AMBER GUILDSIndex | Time Under Chaos | Concerning Amber | Amber Guilds The Guilds of Amber are almost as numerous as the races and languages of the First City, each striving to protect it members against its rivals and the intrusions of the government. Each has a royal charter granting it a monopoly in a specific area of business, which generally means they are highly specialised and will not pursue ultra vires activities that can offer little or no benefit, and possibly upset other guilds. Aside from controlling the labour market, the guilds also have a great deal of influence on prices and the quality of goods available. It is a breach of civil law to accept or retail goods that do not carry the guild mark, though in poorer districts this will occur out of necessity. Due to the almost constant warfare in and around Amber since PatternFall, by far the richest and most influential guild is the Armourer’s Guild, which as a consequence is also the most pro-government. At the other end of the spectrum the Guild of Heraldry has been almost eliminated by outsourcing to Chaosian institutions that specialise in links to the great houses of Thelbane rather than Amber. The influence and importance of the Guild is intrinsically linked to its ability to maintain its monopoly and quality mark. The government has a team of inspectors that has the power to withdraw both charter if goods and services do not meet the required standard, though for it to do so would bring the city to its knees in a matter of hours. The Guild tends to protect its own. The Guilds have their own forum, meeting once a month, in the ancient edifice of BlackHall, situated in Blind Chapman. It is closed to non-members, though the royal family can attend by ancient right. It is thought no matters of import are discussed when they are present, however. If the Guild feels strongly enough, they will petition the Crown directly rather than airing their views at the monthly meeting. This almost always involves the arrival of outsiders, which is the one thing that is sure to unite the Guilds. They are jealously protective of their trading rights, and anything that is seen to infringe their monopolies causes universal outrage. Prime Minister Mandor recognised the importance of the Guilds early on, not least in the successful implementation of the Edict of Kolvir, and has gradually re-affirmed the government’s commitment to the granting and upholding of monopolies. The Merchant's guild, for example, places its mark on all legally imported goods. The goods which are imported and exported must be carefully negotiated with other guilds to avoid competition, but since virtually all of the guilds require raw materials this is seldom a problem. Guilds in Amber generally specialize in producing masterworks, while more common examples of the same items are imported from shadow. Alternately, goods can be imported with large tarrifs paid to the Amber guilds whose business might be threatened. |
