The Wealth is a guild that represents groups of adventurers. New members usually need to be part of established groups, or need to be backed by a financier until the member meets the Master rank (three years membership). Which case the guild will entrust the member with access per below rules without needing a bond or surety.
Colors/Symbol:Gold Coin with a Cave on it.
Perks: Discount at Altive’s Emporium, Underworld and Lost Bay Waystation access, library and map access, possible retrieval and raising from the dead.
Short Description: The Wealth has existed for 170 years, but the records are not very accurate from earlier then 30 years ago. It offers its members resources and job opportunities that are above and beyond exploring parts of the ruins below Kokand, or the islands out in the bay. As they say, membership has its privileges and membership to the Wealth of the Shark might mean the difference between life and death.
The wealth not only has access to the most extensive collection of maps of the underground and the islands, but a very large research library as well. Most members take advantage of the underground and island way station locations that allow restock of food, and health. The advanced memberships that allow high ranking members gain retrieval insurance, meaning if their body can be found, it will be recovered and the person will be ressurected. In addition the sizable discount at Altive’s Emporium alone makes membership worth it.
Guildsman Friend. Open to anyone.
Benefits:Access to 10% discount at Altive’s Emporium and general guild information/job board.
Shark (Standard Guild Member).Open to anyone with 3 years as a members, or approved financial supporter for those less than three years membership. Upon third year membership, financial support is no longer needed.
Dues:100 gp/year (plus financial supporter if needed).
Benefits:As associate, plus full access to guild library, map room and way stations both underground and in the islands.
Master Shark.Open to a guild member after 3 years or more of overall membership.
Benefits:As Shark, voting rights, access to retrieval insurance as well.
Grand Shark.Open to Master Sharks with at least one year as a Master Shark.
Benefits:As a Master Shark, plus the ability to stake a claim.
Guild Information:The Shark compiles a running tally, reporting back all things the members encounter both below the city and in the islands. Part of the advantage of being a member is getting general information as part of that membership. At the very least they rate the areas on a scale of 1 to 20 depending on the danger and the known treasure there.
Guild Library and Maproom(located in Old Town): Lead by Tomi Turante (female human). Here are located the guild maps and tomes. Access to this is not free, and costs an additional 5gp to enter. Copying maps will cost between 250 to 1,000gp depending on the map itself. However, these guild maps will always show any known Guild Way Stations in the area.
Guild Way Stations:Each station contains 12-21 days of iron rations and water, 1d4-1 doses of anti-toxin/venom, 3d6 torches, flint and steel, at least one healer’s kit, 1d4-1 potions of cure light wounds, various sacks, daggers and usually 50 feet of rope along with misc. tools. There is always a 10% chance the way station is empty.
Way stations are protected and usually sealed with voice-activated magical locks with a single password that is remotely changed on a weekly basis. Members are expected to refill the station at a later time, or more likely pay a fee (voluntary, the guild usually doesn’t know who uses the station). Otherwise the cost of the station refill is handled by the guild itself as it sends more junior members on refill quests.
Retrieval Insurance:If a Master Shark dies either underground or in the islands, the Guild guarantees that it will attempt to locate their remains (including divinations) and then if they are able to determine the body they will attempt to send a recovery team to recover the body for a resurrection.
They do require the Master Shark to retain enough money (to be held on by the Guild) to pay for the spells and retrieval team necessary. The average cost is approximately 8,000gp (approximately 1,000 gp for spell-work, 6,000 gp for raise dead spells and 1,000gp for a retrieval team), but many save double or more than that to ensure a competent retrieval team comes down (paying the retrieval team whatever the difference the adventurer wants). There are adventurers that their sole work is performing retrievals.
Voting Rights:The Shark does operate as a limited democracy with all Sharks getting a vote regarding guild actions, and the election of the Guild Representative (who is in charge for a three year term). Members of Guild Shark standing have their vote counts as 10 votes.
Claim Staking:Grand Sharks are allowed to stake claims on certain portions of the ruins, or in the islands to ensure no one beside them can explore those areas (or to use it as a base). The claim must be approved by the majority of the Grand Sharks.
When the claim is posted, no guild members may may enter that area without permission until the vote is taken. If they violate this they can lose their membership and be fined up to 20,000gp. If the claim is approved the guild will pay for five Guildsman Friends to guards the area.