Guild
In ancient Catazarria the original Merchant Princes would licence wealthy interests to participate in the politics of their city. To do so the group in question had to present a document outlining their goals, heraldry and founding principles. If the Prince smiled upon their efforts (or at least, on the accompanying "gift"), they would grace it with their seal and it would become an official legal document. Thus, an ancient Catazarri could point to their "Carta" ("Paper"), proving that they had the right to lead.
Nowadays the process of authorising a Carta is a adminstered by the Civil Service, and the document itself has come to be known as a charter. The terms are interchangeable. Some older Catazarri Carta insist on the archaic term, while more modern Charters, especially those from Holberg, use Charter instead. Some Carta operate without a charter, but for those that have one it is an object of immense pride. Typically decorated in gold leaf, illuminated in fine coloured inks and adorned with the seals of bishops and Emperors, it is frequently displayed as a public statement of wealth and power. An ancient Charter is well regarded, and will garner a Carta respect even if their financial fortunes are not so illustrious. It is not unknown for an ailing Carta to even sell their charter, and a thriving trade exists in counterfeits and stolen charters.
By tradition the leader of these ancient organisations carried a signet ring with the seal of the Carta upon it, and thus only they could sign documents on behalf of the entire Carta. This practice earned them the title of "Signeur" or "Signeura" (when their power wasn't great enough to justifiably claim the title of Prince), and this has persisted to the present day.
Discussions within the Carta are often heated and the Catazarri appreciate a passionate argument, but if consensus cannot be reached on an important issue then the Signeura may simply raise her hand, palm inwards to display the ring with the seal of the Carta. This is done to remind the other Carta members that they follow her lead, and should abide by her decision while doing so. It is not done lightly, as it can be seen as a reprimand for excessive bickering or childlike behaviour, and can lead to extreme bad feeling. In any event the other Carta members must accept the Signeura's decision or a challenge her leadership immediately.
A small number of Carta demand that every member be either a blood relative, or married to a blood relative. Often referred to as "camorra" in a slightly derogatory way, these Carta have a largely undeserved reputation for dubious morals and underhand dealings. They are marginally more common in Temeschwar and Tassato than elsewhere.
Creating a Carta
The Carta is intended as the major social grouping for the League; a network of skilled and ambitious people who have bound their fortunes together for mutual gain. Smaller Carta typically specialise in order to take advantage of a niche while larger ones tend to be extremely diverse, but these patterns are far from set in stone. Free Companies, for instance, are a type of Carta who specialise in mercenary work and tend to have few fixed assets as a result.
It may be a good idea to consider whether you want to have a group charter when creating a Carta, and how vigorously you expect the members to adhere to it. Having a charter will serve as a good advertisement to new potential players who might wish to join. You should consider carefully what your group will enjoy playing, and try not to put in place rules that will be hard to enforce, or lead to constant internal friction. Nebulously virtuous principles and grandiose goals that will encourage the Carta to strive will probably serve you best unless you have a group dedicated to a real hardcore concept.
Each Carta's specific goals and methods vary, but almost universally involves accumulating political and financial power. Success is about more than cash though, it is about renown and sophistication. Whatever your Carta does, it should at least claim to be the best at it. Membership in your Carta should be something that others aspire to. Everybody should know its name and recognise its heraldry. Remember; the Carta endures after you are gone, leave it's legend greater than you found it.
Even if a character isn't a member of your Carta (or even your nation), then they can still associate with it - the League encourages hiring specialists. Such freelancers may never have the security or prestige of Carta membership, but they can hire themselves out to the highest bidder. A servant that betrays a Carta after accepting its coin will seldom last long, though.
Within a Carta the player characters represent the leaders and owner, and while the Carta may have thousands of staff across its holdings, players are are the only ones who get to make major decisions. A leader who doesn't attend events is no leader in the eyes of a Catazarri, and will most likely find themselves replaced in short order - those who make the effort to attend get to make the decisions.
You may wish to base your Carta in a single city, of which CHECK Holberg, Sarvos, Tassato and Temeschwar are currently available. You may wish to also consider playing the remnants of a Carta that was originally based in the lost territories of Holberg or Verrario (while you cannot begin with any resources in those territories it would give you an excellent reason to want to reclaim them). A Carta that spreads itself too thin stands little chance of influencing local politics, so if you want a bigger share of the political power you are better concentrating on the least-populated territories. Your character certainly will come from a single city, so make sure you know its foibles and fashions lest you appear a buffoon in front of your peers!