Il Corpus

Ten guilds make up Il Corpus: Paramonos, Maestri Scrivantico, Operatia, Maestria dell'Arte, Casa d'Oliara, Maestri Scambio, Ash Gleaners, Kiklos, Soldatore, and La Cambita. Guilds manifest when there is a strong commonality among people–usually an ideal or occupation–that is then recognized by the existing guilds and incorporated into a new guild.   All citizens are eligible for guild membership at 20 years old. On rare occasions, outsiders will be offered membership if their work is exceptional. Entry requirements vary from guild to guild. Most citizens are members of a guild by the time they are 25; those who don’t join a guild are ostracized. It is extremely rare for someone to join one guild and switch to another. Each guild holds strongly to their values and would find anything that went against them morally wrong to some degree. Guilds are always in competition with one another, sometimes escalating into physical conflict.   Guild alliances break and reform often. Currently, there are three major alliances: Vorato, Regia, and Barashi. Guilds not in these alliances are considered unaligned.  

VORATO

Members of this alliance value tradition and seek to restore the order that existed pre-Sundering.  

Paromonos, “The Common”

The oldest guild; all others grew from it. Only citizenship is required to join the Paramonos, though their traditional worship of the gods deters many potential candidates. There is no centralized location for this guild; instead, they meet in small meeting halls all across the city.  

Maestri Scrivantico, “Masters of Ancient Writing”

Scrivantico spends their time trying to rediscover the intricacies of traditional runic magic that were lost in the Sundering. As experimenting with runes can be deadly, only the most studied citizens are allowed within their ranks. Candidates are given a series of runic challenges–colloquially called the Five Tests–that they must pass before even being considered for membership.
Area of Influence: The Ribaton is an amalgamation of buildings used by those studying various magics. This is shared with The Ash Gleaners, grudgingly. Rumors that it was once a library before the Sundering drive Scrivantico's effort to rebuild the Ribaton and find out if there's any truth to the claim.  

Operatia, “Workers of Life”

The work of rebuilding Piccarda falls squarely on Operatia's shoulders. They have raised countless buildings from the rubble in every section of the city, occasionally calling on the Maestria dell'Arte to assist with design elements. Their ranks include craftspeople of all kinds, such as masons, woodworkers, blacksmiths, and carpenters to name a few. Candidates must complete an apprenticeship before they may join the guild.
Area of Influence: The Grand Plaza is a large open forum where farmers and crafters bring their goods for trade. This space is shared with La Cambita. Some vendors prefer bartering over dealing with currency, since they’d then have to deal with Scambio.  

REGIA

These guilds are focused on building the wealth of Piccarda in wealth, status, or culture.  

Maestria dell'Arte, “Masters of Art”

Once the business of surviving was complete, the art of living could begin. Dell'Arte is a relatively new guild–an offshoot of Operatia. The two worked together closely at the start; though they have grown apart in recent years, they still collaborate from time to time. Members of dell'Arte appreciate beauty and the work it takes to create it in all forms. Their ranks consist mainly of painters, sculptors, musicians, and other artists. In order to join, a candidate must present their work to the rest of the members and be voted in.
Area of Influence: The Palotta is a half-ruined building that, instead of being restored, has been turned into a piece of art. Sculptures are carved into half the walls and paint and charcoal cover the rest. Some members of dell’Arte have even made living spaces in the rubble.  

Casa d'Oliara

Casa d'Oliara is a family that's maneuvered itself into its own power instead of relying on a guild. They are surprisingly charitable, opening their doors to neighbors when they need safety, sharing food, and occasionally representing the guildless. This contributes heavily to their public image and popularity in the city. The family continually tries to recruit the best of the best from the other guilds to work with them, the reasons for which are a mystery to outsiders.
Area of Influence: The Oliara estate is the grandest residence in the city. Walled off and secured by a massive gilded and runed door, the Oliara have been able to withstand some of the worst threats the city has faced.  

Maestri Scambio, “Masters of Exchange”

They say the Scambio coalesced the moment gold was discovered in the valley. This guild gained power as trade with other cultures became more necessary after the Blood King's Peace. Their primary focus is currency, though some members are alchemists as opposed to traders–an interesting partnership that isn't quite explained to the public. Members consist mostly of business owners and bankers. All members are required to pay dues into the guild bank, where Scambio claims most of Aldwa’s wealth is gathered. To simplify accounting, assets are liquidated and exchanged for raw gold, which is then melted into standardized coins and bars. This replaces the common methods more widely used in Aldwa. The gold rarely, if ever, leaves the guild vault.
Area of Influence: Ghasil Viala is the main stretch leading to the Grand Plaza and is arguably the most beautiful road in Piccarda. The building façades have legends carved and painted on them for any visitor to see–some are even gilded. This is where the moneylenders and alchemists operate.  

BARASHI

Members of this group are concerned with adapting to the challenges of this age. They often work in concert to handle threats posed to the city, whether they be magical, undead, or mundane.  

The Ash Gleaners

The Ash Gleaners were formed when Scrivantico refused to experiment with new magic. This guild's focus is exploring post-Sundering magical possibilities and is driven by discovery. Because of the prevalence of elementals in the valley, initiates must prove their ability to fight them in order to join their ranks and study other sources of magic.
Area of Influence: The Ribaton is an amalgamation of buildings used by those studying various magics. This is shared with Scrivantico, grudgingly. The section that the Ash Gleaners occupy has several large halls, each dedicated to the study of a specific element, with smaller adjoining rooms used for experiments.  

Kiklos, “The Cycle”

With the natural cycle of life and death broken, it is up to mortals to protect the living and put the dead to rest. Kiklos is devoted to this mission. As part of this, they are one of the only guilds to consistently give offerings and ask the favor of the gods–Moros and Lydia in particular. Those who wish to join their ranks only need to express commitment to this ideal, with the knowledge that they’ll be facing death often. Members specialize in dealing with undead threats, but they also act as healers.
Area of Influence: Under the city is a sprawling network of tunnels. Species who are more comfortable underground–beastkin and mothkin in particular–have carved out this area and live in it comfortably. Kiklos work here to address areas overrun by undead before they become a bigger issue. Though they try to put bodies to rest, sometimes all the guild can do is contain the threat. Undying must wear identifiers if they head down into the tunnels for their own safety.  

Soldatore, “The Watchers”

Formed by Grand Vizier Albiz Caverado, the Soldatore was once the military might of the city. With their defeat against the Lotus Kingdom, the ensuing treaty, and the Blood King's Peace, the guild's purpose shifted purely to Piccarda’s defense. The Treaty of Danfa limits the Soldatore to only about 200 members. Candidates are often selected and trained at a young age, then expected to join when they turn 20. Dropouts are common, as the city can only afford to have the best people defending it. There are rumors that several of these dropouts aren't dropouts at all and still work for the guild in more subtle ways.
Area of Influence: The Falling Peak is the highest point of the city. This section was raised up during the Sundering and is continuously crumbling due to the unstable terrain. It’s currently used as a lookout to see threats coming from the valley and as a stronghold against them. It can only be accessed by a tunnel and tight spiral staircase.  

UNALIGNED

La Cambita, “The Outsiders”

Those involved with the production of raw materials do most of their work outside the city proper. The group went without representation in Il Corpus for decades until they withheld food from Piccarda itself. When the city was on the brink of rioting due to the shortages, the other guilds had no choice but to recognize them. The guild doesn't have any close relationships, but their control of food gives them considerable power. Since their recognition, several guilds have tried to sway La Cambita to their cause. Should they choose to join an existing alliance, La Cambita would effectively control the entire Body.
Areas of Influence: Any part of the valley that isn’t in the city proper is the domain of La Cambita. Their presence in the city is limited to the Grand Plaza.