The Arken'val Merchant Guild, Protection for Hyrule's Merchants

[Amoniel]

The Arken’val Merchant Guild


Allegiance: The Daast Family, the Zalamoxis Family, the merchants of Hyrule, and ostensibly the Kingdom of Hyrule, though it is rumored that the leader has connections to the Gerudo matron, Queen Azeari Durai.

Type: Coalition of merchants in and around Hyrule Castle City

Role: Protection of individual merchants and merchant alliances in Castle City, protection of their rights, preservation of the peace within the streets of the City’s underbelly by their own means, and providing most of the income for the Daast family.

Headquarters: Merchant sector on the southern side of Hyrule Castle City, the Zalamoxis Estate

Nickname: The Zalamoxis Guild, the Daast Guild

Patrons: Duke Taran Zalamoxis and Duchess Alystra, Duke Raz Daast

Motto: Divitae Animus Noster Sunt, "Wealth is Our Soul"

Insignia: The symbol of the guild is the white skull of a large hunting cat, surrounded by black flames and black, barbed vines. The flames and vines weave around the skull and pass through its open maw and eye sockets. The guild's motto is often printed beneath the insignia.

History

The Arken’val Merchant Guild, one of the most powerful coalitions of merchants in Hyrule, was formed about a century ago by a group of merchants seeking to shelter themselves from several noble families who were intent upon usurping free trade and monopolizing commerce in Castle City. These nobles, all vying for powerful positions against each other, all sought to make the streets and traders their own, so, several merchants led by Tazirhac Arken’val allied themselves together to combat this threat. They established a small network of spies, agents, and even bodyguards to defend their interests and slowly gained a foothold on the streets.

During the thirty-five years which he commanded the guild, Tazirhac molded the modest organization into a powerful guild and forced the nobility to grant them recognition. His bevy of reconnaissance agents grew, as well as his soldiers, so that at the time of his death the Arken’vals had established their own police force, one which patrolled the sectors of the city that they controlled and avidly defended all members of the guild. Anyone who presumed to travel through their neighborhood could find themselves surrounded, if not subjected to rigorous questioning about the nature of their appearance. In their guild, the Arken’vals have never been picky, and they will accept nearly everyone who applies for membership, no matter their trade. The only expectation, aside from loyalty, is a small monthly fee to provide for that protection.

As the guild’s prestige grew, many members of the merchant class, as well as the nobility, scrambled to permanently ally themselves to the Arken’val family through marriage. Tazirhac’s son and grandson, however, refused every offer, as they refused to be beholden to any outside organization. To them, such a development would ultimately spell disaster for the guild as they became tangled in the dangerous political intrigue which proliferated in the city, something which would just tear them apart. However, one of those nobles decided to take matters into his own hands, and ten years ago Duke Leovir Daast had the head of the guild, Barzen Arken’val assassinated by Zhivko N’jall, though of course no one yet solved that murder. Barzen’s death left only his two children, Belzar and Alystra, to command the guild.

Belzar, astute and conniving as his father had been, managed to keep at bay those who wished to sublimate the guild, until he succumbed to plague three years ago. Duke Leovir Daast was quick to capitalize on the opportunity that had been created. By arranging a marriage between Alystra and Duke Taran Zalamoxis, heir of his chief client, Leovir brought the guild and its wealth under his control. Alystra moved into the Zalamoxis house, and the daily activities of the guild were given to Ixion, a shrewd man who had been with the guild his entire life. With the guild under his influence, Leovir gained control of a significant portion of Hyrule’s streets, though external trade was menaced by the guild’s nemesis, the Red Raiders. After Leovir’s death, the Daast family, now led by Duke Rhylzynar, has retained control of prosperous guild.

Chain of Command

Grand Patron: Duke Rhylzynar Zephyros Jiar Daast
Primary Patron: Duke Taran Raiden Zalamoxis
Hereditary Leader: Duchess Alystra Salacia Arken’val Zalamoxis
Manager: Publius Ovidius Ixionis, “Ixion” Mordecai "Black Jack" Shylack--Profile Link
Enforcer and Guard Commander: Raymond "Raven" Ostia
Chief Assassin: Kreios Ovidius Annaeus, Rale

Under Ixion's leadership, the Arken’val developed a system of four regional managers, one for each sector of Castle City, who reported directly to Ixion and whose sole function is to make task of managing the enormous guild more feasible. They can also provide quick, local protection should any guild members come under attack. Mordecai has maintained this system and is currently working to establish the manager's loyalty to himself during the change in leadership.

This post has been edited by Amoniel on Jun 3 2012, 12:01 PM

[Mordecai Shylack]

Mordecai's Grandfather, the founder of the jewelry business that Mordecai now runs, was an original member of the Arken'val and the Shylack name is signed to the charter. Mordecai's grandfather and father were voices of reason and responsibility in a cutthroat business world, but the system corrupted Mordecai...well there was not much to corrupt, since the merchant willfully resisted his father's teachings. Using his connections with the guild, Shylack will sell anything to anyone. His efforts, though ruthless and avaricious, have enriched himself and the Guild, earning him great respect amount his crooked peers and great scorn from his opponents.

[Mordecai Shylack]

By appointment of Dukes Rhylzynar and Taran, Mordecai Shylack has assumed leadership of the Arken'val and the position formerly occupied by Ixion.