United Companies of Ember and Aqua
The United Companies of Ember and Aqua is a trade council comprised of many Hammerhalian trade guilds. They hold a tight grip on the flow of most commerce throughout the Twin-Tailed City.[1]
Background
The United Companies of Ember and Aqua is a powerful trade council that dominates commerce in many forms throughout Hammerhal. They directly employ many dockworkers and factory workers of Hammerhal Aqsha, including those within the Cinderfall District.[1]
History
Age of Sigmar
Tensions begin to rise between the people of Hammerhal's Cinderfall District and the trade guilds that employ them. These tensions are rooted in the many abuses the workforce of Cinderfall have suffered under the yoke of the trade guilds.[1]
Eventually a group known as the Sons of Sigmar, led by Aella Forgebound and Hans Fastgrip, begins attacking the property of merchants, tax collectors, and trade guilds within Cinderfall District. The group is largely comprised of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of disgruntled dockworkers and factory workers, who believe the Grand Conclave of Hammerhal is not governing in a manner that Sigmar would favour.[1]
The Grand Conclave tasks Ernst Franzen, a Guildmaster of the United Companies of Ember and Aqua, with dealing with the Sons of Sigmar. Ernst's methods prove draconian, such as drastically decreasing the amount of food sold along the rift-docks of Cinderfall and sending armed guards to transport food shipments.[1]
Should no one intervene in the situation, Ernst's methods prove ineffective and only lead to escalating strikes and violent actions, with several Freeguild regiments with ties to Cinderfall coming to the district's aid. The situation will become so fraught that Lord-Celestant Titus Hawkwood will be forced to intervene and brutally end the Sons of Sigmar. In the aftermath, the leaders of the Sons of Sigmar and rebellious Freeguilds will be executed.[1]
Titus Hawkwood will then order the United Companies to pay for the complete reconstruction of the Cinderfall District. Unfortunately, the trade guilds and their merchants will have learned nothing from the affair, choosing to resort to avaricious methods to come up with the money needed. A Khornate cult known as the Abandoned Sons will take root soon after.[1]
Organization
The United Companies of Ember and Aqua are a trade council that is comprised of the many trade guilds that dominate much of Hammerhal's commerce.[1]
These trade guilds employ many of the dockworkers and factory workers in the Cinderfall District and are responsible for transporting much of the food imported from Hammerhal Ghyra.[1]
They also employ many former soldiers and armed agents, who are used to protect their property. They are known to use these soldiers to keep workers in line through violence. Some of these armed guards are even trained cavalry.[1]
They are well-known for employing cruel methods to make a profit such as forcing their employees to pay rent for tools needed to carry out their work and favoring Azyrite employees over Aqshian ones due to perceived inferiorities in the latter.[1]
Notable Members
- Ernst Franzen: A guildmaster of the United Companies whose poor mismangement of the Sons of Sigmar situation could spell disaster.[1]
