| The Stormwind Trading Company | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Type |
Mercantile Trade Company |
|
Founded |
598 K.C. |
|
Headquarters |
Stormwind City |
|
Leadership |
Board of Masters |
The Stormwind Trading Company (or S.T.C.) is a large mercantile conglomerate of guilds and private companies that have coalesced into a single corporate entity. The Company deals in a variety of goods and services. They stand above many other trading guilds or companies in the sense that they have also received a royal charter from the Kingdom of Stormwind and the permissions that come along with it. To this end, the Company is able to arm themselves with a private force of mercenaries and company soldiers, along with a small squadron of naval warships to protect their trade lanes on the open seas.
The Company attempts to maintain a favorable balance of trade, keeping good relations with merchant guilds that it may find useful and buying out competitors whenever possible. It is only through careful legislation by the House of Nobles that the Company has not yet risen to hold monopolies on a large quantity of trade goods. Still, the Company stands as one of the most profitable state ventures to date, having been created during the reconstruction period of the kingdom in 598 K.C. The Company also deals in the construction of new settlements and the expansion of the realm in the name of the Crown, which includes trade outposts and forts to protect both the kingdom's and the Company's interests.
The body that governs the day-to-day operations of the Company is known as the Board of Masters. Composed of nine associates within the organization, the Board oversees matters of finance, military expenditure, and diplomatic relations with other groups. The Board also appoints a leader of sorts, given the title of Governor of the Company. The Governor's position is mostly ceremonial at best, but it is a title of great prestige. The Governor is usually the oldest, most experienced member of the Board, having gained enough reputation through years of cunning mercantile schemes and hard labor. The Governor may also appoint tasks to those within the Board, such as the Lt. Governor, the Company Exchequer, and the Company Lord Commander. The need to delegate duties is perhaps the most important duty bestowed upon the Governor of the Company, for it allows for the successful operation and execution of the Company's activities both at home in Stormwind City and abroad.
The Company's Board of Masters. From left to right: Johann Mueller, Amelia Eckhart, Balwick Derrickson, Company Exchequer Wilhelm Grunwald, Governor Conrad Wolfram, Lt. Governor Penelope Redsummer, Lord Commander Raphael van Ruyter, Olivia Rose, Wyrick Blackstone.