The Dwarven Merchants' Guild is a powerful and extensively connected organization comprised of surface dwarves. Some of the Guild's members left the dwarven city of Orzammar to pursue business and trade on the surface while others joined after being exiled from the city.
The upper-class surface dwarf members of the guild are composed of two distinct groups: kalnas, who insist on maintaining caste and rank (typically those from Noble caste or Merchant caste families) and ascendants, who believe in leaving Orzammar's traditions behind and embracing surface life.[2]
Background
Dwarves emigrating to the surface bring with them the skills and talents they possessed as members of their caste in Orzammar. For those of the Noble and Merchant caste, this also means ties to surface traders and suppliers and the wealth to begin trading of their own on the surface. Many formerly Noble or Merchant caste dwarves maintain respectable if unofficial ties to their former houses and use them as a means to trade.[3] For many years maintaining ties to Orzammar via trade was seen as essential to making a lucrative living – even as a sacred duty to their kin or a patron in Orzammar as leaving the city meant sacrificing their caste and clan.[4] However, in recent years, many surface dwarves, particularly ascendants, have developed new ways of making a life on the surface by starting banks, mercenary companies, and overland trade caravans. These entrepreneurial dwarves became investors and speculators in purely surface trade without connection to Orzammar. These new industries have proven tremendous sources of wealth, but are looked down upon by those dwarves who respect maintaining strong ties to Orzammar.
For less affluent surface dwarves, association with a powerful kalna can open many doors. They can get credit with dwarven merchants and are offered work opportunities by the powerful Dwarven Merchants Guild more readily, sometimes, than more qualified but less-connected individuals.
Organization
“These are dwarves who would sell their own mothers if they thought it'd get them a better share of the lyrium market.” ―Varric Tethras[5]
The Merchants Guild is a world unto itself, one of social hierarchy between kalna and ascendant as rigid as that found in Orzammar, as well as influence and manipulation. Being a member of the Guild affords power and wealth and the membership is exclusive.
The Guild is administered by a council who hold meetings to maintain the functioning of the organization.[6] Missing meetings is considered an insult.[7] Crossing the Guild is also seen as a deadly offense.[8]
Activities
The Guild appears to work in opposition to – or in uneasy alliance with – the Coterie in Kirkwall as Varric mentions in Dragon Age II that part of his job is to "[pull] strings to keep the Coterie out of our hair," presumably because both organizations deal in smuggled and stolen goods and other criminal activities. In addition, as implied in conversation with Varric, families compete with one another for profit and survival in the cut-throat world of the Guild.
The sculptures of Ander artisans, which usually have religious content, are the most prized and sought-after in all of Thedas, especially within circles of the Orlesian nobility who would pay exorbitant prices in order to have them. However, members of the Merchants' Guild who act as the middle party of this transactions keep most of the profits as "handling fees" while the artisans receive very little, if any.[9]
Surface trade and the Carta
Those dwarves who lack ties to Orzammar, either because they were cast out or had no contacts to begin with, must return to Orzammar to trade directly with the city, where they are treated as outcasts. For those dwarves the Carta acts as an intermediary, selling the surfacer's goods on the black market for a cut of the profit.[10] The Carta's ability to facilitate black market trade between the surface and Orzammar is integral to the survival of the dwarven city, and as such the Carta has infiltrated all aspects of dwarven life – including the placement of Carta members in the Dwarven Merchants Guild.[11]
Known members
- Bartrand Tethras (ascendant)
- Dusana Helmi (status unknown)[12]
- Varric Tethras (ascendant)[13]
Notes
- According to Varric, the Merchants Guild and the Carta function in much the same way, both dealing in smuggled goods and engaging in other dubious activities.[16]
- Varric and Bartrand appear to use their influence in the Guild to run several fake businesses, presumably as fronts for other illegal dealings.[17]
See also
Codex entry: Varric Tethras may refer to:
- Codex entry: Varric Tethras (Dragon Age II), for the codex entry in Dragon Age II.
- Codex entry: Varric Tethras (Inquisition), for the codex entry in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
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This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |
Codex entry: Varric - After the Deep Roads
Codex entry: Varric - The Last Three Years
Codex entry: The Rascal's Scale, by Coinheart
References
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