Colors: Gold and Black
Current Guild Leader: Carrie Newark, Swordsmith, Order of the Craftsman
Requirements to Join: Must work at a business of crafts
Requirements of Membership: 10% of all profits must go to the Smith’s Guild
Majority Composition: Builders, Tinkers
Minority Composition: Apprentices, Artists
On the Guild Council?: No

Created days after the Knight’s Guild, at the same time as the Servant’s Guild, the Forester’s Guild, and the Sailor’s Guild, the Smith’s Guild has held one of the most well-paid Guilds in all of Torodan. Its members create nearly all of the goods of metal in Torodan, which uses primarily metal goods. Originally, the Guild was in charge of wooden projects and creating buildings as well, but the Builder’s Guild formed from its members to perform those tasks. Despite having had 2 guilds split from it that are still successful unto this day, the Smith’s Guild is still strong, most of its members maintaining practices that are quite lucrative, in a business that is never shrinking, either on the streets of Torodan or in foreign markets.

Those who want a job immediately will not do well joining the Smith’s Guild. Every prospective member of the Guild must go through an apprenticeship in a shop before they have a chance of becoming a full-fledged guild member. Apprenticeships are not easy, and the Smith’s Guild even puts experienced craftsmen importing their skills through a rigorous apprenticeship, in an attempt to ensure that every member has an appreciation of good, hard work and the ability to handle any problem that comes their way. The one exception is that if you impress a member of the Order of the Craftsman enough, they might sponsor you to become a full-fledged member of the Order immediately, and then after a review you may become a member without having to work your way through the other Orders. However, such craftsmen are rare, and many foreign workers seeking quick membership have found themselves dismayed. Orders are far more important to the Smith’s Guild than Provinces, Regions, or Chapters, as the interest of a member of the Order of Gold and the Order of a Twine are likely to vary more than the interests of two members of the Order of Gold that are in different areas. Unless something is only affecting one province, it can be difficult to unify members of this Guild by geography. Traditionally, each Order pursues its own interests, with the Order of the Craftsman overseeing the entirety of the Guild. Voting occurs every four years inside of individual Orders, with the Order of the Craftsman nominating and voting on things such as Regionals, Provincials, and the position of Guild Leader, with individual Orders maintaining chapters and being responsible for things such as Chapterheads.

Although the Smith’s Guild as a sordid past with the Miner’s Guild, recent attempts at good relations between the two Guilds have borne fruit, although many members are still bitter about the split. By contrast, the Builder’s Guild and the Smith’s Guild work together remarkably, each often bringing in members of the other as a consultant on one or more major projects. The Merchant’s Guild is often put off by the fact that many Smiths prefer to sell their goods direct from the forge, but regular business keeps the two Guilds in a good working relationship. The Adventurer’s, Knight’s, Forester’s, and Farmer’s Guilds all rely on the tools that get them through work, and members of all of the other Guilds rely on them for day to day necessities, such as forks and tea kettles, putting the Smith’s Guild in a position of relative power whether it is on or off the Guild Council.

The Order of the Craftsman

Symbol: A gold hammer and a black anvil on a white field with black trim
Current Order Leader: Vecker Maths, Jeweler, Owner of the Newark Forge
Requirements to Join: Sponsorship, Review of work up to present and work to be presented
Requirements of Membership: None

At the head of the Smith’s Guild sits the Order of the Craftsman. Attempting to join the Order of the Craftsman takes sponsorship by a current member. This usually involves impressing one with your craft, or creating a piece that causes a current member to see it with awe. Rarely are these memberships handed out lightly, for if the prospective member fares poorly during the ensuing review board, it reflects very poorly on the current member. Often, members that present sub-par prospects lose enough respect that they can have trouble finding work, and more than a few members have seen their business disintegrate after disgracing themselves in front of the Guild in this way. After sponsorship, a review board of 10 members of the Order of the Craftsman, none of which could have sponsored the prospective member, and eight of which must be from the field the prospective member came from, must all pass a review of the subject’s work. The subject must present at least a dozen works, all of which must pass guild inspection. If the subject passes, they may join the Order, and gain immediate perks in business and networking, as well as being able to work a better price from merchants, who rest much easier knowing that their goods were quality, as is the case over 99% of the time with the Order of the Craftsman. Many members of the Order of the Craftsman take months or years off from their business, as the Order has no requirements on maintaining of business at this level, and use that time to travel and see how those in other nations, and of other races, produce items.

The Order of the Hammer

Symbol: A black hammer on a gold field
Current Order Leader: Carl Darson, Weaponsmith, Owner of the Darson Forge
Requirements to Join: Must complete an apprenticeship in the production of weaponry and armor
Requirements of Membership: Must continue work in the production of weaponry for at least 11 months out of the year

For the Knight’s Guild, the Adventurer’s Guild, and the other Guilds of Torodan with military inclinations, having smiths available with the ability to produce quality weapons and armor is vital. While these guilds often maintain small forges, the majority of their business comes to the Order of the Hammer, which focuses on building quality weapons and armor, which are freely available to all citizens of Torodan. Though the forges that produce these weapons often produce other items, the presence of the Order of the Hammer has allowed most citizens in Torodan to be armed if they so choose. In fact, many citizens of Torodan now train in the use of simple weaponry, as they can find it easily and cheaply at any of the offices of the Order of the Hammer. The Order of the Hammer also teaches the art of constructing Titanium to its members, although they refuse to even attempt to teach it to someone not of human heritage. Outside of weaponry, the Order of the Hammer works with guilds such as the Forester’s Guild, building axes for logging that are also practical in case of monsters attacking them. This has caused the members of the Forester’s Guild to be very well armed, a situation that makes me feel uneasy about the outcome should our nations collide over the rights to the woods.

The Order of the Anvil

Symbol: A black anvil on a gold field
Current Order Leader: Jacob Ordlin, Blacksmith, Owner of the Ordlin Forge
Requirements to Join: Must complete an apprenticeship in blacksmithing
Requirements of Membership: Must continue work in the production of armor for at least 11 months out of the year

For those doing crafting of steel and iron that does not involve weapons, the Order of the Anvil is the preferred Order of business. Horseshoes, pots, pans, and even some fence posts come out of this Order, and nearly every town or village in all of Torodan has a representative of this organization present within it. The Order of the Anvil is not only good with metal tools, but includes far more gifted smiths than any Order save for the Order of the Craftsman, as many metalworkers happy with their jobs continue to work within the Order of the Anvil long after they could have risen in ranks within the Guild. Generally, this is because once in the Order of the Craftsman, members are expected to work mostly on large-scale projects and grand designs, whereas most members of the Order of the Anvil prefer to work on smaller, utilitarian projects that they have always worked at and are good with. On top of this, the Order of the Craftsman finds it hard to review the often simple projects on which the Order of the Anvil engages, the ability to craft such objects being seen as the objects wear on in years, not through a simple inspection of works. Still, with the amount of business that goes through this Order, it carries considerable clout, which it often uses to secure the interests of those smiths working within the Order.

The Order of the Lock

Symbol: A gold lock on a black field
Current Order Leader: Desmono Palene Smith of the Fedhar Clan, Nibelung Locksmith
Requirements to Join: Must complete an apprenticeship in the production of locks
Requirements of Membership: Must continue to work as a locksmith for at least 11 months out of the year

On top of the creation, and occasional breaking, of locks in Torodan, the Order of the Lock has members that cover all manners of security. From making keys and locks to setting traps, the Order of the Lock debatably holds more of the security of items within Torodan than the High Church or the military. If a member of the Order of the Dagger is not available, the Adventurer’s Guild has been known to ask members of the Order of the Lock to help them in investigations, and the Knight’s Guild works with them almost exclusively in the attempt to determine the nature of locks, deadly traps, and other security measures. This is not to say that the members of this order do not do their job well. In fact, many members of the Order of the Lock learn the secrets to the art of Clockwork before even entering the Order of the Craftsman, and those who do not seek high budget projects often remain in the Order of the Lock, working on more fail safe and harder to bypass security measures for the people of Torodan.

The Order of the Gem

Symbol: A gold brick on a black field with gold trim
Current Order Leader: Ismine Fildson, Jeweler, Owner of the Gilded Goblin
Requirements to Join: Must complete an apprenticeship in goldsmithing
Requirements of Membership: Must continue to work in goldsmithing for at least 9 months out of the year

Though few people in Torodon buy much jewelry, wedding bands and perhaps earrings being the limits of most citizens, the Order of the Gem stays alive not through huge membership, but through huge profits. While almost all of the Smith’s Guild relies on the Miner’s Guild for metals, the Order of the Gem has developed closer ties with the Miner’s Guild than any other Order of the Smith’s, as their need for a variety of precious and hard-to-find minerals is second to no other group in Torodan. While the Order of the Gem does not engage in mining, it does buy vast quantities of precious metals, and then sells them back to members with a 5% markup to cover the costs of shipping. To skilled members of this Order, the mark-up is well worth it, as it can ensure a steady supply of silver, gold, and gems, which once formed into jewelry sell for significantly more to interested parties. Despite the mass quantities of material bought buy the Guild, most of its members do not mass produce items, and make each item different in its own way. While this has little effect on the markets of Torodan, in foreign ports, Torodan jewelry is often en vogue, although keen buyers know to try and find the name of a competent smith, finding out who made it and making sure that it is truly worth what the merchant is claiming it is.

The Order of the Silver Thread

Symbol: A silver vertical line on a black field with gold trim
Current Order Leader: Olins Caterhawk, Tailor, Owner of Caterhawk Suits
Requirements to Join: Must complete an apprenticeship as a tailor
Requirements of Membership: Must continue to work as a tailor for at least 9 months out of the year

Whereas in many other nations, the profession of tailor is one of the aristocracy, with the clothes of commoners being made in their households. As Torodan has no such distinction, the Order of the Silver Thread has tailors that work along a wide variety of styles, from the rich to the poor, and have caused the practice of household tailoring to become almost extinct within its borders. While some tailors focus on special designs for the upper crust, many favor simpler garments to outfit the whole of the people. Many towns have a tailor, and those that don’t can always get clothing from traveling merchants. On inspection of the work, I found it to be utilitarian in design, although not always of the simplest manner, and as a whole was unimpressed with the style, finding that a good portion of the upper crust of Torodan suits itself with clothing from other nations, particularly in fashions from Campaigna.