The Great Guilds of Lalenth
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The first of the guilds of Lalenth was established in the year 1113. It was the first time a body of people had officially unified for reasons other than birth and bloodline. It began when those who practiced the art of alchemy, joined together to combine their research. The formation of the guild quickly followed. The Alchemists would have you believe it was a union born out of a thirst for knowledge and progress. The majority of the educated population see it as a move to prevent their learning becoming widespread. None of the benevolence of Jase Evron is to be found here! By keeping alchemical learning within and using various methods to prevent it occurring outside, the Alchemists Guild quickly gained the monopoly on the production of day to day chemicals, inks and eventually, the processing of lalenthrium. They became rich and influential.
It was the first time in the history of Lalenth that those not born amongst the noble ranks held such power. Seeing the success of the alchemists, many other professions decided to follow suit. Originally there were fifteen guilds in all but some of them were so small that they dispersed almost immediately. By 282, five guilds had emerged with the stability to sustain themselves. These were the Alchemists Guild, the Apothecaries Guild, the Merchants Guild, the Smiths Guild and the Craftsmen’s Guild, which was an amalgamation of several smaller guilds. These guilds were built around a variety of principals ranging from the benevolent to the commercial. In 316 the Wordsmith’s Guild was formed by the Di Canto family; partly to fill the role of official scribes and partly to promote excellence in the dramatic arts. Since then no other guilds have lasted long enough to gain recognition, although every now and then a new one will flicker into life for a while before guttering out like a street lamp.
Each of these guilds is headed by a guild master. The guild master is elected by the rest of the guild according to merit and holds the position until their death.
The prosperity of the guilds has created order in Lalenth’s market places and security for the craftsmen and skilled workers. All know that a trained healer is never far away and that a chemical that bears the seal of the Alchemists Guild will do the job it’s supposed to. It seems ironic that these unions could ultimately lead to instability in Lalenth.