The Bankers Guild

Written by Emily Evans 

Welcome to the Bankers Guild, a neutral and influential institution that operates at the heart of Haven’s economy. As a player, your interaction with the Guild will typically revolve around funding builds, contributing to collective projects, and managing your in-game finances. You may choose to:

• Submit proposals for builds: Whether it’s a structure to support your nation or a religious site for your god, the Bankers Guild plays a critical role in helping make these ideas a reality.
• Invest in large-scale projects: The Guild supports the economic side of Haven’s expansion, allowing you to fund buildings that can affect the world in meaningful ways.
• Store resources & wealth: Keep your resources and coin safe in the Guild’s vault. Then you will be added to the lottery!
• Neutral advice: As a neutral party, the Bankers Guild is a resource for players seeking unbiased, practical advice on economic matters, builds, and investments.

The Bankers Guild stands as a beacon of stability and fairness within the chaotic world. Its mission is simple but powerful: to create a neutral and secure space where all may prosper, regardless of nation or allegiance. As you interact with the Guild, remember that your role is essential in maintaining this balance—acting with integrity, respect, and creativity.

We encourage all players to immerse themselves in the world of the Bankers Guild, engage in its activities, and enjoy the opportunities it offers, all while contributing to the rich, dynamic story that is unfolding in Haven.

The Bankers Guild is impartial and does not take sides in the ongoing conflicts between nations or factions. Our members are bound by neutrality, meaning they must act as fair intermediaries in all matters relating to coin, resources, and trade. Any action that could compromise this neutrality is strictly against the Guild’s code.

The Bankers Guild Origins

After the fading, in the aftermath of the chaos, a pair of resourceful individuals came together with a single, unifying goal: to restore a sense of order and trust. These individuals were the founders of the Bankers Guild, who sought to create a neutral ground where all factions, nations, and individuals could exchange resources without fear of exploitation or corruption.

The Guild was born out of necessity. In a time when empires were falling and everything was uncertain, the Guild provided a place where people could store their wealth, fund projects, and manage the flow of resources. Their neutrality was established as a cornerstone of the Guild’s existence, ensuring that all were welcome, regardless of their allegiance.

The founders—who were once prominent traders—understood the value of neutrality and the importance of financial security. They forged the original Bank Charter, which outlined the core principles of the Guild: impartiality, transparency, and fairness. These principles still stand as the foundation of the Guild’s operations today.

In the present day, the Bankers Guild continues to serve as a pillar of economic stability. Whether you are a player looking to invest in a project or build, withdraw your resources, or simply safeguard your wealth, the Guild is here to facilitate those needs—always with fairness and neutrality.

As the Guild continues to grow, so does its influence, but it remains dedicated to its founding principles. The Guild’s members work tirelessly to ensure that all aspects of Haven’s economy function smoothly, even as the tensions of war, religion, and mystery continue to swirl around them.

Bankers Guild Logistics 

The Bankers Guild primarily functions as the financial institution of Menhirs Fate, responsible for managing and distributing key resources—coin, flicker, essence, and faith—to players.

All transactions within the Bankers Guild are handled strictly in-character (IC). Players must interact with a Guild Member to access their accounts, review their records, and request withdrawals. Deposits and withdrawals (excluding faith, which is automatically withdrawn at the start of the game or upon a player’s first visit) are available, along with additional account services such as submitting wills or scheduling meetings with account managers.

Beyond its role as a financial institution, the Bankers Guild serves as a central hub where players can seek information, ask questions, and receive guidance in navigating Haven. Guild members are available to assist both IC and out-of-character (OC), directing players to the appropriate resources or contacting the necessary teams. Notice boards will be accessible for players, guilds, and nations to share important information.

The Bankers Guild will contain both Bank Managers & Tellers. All members can facilitate resource, deposit and financial transactions, but only bank managers can discuss and conclude the cost of builds.

Players will be given the option of a receipt for all basic financial services such as deposit and withdrawal. Players can request to view their IC character statements, but these cannot be taken and will remain strictly IC within the Haven branch of the Bankers Guild.

As the designated safe space for player inquiries and support, the Bankers Guild will strictly be staffed by Crew Members only. These team members will be available to provide assistance or escalate concerns as needed, ensuring a structured and reliable point of contact for all players.

Bank Guild Meetings & Fees

Players may request a one-on-one meeting with a Bank Guild Manager for various reasons. To ensure these meetings are valuable and efficient, a fee of 5 Saga per meeting will be charged. This fee helps maintain the bank’s operations, discourages unnecessary appointments during busy periods, and returns additional coin to the bank.

The primary purpose of these meetings is to contribute towards a Build or propose a new one. The Bankers Guild encourages as many builds as possible—there are no build slot restrictions in Menhirs Fate. However, players must justify their proposal in-character (IC), convincing the Bank Guild Managers that their build is a worthwhile investment of the game’s skilled builders and architects. While IC interaction plays a key role, the ultimate goal is to create engaging and meaningful builds that impact the game world. If a build application is approved, the bank meeting fee will be credited as the initial deposit towards the build cost as a show of good faith from the Bankers Guild.

Administrative & Service Fees

• Administrative Assistance – 20 Saga –  Players may request a Bank Guild Member to mediate financial matters, such as overseeing debt repayments, witnessing contract signings, or facilitating payments between players. Since these services extend beyond the bank’s standard logistics, a 20 Saga fee will be charged for each request.

Player Folders & Information Management

Each player will have a physical folder within the Bank, labeled with their unique Player ID. This folder will contain a bank invoice for each event, detailing key character information, including: Character ID, Character Name, Nation, Starting Balance & Resources.  Throughout the event, Bank Guild Members will manually update this document with deposits, withdrawals, and other financial transactions.

Additional Player Records

Player folders may also store other relevant in-game documents, such as Character Wills or Guild Information, if applicable. If a player wishes to submit a will officially tied to their bank account, ensuring any deposited coin is passed to designated inheritors, this must be formally submitted in-character (IC) during gameplay.

These folders are strictly for IC financial and character-related records and will not serve as general storage for all player paperwork. Any out-of-character (OC) information must be submitted directly to Game Control instead. 

Vault Storage

Players may request for the Banker’s Guild to store important items (such as Handsels) in “The Banks Vault” for safekeeping. 

Coin Return Incentive – The Bank Guild Lottery

Each player who has actively deposited funds back into the bank by the end of an event, will be entered into the Bankers Guild Lottery Draw. During downtime, a random player from this pool will be selected as the winner. At the following event on the Friday this player will be presented with a Giant Cheque of their winnings!

Bankers Guild Auction

To facilitate trade and the circulation of rare goods, the guild will host a daily auction at 7pm, offering exclusive rewards and valuable resources. These items may come from the guild’s own reserves, other guilds, or be sold on behalf of players seeking profit. The auctions provide players with opportunities to obtain coveted materials, artifacts, and resources, while ensuring the guild maintains control over commerce in Haven. The neutrality of the Bankers’ Guild ensures a fair process, and once the final bids are placed, payments are securely transferred. If a player has sold an item, the earnings are deposited into their bank account, ready for withdrawal.

Build Mechanic & The Economy

1. Concept Approval:
   • Players submit build proposals to the Bankers Guild for review via IC meetings with Bank Managers.
   • Approval is based on alignment with the world’s lore, economic feasibility, and potential impact on the game
2. Funding & Resource Allocation:
   • Players secure necessary funds and handsels/special items (if applicable), as the Bankers Guild does not provide financial support such as Loans. 
   • Each event, partially funded builds will be advertised to players to encourage entrance into this game element.
   • Additional support may come from nation backing, divine blessings, or community efforts.
3. Construction Phase:
   • For larger more complex builds, the build progresses in phases, with milestones reflecting the level of investment and effort.
   • Certain builds may require rare components, handsels. rituals or unique interactions with magical or religious entities.
4. Integration & Impact:
   • Completed structures may provide tangible benefits such as economic growth, military resupply, increased devotion, or magical boons.
   • Some builds may trigger new storylines, NPC interactions, or regional developments.
5. Maintenance & Evolution:
   • Complex builds require ongoing upkeep to maintain their benefits.
   • Over time, expansions or enhancements may become available, offering additional opportunities for player investment and engagement.

To teach and engage players in the Build system a selection of builds will be introduced at Event 1, displayed on notice boards within the Bankers Guild.

• Players can contribute individually or as a group.
• There are no nation-based restrictions—players from any nation can support any build.
• Once a build is fully funded, it will be removed from the board and replaced with another of the same type.

Build Categories & Costs

Builds are categorised based on their impact on the world and potential plot significance, with increasing costs from Category 1 to 4:

Some builds may span multiple categories, and costs will be determined IC by Bank Managers based on build type, size, and in-game roleplay.

While Event 1 will primarily focus on smaller-scale builds, a limited number of nation- and god-specific projects will be included/available for players to get involved with.

Buildings – Game Impact

1. Foundations (Spheres of Magic & Miscellaneous)

This category encompasses builds that either impact magical elements or are whimsical/creative constructs that don’t directly fit into the other categories. It serves to give the plot team material for unique storylines, ranging from mysterious magical creations to strange, otherworldly structures. While not every build will lead to plot developments, this category ensures players have freedom to create extraordinary, imaginative builds that add flavor to the game world.

2. Religion & Devotion

Buildings created within this category are linked to the gods of Haven. Each build, no matter its size, will influence the global faith pool of the god(s) it aligns with. The amount of faith added to the pool will only be accounted for after each event, potentially impacting the next event’s dynamics and religious themes. These builds shape the spiritual landscape and influence divine favor or challenges across the world.

3. Infrastructure (Military Support/Resupply)

For Infrastructure-related builds (such as roads, factories, etc.), these builds will directly contribute to military supply, the impact of which will be determined on a build by build basis. The Bankers Guild will implement a Maintenance Cost System, connecting the upkeep and expansion of military infrastructure to build projects. The system encourages players to not only expand territorial holdings but also ensure there are sufficient maintenance and resupply structures to support military units and armies.

The number of military units a nation can support depends on the number of regions it controls. Each region will support a fixed number of units, with the number of units scaling up with the addition of production and supply buildings (e.g., farms, roads, factories). 

4. Military Creation

Military units have five base statistics (e.g., Speed, Strength, Defense, etc.), with each unit starting with a score of 1/5 in each area. Players can improve these stats or create new military units. The costs and maintenance are determined by the improvements made and whether a unit is created for individual, group, or national use.

The maintenance costs for units will vary depending on the unit’s impact, features, and role in the game. These will be evaluated by Game Control and the Military Team on a case-by-case basis.

Summary of Building Categories and Impact

Each category and build type plays a crucial role in enriching the world-building, economy, and player engagement. This system fosters player creativity while maintaining balance across the game.

Impact on the Game:

• Currently, builds will not have an immediate impact during the event they are completed. The effects of these builds will be realized after the event during downtime, when the data is processed and integrated into the game world.
• Builds serve as long-term investments that ripple across the game world once fully funded and maintained.

IC Theft Mechanics

In the world of Haven, where opportunities and risks exist in equal measure, it is possible for daring individuals to target certain bank resources. Velvet bags and Chests, containing valuable items such as handsels or money will occasionally appear in areas within the bank or in NPC interactions, that will be IC ‘fair game’. 

While we do not encourage theft, as this is a form of greed/corruption, there will be opportunities where certain resources may be available for targeted theft. These items will be clearly labelled and placed in designated IC areas within or around the bank or as part of an encounter, providing a potential challenge for those who seek to test their luck and skill.

However, please be reminded that any actions taken in the pursuit of these items must remain strictly within IC boundaries. Theft should always align with your character’s motivations and the world’s storyline. We do not encourage theft as a primary goal but recognise that, for some, it may add depth to their experience. Attempting theft outside of the designated IC areas or from the OC resource boxes behind Bank Guild Desks, may result in out-of-character consequences.

We ask players to respect the structure of the game and understand that only specifically marked Bankers Guild items can be targeted for theft. Please ensure any actions you take align with the in-character context and avoid interfering with areas that are designated Out-of-Character (OC), such as behind Bank Desks, crew area or any other OC-protected spaces.

Theft in this context is a playful, in-game action, and must be conducted within the limits of the story. Failure to comply with these boundaries may result in out-of-character consequences. We will encourage players to have fun, stay creative, and to remember—actions have consequences, and every choice you make contributes to the unfolding story of Haven.