The Athkatlan Innkeepers
Guild
| Rank |
9 |
| Allies |
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| Enemies |
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| Guildmaster |
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The Innkeepers¹ Guild is ranked
ninth in influence among the Guilds, and it has kept its place within the top
ten by maintaining a close and thoughtful guardianship of its interests. This
includes the caravanseries that serve Athakatla, the single most profitable
set of establishments in the city. Two generations ago, the Guild managed to
gain a concession from the Athkatlan City Council: all caravans over three wagons,
no matter to whom they belong, must stay in a caravansary for at least one night,
ostensibly for inventory and taxation purposes. It has vigorously protected
this interest from hostile takeovers by both the Teamsters and Drovers Guilds,
mainly through the machinations of Rihahd Mallery and Hierat Naj, the two most
influential members of the five member Hostelry Council.
Besides the caravanseries, Guild
members are responsible for all inns and hostels within the city, and most on
the main roads leading to and from the great seaport. This provides a base not
only of ready coin, but information gathering as well. It is also rumored that,
for a price, Guild holdings can be used for storage and exchange of just about
anything, so long as there is no implication of Guild members or their dependents
in any illegal activities. Mallery especially has little tolerance for grey
market actions, considering them dangerous to the future health of the Guild,
and has harshly criticized Guild tolerance of such, though on this, at least,
he has been soundly out voted. Mijirial Alchinieri, another Council member whose
family, while not a House, is well-established in Athkatla, understands that
a Guild with no tolerance for illegal activities is a Guild with no weaknesses,
and is therefore a threat to other Guilds. She works hard to play this fine
line, making certain that any grey market dealings are known to the right people,
but are too minor to be damaging to the Guild as a whole should knowledge of
them be used.
The main power held by the Innkeepers¹
Guild, and one it is quietly using to increase its influence year after year,
is property. Guild members now own over 60% of the commercial land in the city
of Athkatla itself, and nearly 50% within a day¹s ride of the city, a fact
of which few within the powerful circles of Athkatla seem to be aware. Rents
are determined by the Guild Council, and they are careful to keep several layers
of ownership between the Guild and many of these holdings.
The Guild negotiates regularly with
the Farmers¹ and Fishermen¹s Guilds for provender, and with the Carpenters
and Metalworkers Guilds for maintenance. Slave usage is most prominent in the
larger inns and caravanseries, whereas most smaller hostels are staffed by family
or low-wage servants. Larger inns may also have arrangements with the Dove and
Bardic Guilds for entertainments, and often supplement their room fees by hosting
large parties or gatherings such as weddings. Status within the Guild is based
on ownership or management of Guild interests: inns, hostels, and caravanseries.
For the most part, Guild status is held within families, and many families will
draw up legal documents extending part ownership to all members working properties
to protect the family in case of a death or other loss. The Guild divides Athkatla
into five districts, four within the city and one outside, who each vote one
sitting member to the Council; generally those voted to the office are powerful,
wealthy, or both. In general, their approach to the Guild has led it to be unassuming
and methodical in its goals, seeking more long-term influence than immediate
affect.