Kruidenkenner Trademaster

Overview

Constructed by order of the Imperial Senate, work was completed on this set of dedicated docks shortly before the Summer Solstice 381YE. The Kruidenkenner are Sarcophan masters of herb lore and the apothecary arts, eager to establish a presence in the Empire; much of the initial negotiation was overseen by the Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves.

Responsibilities

The Kruidenkenner trademaster is expected to oversee the trade of herbs between the Sarcophan guild and the Empire. If the Kruidenkenner magazijn were ever directly threatened, the trademaster would be responsible for dealing with those threats - but also for making decisions about any opportunity related to the docks. The continued operation of the magazijn, and thus the ministry, requires that relations between the Empire and Sarcophan remain cordial - the trademaster has a vested interest in ensuring friendship between the two nations continues.

Powers

Ministry

Cerulean Mazzarine
216 rings	12 cerulean mazzarine
408 rings	24 cerulean mazzarine
592 rings	36 cerulean mazzarine

Herbs
7 Crowns	16 random herbs
17 Crowns	33 random herbs
35 Crowns	50 random herbs

As a ministry, the title of Kruidenkenner Trademaster allows the holder to purchase quantities of cerulean mazzarine at a set price. The Trademaster spends their money and makes their choices during downtime from their character page. Money is removed from, and resources are placed into, the character's inventory when the downtime is processed.

The Kruidenkenner

In Autumn 383YE, the Senate chose to expand the Magazjin. As a consequence, the Sarcophan merchant-herbalists have made even more of their merchandise available to the Trademaster at what they consider reasonable prices. This additional track would remain available as long as the Empire's good relations with the Kruidenkenner and the Delves continue.

Appointment

This title is auctioned during the Spring Equinox.

Any Imperial citizen can participate in the auction and hold the title. They do not receive a seat on the Bourse. As a title appointed through the Bourse they cannot be revoked by the Imperial Synod.

Summit	Nation	Elected	Bid
Spring Equinox 386YE	The League	Bernardo Von Temeschwar	12 thrones
Spring Equinox 385YE	Wintermark	Aelthrik Dunning	17 thrones
Spring Equinox 384YE	Wintermark	Aelthrik Dunning	9 thrones
Spring Equinox 383YE	The Brass Coast	Dino i Erigo	4 thrones
Summer Solstice 382YE	The Brass Coast	Dino i Erigo

Recent Elections

This title is currently held by Bernardo Von Temeschwar; it will be reelected at Spring Equinox 387YE. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.

The Kruidenkenner Magazijn

Built at Crown's Quay, on Longbeach, in Necropolis, the Kruidenkenner magazijn is a sturdy weirwood warehouse in the Sarcophan style, around which cluster a number of smaller buildings - a residence for the visiting merchants and a small office for overseeing day-to-day business. While the Trademaster receives reasonable deals on the purchase of cerulean mazzarine, the Kruidenkenner also use it as a base of operations for their own trades within Imperial borders - buying and selling herbs, potions, and drugs in Necropolis and much of the southern Empire.

In Autumn 383YE, the Imperial Senate voted to expand the Magazijn, creating new opportunities for Sarcophan merchant-herbalists to sell their product to the Trademaster.

The Kruidenkenner
These expert Sarcophan herbalists and apothecaries have made some additional agreements with the Imperial Ambassador that are worth reiterating. They have agreed that they will not use their Imperial warehouse to trade with any nation the Empire is at war with, nor trade goods purchased in the Empire to ports belonging to such people.

They have received assurances in return that the Empire agrees to give them a "grace period" of one season between declaring war on someone and the expectation they will cease trading. They have also made it clear that they reserve the right to end the arrangement with the Empire - giving up their trade enclave - with a season's notice, should they wish to do so.

In both cases it would be the responsibility of the Kruidenkenner Trademaster (or at a pinch the Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves) to deal with such developments. A suitably worded winged messenger to Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike, The Tower of Crows, Sarcophan, Sarcophan Delves would be sufficient to discharge this obligation.

The Title in Play

The role does not provide additional information about events in the Empire, nor allow the player holding it to request special reports or downtime actions. These details are assumed to be below the abstraction layer. The title holder is encouraged to create their own stories about their activities within reasonable limits and to get involved in events appropriate to their title during the game, but they do not have any powers beyond those explicitly listed in the section on powers.

These details exist partly to provide context and character to the role - and partly to allow our writers to use the title as a plot hook. Plot that involves the position will be rare - but all the campaign positions in Empire have these details to create the potential for it to happen.