Master of the Clearing House
Overview
The Master of the Clearing House is an Imperial title awarded to a League citizen.
Responsibilities
The Master is responsible for ensuring that all business taking place at the Tassato Apothecary Clearing House is being undertaken in a scrupulous fashion. The fine quality of herbs passing through the doors of the Clearing House must be guaranteed, and all transactions must be conducted in a civil, legal, and timely fashion. The actual day-to-day running of the Clearing House is handled by a team of well-paid apothecary agents, and for the most part they can get on with their jobs without any interference from the Master.
In the event that the business of the Clearing House were threatened, it would fall to the Master to deal with those threats. At the same time, they might be called on to make decisions about opportunities relating to the Clearing House.
In return, the agents of the Clearing House keep provide the Master with access to any special bargains they might spot.
Powers
Herbal Clearing House
| Clearing House | |
| 7 Crowns | 6 drams of true vervain, 2 drams each of imperial roseweald, cerulean mazzarine, bladeroot, and marrowort, and 2 random herbs |
| 17 Crowns | 12 drams of true vervain, 4 drams each of imperial roseweald, cerulean mazzarine, bladeroot, and marrowort, and 5 random herbs |
| 35 Crowns | 18 drams of true vervain, 6 drams each of imperial roseweald, cerulean mazzarine, bladeroot, and marrowort, and 8 random herbs |
The Tassato Apothecary Clearing House is a ministry. The Master can purchase quantities of herbs at a set price. The Master makes their decision how much money to spend during downtime from their character page. Money is removed from, and resources are placed into, the character's inventory when the downtime is processed.
The Kruidenkenner
| Herbs | ||
| 7 Crowns | 16 random herbs | |
| 17 Crowns | 33 random herbs | |
| 35 Crowns | 50 random herbs |
In Autumn 383YE, the Senate chose to expand the Kruidenkenner Magazjin in Necropolis. As a consequence, grateful merchant-herbalists of the Sarcophan Delves have made their merchandise available to the Master of the Clearing House at what they consider reasonable prices. This additional track will remain available as long as the Empire's good relations with the Kruidenkenner and the Delves continue.
Appointment
The Master of the Clearing House is appointed each year during the Summer Solstice by unanimous decision of the senators of the League. If a unanimous decision cannot be reached, the title may be appointed by the Imperial Senate instead.
The title can be held by a citizen of the League. The Master of the Clearing House is appointed annually. They can be revoked by the General Assembly, the League National Assembly, and by the Assembly of the Nine.
Tassato Apothecary Clearing House
The Apothecary Clearing House was commissioned by Cesare Sanguineo Rezia Di Tassato of the Gilded Horn Carta during the Summer Solstice 379YE, but construction was delayed for some time. It was finally completed nearly a year later, and opened its doors shortly before the Summer Solstice 380YE.
The building itself is fairly unassuming - a large warehouse and offices in southern Mestra with access to private river docks. Herbs are stored in the secure warehouse until they are sold, carefully protected by well-paid guards. Tassato is not particularly known for its herb gardens, but the Cesare seal-of-approval has attracted interest from herb dealers across the Empire. Now, citizens of Tassato can purchase fine quality cerulean mazzarine from the Brass Coast, prepared bladeroot from Wintermark and Varushka, and the best true vervain and imperial roseweald the Marches and Dawn have to offer - as well as employing the expertise of professional apothecaries. The Clearing House is open to everyone, of course - and its central position along the western borders of the Empire means it has already seen a fair amount of business between the mazzarine-starved physicks of the north and the bladeroot hungry potion-makers of the southern coast.
| Summit | Elected |
|---|---|
| Summer Solstice 385YE | Cosimo Sanguineo Rezia Di Tassato |
| Summer Solstice 384YE | Ester Sanguineo Rezia di Tassato |
| Summer Solstice 383YE | Oscuro Kira di Tassato |
| Summer Solstice 382YE | Beatrix Amalia De Rondell zu Holberg |
| Summer Solstice 381YE | Wilhelmina Aurora Sanguineo |
| Summer Solstice 380YE | Wilhelmina Aurora Sanguineo |
Recent Elections
This title is currently held by Cosimo Sanguineo Rezia Di Tassato; it will be reelected at Summer Solstice 386YE. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.
The Title in Play
The role does not provide additional information about events in the Empire, nor allow the player holding it to request special reports or downtime actions. These details are assumed to be below the abstraction layer. The title holder is encouraged to create their own stories about their activities within reasonable limits and to get involved in events appropriate to their title during the game, but they do not have any powers beyond those explicitly listed in the section on powers.
These details exist partly to provide context and character to the role - and partly to allow our writers to use the title as a plot hook. Plot that involves the position will be rare - but all the campaign positions in Empire have these details to create the potential for it to happen.