Eduran Expeditionary Company

The Edurish Pathfinder's Guild, known internationally as the Eduran Expeditionary Company, was an entity based in Eduvesting and Godshaven in Edury which traded internationally from 1313 to 1921. In its 600 year existence, it went from being a union of sea and river captains to a syndicate with a significant amount of control on international trade. Most known for managing the trade of the Salian colonial empire, it controlled the flow of goods and material between its colonies from 1617 to yesterday.

Arising in the 11th century, river captains of the Edu river started organizing for better rates, pay, and to keep the price of logistics high. The nobility who controlled the land clashed with these groups, and some historians consider this the origin of the conflict between the middle class and the nobility that would lead to the Eduran Revolution. As time went on, and these groups were unable to prevent the monopolization of trade rights by the nobility, they became the chartered agents of these aristocrats. Around 1100 is when seagoing captains started to be included in the rolls of members.

In 1297, various guilds in the Richtal formed a charter of unity, agreeing to work together to self regulate the logistics of river and ocean trade. This charter would eventually be joined by all captains guilds which traded along the river.

In 1607, after the Huenarnoan Import Company's failure to effectively smuggle goods from Huenarno to Gemurtrak, the Guild approached Bríon mac Sraing ó Giolla, the great grandson of Giolla mac Airde whose clan founded Salian Huenarno and owned the HIC. Salian policy for the colonies was that the colonies enjoyed autonomy in return for only trading goods through Salia; if Salian Huenarno wanted to trade with Nanmaunaktuk, the Nanmaunaktut colony would first need to sell the goods to a Salian merchant, who would bring them to Salia where the import would be taxed, and only then would they be sold to a Huenarnan buyer. The colonies were also forbidden to trade with foreign powers. The colonies, Salian Huenarno chief among them, ignored this policy, and by the early 1600's, smuggling had become rampant, and Eduran Expeditionary Company ships carried the largest percentage of such shipments, especially between the newly founded Southern Import Company in Gemurtrak and Salian Huenarno. After the failure of the HIC's Revolution of Salian Huenarno in 1609, the failure of Eduran colonial policies, and the nationalization of the HIC by the Salian government, the EEC was encouraged by the Eduran monarchy to approach whatever passed for the Salian government. (Candi excuse me, what?)

The agreement reached by Edury and Salia was that the colonies would be allowed to trade directly with each other, and internationally; in this way, the Salian government effectively commissioned the EEC to perform all trading between Salian colonies. The EEC would then provide the Salian state a large portion of the profits from running this.

Eventually the Salian colonial system collapsed, but the prominence and power gained by the Company from the long period of logistical monopoly meant that they still enjoyed a large portion of international trade.

Colonial period
Eduran colonial policy resulted largely in failure. New Edury was an abject failure, and was sold to Gladomyr, who re-dubbed the colony Koranel. Other expensive failures lead the government to abandon overseas colonial ventures. This provided some hardship to the Expeditionary Company, whose focus had shifted from being a trade guild of knowledgeable river and seafarers, to a profit-driven enterprise. The colonies of other Alutran powers, subscribing to Mercantilism, forbade their colonies to trade with other nations. The colonists, however, were able to skirt these laws that were difficult to enforce and desired trade goods from foreign shores, and the Company was willing to aide them; that is to say, smuggling became official policy.

In 1717, an agreement was made with the Salian government. Following rampant smuggling, political chicanery, and a rebellion in the colonies, the Salian government agreed to allow their colonies trade with each-other and internationally; however, the only merchants that would be allowed to conduct this trade would be those of the Eduran Expeditionary Company. The Company, in turn, would pay the Salian state a certain portion of the profits. This solved the issue of smuggling by removing the need to trade illegally; all trade could now be conducted legally. The Company would regulate its own captains to ensure that rates for trade would remain low enough not to push colonists to smuggling, but high enough to be profitable for both the Company and the Salian government.

This arrangement would continue until [year], where the Salian colonial system would collapse.

1800's-1920's
In the early 1800's, the nobility of Edury had monopolized the right to trade as merchants. The Company largely existed as a way to provide ships and crews to these noble entrepreneurs, while the captains and crews acted as agents. Following the Eduran Revolution, these restrictions were lifted. From that point until the company's dissolution, captains would typically own the majority of their own ship, with a portion belonging to the Company itself, and large mercantile interests would own 10-20% of several ships. As time went on, the Company and these mercantile interests would own a greater and greater portion of the individual ships. Trade also went from the captains buying their trade goods to sell elsewhere, to the Company offering a rate to transport goods and passengers.

Invasion of Shemia
In 1811, the monarchy of Sfati was overthrown, and soon came into conflict with its neighbors. After months of bloody war, the Expeditionary Company's trade in the Abayadi Sea had suffered as several trade routes and safe ports were made dangerous and impassable. The Company, with the support of the government in Godenhaven, decided to wade into the conflict.

Sending arms and materiel to the monarchist faction, the Company set up logistical supply trains to support their new allies. Gaining aid from other Alutran powers, the superior logistics and arms of the Company prevailed; at the Company's behest, Sfat annexed Elihu and Rehovot and formed the State of Shemia. This entity was nominally independent, however, the governors appointed by the Company- who maintained a mercenary garrison in the country- held sway, and consulted with other Altruan powers instead of the locals in matters of legislation.

This occupation would last until the First World War where Haksarad would invade. For 80 years, Shemia would remain under Company control. This was unpopular in Edury, where the riches of the Salian agreement and the occupation of Shemia were seen only by the Burgher class of industrialists, and not by the workers. Receiving loans and grants from the government, much of the expense was born by the public, rather than these burghers.

Dissolution
Following the Workers Spring after the first world war, the new worker-lead government had a very distasteful view of the company. Its assets would be expropriated under Barend de Boer, the first Wheelerist Lord-Magistrate, and the company forcibly dissolved.