Merchant Empire

Merchant Empires are companies who have attained domination of a society through either co-opting the military, which historically doesn't last that long, or more often by becoming the sole financier of the government and military. The term Merchant Empire can also be used to denote companies which have swelled to such great size that they dominate the society around them as well, although a more specific term for those entities is Megacorporation. 
Of course, Merchant Empires are always associated with the Order of Seneschals. Historical precedents for Merchant Empires are the East India Company and the merchant guilds of late feudal Japan. 
Merchant Empires can be quite dangerous and are a major weapon in the arsenal of the Merchant Order.
Category:Seneschal