Determiners of the Eight Winds

Summary

The Determiners of the Eight Winds is Olvunter's largest trading company, with trade routes stretching across the globe. They played a large part in Kara's entrance to the world stage and remain Kara's largest trading partner.

Background

The Determiners of the Eight Winds is a mega mercantile company formed by the Merchant Princes of Dormas. These princes were wealthy individuals and families who formed the loose federation government of Dormas. They use DEW to connect the world with trade and further each of their specialties to gain even more wealth and power. The Determiners have a hand on every continent and in almost every port west of The Adredahn, connecting and facilitating the flow of goods and services across the seas. Positions as Merchant princes are not based on hereditary lines but instead on the merits and wealth of each individual. Within the last century, DEW has increased its interest in sovereign trade posts in the Wilden Wood and south of Yariel, forming colonies as they grew.

The Merchant Princes

Each of the Merchant Princes is not only the leader of their respective regions in Dormas but also controls various sectors and specializations within The Determiners. These princes exert incredible control over the wider world through a near monopoly of trade, each having their specialties and focuses that they use to set themselves apart.

Cheel Alarian: Merchant Prince of the Alarian Company. Their company trades in spice, which they hold the secrets to. They have recently begun to lose power as their spices have started to be grown in other locations.

Illaria Desenacis: Newest Merchant Prince. She is known for unifying the temples in the northern islands into a single organization. She is seen as untrustworthy due to her ties to the old religions and profiting from church services.

Honn Reggonys: Once considered a firebrand, he has reportedly become more balanced as he ages. Honn is known as the Merchant Prince of mercenary armies, and his “immortals” have supposedly held their contract even in death.

Thelaris Exeder: Known for their purchase of a great number of Dorman shipyards, Thelaris has focused much of their energy and gold on making newer, faster, and bigger ships for the fleet.

Allliun Qadin: Allliun breaks the convention of the Merchant Princes in that they have no overarching specialization. Their interests are vast and cover almost every sector of the market. They are not respected for any grand skill in one area but for their dedication to growth itself.

Amalric Marekes: Also known as the “Wine King,” Amalric has focused on the Dacian, Yariel, and Dorman markets. He has commissioned specialized ships to carry wine and a logistics division dedicated to its transport. He also connects with Kara through the Archipelago and the Chaplin Sillas Deepcreek.

The Determiners in Kara

Dew in Kara’s history

The Determiners have had a sizable hand in the history of Kara. While it was the third King of Stonebay, His Majesty Ulysses I Mountbatten, first of his name, opened the ports of Kara for trade, and the Determers of the Eight Winds added Kara to the trade maps. DEW has been the gateway for Kara for hundreds of years, being one of the only companies that can navigate through the thick fogs and storms surrounding the land.

Trade with Kara

DEW is Kara’s largest trade partner, being their source for many magical and mundane goods that enter Kara’s shores. The Determiners maintain a trade warehouse on the docks within the City of Stonebay. From here, DEW ships lay low in the water, heavy with goods, unloaded their imports, and loaded back up with commodities and materials only found in Kara. DEW works with local institutions like The Royal Bank of the Bay and their trade post to facilitate their import and export operations in Kara. Kara presents a unique situation for the Determiners when it comes to currency. As the world's default trade force, most places trade in DEW-minted gold coins, while Kara uses locally minted silver, meaning they have to convert and manage the flow between the two currencies.

Recent events

Recently, DEW became increasingly interested in some items only found in Kara. They set up a program and reactivated their trade post within Kara to export as many unique items as possible. They hired many Karans and caused a massive influx of silver into the economy.

Soon after, the export program started to wind down, and Kara was informed that a delegation from The Determiners, including the Commodore of the Accordant Archipelago, would be arriving soon. The whole affair started with a masquerade ball to introduce the representatives from DEW to Kara while hiding their true intentions for their visit, which was the recovery of a “Command Stone” stolen by a group called Figh. A mire of intrigue, secrets, backstabbing, and backroom conversations followed, leading to war with the face-stealer demons. The Determiners ultimately worked with Figh and the Kingdom of Stonebay to rid Kara of the face-stealers and undo the damage caused as best they could, all while sprinkling their influence into the minds of Karans. This combined effort and an act to preserve The Dermerners Of the Eight Winds' connections with Kara led to the signing of the “Command Stone Accord” between all three parties, restoring peace and trade.

Notable Dew Figures in Kara

Commodore Agostino: Commodore of the Acordant Archipelago division within DEW. A family man and quite gregarious. During his time in Kara, Agustino sought to spread his influence, enjoy good parties, and recover the “Command Stone” before Figh could use it. He hired his own force of guards from skilled Karans, handed out large amounts of silver to the populace, and even assisted members from the Duchy of Stendahl in locating the legendary lost forge of Hammerhand.

Eargus Glowgoarge(Deceased): Credited with putting Kara on the trade maps, Eargus was a renowned explorer sponsored and employed by the Determiners. He would explore new markets, hunt down legends to find their truth, recover any artifacts the Determiners deemed profitable, and return the others to local people. He was friendly and outgoing to many Karans, genuinely loving the people and looking for their adoration. Eargus had the most knowledge of what the “Command Stone” was for and the leads to track down to locate the “Cache” mentioned. Unfortunately, before Eargus was able to recover the “Command Stone,” he was killed at a party for him by a member of Figh who had been hiding amongst the members of DEW.

Vulmar Dorlana: As an enforcer of DEW, Vulmar was seen as the most active in hunting for Figh, even if Kara didn't know that was his goal at first. He worked to track down “Pirates” and other smugglers and bandits while collecting information on potential members of Figh that were known to have made landfall in Kara before The Determiner’s arrival.

Habagat Punongpuso: Habagat to Kara seemed the least involved in the “Command Stone” situation. Coming to Kara shortly after the main DEW party, Habagat sold luxury goods, mangos, and soup to Kara and bought up items from the population as long as they could sell them on it, introducing large amounts of DEW gold into Kara’s economy. With her previous “personal” connection to a member of Figh, those who spoke with Habagat would be given a unique perspective on the organization. Habagat, during the war with the “face-stealer” demons, performed a ritual to reach out to her God, one that brought many concerns to Karans. This ritual led to hints on defeating the demons and their connections to the Obelisks.

Henry Sharpe: Barrister and Solicitor for the Kingdom of Stonebay. Sharpe was also the agent and legal counselor in Kara for the Determiners until issues during the war with the “face-stealers” led to his departure.

Nimora Bloodwell: At the time, the Mayor of Hollow Creek, Nimora, was hired by the Determiners to be their “Procurement Officer” for Kara. Later, she was elevated to "Station Chief" for the Kara branch before the general dismissal of all Karan employees. She was also tasked with preparations for the recent visitation of DEW representatives, leading up to the war with the “face-stealers.”

Anders Mackay: Hired around the same time as Nimora during the procurement campaign, Anders was tasked with the trade post’s security and setting up a DEW guard force in Kara.