GUILDS

There are several guilds that can be found in Blackstone, although only some of them can be ~~easily~~ joined due to the secrecy of others.

The Actors Guild
The Artists Guild
The Gardeners Guild
The Inventors Guild
The Watchmen Guild
The Vigilante Guild
The Assassins Guild

The Actors Guild
There's very little benefit to being an actor or active member of the Blackstone Theatre. The hours are almost as depressing as the pay, but there's a perk you can get here that you can't get anywhere else; complete immunity to social backlash. The stage is often used to make social commentary thinly veiled behind a script or monologue and the theatre has a reputation of staying relevant to current events. No matter class or last name, one is generally shielded from retaliation when they're under the protection of the lit stage, as nobody wants to lash out against the freedom of voice and make their reputation worse than what it already is.

Attending plays run by the Actors Guild is a good way to be enlightened on the current happenings of Blackstone, and the general public's response.

The Artists Guild

Although Blackstone may have (many) shortcomings, it certainly isn't a place completely devoid of culture. The Artists Guild is filled with both artists and art enthusiasts alike, and although the majority of their members are citizens of higher society, their doors are open to all. Most members of the Artists Guild can walk into The Blackstone Art Gallery and name the artists of each piece simply by the distinctive style.

Being a part of this guild is mandatory for those who wish to have their art hanging on the gallery walls, but membership is free and is determined by either the skill of the artist, or the size of the donation made by the enthusiast. The gallery will fair prices for good work, but they have high standards; they don't call it the life of a starving artist without reason.

The Gardeners Guild
Given Blackstone's preference toward industrialization, the space for farms and fields is highly limited. The Gardeners Guild provides nourishment for all citizens by utilizing their own roofs (and yards, for the wealthier members) to garden. The produce they grow is both sold on the market and donated to the soup kitchens, feeding Blackstonians from all walks of life.

The Gardeners Guild always has open membership and provides seeds for aspiring gardeners just starting out. All they require is for their members to donate at least half of their harvest to the Guild, which will sell their goods and pay a fair price to the original grower.

The Inventors Guild
Science! Machines! Blackstone is stuck in the last century and the Inventors Guild is filled with members who want to bring it into the next era. Possibly the most eclectic of the Guilds, this one is filled with citizens from all walks of life who wish to invent things that can make life better for the average Blackstonian, whether that be by inventing a crime-stopping robot or a device that peels all of your potatoes for you.

Although the Inventors Guild has produced some mechanisms that have proved to be helpful, it's generally seen as a group of dizzy people sitting around drinking and talking about how swell it would be if carts were pulled by metal horses you didn't have to feed.

The Watchmen Guild
Cities are filled with honorable citizens trying to do good. The Watchmen Guild provides a way for volunteers to help the local law enforcement keep an eye on the streets without taking the same risks that an everyday officer takes. The Watchmen have an agreement with the Blackstone Police. They report where they are going to be stationed, how long they plan on keeping an eye out, and what unusual things they've seen take place at the end of the day.

Measures have been taken to keep these helpful volunteers safe. They are directed to watch but not take action, as they are not armed nor are they provided with weaponry from the department. All mishaps that take place during a watch should be reported, not stopped, as to avoid the volunteer from finding themselves in danger.

Each volunteer is provided a whistle from the department to blow and signal nearby officers if anyone is in immediate danger, including themselves. Anyone who is interested in joining the Watchmen should contact Inspector Turner for details.

The Vigilante Guild
Although joining the Watchmen is generally noted as honorable by the Blackstone society, some believe it to be nothing more than a group of poorly trained babysitters. There is a more secretive group that also keeps an eye out for trouble in the streets of Blackstone, and this one doesn't limit themselves to simply reporting any misdeeds that they are witness to.

The Vigilante Guild is a group of people who take the law into their own hands, and have been condemned by the official police force because of it. They're known to stop muggings or robberies by attacking the perpetrator on sight, which can result in severe damage on either side or, in extreme cases, death. No vigilante admits to being one, and although it seems like they each act on their own accord there are whispers that there's a secret method of communication between the small group of vigilantes that have cropped up over the past decade or so. However, this cannot be confirmed due to their secretive nature.

The Assassins Guild
The Assassins Guild is nothing more than a rumor, which is exactly what they would want if they do exist. The Vigilante Guild operates mostly in the poor parts of the city where legal foot patrol is lacking, whereas the seldom reported activities of the Assassins Guild take place in more wealthier neighborhoods. Whenever there's a suspicious death of an aristocrat or politician, public curiosity of the Assassins Guild spikes along with questions as to who could benefit from the passing of the victim the most.

These deaths happen infrequently enough where law enforcement has no real lead to investigate beyond a hunch, protecting these would-be assassins if they do exist. Conspiracy theorists suggest that this is because the Guild will only take assignments after enough time has passed from their last target, or because some of these assassins are so skilled that they manage to kill their victims and make it look as if their deaths are due to natural causes.