[OL-FB] Garvian League Guildhouse

[Keymonus]

Garvian League Guildhouse

Part of Fort Arltrees Foreign Merchants' District

Since the very first days of the Age of Discovery, ships with the flag of Garvey were a common sight in the New World. When the ports of the Mardierian colonies were still closed to all the other Madrician Nations, indeed, the Garvian smugglers already visited them with regularity, mooring in hidden bays and eluding the hunt of Lotii patrols.
Over the years, the Garvians strengthened their presence beyond the line, establishing their own settlements and even winning a colonial war against Mardier in 617 A.E. In the last years, however, they had started to fall a little behind the other nations: Freeport and Leopaldis remained little more than small towns, and no settlements were established east of Prio.

The relations between Oleon and Garvey had never been hostile, but they never were particularly warm either. Everybody knew that the Empire of Light and Mardier were close friends, and that only reasons of political opportunity kept Oleon out of the Garvey-Mardierian War... in those days, everybody in Freeport feared to see a row of blue banners appearing on the horizon! 
International politics had its rules, however, and holding grudges with one of the most powerful empires never seemed a good idea. Nobody was therefore particularly surprised when the Garvian League, the powerful guild of merchants dictating most of Garvey colonial policies, asked to establish a seat in Fort Arltrees trading district.

Due to the close relations between Carno and Garvey, several dispatches were exchanged every day between the Essian and the Garvian delegations... too bad for the messengers that the two buildings are almost at the opposite ends of the district!
The Guildhouse was garrisoned by a little unit of Garvian marines, wearing the dark blue uniform of the infantry. Due to the tight connections between the mercantile companies and the government, the Guildhouse was one of the few buildings in the District guarded by a contingent of regular soldiers, and not by private guards or trade company troops.

On the upper floor, the small office was largely occupied by a long table. Due to the corporative nature of the Garvian League, representing rich merchant families, trading companies, and the merchants' guilds of different cities, important decisions often required complex discussions among the different representatives. In Fort Arltrees, so far from both the motherland and the main Garvian colonies, the seven available seats were rarely all occupied, and most votes were delivered by letter.

At the moment, the Garvian representative had just signed an agreement to supply Seawatch with food and other supplies coming from Fort Altrees farms: while the siege was over, the fields around the town were still largely abandoned and devastated by trenches and other earthworks. With the Lotii war junks still lurking in New Haven Seas, the ability of the Garvian smugglers could once again come to good use!

Spoiler

An additional view of the furniture:

 

 

The lower floor of the building, instead, was completely occupied by a warehouse. Due to the absence of large distilleries in the growing settlement, the import of rhum produced in the Prio Sea Colonies was a particularly profitable business, even if the delivery journey was long and difficult.

Garvian sailors didn't have particularly good fame in the colonies of the New World: they were considered excellent seamen, but also undisciplined, violent, and a little too eager to turn to piracy. They hadn't created specific problems in Fort Arltrees yet, but the city watch passed twice as often in front of the taverns where they meet than in any other area of the city!

Another thing Garvian sailors were renowned for was gambling: differently from other navies, the Garvian one allowed cards and dice on board, even though the punishments for ensuring brawls were severe. Never challenge a Garvian in a game of card, if you want to keep your money and your shirt!

Edited January 1 by Keymonus

[Jeff of Clubs]

Another fine installment, Key. It does seem a tad crowded in there but this wasn't uncommon in crowded old cities. Large fires tended to change/necessitate civil planning because of such cramped warrens. 

[Southafricamenus]

yeah its just another fine installment KFC breakfast Menu

Edited December 27, 2023 by Southafricamenus

[NOD]

Great continuation of the story of the trading companies. I like Garvian settlements because the government helps pirates simple humble sailors.    Very good facilities on the ground floor and upper floor. Luckily, the city guards didn't discover the underground floors.

[Keymonus]

Thank you guys! A little lore existed about Garvey (it was the NPC of an old challenge), even if I forced a little bit the smuggling free trading aspect!

On 12/26/2023 at 2:58 PM, Jeff of Clubs said:

Another fine installment, Key. It does seem a tad crowded in there but this wasn't uncommon in crowded old cities. Large fires tended to change/necessitate civil planning because of such cramped warrens. 

Well, I recognize that no space between close buildings, and having some stone-built parts as the only anti-fire measure could not exactly be considered safe... especially considering the amount of flammable stuff and the fact that a single building probably contained more free flames than a whole block today. An earthquake from one of the volcanoes could probably get Fort Arltrees torched as Lisbon in 1755!