Merchants League

The Merchants League (sometimes called the "Merchant League" or "Merchants' League") is an international organization that holds a monopoly on seafaring trade in Hu and the Eastern Sea and which controls the majority of maritime trade routes and shipping activities. The roots of the Merchants League lie in the free cities of Sirenia and Cetacia in Western Hu and the bourgeoisie merchant class that arose therein.

In addition to western Hu, the Merchants League also has centers of power in the city states of Long's southern coast and offshore islands. There is also the Sirenian trading post of Monodon on the coast north of Eft.

Besides these "League-controlled" urban centers, the Merchants League also has a presence in many other ports and cities of commercial significant such as New Felix and Lycia Salamandra.

Given its control over trade, especially seafaring trade, the League is a powerful entity and even the Kings of Long and Hu cannot afford to alienate the League. A boycott by the League (which has historically only happened on a local level) would be disastrous. Hu is an archipelagic kingdom comprised of a chain of islands and is thus dependent on seafaring trade. Long is large enough to be an autarky but travel by sea is swifter than by land and Long benefits from international trade. As an island state and a smaller player on the world stage, Eft is even more dependent on the Merchant League's good graces. On the other hand, maintaining good relations with the League strengthens a prince's political position.

The most defiant action taken by the Merchants League occurred during the Varanus Trade Conflict during the reign of Varanus III when the League declared a general strike throughout the Cetacian City States.

Some members of the Merchants League believe the entity should have independent control over territory, with a capital city on one of the small islands between Hu and Long whose ownership is disputed. Others recognize that an attempt to create a political and territorial state could cause a backlash and jeopardize the League's powerful position.

In addition to seafaring trade, the Merchants League is involved in a lesser extent to overland trade in interior Long (the League has been increasing its presence in that regard) which has traditionally been characterized by a tributary economic system.

Merchant Families 

The wealthiest Merchant families are the Feresa, Orcinus and Koopman clans.