The Merchant Minder's Hall

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.

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.