Description

A guild responsible for organising mercenary companies specialised in escorting goods and people. After the opening of the portals, their focus mostly shifted to the seas and maritime commerce. Exporting magic items from Šraku to the Sword Coast has proven to be very profitable.

Goals, Aspirations & Fears

The Navigator guild wishes to increase their influence through the promotion of maritime commerce, and placing themselves as the supreme authority at sea. They would love to exterminate pirates completely, but due to the special status the two pirate cities have, this cannot be done by the Navigators guild alone, so they are seeking allies on land to work with them in this area.

The pirates are no longer the main threat to sea-based trade, however. That title goes to the portal network, which they view as an existential threat to their guild.

Structure & people

Formally, the Guild is lead by the Grand Admiral. Unlike the wider Mercenaries Guild, however, the Navigators Guild is not very centralized. While the top-down culture of the wider Mercenary Guild are presently found in nearly every aspect of the Guild's operations, their categorical rejection of the usage of portals makes strong, decisive leadership impractical and slow. Thus, the local Chapters hold most of the power within the guild, each lead by their Admiral. This is reflected in sea-based warfare tactics, which differ significantly between chapters.

Leader

The Guild is lead by a charismatic Grand Admiral. They represent the Guild in the Landsraad and set the general course of the Guild. The Grand Admiral retires with full honors after ten years of service, at which point they choose their successor from the ranks of the Admirals.

Admirals oversee local guild chapters. They are responsible for most logistical operations, such as securing favorable prices with the Shipwrights Guild to repair their ships after battles. They also coordinate larger contracts, which are beyond the capabilities of any one Captain.

In some rare occasions, they may even lead from the front. This is a rare occurrence, however, as most Admirals have already had their fill of battle and excitement, and wish to retire in peace.

Captains serve at the command of an Admiral. They are responsible for hiring their own crew and carry out contacts assigned to them by their Admiral. Anyone can become a Captain by entering into the service of an Admiral. Admission processes vary on a per-chapter basis.
Captains are free to take on their own contracts, provided that they cut in the Guild and notify their Admiral before leaving - lest they be branded deserters...

Crewmembers are sailors, quartermasters, cooks, and other people who keep the ship afloat at sea. They serve under captains, but are free to leave whenever they please.

Quest Giver

Sildud the Fearless

Examples contracts:

• Protect a merchant vessel from pirates

• Hunting a smaller sea monster. (e.g. a Sahuagin Baron)

• Transport goods or people to a given destination

• Navigating through some particularly treacherous waters

Opponent

A notorious raider from Anfyn, who's been intercepting shipments from Brell to Stormhaven.

Member Creation Tables

Admiral

Captain

Crewmember

Locations

Members of the faction hold the most influence in the cities of:

• Šraku

• Stormhaven (port)

• Brell

History

Guild Golden Age

Construction of the Stormhaven Ports

For more information, see: Stormhaven (Ports)

Following the establishment of the Landsraad, the Navigators' Guild lobbied hard to expand the port in stormhaven to combat piracy. They were eventually successful, and were awarded with full ownership over the city's ports.

Portalist's Perusal

Plots in the Stormhaven Ports

For more information, see: Stormhaven (Ports)

After the Portalist opened a portal in Stormhaven, the Navigators tried to get the city council to close it again. Their plotting eventually led them to lose the newer ports in the city.