Ashed Guild system

The Ashed economy is made up almost entirely of City-based businesses that hire almost exclusively Ashed workers with few exceptions.Even **outlander companies** are still based in city states, often having warehouses to temporarily store resources acquired from other far off lands.

## Guild Ranking

Guilds are ranked in each city by their profit margins which are measured after material expenses but before employees are paid their wages. This is to encourage material efficiency without shrinking employee wages. These financial measurements are handled by private accounting businesses within the city states hired out by the **Council of 14** and overseen by the **Ethics Council**.

The ranks are in categories of which broad trade they represent. Farming, fishing, textiles, lumber, steel, manufacturing, service, etc. The 12 largest categories represent the 12 potential seats on the council to determine how the city should be run.

The top ranked business of each category gives that guild the public duty to control the city budget, with the limitation they cannot spend taxes on their own business, However due to these businesses not wanting to give their next competitor an edge over them, the council tends to hire the third best or lower businesses for public projects.

## Legal competition

Ashed guild businesses of similar or identical trades are encouraged to out perform, out price, or otherwise beat the competition through the amount of profit. The larger the amount of profit before paying their employee's wages, the higher ranked the businesses are in the

## Guild recruitment

An Ashed citizen is expected to learn what they are good at or "find their shape" sometime before or around their 16th year of life. The Ashed educational system sends children to various factorums, fisheries, workhouses, and other businesses large and small to find their proficiency. These work outings serve several purposes, first to find the young citizen's talent, or foster it. Secondly to allow employers to scout future talent to replace aging workers. Thirdly as a small bonus to provide said businesses with a temporary boost of labor.

These young adults if they are proficient enough at the given trade of the month often are given work slots in businesses years before they graduate to full citizen. The best students are often competed over by multiple guilds who offer better pay, benefits, occasional threats or other incentives to join when they graduate. The less skilled or talented at least show they are proficient enough to be on the workfloor and fill out an order, often get less benefits and pay, but can still showcase they are competent.

## Worker/Guild loyalty agreement

Ashed workers when accepted by a company take on an unwritten, often unspoken social contract of absolute loyalty to their chosen employing business. They will work long hours, fulfill any order given, never betray the company, not give away any information on practices, techniques, capabilities, or vulnerabilities of the company, and not seek employment at other companies. This in turn is expected to be compensated with pay enough to support a family on one income, and continued employment so long as the employee requires employment.

In the example of a factorum worker that cripples an arm in an industrial accident, the company is expected to find them another job at the company they can do with one arm so long as they are willing to work. Because of this, changing companies is considered to be highly unusual and often arouses great suspicion regarding the worker and employers involved.