The Maltrate Consortium

Icon of the Maltrate Consortium

The Maltrate Consortium is a long standing alchemist's guild situated in Corovon that was recently disbanded due to discoveries of corruption and crimes against the people.

## History

Originating from a small family alchemical practice that migrated to Corovon early in its lifespan, the Maltrate Consortium started as a simple business focused on medicinal potion-making to combat any injuries or illnesses that would spring up during the formative years of the civilization. Very reputable and caring, they had a solid niche within the market in Corovon, in time growing to a heightened economic status.

As the company grew, it merged with several other research groups, cooperating and sharing their knowledge as they became formally known as the Maltrate Consortium. Processing became more efficient and labor became more affordable, so their growth continued. After reaching critical mass the Consortium decided to elect a chairman to head their business principles. The man who would be elected would not be of the founding family, but rather a man from a far-flung settlement, and alchemist by the name of Balan Corvinas. Little was known of his origins, however his tact and charisma as a businessman was indisputable, so the formal structure took into effect.

What was unforeseen among the founding members of the Consortium was that Balan Corvinas came from a cruel culture. His home settlement was deeply human supremacist, and engaged in the enslavement of demi-human people. Balan had left his home settlement in hopes of expanding his influence, taking the alchemical secrets gained from horrific experimentation upon the slaves they had taken. Seeing a potential to outshine the otherwise morally sound market of Corovon, Balan began to create an underground slave trade in Corovon. By paying off corrupt guardsmen, they would come into the possession of the 'criminal' demi-humans who would be wrongly arrested and sold into hidden factories where they would either be subject to hard labor, or be used to advanced trials for new potions. By the time Balan made even a single mistake, he had already arranged the enslavement of dozens of innocent demi-humans.

When the founding family discovered the atrocities that were occurring, they immediately moved to speak out, however Balan's influence and corruption was already too well-rooted, and the founding family was swiftly assassinated. Left to his own devices, Balan furthered his burgeoning criminal enterprise and went so far as to begin enslaving and conditioning humans from foreign settlements, warping them into inhuman enforcers that could fulfill Balan's will. These 'Sunken' as they became known (due to their sunken eyes) would lose most all sense of self as they became weapons of evil.

These atrocities carried on for several years in secret, until an adventurer caught wind of the corruption within the Consortium and managed to get one of the chairman’s assistants to betray him. Justice was swift and merciless as the entirety of Balan's council was put to death, and many of the staffers of the Consortium were arrested. What the guardsmen uncovered that day within those buried factories was tragic and heart-wrenching, with there being demi-human children who had never seen the light of day, and victims of horrific experiments. This was the length of which greed could take man, and proves as a cautionary tale to those who become too avaricious.

## Organization

Formerly a conglomerate company of varying alchemist families, the guild has been forcibly disbanded by the government of Corovon. Even those who were unaware of the corruption are still under suspicion, even if it isn't always rightful. The remaining alchemist's split up, hoping to put the despised company behind them.

It is unknown whether there were any escapees when the guild fell, as none of the council spoke before their executions, so what became of any remnants of that evil company and its bizarre enforcers is a mystery.