The Grand Mercantile Concord
The economic powerhouse that moves goods, money, and opportunities throughout The Crescent.
Structure and Influence
The Concord began as merchant families pooling resources to handle larger contracts and share risks. Over generations, it evolved into the closest thing to a central bank The Crescent has, with economic leverage that gives them significant informal political power.
When the Concord threatens to redirect trade routes, cities listen. Their network of warehouses, contacts, and established relationships makes them essential for any large-scale commerce or resource movement.
Major Merchant Houses
House Serevain (Ecleptara): Luxury goods, information brokerage, political contacts
House Tharvog (Cairune): Raw materials, bulk goods, "salvage operations"
House Duskaryn (Illyndra): Discrete services, sensitive cargo, unofficial solutions
Competition and Cooperation
The major houses compete for contracts and market share but never engage in open conflict - warfare disrupts everyone's business. They maintain an unspoken agreement that certain activities are off-limits and that disputes get resolved through negotiation rather than sabotage.
Smaller merchant operations either affiliate with a major house or carve out specialized niches that don't threaten established territories.
Services and Operations
Legitimate Commerce
The Concord handles standard trade functions: moving goods between cities, arranging large purchases, providing credit and currency exchange, facilitating contracts between distant parties.
Their established networks make them invaluable for time-sensitive shipments or dealing with bureaucratic complications across multiple jurisdictions.
Gray Market Activities
Everyone knows the Concord moves more than legitimate cargo. Need something transported without extensive paperwork? Want to purchase items banned in certain cities? The Concord arranges these services, charging premium rates for the additional risks and complications.
They don't consider themselves criminals - they're filling gaps in the market where official channels are inadequate or impractical.
Brenna Stoneway, Road Warden
"They're the only ones who pay on time, every time. But I've escorted 'grain wagons' that needed armed guards and wouldn't travel during normal daylight hours. Something's always off about their jobs."
Financial Services
The Concord provides loans, manages investments, and handles currency exchange. Their willingness to extend credit to risky ventures has funded everything from ruin expeditions to military campaigns.
Merchant house connections often determine whether ambitious projects receive backing or struggle to find adequate funding.
Political Influence
Informal Power
The Concord wields power through economic pressure rather than official authority. Cities that displease major merchant houses might find trade routes redirected, credit suddenly unavailable, or essential goods experiencing mysterious supply disruptions.
Their representatives frequently serve as Trade Voices in the Five Councils, ensuring commercial interests receive consideration in political decisions.
Jezeth Millhaven, City Councilor
"They never say 'do this or else.' It's always 'unfortunate timing' when our suppliers can't fulfill contracts right before council votes. Very polite about it."
Relationships with Other Factions
The Concord cooperates with Road Wardens on route security and maintenance funding, though they complain constantly about inadequate protection for the fees they pay.
They maintain complex relationships with Ordo Sera, sometimes funding operations when suppressing certain information proves profitable, while other times clashing over trade restrictions.
The Iron Pact provides security services for valuable shipments, though Concord members grumble about mercenary rates increasing since their reputation grew during the Tyrangor-Crescent War.
Practical Interactions
For Adventurers
The Concord offers contracts for ruin exploration, rare component acquisition, and discrete transport services. They pay well for items that official channels cannot easily obtain.
Merchant houses maintain networks of contacts who provide information about opportunities, though they expect reciprocal intelligence from reliable associates.
For Crafters and Artisans
The Concord provides access to exotic materials, bulk supply arrangements, and markets in distant cities. They take significant cuts from sales but offer reach that individual craftspeople cannot achieve alone.
Established relationships with merchant houses can make or break artisan businesses seeking to expand beyond local markets.
Daily Operations
Most people encounter the Concord through routine commerce - the merchant who stocks their local store, the caravan that brings seasonal goods, the moneychanger who converts foreign currency.
The organization succeeds by making things work when official systems fail or prove too slow for practical needs. Their reputation depends on reliability and discretion rather than legal authority.
Despite constant rumors about their unofficial activities, the Concord remains essential for The Crescent's economic stability. Cities may complain about their influence, but none can afford to alienate them completely.