Guild of Contractual Arrangement

Created by the first emperor of New Meritta, the Guild of Contractual Arrangement claims to hold no political position of any kind. Largely they exist to officialize agreements and contracts across the empire, but they also codify laws and decrees laid out by the viscounts and emperors. Oftentimes members of the guild are called in to interpret or adjudicate contracts for those who would stand judgement of others. While they have claimed impartiality, one would be foolish to believe that there hasn’t been some lobbying behind closed doors about what will and will not be codified when a vague decree has come down from a viscount. It would also be naïve to believe that some guild members have not been incentivized to interpret certain contracts in interesting ways.

Many guild members make a living travelling from village to village. They move into town, spend the day notarizing documents for the townsfolk, and move on for the next village, usually staying only a night or two. It’s a good life for scribes who wish to see the world, but it can be solitary and lonely. Some guild members have attached themselves to the Mendicants, moving into the same towns they move through. Still others have set up shops in cities large enough to have constant stationary business. The guild headquarters, in Southern Varina, outside the city, has copies of all the contracts that have ever been notarized. Acquiring the information can be costly and time consuming, but the guild prides itself on the completeness of its records.