspects of life. All citizens of Ammingrad have some dealings with the Guilds in one way or the other, this can be either directly (you work for them) or indirectly (you buy their goods and services).