Master of the Root and Stem
Overview
Constructed by order of the Imperial Senate, work was completed on this set of dedicated docks shortly before the Summer Solstice 383YE. 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 Master of the Root and Stem is expected to oversee the trade of herbs between the Sarcophan guild and the Empire. If the Kruidenkenner magazijn were ever directly threatened, the master 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 master has a vested interest in ensuring friendship between the two nations continues.
Powers
| Total money spent | Production |
|---|---|
| 216 rings | 12 bladeroot |
| 408 rings | 24 bladeroot |
| 592 rings | 36 bladeroot |
Ministry
As a ministry, the title of Master of the Root and Stem allows the holder to purchase quantities of bladeroot at a set price. The master 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.
Appointment
This title is appointed during the Summer Solstice by citizens of the Marches who control farm personal resources. The larger the farm an individual has, the more votes they can allocate in support to a candidate. The voting is handled by the civil servants in the Bourse.
Only a Marcher character may hold the title. As a title in the Bourse, they cannot be revoked by the Imperial Synod
The Kruidenkenner Magazijn
Built in Meade, in Meade March, in the territory of Mitwold, 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 master receives reasonable deals on the purchase of bladeroot, 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 Mitwold and much of the western Empire.
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 understand that this will restrict them from trading with the Grendel, but have little contact with other barbarian orc nations.
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 Master of the Root and Stem (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.
| Summit | Elected | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn Equinox 386YE | Old Nan | 85 Votes |
| Summer Solstice 386YE | Annora-Winfred Harvest of Mitwold | 332 Votes |
| Summer Solstice 385YE | Bradwin Barlymaine | 34 Votes |
| Summer Solstice 384YE | Maggie Potts | 52 Votes |
| Summer Solstice 383YE | Henry Bywater | 73 Votes |
Recent Elections
This title is currently held by Old Nan; it will be reelected at Autumn 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 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.