Elizabethan Mercantile Record | Issue I

[Sebbysc 744]

 

 

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The Elizabethan Mercantile Record, founded in 2014, is a collection of annuals set to inform the merchants of the Duchy of Alba on matters of trade, taxes, and craftsmanship. Within this first issue, the following will be established in writing:

 

I. Principles of the Elizabethan Trade Guild

II. Membership fees and guild badges

III. Future goals of the

IV. The Merchants’ Witan solution to the Salvian stock market crash

V. Transcript of the first annual gathering of the Elizabethan Trade Guild

 

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I. PRINCIPLES OF THE ELIZABETHAN TRADE GUILD

 

The trade guild is a unified body of merchants & traders that seek the same goal: FREE AND UNRESTRICTED TRADE that both benefits participants and the local communities. Competition is a cornerstone belief of the guild, as without competition merchants would not benefit from the fruits of their labor. In turn, the guild offers limited transparency to those outside of the guild as to protect the interests of its paying members and the nature of said competition. As a unified entity the trade guild will advocate for the interests of its paying members in all aspects of governance & trade such as in the Diet of Alba, the Lemon Hill Board of Trade, and foreign entities that take interest in the Duchy of Alba’s merchants.

 

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II. MEMBERSHIP FEES AND GUILD BADGES

 

With membership, one will be awarded the ELIZABETHAN TRADE GUILD PIN: a coin centered in an orange crest. Members are expected to bring this to meetings to display their association, distinguishing them from the everyday citizenry of Elizabeth. 

 

To acquire this pin, members will be required to pay the guild’s entry fee of 10 minas. Payment may be provided at the beginning of every guild gathering or in advance with written notice.

 

Spoiler

 

[OOC: Pin made by @Mykei]

 

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III. FUTURE GOALS OF ELIZABETHAN TRADE GUILD

 

The primary focus of the trade guild is to provide the merchants of Alba a unified voice when dealing with entities both internal and external. Along with this, the guild of course wishes to improve upon the revenues of its acting members. It is our hope that the city of Elizabeth, and the Duchy of Alba as a whole, will become a fruitful land for merchants & trade. The first prerogative of the guild will be to establish relations with the other members of the Pontifical States, the Trade Board, and interested investors. The Pontifical States has witnessed a resurgence in trade due to the recent establishment of the LEMON HILL TRADE BOARD, which the merchants of Alba wish to both adhere to and work with in the future.   

 

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IV. THE MERCHANTS’ WITAN SOLUTION TO THE SALVIAN STOCK MARKET CRASH

 

The SALVIAN STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 2010 was a heavy blow to all Waldenian traders. Companies like Alstreim Ventures and Steel lost their supply of quality Salvian products as a result of the embargo imposed by the Syndicate. Commonly favoured items such as roasted coffee beans, Fausteni chocolate or the famous Salvian cigars, regrettably became unavailable, and although many substitutes were and still are available in other nations where raw materials such as tobacco and cocoa beans grow naturally, they cannot compare to the quality that Salvian products provided to their customers. As a result of this exasperating state of affairs, the Elizabethan Merchants’ Witan has vowed to find a solution and will do everything in its power to find or manufacture cigars similar to those that were unfortunately lost in the embargo process.

 

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V. TRANSCRIPT OF THE FIRST ANNUAL GATHERING OF THE ELIZABETHAN TRADE GUILD

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Welcome, all, to the first official meeting of the Elizabethan Trade Guild. At this meeting, we shall establish membership guidelines, long term goals of the guild, and our response  to the Lemon Hill Trade Board's establishment. Before that, however. If you are a merchant, will you please make your presence known by stating your name and associated business? We shall move from there.”

 

FRIEDRICH ALSTREIM: “Friedrich von Alstreim, representing Alstreim Ventures and Steel.”

 

OCTAVIA GALBRAITH: “I am Lady Octavia Galbraith, Lady Librarian and head of the Alban Wordsmiths Printing Press. I intend to sell and distribute Heartlandic works.”

 

GEORGE ALDERSBERG: “George Aldersberg of the Aldersberg Atelier.”

 

WINIFRED HALCOURT: “In place of my head-of-house, Charles of the Halcourt Smithing Company.”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Vincenzo Varoche, representing the Golden Merchant Company of Ves.”

 

EDWARD ALSTION: “I suppose I've dabbled in such to be called a passive merchant. As such I might represent the goods and wares sold on behalf of our Ducal Coronet and that of Alba.”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Sounds like a merchant to me, your Highness. Now, like any proper guild, we will outline the requirements for membership into the guild.  This includes membership fees, proof of property and business, and the establishment of an acting representative from each business. Does anyone have any questions?”

 

CONRAD VANDERRECHT: “I have a question for the Prince of Merryweather.”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “You may ask.”

 

CONRAD VANDERRECHT: “Will the Guild assist Waldenian craftsmen and merchants in the wake of the Diet stock collapse? What of the losses incurred by the Salvian embargo? And a follow-up question - will the Guild facilitate and subsidize the import of cigars from alternate sources?”

 

FRIEDRICH ALSTREIM: “Matters of Salvus are not of any concern to us, right now, but ja, we will make sure to provide all Waldenic and non-Waldenic smokers with a supply of quality cigars.”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Yes, Lord von Preussens?”

 

JOSEPH PREUSSENS: “I would like to inquire as to how the leadership of the guild shall be decided. I have no doubts of the men before me now, yet for what may become a long-standing institution of the Duchy of Alba, I am curious as to how long one shall lead, and by what means we might choose the next head of the guild.”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Thank you for the question. So far, it has been established that all members of the guild will have a single vote. This will act in a similar fashion as the Waldenian Diet. Leadership  will be decided by a majority vote. This voting session shall take place within the next four years so that we may establish the groundwork for the organization. In the articles established for the guild, we shall provide provisions so that leadership  is not held by a single member that may lead to the unfortunate stagnation of the guild. I pray this is sufficient, my Lord. If I might add, leadership will not be a lifetime appointment.”

 

JOSEPH PREUSSENS:  “Indeed, this is most sufficient, yet, if I may implore, how shall members be chosen for the guild, and what qualifications shall be required?”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Thankfully, based on today's agenda, we will establish those guidelines today. The initial idea is that members will consist of active businesses, merchants, and similar enterprises. For example, the Golden Merchant Company of Ves will participate as  an acting member with a single vote and single representative. However, this is if the company meets the requirements established today. So far we believe that businesses must be Alban. We shall not allow foreign entities into the guild.  From there, we will require proof of residence and property within the state of Alba. We will not allow bums into this guild. In addition, a small, one-time fee is required for a business to join the guild.”

 

EDWARD ALSTION: “Aye, and what might be done with the coinage attained from a member's fee? Might we expect an event or such to be carried out with these funds?”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Indeed, your Highness. All records of transactions, such as the collection of said fees, will be public knowledge for all acting members. The fees will be used to pay for any guild sponsored activities. This would include events, expansions of the guild, and so forth.”

 

EDWARD ALSTION: “Thank you, Lord Varoche, I hope our questions have not delayed the proceedings of this meeting - please, do proceed.”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Not at all, your Highness! This is the very reason we outlined our agenda as such, for we're here to establish the guild and answer any questions associated with such. Do you have any additional comments I may have missed?”

 

GEORGE ALDERSBERG: “Baron Placentia.”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Yes, Lord Aldersberg?”

 

GEORGE ALDERSBERG: “Perhaps a designated pin must be worn to meetings, akin to that of the Alban Wordsmiths' Society to signify membership.”

 

OCTAVIA GALBRAITH: “I am obliged to offer my assistance in producing a pin from the man I commissioned it from.”

 

FRIEDRICH ALSTREIM: “Ja, that can be arranged. As Lady Octavia said we can visit Balian soon to ask Lord Ashford to design and ship new badges to us.”

 

EDWARD ALSTION: “A most beautiful pin it shall be then.”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Yes. We have discussed this topic somewhat, but thankfully we can have such arranged. We suspect it'll cost around five mina to purchase said pin, which will be a piece of the membership fees.”

 

GEORGE ALDERSBERG: “Very well. That will be all from me.”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Thank you, Lord Aldersberg. Would you like to speak upon the goals that we have in mind for this guild, cugino?”

 

FRIEDRICH ALSTREIM: “Ja, of course. Firstly we want Alba to become the merchant hub of the Pontifical States and what follows the Heartlands as a whole. We keep in mind the recently established Lemon Hill Trade Board and wish to operate with respect to the rules it established, as a faithful vassal state of His Holiness.”

 

EDWARD ALSTION:  “GOD willing we shall.”

 

FRIEDRICH ALSTREIM: “Bolster the local trade and what follows, the incomes of Alban merchants. We also hope for future trade deals between our merchants and possible foreign investors to further expand our trade range and market reach.”

 

VINCENZO VAROCHE: “Hopefully, in turn, this will bring further popularity to the state of Alba and establish it as a MUST SEE location within the Pontifical States.”

 

FRIEDRICH ALSTREIM: “This meeting was planned to only outline the principles. Now with all these ideas we have discussed, all those who have attended and stated the name of their business will soon receive an invitation to the next meeting where we will officially sign the articles defining our Guild and her purpose. Danke all for attendance, and may GOTT almighty protect you throughout the rest of this Saint's day.”

 

END OF SESSION.

 

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[ibiou 2397]

In Elizabeth that night of the guild's first-ever annual publication, a candle still flickered in a townhouse; specifically, the Public Library of Saint Daniel. Octavia was restless without sleep, having made several trips from the Varoche and Alstreim residences, and the guildhall that same night out of nerves and anticipation. Would their ventures flourish with success? Would they be able to unite people with a common goal? All of these questions were left up to the fate of her Lord, to whom she prayed.