Nauts Guild

> The Nauts guild was founded centuries ago: these outstanding sailors, the only ones able to cross the high seas and return have put their talents at the service of the different nations on the continent. Excellent sailors and explorers, they guard their sailing secrets with vigilance to preserve their trade, thereby attracting the suspicion of many.
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> The Nauts own a small island off the mainland where only members of the guild are allowed and where they build their ships. They have a codified language and are immediately recognizable by their facial tattoos that represent their advancement in the guild and tell their story. To ensure the renewal of their ranks, the Nauts accept volunteers, although they are rare, but also consider any children born on their ships to be theirs. It is also said that some children would be given to them as payment for their services…
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The **Nauts Guild** is a sailors outfit that crosses the high seas and go into service of the different nations on the continent.

## Culture

In order to maintain their numbers, Nauts often recruit from their passengers and the nations they represent and are broken into two groups: sea-born and sea-gifted.

Sea-born individuals are Nauts who were born on a Naut ship. As per the law of the sea, any newborn is given to the Nauts, regardless of the parents' titles or nationality.

Sea-gifted individuals are Nauts who were recruited into the guild at a young age, often through contracts with families or entire nations. These contracts are sometimes made years before a child's birth in exchange for the Nauts' services for a predetermined amount of time. Prior to the start of GreedFall, the Congregation of Merchants made a deal with the Nauts promising a number of the nation's children for help with their overseas trade lanes. Breaking these contracts (that is, for a family to reclaim a sea-gifted child) would result in devastating commercial consequences as the Nauts would stop assisting the family or nation's maritime trade or exploration in retaliation.

Nauts are not known for settling lands or having an interest in colonization, instead preferring the open ocean. They do, however, hold an island as their own capital as well as various properties in the trade ports they frequent. Regardless of the trade port's nation, Naut properties are treated as sovereign entities solely under the jurisdiction of the guild.

## Notable Members

* Vasco: a sea-gifted captain responsible for taking de Sardet, Constantin d'Orsay, and their entourage to Teer Fradee.
* Jonas, son of Lady Fontaine.
* Lauro
* Flavia
* Captain Ruben
* Admiral Cabral
* Captain Lisandro
* Second Mate Fernando

Unnamed Nauts in the game are often only titled as Naut Officer, Naut Novice, Naut Guard, Sailor, Seaman and Naut Longshoreman. There also is a Naut Tattooist.

## Trivia

* This faction has a penchant for face tattoos. The designs are based on Maori ta moko.
	+ These tattoos seem to denote rank; the more tattooed an individual, the higher their veterancy within the Naut hierarchy.
* The Nauts are most likely inspired by the Portuguese Empire during the Age of Discovery, with many of it's characters having portuguese/iberic names and focusing mainly on naval navigation.
* Vasco's name might be a reference to the famous portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama.