United Criers Guild: History
by Jerry HovenanianAC 988 -
Ragnar and Delsonara Gliven slay a red dragon named Acarastarral who was raiding near Alfheim, Rockhome, and western Darokin.
An old friend of theirs, Aldwin, comes to them with an idea to make more money. It would spread trade news across Darokin so merchants could find out if their crops were worth more in Corunglain, Selenica, or wherever.
AC 990 -
Orbs are set up in 5 major cities of Darokin : Akesoli, Athenos, Corunglain, Darokin City, and Selenica.
AC 991 -
The guild is faced with death before it starts as the money is not coming in and the net worth taxes this year will bankrupt them.
The Corun Merchant House, ever with it's eye on domestic trade, decides to bail out the guild by using it's influence to move the guild to a tax free status.
All the other guilds and houses, not wishing Corun House to gain an advantage, start using the guild's services.
By the end of the year, the guild is not only reporting on the prices of goods in their local markets but are issuing local news that would affect trade and travel warnings about raiding humanoids and bandits.
AC 992 -
The guild finally becomes organised, bring the town criers in each city into the guild and using them as reporters.
The Elves of Alfheim ask for, and receive, an orb to help facilitate trade with Darokin.
The guild starts to post local news of interest to the general public in every city.
The Darokin Diplomatic Corps makes it a priory to expand the UGG into other nations.
The Five Shires join the guild in order to ease traffic across the Cruth Mountains.
AC 993 -
A shop owner in Darokin city offers to pay the guild if he can put a note about his new shop in with the news. Within weeks many business men do this.
The Council of Princes in Glantri approve a measure to bring the guild to Glantri City to safeguard trade across the Broken Lands.
Ierendi joins the guild so it's resort owners can advertise in other cities and keep visitors informed as to the goings on back home.
The guild sends a wanderer into the Atruaghin Clans to gather news there. He is given a scroll of communication to keep in touch.
AC 994 -
The guild headquarters in Darokin City is fire bombed. The orb survives, but many of the guild records do not. No one was ever charge with the crime but there were a few suspects who had a bone to pick with the guild over bad press.
Ierendi comes to the guild's rescue. They lease the guild an old naval base off of the western coast of Ierendi Island called Trent Island for the sum of 1 gp/year for the next 50 years. The island in not on any charts and has a nice harbour. The guild purchased a merchant fleet of 10 ships to ferry supplies and records to the island.
Ragnar realises that the guild is growing too fast for him and they need help. He hires some old friends: Noric, to form a security force for the guild, Ryese, to keeps and eye on the money and assets of the guild, and Alya to take care of loose ends like Contests, Public Relations, and Logistics.
The Guild expands into Ylaruam, but because of the restrictions on mages there, it is headquarters about a half mile outside the City of Ylaruam.
AC 995 -
Rockhome joins the guild to increase trade.
Sind joins the guild to increase trade and placate the restless poor.
The Guild will send a message to another city for a fee. The merchant houses of Darokin use this service to co-ordinate caravan runs.
Minrothad joins the guild to increase trade.
AC 996 -
Thyatis sees the all it's competitors for trade have joined and so to keep up it joins the guild. Karameikos follows suit.
Do to failing health Ragnar starts to hand over some of the work of guildmaster to Delsonara.
A reporter, again with a scroll of communication, starts to wander Ethengar for news.
Ostland joins the guild to help it's trade with other nations.
AC 997 -
The Guild starts to issue regular weather reports and warning to ships about to go to sea.
Alphatia joins the guild.
Wendar, Vestland, Soderfjord, and the Heldann Freeholds wish to join the guild but have to be put off till AC 998 in order to get Alphatia's 29 offices up and running.
AC 998 -
Vestland and Soderfjord join the guild for trade reasons.
Wendar joins the guild to keep in touch with the rest of the Known World.
The Heldann Freeholds joins the guild as not to be left out.
Two days after the Heldann Freeholds join the guild Ragnar passes away, making Delsonara the new guildmaster.
AC 999 -
Alphatia sells the guild two retired skyships for a good price. The guild stations them at Trent.
With Thyatis and Alphatia celebrating great anniversaries in the next year, The Guild holds the first contest that spans the globe. The winner gets to choose whether he wants to go all expenses paid to the celebration in Thyatis City or Sundsvall. All the proceeds went to charity. The winner was a stone worker form Sundsvall named Recile. He chose to go to Thyatis.
AC 1000 -
Recile, the winner of the contest, carries a personal message of peace and good-will form Eriadna to Thincol and the people of Thyatis. He reads the message at the 1000th anniversary celebration and returned a like message to Eriadna and the people of Alphatia that she reads on Alphatia's 2000th anniversary. The Guild gives this story much coverage for weeks and months to follow.
AC 1001 -
The Guild sets up a university outside of Darokin City to teach journalism. It is names The Ragnar University of Journalism and Language.
AC 1002 -
The Guild expands within Alphatia by opening offices in Horken, Blueside, Aaslin, and Aliquin.
AC 1003 -
The Guild opens a branch in the city of Minaea on the Minaean Coast.
The Guild opens a branch in Tel Akbir and Hattias.
A group of Ylari protest outside The Guild near Ylaruam City. The are upset at The Guild for opening an office in Tel Akbir and that they are all "Imortalless Wizards" A few members are hit by rocks but there are no serious injuries on either side.
AC 1004 -
The Guild reports on the increasing corruption in the handing out of free bread in Thyatis City only days before the massive riots in that city.
The Guild covers the political posturing between Alphatia and Glantri.
The Guild sends 2 reporters to investigate the assassination of the Glantrian nobles, they were last seen leaving Glantri City after talking to officials there.
The Guild covers the Heldannic incursions into Ethengar.
The Guild office in Aasla burns down in the city fire.
AC 1005 -
The Guild reports on savage treatment of the Ethengarians at the hands of the Heldannic Knights.
When Alphatia declares war on Glantri, the orbs become overloaded with messages and shuts down for 2 days.
When the Master of Hule takes Sind, the guild members at Sayr Ulan destroy the orb as so it doesn't fall into the Master's hands.
All nations that have the Guild
located within their boarders are asked to sign a treaty.
1. No nation shall seize Guild property or harm guild members
without due cause.
2. No guild member shall take up arms against the armed forces of a
treaty nation.
3. The Guild will not report on military movements of any treaty
nation.
4. No Guild member will take up arms against any treaty
nation.
All nations with the guild sign the UCG Treaty except for The Heldannic Territories and service is cut-off in Freiburg. After one week without the service they sign the treaty.
The Guild is forced to destroy another orb when the force of Hule invade western Darokin and take the city of Akesoli.
AC 1006 -
The Guild adopts an Anti-Hule policy. They start to send arms to rebels in Sind, and placing stories in the news about how if The Master takes Darokin the rest of the Known World is next.
When the forces of the new nation of Karameikos, Alfheim and the Shires join the fight against the Master, Darokin thanks The Guild for their help.
The Guild Headquarters in Dengar is dismantled when the dwarves go underground. 3 Reporters go with the dwarves to keep records of what happens to them.
AC 1007 -
The Guild aids Glantri when Thar's Horde invades that nation. Alphatia files a protest with the guild for giving aid to someone it is at war with. The Guild responds that the aid is against the humanoids and not Alphatia and is legal under the UCG Treaty because Thar is not a signer of it nor an official ally of Alphatia.
When Alphatia takes Newkirk on the Isle of Dawn, the Guild Headquarters is destroyed be a fire ball. Many in the guild thing it was a little payback for aiding Glantri against Thar, But there was no proof of this.
The Guild helps secure homes in Wendar and Karameikos for displaced Alfheimers.
AC - 1008
Four spies are caught within The Guild spying for Hule. None of them knew about the aid going to Sind. The 4 of them were Handed over to Darokin and spent the rest of there short days in a dank prison.
A guild member from Darokin comes forth with evidence that would say that The Master is aiding Thar in his endeavours.
The Master declares war on the guild a promises to do everything in his power to stop them. A week later a large gold dragon flies over Darkwood and nearly destroys The Masters Temple of Death. He drops a scroll case for The Master as he flies off. It contains a leather glove and a note that reads..."The United Criers Guild accepts your challenge, the game is afoot." The Master is not amused.
AC - 1009
The Guild prepares to leave Thyatis City because in case of a siege and then an invasion guild members might be injured.
When Thyatis quits the field the
guild network crashes once more is still not working when magic
fails for a week.