Merchants' Guild

The Merchants' Guild was a guild of merchants in Cormyr active in the mid–14 century DR.

Organization
Membership was divided up into districts of Cormyr, each with its own representative.

The richest and most influential merchants formed its governing body, the Grand Council. Their titles included Council President and Council Members, while special guests were just that, Council Special Guests.

Activities
Members paid money to the guild, but the benefits were intangible. Hence not all merchants and business-owners in Cormyr chose to join.

The Grand Council held an annual meeting. Typically, they convened in one of Cormyr's major cities, namely Suzail, Marsember, or Arabel, but sometimes they went to a smaller resort town like Gladehap. Members could lobby to host the annual meeting in their own towns, provided they could arrange facilities, accommodation, and quality food and drink. It was a costly enterprise, but also a boost to local economy. On arrival, councilors were gifted a ceremonial food and drink of welcome, such as a piece of elven bread from Evermeet and fresh water in a silver goblet, and a sampling of local produce and crafts in sack woven from silvery mesh. Guests were also granted silver medallions (about 5 sp for the metal alone) from which hung parchments bearing their name, origin, and position in the guild.

History
For the 1367 DR meeting of the Grand Council, Barthelm Meadowbrock arranged to host it in his own town of Ghars, and this was quite a coup for him. He booked the Sheaf of Wheat and Silver Scythe inns to lodge guild members and their retinues (there were too many for just one inn) and even paid for a meeting room to be added to the Silver Scythe. Moreover, he managed provisions, arranged for drinks through the Bold Bard tavern, and brought chefs from Suzail. It was the most exciting thing to happen to Ghars; it puffed up local merchants and drew agents of the Iron Throne and Zhentarim; the local Purple Dragons arrested one of the former and two of the latter in the two months preceding. Captain Flim of the Purple Dragons oversaw security in Ghars and Mayor Tobald the town's welcome.

In the lead-up, townsfolk tidied the streets, washed shop windows, put garlands and wreaths on lampposts, and hung welcoming banners. Council members and their retinues arrived mid-afternoon of Eleint 19. Mayella Meadowbrock, Barthelm's daughter, presented each with their gifts and Barthelm gave a welcome speech. The Sheaf of Wheat hosted a grand reception that night. This was buffet dining, with stag sausage, lamb stew, an oyster and wild rice dish, drinks of Suzale and Elminster's Choice, with the main course being Beef and Oysters Barnabus with Westgate Ruby. The main meeting was to be hosted in the Silver Scythe on Eleint 20. At the time, the guild members were blissfully unaware of a foiled plot by the Iron Throne to assassinate the Grand Council by poisoning the town water supply with blackweed.

Known Members

 * Barthelm Meadowbrock, Grand Council member and district representative for the area of Ghars.

Appearances

 * Murder in Cormyr