======Guilds====== * Rastaban was a city of many peoples and professions. In the Golden Age, there was a huge proliferation of Guilds, Colleges and other associations of artisans. * After centuries of the city cannibalizing itself, only a few prominent Guilds remain. =====The Imperial Commission===== * The Imperial Commission is located within the walls of the Imperial Palace. * The Commission are the only group with official permission to possess and work with raw Black Ichor. * The Commission produce various derivatives of black ichor which are available in restricted supply to the public. * By arrangement with the Palace, they supply the sleeping drafts for the annual Day of Dreaming. * Their name hearkens to the original Commission established to investigate the appearance of Ichor beneath the city. * Their members are known as Commissioners or Ichor Savants. * The Commission are protective of their practices. They are, in turn, protected by Imperial law. =====The Foresters Guild===== * The Forest of Loss is an ever-present threat. As such, the Foresters Guild was established to manage it. * They are responsible for driving back the Forest and dealing with any other threats it produces. * The Guild contains citizens of all stripes. * Those who are touched by Loss and survive, however, are forcefully inducted into the Guild for their own safety, lest the fear and suspicion of the populace turn to harm. * Imperial citizens almost universally recognise the need for the Foresters Guild. However, they are deeply suspicious and fearful of those who enter the Forest. Their work is a thankless but necessary task. =====The Shapers College===== * According to legend, the Shapers College was founded by Serjet, who built most of the city singlehanded. * Though a College by name, it is a loose collective of professionals whose primary function is to formally accredit Shapers. Among other things, such official accreditation allows Shapers to sell the work they produce. * Their headquarters is in a tower which rises up from the walls of the city and pierces the clouds. * It is important to note that their headquarters is not the tallest building in the city. * The Imperial Palace, which does not pierce the clouds, is officially the tallest building in the city. * To say otherwise is not only obviously untrue, but especially unwise. =====The Circle of the Enlightened Mind===== * The Circle is an ancient college founded by Imperial scholars with the original purpose of training scribes, scholars, bureaucrats and nobles - providing them with a classical education. * It is one of the oldest buildings in the city, and carries great cultural importance. * Politically, the Circle is neutral, controlled by a Board of Education whose membership is strictly balanced. * The Circle is home to some of the greatest minds of the city, who dedicate their life to study. * However, its official curriculum has not changed since the Isolation began.