The Merchant Minder's Hall

Ah, Karlina! Welcome back! I trust yer journey was uneventful? It was? Excellent... Yes... it's always good ter know where the bandits are hidin' before ye even strike out on the road. Surprised 'em good, I'll warrant. Well... sit down! Relax! Ye earned a relaxin' rest, and ye better enjoy it before they send ye out again. The Kafay ships are due any day; we'll be busy once they dock.
— One Merchant Minder Captain greeting another upon her return from a mission
An unassuming building amid several larger, more opulent structures, The Merchant Minders' Hall is easy to spot. It's not run-down, or an eyesore by any stretch of the imagination, it's just not as gaudy or grandiose as many of the other buildings in its vicinity. This reflects the attitudes of the building's owners relative to those of their neighbors. The architecture of the Kafay Exchange Hall on its left exudes the wealth that changes hands daily within its wall. The opulence and rare materials of the Merchant's Grand Bazaar on its right do likewise. The Merchant Minder's Hall speaks of practicality and purpose - this is exactly the message its occupants wish to extend.

Purpose / Function

The building houses three main types of facilities. Offices for the senior members of the Merchant Minders as well as their administrative clerks occupy the main central portion of the structure where one enters the building. Two major functions occur in these offices: new jobs are contracted and paid for with the merchants of the city, and trip reports provided by Minder Captains upon return from an assignment are analyzed and acted upon as needed. An example of this would be updating of current hazard records if a report indicated the need to add, remove, or modify any trail cairns.

In the wing to the left as seen when viewing the building from outside, an extensive Archive preserves the records of every mission that the Merchant Minders have undertaken. These records consist of the detailed trip reports that each team Captain is required to file when returning home. Special records provide easy access to a Captain about to set out to obtain a relatively up to date assessment of best and worst stopover points, anticipated costs of resupplying along the route, and - most importantly - anticipated trouble spots where threats to the caravan may be encountered.

The wing to the right is divided into a few meeting rooms and a large club room. This room, open only to Captains of the Minders or their superiors, is a place for Captains waiting for their next assignment to mingle and share information. It is the information gathered here along with the records in the Archives that have helped hone the reputation of the Merchant Minder Captain as being one who can unerringly see trouble before it manifasts.

There is a large, enclosed courtyard behind the main structure. The building elements forming the side and back walls of this courtyard are a combination of storage and utilitey spaces such as kitchens. The Courtyard is constantly in use for advanced swordplay practice for Captains. The Merchant Minders own other facilities in the city where lower ranking members and new recruits are trained and housed; these other facilities do not come with the amenities of the Captain's Club offered in the Hall.

Architecture

The building was constructed in its present form 103 years ago, occupying what was then an empty space between the Kafay Exchange and Grand Bazaar. The form of the building is not strange to Endmere, but it does seem out of place for the particular district within Endmere where it stands. This was intentional. The Merchant Minders intent was to portray an image of practicality, frugality, and effectiveness, and the site choice for the building was intended to ensure that even the most wealthy and powerful of the merchants of Endmere - even the members of the Four Families - were constantly reminded of the importance that the Merchant Minders play in their success.
The Merchant Minder Hall in Endmere
Founding Date
2168CR
Type
Great hall
Parent Location
Owning Organization
Y'see that simple buildin' at the end of the street there? Th' one that's not made o' marble 'n' stone like the fancy ones around it? That there is th' most important buildin' in all th' city. If not fer the folks in that buildin' Endmere traders'd be easy pickin's fer all th' highwaymen 'twixt here an' the Kingdom... an' fer things worse than highwaymen 'twixt here an the Feywood. That there be the Merchant Minder Hall, finest, most reliable caravan guards this side o' the Kingdom.
— Appreciative merchant pointing out the reason for his success



Building Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

Comments

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Jan 23, 2021 09:14

Interesting article. The only thing I would like to point out is that the tooltips in the first part are a little bit to big. They might disappear before anyone manages to get to their beginning

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