Qarth Trade Federation

The Qarth Trade Federation is located in the desert formed by the destruction left behind by Cal Docros and his dragons many centuries ago. In the ruins of that scarred land, the survivors rebuilt a civilization for themselves. However, without fertile soil to grow crops, it was impossible for these people to provide what they needed for themselves. Instead, they started to trade with nearby regions in order to obtain the resources they needed. Soon, cities built around trade sprang up across the desert managed by the most successful merchants that resided there. These merchants came to realize that working together made it much easier for them to achieve their goals, and thus starting the faction Fortune's Favor. Each head merchant that ruled the city came together to form a council of merchant rulers, which later became The Authority, that would take responsibility for managing all of the Fortune's Favor, and by association all of the Qarth Trade Federation. Not soon after the formation of Fortune's Favor and The Authority was the formation of The Sicarii, the faction responsible for protecting and maintaining order throughout all of the region. And so stability was realized with Fortune's Favor managing all of the trade in the region and the Sicarii forcefully ensuring that peace and order are upheld so that trade could commence smoothly. Of course, this peace and order applies mainly to those that help make the well-oiled machine run.

In present day, due to the rule of Fortune's Favor, the Qarth Trade Federation has transformed from run down desert shanty towns into a powerful trade empire. The Qarth Trade Federation is the hub of all major trade in Caldron; even the reclusive Shikumo Empire have recently begun dealing with Qarth. Not only has Qarth become the trade hub for Caldron, but it has expanded its network into other continents as well. Most notably, the Qarth Trade Federation is said to have some of the best sailors in all of Gaia that are able to make the difficult journey to The Green Isles.

The cities in the Qarth Trade Federation are essentially extremely large markets. Streets are lined with rows of shops of all different types where everything and anything can be bought or sold for the right price. In addition to the average shops that the cities have in common, each city has a specific specialty that it is known for. Bizmuth is home to the Golden Company, the largest bank of the region, and the place where personal and business loans are given. In Quarth you can find the slave market where all forms of beings are bought and sold. Jannaq is a port city where items of all types are brought (sometimes secretly) to be sold from far off lands. Ghirel contains all sorts of casinos and other ways to gamble such as races or fights. In the labs of Tiramis you can find all different varieties of drugs and poisons. Lastly, in Rizzozan raw materials are harvested from scrap and can be bought in bulk.

Government

Qarth is controlled and ran by Fortune's Favor, specifically The Authority, and its laws are enforced by the Sicarii. The Authority sets the laws and runs the government, the Sicarii enforces the laws, protects the region, and pushes forward the agenda of The Authority, and the remainder of Fortune's Favor are left to run the rest of the general infrastructure of the region. Each city in Qarth has a member of Fortune's Favor that manages the city called the Regional Manager. Each Regional Manager, in essence, acts as the mayor for the city and manages the day-to-day business of the city. The regional manager will then report the profits of the city to the members of The Authority at secret drop off locations that change constantly which is where they also receive their orders from their anonymous bosses. Each regional manager also has a Business Liaison who is in charge of implementing any orders given by the Regional Manager to the businesses throughout the city. Each business owner and their staff is also required to be a member of Fortune's Favor by law and pay yearly dues in order to maintain their permit Lastly, there are messenger runners who are usually young, trial members just starting their journey as a part of Fortune's Favor.

How easy your life is in the Qarth Trade Federation is directly related to how useful you are or how much money you make The Authority. Those who The Authority deem important seem to get harassed by The Sicarii less, pay less in faction dues, and have an easier time acquiring whatever goods and services they need. Those who The Authority do not deem as important or are not helping Fortune's Favor in anyway are perceived as expendable and are treated the harshest. Therefore, the worst treated members of society are the average citizens who are not involved in trade in anyway followed by the messengers who are barely contributing to Fortune's Favor due to their rookie status. One thing that is unique about Qarth is its religious freedom. Members of society are allowed to worship any deity they wish (even deities of chaos) as long as their worship does not interfere with the profits or goals of Fortune's Favor.

Diversity

Qarth is widely considered to be the most diverse nation in all of Caldron. Creatures and humanoids from all walks of life, from all backgrounds, live and thrive in Qarth. Racism, or prejudice against religion and sexuality are non-existent, and in some places, exploration of these cultural and societal pressures is often encouraged. Flamboyant, gaudy, and outlandish outfits, hairstyles, and body alterations are commonplace in Qarth. People here often use their bodies as canvases, expressing their emotions, desires, and beliefs outwardly and physically.

Lawless Order

It is not a secret that the free flowing and free spirited nature of Qarth is due primarily to its lack of official rules and regulations. For the most part, people can do whatever they want, whenever they want, within reason of course. Most of the laws on the books are the standard rules against murder and theft, but Qarth is one of the few places in Gaia that have no rules about worship (Order or Chaos entities), and have no bans on spell casting.

While one may think these lack of rules make Qarth a chaotic and dangerous place, there are many unwritten rules that are enforced ferociously within the Federation that its inhabitants never break. Most of these rules have to do with businesses, trade, and the transfer of money. While there are too many to list here, these unwritten rules form the backbone Qarthian culture, society, and commerce.

A Scarred Land

Qarth has a rich history and an incredibly deep connection to world events dating all the way back to the First Men. When the Mad King, Cal Docros created his dragons in Docros many years ago, he landed on mainland Caldron in the region where Qarth has been founded. His dragons and their deadly breath powers devoured the land, scorching and scarring its surface forever.

The worst of this damage is in The Deadlands, a huge stretch of scorched earth marked by its signature red coloration. What was once a lush grasslands rich in life, is now a flat, desolate, and incredibly dangerous place. Gangs of marauders and thieves cling to the rocks and formations, forming their own quasi-cities and shanties. During the day, the temperatures reach well over 100 degrees, and without a source of water in sight, can prove to be a fatal combination. Gangs of bandits go out scavenging and hunting helpless merchants and travelers, picking off every item worth anything to sell back in Rizzozan. Corrupted and mutated through isolation and eating and drinking from tainted sources, these humanoid creatures are fierce and have no mercy.

During the evenings, temperatures drop dramatically, sometimes well below 32 degrees. During this time, strange beasts, adapted to hunt in these twisted and jagged landscapes, thrive and are out on the prowl for prey.

The rest of the land to the East of the Deadlands is a vast desert with miles and miles of sand, sand dunes, and ruins. Without proper supplies and transport, these lands are dangerous and deadly. If it isn't the heat and dehydration that gets you, the wild beasts and plants will. Small towns are formed every couple hundred miles, ruled and ran by gangs and strange tribes, often times hostile to outsiders, especially those without offerings. Traveling through Qarth is in no way an easy feat.

Goals

Due to the fact that the Qarth Trade Federation is run by Fortune's Favor, the goals of this region are the same as the faction. To make as much money as possible and to become the dominant trading region in the world.

Relationships

All other empires on Caldron trade with Qarth which is all thanks to the shrewd dealings of The Authority. Qarth maintains and upholds many delicate relationships in which it is important to ensure each business dealing is confidential and hidden from the other clients Qarth may have. If these secretes are leaked, it could cause international relations to strain and could result in an end to trade deals with Qarth altogether. Qarth also has issues dealing with the Cloak and Dagger, a pirate organization who constantly try to raid their merchant ships as they travel up the coast. To combat this issue, The Authority has put an extreme emphasis on bolstering their navy to include war ships to protect their merchant ships. However, since the greed of Qarth is well known, as their navy grows stronger other nations have taken notice and worry if their eyes won't wander to other shores.

Figures of Interest

The Figures of Interest for this region can be found under the Fortune's Favor and The Sicarii faction tabs. Most important members, mainly leaders, of the Fortune's Favor and the Authority remain completely anonymous. There is rumored to be constant power struggles between wannabe leaders and current leaders which force an unofficial rotation between leaders and their positions.

If any identities are leaked, you can bet your life savings that that information is already useless and that that leader has been "dealt with."

Known Qarthian Cities

• Rizzozan