The Athkatlan Fisherman's Guild

Even the most devoted miser must eat, and one of the most affordable comestibles in Athkatla is fish, supplied by a large and seasoned fishing fleet that knows the deep waters off the Swordcoast better than any who live near them, and most who live in them. Fish is a staple food of the great city, a statement that has caused no little amount of concern to the Guild. Rarity is what drives price in Athkatla, rarity and oddity, and fish, to those living on the coast, is neither rare nor odd. And with the unsettled times in southern Amn and Tethyr restricting access to, and driving up the costs of, goods brought in by land, fishing was becoming less and less profitable. The Guild was faced with reducing the size of the fleet, or coming up with a radical solution. Fortunately for them, the radical solution presented itself in two parts a few years ago. First came a trade agreement with a city of merfolk providing them access to deep-ocean fish and other rare items, then came word from the Church of Waukeen that their request had been agreed to: the fifth day in each ride would be declared a duty-free day during which fish sales could not be taxed, to acknowledge the debt owed by the city to the sea and its bounty.

Since that time several years ago, fish has become a much more profitable product, and items associated with fishing have become fashionable as symbols of luck in trade and the pride of the city. This is especially true of items actually used on a fishing vessel, leading to strict control of the disposal of nets, floats, ropes, tackle, and every other bit of equipment used on guild boats. The trade agreement with the mer-city of ‘Nirial has blossomed into a profitable setup involving the Merchant Seaman’s Guild and several of the craft guilds, who help supply the needs of the merfolk. Guildmasters hold captains to strict guidelines on what can and can’t be traded, and the profits from the specialty items obtained in each trade are held in Guild accounts and used for Guildmembers only, a practice which helps keep the captains honest. The Guild council has been very shrewd in their disposal of some of the more valuable items provided by the merfolk, taking care to provide their friends in the great Houses and powerful Guilds with first choice of the best items.

Guild membership is obtained by working from dockhand to sailor; only those who actually ply the seas are Guild members. Dockers, who mend the nets, repair dry-docked boats, and clean the catch, may become associate members after two years of working. Associate members are guaranteed a minimum wage set by the Guild and related to tenure and time worked, and have their family placed on the list of Guild dependents, which guarantees them medical care, basic needs care, and a pension for life if the Guild member is killed while on Guild duties. Full membership entitles you to a percentage of the take for your boat, a vote in Guild meetings, and a chance at a captaincy. Guildmasters are voted by boat, and you cannot make captain until you are a Guildmaster. Fishers’ Guild members are rough, hard-living, and generally honest. They are also somewhat more visionary than the average Athkatlan; they have seen things and know a wider world than many, and they can afford to take the long view. The school is not always where it has been in the past, but if you have the patience, it will return. This is the view taken by the Guild council, the seven senior Guildmasters: patience will reward those who practice it.

Right now, the Guild is watching the building rivalry of the Cattleman’s and Farmer’s Guilds, its two greatest competitors. Perhaps a careful campaign to extol the beauty and benevolence of the sea would help start the swelling tide of public memory so that when the moment is right, they can drive a wedge between the other two guilds, and possibly deplete the power of one or both…a few tariffs on imported foodstuffs could make the ocean’s bounty that much more attractive, as could a few rumors about the conditions under which they are harvested….