The Handlers Guild is a mercantile guild run by House Vadalis involved in the breeding, raising, training, and maintaining the health of animals, as well as research and other related tasks.[1][2][3]
Organization[]
The guild is treated as a separate organization to the house and is considered to be important in its own right. While members of House Vadalis are not required to serve in the Handlers Guild, those who do are able to forge good working relationships with breeders and ranchers outside the house, which helps them work outside the house's primary enclaves. Similarly, working in the guild does not necessarily lead to membership or advancement in the house. In fact, joining one just to serve ambitions in another is thoroughly disapproved of by members of both.[2]
Guild members are often experts, druids, fighters, and rangers.[2]
Those who have achieved excellence in their respective fields are awarded the title of 'breedmaster'. Rather than being a rank, this is used only in the Handlers Guild to bolster the confidence of their clients.[4]
Abilities[]
Members may be skilled in handling and healing animals, appraising the value of livestock, riding, wilderness survival, or other aspects of their profession.[2]
Activities[]
Whereas other dragonmarked houses focus on administration while their subordinate guilds work in their respective industries, House Vadalis prefers an alternative division of operations. That is, Vadalis engages in research, breeding, trade, care, and training of their animals and the Handlers Guild operates like an outreach program. It networks independent breeders and ranchers, provides knowledge and bloodlines of animals, and offers information and training in Vadalis techniques, so that they may improve their herds and practices, without the use of magic.[2][note 1]
Furthermore, the Handlers Guild grants certifications to its members, which aid them in getting good work.[2] In turn, guild members breed, trade, care for, and train a wide range of prize-quality animals.[5][1][2] In addition, the guild supervises research conducted in these same areas. All matters pertaining to animals are within their purview.[3]
It also provides licenses to various animal handlers and trainers, stable-hands and stable-keepers, drovers, shepherds, teamsters, and magebreeders, who enjoy the highest profile.[1][2][3] The guild also hires out people to operate coaches and caravans.[1] It also sanctions organizations like the Greenkeepers Guild, which cares for animals and gardens in Fairhaven.[6]
Finally, it handles business that House Vadalis engages in outside the Eldeen Reaches.[2]
In these ways, the Handlers Guild dominates the breeding and trade of livestock across Khorvaire.[5] Between then, guild members and house members operate almost every stable in most towns and cities in Khorvaire.[1][7] Moreover, guild-licensed animal handlers work with farms, in stables, as part of caravans, and even manage House Vadalis ranches all around Khorvaire.[3] This makes them the common face of House Vadalis.[2]
Bases[]
The Handlers Guild operates mostly in regions in which House Vadalis does not maintain an official enclave of its own, especially outside the Eldeen Reaches where the house is based.[2] Although it is said to have outposts across Khorvaire,[1] it has very few actual enclaves or outposts of its own. Rather, guild members gather wherever their travels bring them into contact. This lends the guild quite a fluid nature, and although some speculate this would make it a useful cover for various illicit activities, none has even been observed in House Vadalis.[2][note 2]
Handlers Guild members work at Tooth and Nail, a Vadalis-owned business in Stormreach. They manage the wild animals captured in Xen'drik and sold to customers.[8]
Relationships[]
The guild has good relations with the Greensingers and the Wardens of the Wood druid sects, who accept its practices and use of nature, though the Ashbound despise them as much as they do all the works of House Vadalis.[3]
Members[]
- Ravi d'Vadalis, a ranger and breedmaster.[7]
- Brogo d'Vadalis, breedmaster at Maynar's Menagerie in Sharn, Breland.[9]
- Regine d'Vadalis, a breedmaster at Varna.[9]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The activities of the Handlers Guild have changed in each sourcebook to describe them, with Eberron Campaign Setting having the guild perform work directly and Dragonmarked having it provide networking, training, licensing, and certification of those who do do the work. Eberron Campaign Guide is limited but melds elements of both. As a result, the ECS and ECG have the guild do work that Dragonmarked assigns to the house. This article tries to integrate the three versions, presuming that the ECS and ECG are referring to the outside work of certified members and licensed workers. It is also possible that the guild provides civilian or third-party oversight of Vadalis operations. The interested reader is advised to check for themselves.
- ↑ The Eberron Campaign Setting p. 239 says "the Handlers Guild has outposts throughout Khorvaire", but Dragonmarked p. 89 says it "has almost no enclaves or outposts". The later development is assumed to be primary here.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 239. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 Keith Baker, Ari Marmell, Michelle Lyons and C.A. Suleiman (2006). Dragonmarked. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 89. ISBN 0-7869-3933-8.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Eberron Campaign Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 235. ISBN 0-7869-5099-4.
- ↑ Keith Baker, Ari Marmell, Michelle Lyons and C.A. Suleiman (2006). Dragonmarked. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 91. ISBN 0-7869-3933-8.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 64. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
- ↑ Chris Sims (September 2009). “Explore Fairhaven” (PDF). Dungeon #170 (Wizards of the Coast) (170)., p. 35.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Keith Baker, Ari Marmell, Michelle Lyons and C.A. Suleiman (2006). Dragonmarked. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 93. ISBN 0-7869-3933-8.
- ↑ Keith Baker, Nicolas Logue, James Desborough, C.A. Suleiman (2008). City of Stormreach. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 37. ISBN 0-7869-4803-5.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Keith Baker, Ari Marmell, Michelle Lyons and C.A. Suleiman (2006). Dragonmarked. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 88. ISBN 0-7869-3933-8.