Guild
Guilds are Organizations backed by a Houses with Special Federacy Charters allowing them to perform certain tasks beyond the perview of normal Business Operations. The largest group of Guilds are Explorers. The second largest are the Merchants who have Charters to trade with non-Federacy governments (trade within the Federacy is governed by Federacy Interstellar Commerce and Logistics Guidance - FICLG).
Guilds are a compromise between the relatively inflexible FICLG Guidances and the reality of decision making authority necessary at the ground level when dealing with Extraordinary Circumstances. It is, as some state, a necessary loophole.
Public Agenda
Every Guild has a charter that outlines its purpose and the patrons supporting its activities. In a post-scarcity economy, this is crucial because the charter determines how the Guild acquires fuel for its journeys. Even with a well-equipped Starship, a lack of fuel can halt progress.
Charters are vital because they define the Guild's scope of authorized activities, even those that would typically require permissions from various authorities. For instance, when encountering a new race, standard procedure involves reporting to the relevant federacy directorate and awaiting further instructions, often including an accompanying official. However, a Guild with the appropriate charter may be authorized to initiate contact, saving significant time. This autonomy comes with the responsibility of comprehensive training, clearance, and preparation for contingencies. Such Guilds may also be required to have Mercantile Operations Monitors on board.
Charters are vital because they define the Guild's scope of authorized activities, even those that would typically require permissions from various authorities. For instance, when encountering a new race, standard procedure involves reporting to the relevant federacy directorate and awaiting further instructions, often including an accompanying official. However, a Guild with the appropriate charter may be authorized to initiate contact, saving significant time. This autonomy comes with the responsibility of comprehensive training, clearance, and preparation for contingencies. Such Guilds may also be required to have Mercantile Operations Monitors on board.
History
Over the past half century, Guilds have become a popular notion and some have acquired wealth and influence. Though sponosored by a parent organization and regulated by the Federacy, they represent an interesting ongoing economical experiment which relaxes some of the restrictions concerning inter-government commerce. They’re required to have Mercantile Operation Monitors who are a division of Federacy Regulation Enforcement Directorate. For example, discoveries made by the Guild, were reported back to the backing House and the Federacy.
The principle behind Guild House creation is that they were a lot easier to dissolve than the various Houses which made up the Federacy. Though this is technically the case, guilds have also become far more important to the social strategy of the Federacy government and its memeber states and, collectively, may have become "too large to fail."
Notable Guilds
ARM University which many point out has now become "too large to fail." It has the titular support of three major houses.AXE, the premiere Exploration Guild based on Beautiful, though looking to establish a base on Darling.
MIT, recently established in Dometown Delta on Minos Prime, this small guild operating under a Special Provision charter finds itself at the nexus of a lot of interstellar intrigue (as a guild run by PCs should!).
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