I know everyone's raring to get joined up in the character creation system, so I'll be pressing ahead with creating the group on the system hopefully by Friday. We have 4000 characters of background, and I've just covered the basics here, which comes to about 1600 characters. Have I missed anything? I believe David is going to add something about the Salvatores as well.
As always, constructive criticism is very welcome:
Oath
I shall become indispensible to my guild, to the League and to the Empire. At home and abroad, in trade and at war, we are bound by blood and brine.
Bands main IC goals
-Increase our influence throughout the League and the Empire
-Look out for each other
-Be indispensable!
Group’s first loyalty
-To each other
Background
One of the oldest guilds in Sarvos, Carta Bellamarina started out as an alliance of fishing interests in the Bellamarina district of Sarvos docks on the edge of what is now the Caricomare. Its remit expanded to control of the local markets, and the impromptu use of a fish gutting shed as a place to take wounded sailors and stevedores grew into a small hospital tending to the sick according to their means. There is also a history of patronage of the arts. A small military unit, the Bellamarina Salvatores, formed out of the need to protect the Carta's trade interests, and have often accompanied Bellamarina's physicians on Imperial campaigns, as well as engaging in occasional mercenary work. After all, everything is for sale.
At its height, the Carta controlled significant international trade and banking resources, but its influence declined thirty years ago following a botched attempt to take control of the guild by murdering the signeura which lead to ten years of infighting before the current sigeura assumed control. It has taken twenty years of relative peace to re-establish the carta in a position where it is again ready to expand, but the recent troubling past is well remembered by many members, meaning that the guild has an emphasis on remaining unified and resolving internal differences swiftly.
Bellamarina's pride and unwillingness to bend is testified by the fact that the guild lost significant territory in the flooding of the Caricomare, but has nonetheless refused to give it up, building an ever-expanding palace on the foundations of sunken houses and warehouses as an expensive vanity project and guild headquarters. Gambling dens and other enterprises of dubious legality are known to run from boats surrounding the Palazzo Caricomare, but the Carta denies any responsibility for these.
The Carta sees parallels with the fall of the Empress in its own history, and is determined to help the Empire rebuild stronger in the wake of her death. Bellamarina had embraced Britta's vision wholeheartedly and the Salvatores were providing support on the Sarskind campaign, although they did not serve directly with the Empress, and suffered significant losses on the field there. They are determined that her vision for a strengthened, united Empire should not die with her.
-- Edited by Concordia on Friday 22nd of March 2013 07:08:52 PM
-- Edited by Concordia on Friday 22nd of March 2013 08:24:53 PM
