Coop

A **coop** is a legal entity of a trading or merchant guild within the Sevreanic League. There are thousands of coops, who each compete within their own proper market commodity, whose members share a common purpose or practice.

Similar to Houses, coops are required to don a sigil, as a way of both recognition as well as self-advertising, an important aspect to popularity and success.

## History

The inauguration of coops began following the dissolution of the Phasynic League, decided by the results of the Cagewall Rebellion in 780 UA. Sought to find order and balance between guilds, and to prevent a similar incident to the Rebellion, the Sevreanic League mandated a strict set of rules to govern its trading entities that also called for financial success.

The League was slow to win over its occupants, with many opting to open private businesses in non-cities, but within the first few decades the number of coops rose substantially. Supported by honest and reliable council amongst coops, the Sevreanic League earned the respect of many of the most popular trading guilds pre-Rebellion, and saw a massive spike in the mid-800's, following a particularly good harvest year.

By the turn of the millennium, tens of thousands of coops had been registered within the League, calling for a complete overhaul of management at the higher end, and the edition of the Greencoats, a private and prestigious guild of investors who buy the rights to (sometimes multiple) coops. While many at first opposed this addition, the leeway provided when entering agreements with investors allowed for careful and precise terms & conditions to be made, and in turn, coops could benefit greatly by these contracts.

## Law and Ownership

All coops are governed by the Sevreanic League, each of whom follow specific rules and regulations approved by the Royal System of Ralanos. Within the League, there is a prestigious guild known as the Greencoats, who consist of some of the wealthiest and prominent traders and investors in the land. Both individually and collectively, these members invest in various coops, as well as buying and supporting common interest and marketshare bonds. These bonds often include End Reach Contracts, or ERC's, which incentivize targeted capita goals in exchange for funds and support. Oftentimes, a Greencoat will buy out a coop, either flipping the guild or acting as owner. There are about sixty-five Greencoats, who are all appointed by the Sevreanic Council, and who pay a membership to own a "Green Seat".

Like any business or establishment, each coop is owned and operated by either a single entity or a collective group; however, an individual is required to bear the position of "Coop Owner", who is protected by law under the Sevreanic League. All other positions, rules or wages are governed within the coop, including the line of distribution, and specific commodity. Some coops are known to sell and trade multiple commodities.

## Roles

There are a variety of roles within a coop. Some of these roles include, but are not limited to:

Coop Owner - Head Operator of Coop, responsible for overseeing and regulating rules, roles, and wages

Treasurer - Responsible for calculating and upkeeping all records, taxes, wages, and finances.

Head Trader/Distributor/Merchant - The Head of each respective sector, who oversees production and reports directly to the Coop Owner.

Vendor (Trader/Merchant) - One who either trades or sells a commodity. Vendors may work in trading rings, as a traveler, or in a store, and are often paid via commission. Traders generally swap between commodities, rather than merchants who sell for profit.

Distributor - Transporter of goods, either by land or sea, between manufacturers and vendors. Some distributors may also be vendors.

Manufacturer - Collective term for anyone who works in the base production of the commodity. This may include farmers, craftsmen, blacksmiths, etc. Oftentimes, there are many lines of manufacturing, as some coop commodities require multiple manufacturers in the production process. Another manufacturing role is a bundler, who works to prepare the goods for distribution.

## Forms of Market

Coops compete to buy, sell, or trade commodities within a common market, often categorized by various "exchanges", spanning across the continent. Some of the more prominent exchanges are found in the larger trading cities, including Goelyn, Duzlock, and Nezlock.

### **Pits**

These exchanges are most commonly split into "rings" or "pits", which consists of vendors from various coops, competing verbally to complete a contract. Pits are divided by commodity, and can include both traders and merchants. Coops appoint "buyers" and "sellers", who position themselves within a specific ring, and record transactions on a "pit card", which is brought directly to the treasurer at the day's end. Usually, the trading day ends at Vala's Rise, though some pits never close.

On the first and sixth days of the week, Head Distributors work with the treasurer to prepare sold or traded goods from the pits, to be delivered to or received by another coop. Therefore, many companies have adopted a surplus to ensure the success of a sale or trade.

### **Stands and Stores**

Coops can also be represented by owning a market stand or a storefront, though the latter is not as common. Though most store owners are private, non-coop merchants, some of the more successful coops may open a shop within a city or town, and sell their product.

Market stands can usually be found in a specific area of a city or town, often in close proximity to trading pits.

### **Traveling Merchants**

Merchants may operate from a transportable stand, carriage or wagon, traveling to and from various locations to sell products or make contracts. While the market is profitable, it can be dangerous, and sometimes requires armed personnel or hired broanes.

## In the Books

In a conversation between the two Madrants of House Levington, Quentin Ciderian mentions that Jonas Levington was a prominent coop owner, who left the business to become Overseer of Nezlock eleven years ago. His father, Jaimen, was also a prominent member of a different coop.

Wilmer Garth questions why his cousin, Alderyn, doesn't join a coop, to which Alderyn explains stems from a bad history with trading guilds, and that they're too "commercialized" for his likings.