Oscuran Trading Companies
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//OOC Note. This follows the same rules as the nobles thread, in regards to who knows all of this information. The difference here is that existing characters can join any of these Companies, or you can create a new character for them. Just send me a PM if you’re interested
Brotherhood of the Black Lotus
The Brotherhood of the Black Lotus are more than just a trading company in Oscura, they are a huge power in themselves. While they suffer from a leadership crisis at the moment, the Black Lotus has many men under their command and many assets. The Black Lotus regulates and watches over the trade in Oscura, but they trade in certain things themselves. It is well known that the Black Lotus mostly deals in drugs, but also do their fair share of smuggling. Oscura’s docks are watched over by the Black Lotus; all ships docking go through them. As such, most of the shipwrights in the city are employed by the Black Lotus. It’s also well known that The Shiny Coppers is owned the Black Lotus, and anyone seeking employment with them should check there. At the moment, the Black Lotus are suffering a leadership crisis between Jario and Balthazar.
Notable Personalities
Jario – The blind barkeep of the Shiny Coppers, Jario usually has a very keen ear out to what’s going on.
Balthazar – A mysterious contender for the Black Lotus leadership.
Vacant Positions
Guards
Sailors
Crow’s Nest (In case you don’t have all your limbs)Locke Trading Coster
The Locke Trading Coster is entirely controlled by the Locke family. The administrative work is split between Baron Theodore Locke and his first son Maximilian Locke, which is unusual as usually the noble families have their own employees for such things. The Locke Trading Coster mostly trades in local magical components, scrolls, magical potions and some enchantments.
Notable Personalities
Baron Theodore Locke – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Maximilian Locke – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Slodarian Cormallis – A mysterious wizard who does a lot of the enchanting for the Locke Trading Coster. He is often hard to track down, and rumours say he is a rogue War Wizard from Cormyr. Slodarian also keeps the Locke guards in line.
Ference – Ference works at the Oscuran docks, selling many of the odd magical items that the Locke deal in on occasion.
Vacant Positions
Enchanters
ScribesRaven’s Wing Traders
The Raven’s Wing Traders are mostly owned by the Darkhaven family. They don’t deal in any specific market, and instead are the source of all kinds of smuggled and black market goods. This makes the Raven’s Wing Traders very popular, as you can find most anything you need from then in small quantities. While Duke Istvan Darkhaven is technically in charge, any Raven Wing employee will tell you that it is in fact his wife Anjelika Darkhaven who is in charge of things, and manages to keep the business thriving. The Raven’s Wing Traders sometimes comes into conflict with the Fajardo Brothers’ Mercantile Consortium as sometimes the Raven’s Wing Traders sell similar luxury goods as the Fajardo’s, despite the Fajardo’s usually having the monopoly.
Notable Personalities
Duke Istvan Darkhaven – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Anjelika Darkhaven – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Nikolaos Caspari – The eyes and ears of the Raven’s Wing Traders. An intelligent man, he is also known for his almost suicidal lack of fear, happy to walk where other Oscurans never would. Nonetheless, he is somehow alive, and knows a lot more than any other person because of it.
Lyaksandro Golovnya – Lyaksandro is a direct employee of the Raven’s Wing Traders, and their main merchant. Lyaksandro has a huge supply of goods and gets all of his goods from the Raven’s Wing Traders. He is a shrewd man, and is always on the eye out for competitors, most other merchants are happy to stay in a secondary role to Lyaksandro however.
Vacant Positions
Information gatherers
MerchantsRed Dragon Consortium
The Red Dragon Consortium is a merchant company mostly owned by the Kyzanos family. The Consortium is the main supplier of all kinds of Thayan goods, especially magical components and scrolls. They also trade in some slaves from Thay, but that business is owned by the Sleeping Cat, and this creates some tension between the two companies. While technically Vakdal Kyzanos is in charge of the company, he leaves more work to his son Loktar with each passing day. However, they are both rather busy people, and most inquiries go through Oriseus Aporos.
Notable Personalities
Vakdal Kyzanos – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Loktar Kyzanos – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Oriseus Aporos – A Chessentan slave owned by Vakdal Kyzanos. Oriseus is a submissive slave, despite being a powerful warrior in his homeland. Oriseus functions as a kind of secretary for the Consortium. He is extremely cruel and wicked, and is known for often overstepping his authority, which is often overlooked because of his efficiency.
Thazal – One of the bigger merchants for the Consortium, Thazal is a fellow Thayan. His attitude isn’t great and he is quite a rude man, but he gets the job done.
Vacant Positions
Guards
Enchanters
Potion BrewersSleeping Cat Trading Coster
The Sleeping Cat Trading Coster is a company mostly owned and ran by the Sakhmet family. Slaves are the only thing that the Sleeping Cat trade in, with a large majority of them coming from Mulhorand though the Sakhmet’s contacts there. Instead of hired guards, the Sleeping Cat Trading Coster uses the Sakhmet “Mamluk” guards, whom are renowned slave warriors, loyal to their end. They often come into conflict with the Red Dragon Consortium over the slave trade in Oscura.
Notable Personalities
Thoth II Sakhmet – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Menkhare – Menkhare is one of the Sleeping Cat’s most important employees, and does most of their slave sales in the docks district.
Ramses Nios – Ramses is actually a cousin of Thoth II who lives in Mulhorand. It seems that Ramses is the Sleeping Cat’s prime agent in Mulhorand and can be seen in Oscura every now and then. It is well known that the two have been friends since children, and Ramses is one of the very few people that can bring Thoth II’s stern guard down.
Vacant Positions
Slave traders
MerchantsNorthern Bear Alliance
The Northern Bear Alliance is a merchant company owned by the Kursk family. They deal in a lot of more wholesome goods for the city, mainly foodstuffs, textiles, furs and leathers, as well as other related things. Most of their trading is done with Damara, as opposed to their enemies the Lightning Eagle Trade Conglomerate who focus on local and long-range imports. It is often rumoured that the Northern Bear Alliance gains their goods in sometimes illegal ways, but these rumours are never founded. It is unsure who will inherit the fortune of the Kursk family brought about by the Alliance, as Andrey’s eldest son Ivan II is apparently quite incompetent, yet he is the one who stands in line for the fortune. Grand Seneschal Zoran Zivkovic is in charge of most of the Northern Bears finances, as while Andrey technically owns it all, he isn’t the most able businessman in the world, but he recognises the inherit skill of Zoran. The Alliance also employs many guards, and while they aren’t all paid as well as some of the other merchant company guards, they do the job.
Notable Personalities
Duke Andrey Kursk – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Ivan II Kursk – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Grand Seneschal Zoran Zivkovic – See Oscuran Nobles tread
Selakiir Khalazza – Selakiir is a rather curious man. His identity is mostly kept secret, his only notable defining features is that he is somewhat leaner than your average human in Oscura. The role he plays in the Northern Bear Alliance does not seem to match the wealth he gains as well, Selakiir‘s only role in the Alliance is functioning as some kind of cartographer, yet he is one of the most wealthy men in the Alliance.
Estana Lokvallovich – Estana owns a small amount of the Northern Bear Alliance, that which she gained through her resources out on the Icelace. After an extensive career as a sailor in both the Sea of Fallen Stars and on the Icelace Lake, Estana’s network of friends and allies out in the docks and ships of Eastern Faerun was hugely useful to the Northern Bear Alliance in its opening days. It helped them to find good ships and captains to evade the numerous pirates and storms that plague the route between Oscura and Damara. Rumour has it that after so long being landlocked though, Estana has become quite dreary and disaffected by life, and some speak of her trying to persuade Zoran and Baron Kursk to buy a ship for the Alliance.
Vacant Positions
Guards
AgentsIron Curtain Trading Company
The Iron Curtain Trading Company is oddly feared for a merchant company. They are mostly owned by the du Lorraine family and have extremely strong ties with the Zhentarium and Black Network, which is where they get all of their goods. Mostly the Iron Curtain funnel weapons and armour from the Black Network, however they find themselves in possession of other highly illegal goods often. The Iron Curtain don’t see the new forays of the Miners Guild into the business of blacksmithing threatening at all, as the dwarves can simply not match the huge amounts of weapons and armours that the Iron Curtain can bring into Oscura.
Notable Personalities
Bernard du Lorraine – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Amelie Guiscard – Amelie is well known to be the Zhentarium and Black Network liason for the Iron Curtain Trading Company. Her kind demeanour and politeness often put off possible customers, no one in her position is that nice…
Vacant Positions
Guards
Black Network contactsLightning Eagle Trade Conglomerate
The Lightning Eagle Trade Conglomerate is the closest anything in Oscura comes to being “good”. They deal in very similar items as the Northern Bear Alliance, with the addition of lots of cheap foodstuffs for the poorer people of Oscura, boots, simple tools and medical supplies. It is owned by the Komnenos family, who take great pride in their reputation as honourable and fair traders. Because of the similar market, the Lightning Eagle and the Northern Bear are very much at odds, the former often insulting the latter due to the supposed bad business ethics of the Northern Bear. Akamedes Komnenos deals with the business of the Lightning Eagle, with his son Antigonos ready to take charge, even if he isn’t the best in business like his father.
Notable Personalities
Akamedes Komnenos – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Antigonos Komnenos – See Oscuran Nobles thread
Nomo Alingardas – Nomo is probably the most cheerful man in all of Oscura, which is a unique feat considering his position. Nomo is a slave of the Komnenos, but his position is quite comfortable and he is very valued by the family and the Conglomerate. His usefulness lies in his dealings with the poor and lower classes of Oscura, who often relate to him and are much more likely to buy goods from him than some snooty noble or businessman.
Vacant Positions
Leatherworkers
Toolmakers
Healing potion brewersBrankovic’s Holding Company
Brankovic’s Holding Company is a rather new company in Oscura compared to the others. Mostly owned and ran by Radomir Brankovic, a former mercenary and traveller, it provides Oscura’s ever-growing trade and market with mercenaries, carriages, wagons and horses. It isn’t the most wealthy company, due to Oscura’s reliance on the sea, but it is important nonetheless. Radomir is able to source many mercenaries in for whatever duties they are needed for, using his old contacts from his former lives. As a result, no one really feels any ill will towards Brankovic’s Holding Company, since it provides them all a service while avoiding stepping on anyone’s toes.
Notable Personalities
Radomir Brankovic – While Radomir is getting on in age, he manages to keep his company in tip-top shape. He has many contacts, mostly along the Sword Coast, but many that he made on his way to Narfell as well, which allows him easy access to his mercenaries they he hires out to protect caravans or for whatever other work they are needed for. Radomir used to be a mercenary himself, so he knows all the tricks when it comes to sellswords. He has a good, jolly nature, and while he doesn’t have strict business ethics, he isn’t known to be especially tricky or sneaky. Radomir has two sons, a daughter and a wife.
Lasilik Endarri – Lasilik is Radomir’s bumbling quartermaster. While Lasilik is by no means a bad person in any way, he is terribly accident prone and forgetful. No one seems to know why Radomir keeps Lasilik in his position, but any questions about it are quickly ignored by Radomir.
Zivko Andrivich – Zivko is second-in-charge of the Company, and leads the mercenaries and caravans in their most important contracts. Zivko is quick to action, resourceful and unwavering in his decisions, which doesn’t make him the most likable of men, but he is definitely good at what he does, and he keeps men alive. Rumour has it that Zivko is extremely displeased with Lasilik as quartermaster, despite Radomir’s faith in the man.
Vacant Positions
Mercenaries
HorsemenFajardo Brothers’ Mercantile Consortium
The Fajardo Brothers’ Mercantile Consortium is owned by the brothers Custodio Fajardo and Salvador Fajardo. While their business isn’t huge in Oscura, they make a lot of money through their expensive imports of luxury items such as silks, spices, gems and fine wines. They import these from all over Faerun, especially the exotic Kara-Tur. There is occasional conflict between the Fajardo’s and the Raven’s Wing Traders over those said luxury items, but the Fajardo’s keep the monopoly. Apart from the Darkhavens, the Fajardo brothers keep very good relations with the major families of Oscura. If anything, the Fajardo brothers get caught in the middle of the feuding families due to their worth in supplying exotic goods. However, the Fajardo Brothers are in direct competition with Firebeard’s Miners Guild over the gem trade in Oscura, and while the Miners keep the monopoly on the difficult to attain local gems, the Fajardo Brothers keep the monopoly over imported gems, which makes up the majority.
Notable Personalities
Custodio Fajardo – While Custodio owns a lot the company, he does very little to actually contribute to the company. Custodio prefers the way of the blade, and while this does annoy his younger, more intelligent brother on occasion, Salvador puts up with him as Custodio makes a useful bodyguard, and is still quite a charming fellow.
Salvador Fajardo – Unlike his large, musclier and more dextrous brother, Salvador is a small, shrewd man with a natural aptitude for business. He is often distracted and is never pleased to speak to anyone unless he really has to, but whatever he does seems to keep the business afloat and resist any incursions by the Raven’s Wing Traders.
Francesco Gismondi – Francesco is an old friend of the Fajardo brothers, and owns the largest minor part of the company. He is also their chief prospector and finds veins of gems in the local area around Oscura to sell, as well as checking the quality of goods coming in from elsewhere. Francesco has a quick mind and does enjoy the company of other people, yet he is notoriously awkward around them. Unfortunately for Franceso however, he is notorious for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and finds himself the butt of many jokes in Oscuran taverns and dinner tables, but his extreme politeness and kind demeanour manage to get him out of most any trouble.
Vacant Positions
Gem Miners
Miner GuardsFlamebeard’s Miners Guild
Whilst the Skullcrushers deal with almost all of Oscura’s huge mining business, Flamebeard’s Miners Guild stays well afloat and in rather decent standing with the Skullcrushers. Instead of dealing in large amounts of easily attained mining products like the Skullcrushers, the Guild Miners pride themselves in dealing with much rarer and more expensive raw materials. Of course, this carries huge amounts of risk as the rarer metals, stones and gems are found quite deep in the Underdark, and often have to be pilfered from Duergar caravans. As a result, each Guild Miner is good with a pick, but even better with an axe or warhammer in hand. Not to mention most border on insanity in their dangerous deep dives into the Underdark in the name of profit. The Miners Guild have also recently entered the blacksmithing business, prizing themselves on quality heavy armours. This does put them in competition with the Iron Curtain Trading Company, but for now hostilities are non-existent as the Miners focus on quality, the Iron Curtain focus on quality. While the Guild is still named after him, Mognar Flamebeard died about ten years ago, leaving a majority of the ownership of the guild between three members, each with an equal share. These three create a kind of council for the guild, and will not reach decisions on anything until it has already been much discussed. Those three are Hrothdar Flamebeard, Durrost Motsognir and Ragtan Bonerattler.
Notable Personalities
Hrothdar Flamebeard – Hrothdar is the very example of a proud, tough, gruff dwarf. His beard is great, his axe is big and he hates everything that isn’t a dwarf or a rock. Hrothdar is very conservative and is very likely to oppose any new ideas or change within the Guild. This is probably due to the fact that Hrothdar belongs to the same clan as Mognar Flamebeard, even if they aren’t closely related.
Durrost Motsognir – Durrost is a rather quiet, inconspicuous dwarf whom is instantly recognisable by his dark horned helmet. It is well known that he is the wildcard in the Council, his opinions and decisions seem to only make sense to him, yet most of the time they are right. If the rumours are true, Durrost also holds the maps to hundreds of hidden, valuable tunnels, ore veins and gem veins around Oscura and in the Underdark, yet if he does own them he doesn’t seem to make it obvious that he does.
Ragtan Bonerattler – Ragtan, unlike the stern Hrothdar, is a happy-go-lucky scoundrel of a dwarf, always seen with a mug of ale in his hand and a tale to tell. Risk and danger are never anything to worry about for Ragtan, only the reward. Often Ragtan leads mining expeditions personally, his handiness with his battleaxes slicing anything that gets in his way.
Vacant Positions
Miners
Blacksmiths
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Minor Updates
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Ferdinand Locke seeks out Kvothe to speak to him about a position
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Kvothe Dragnar begins to as around if no one has a job for a translator.
