Once one of the most ancient lumbering guilds of the Overlook, The Black Ice Traders extend their trade by land or sea, employing ruthlessness and cunning by splipping into Daikhar Zhigun and western Grevesmühl, cutting lumber and reselling it back to the dwarves, or by smuggling goods (and even people) from and to Grevesmühl's neighbours and from all the Bay.

Ostensibly a lumber guild formed by the humans of Grevesmühl to supply the dwarves of Daikhar Zhigun with much needed wood, the Black Ice Traders take a bite out of any trading, lumbering, or trapping in Grevesmühl, the Dwarfhame bay, and the Black Ice Bay. Since Arlinda Aldor has taken control of the guild, a lot has changed. Lumber prices have rised over 500%, and the guildmaster has invested a lot to raise a small navy, extending the guilds' traffics to the sea. This move has not only opened the way to trade the Overlook's pinewood to the rest of the Bay, but marked a new business for the guild: piracy. Although the fleet is no match for its competitors such as Grabentod or the pirates of the Zweilunds, ships of the guild sometimes depart from Grevesmühl and return with too many riches to be justified as simple trade.

However, piracy is an highly competitive market on the Bay. That's why in recent times Arlinda is trying to specialize the fleet into smuggling. Guild sailors know well the Ice Bay and the Dwarfhame, and they make a good profit by smuggling art or people from (or to) Rzhlev. The guild's relationship with the vos kingdom is somewhat ambivalent: when a Traders' ship enters the port of Duarlavka you may never know if it's for trading or plundering - until it's too late. Smugglers sometimes help escaped slaves run away from the vos kingdom, under the promise of 1 year of servitude on a ship or in the forests as a lumberjack. Most of the slaves who accept the deal usually continue as regular workers for the guild. The others are sold back to their vos masters.

The guild's piracy activity is incredibly well entangled with its legal front business: the guild has several commercial ties even with Müden; Traders' captains try to behave themselves and always be cooperative in regards to the Royal Navy of Müden.

The Iron road is the main route connecting Rulsfeg, where most of the woodcut and woodwork activites are performed, to the dwarven colonies of Daikhar and Tyrtep, in exchange for dwarven ore, minerals, and fine works of blacksmithship. The province of Haldwaren lately has become the main centre of the guild's activities, thanks to the seaport and the shipyard. In Sleppsig several points of trade are used by the highland farmers and the southern plain herders, and most of the internal trade is done in this part of the Road.

The Guild controls all the trades in the city of Daugren and its black market. Daugren is the second best place in the whole Overlook (second only to Rzhlev's Great Bazaar) for magic shopping. Magicians, Alchemists and Wandwrights all restock their shops with magic objects and rare ingredients taken from the guild's pirate loot.

Trie is a different matter. While the guild has a strict control of the docks, most revenue come from the control of Trie's inns, taverns, and "fun houses", providing a good source of both income and information. Arlinda's spy network there is expensive but gives a better pulse of the situation in the realm than having someone in the useless court of the Duke.

The Black Ice Traders are one of the oldest guild of the Overlook. Their laws and agreements go back to the time of the third Brecht wave of refugees, When both Grevesmühl and Rzhlev were part of a much larger dwarven kingdom. There are many legends told about brave lumberjacks venturing the ancient forests of the east and finding treasures and adventures - a human way to remember the war and consequential genocide that went on during the Gallie Sidhe to win the forests from the elves.

The guild partecipated in the revolt of ~970 as financers and levy support for the red rose movement. The lumberjacks were promised better agreements, no more taxes to the empire, and a better bargaining position with the dwarves. Despite the contribution, little to none of these promises were kept, and this made the province of Rulsfeg to be the source of revolts for many decades. In 1111 HC the province even felt into Hjorig's hands for a whole year, before the army could recover it.

The first major step for the guild came much later. During the times of the Free league of Brechtür (~1137 HC), there was a number of private armies passing through Grevesmühl, armies that needed food and other commodities. Jack Holdsted, leader of the Rulsfeg Traders, was smart enough to rally together the farmers and herders of Sleppsig and Jardwessen into the so called countryfolk guild, which became a vassal guild of the Rulsfeg Traders as no man of blood (or just capable enough) was found to lead it. Jack also almost went bankrupt and secretly drained all the Trader's funds to buy houses in Trie and Daugren, which he turned into "fun houses", inns and taverns.

The gambit payed off: The armies of the League passing through Grevesmühl appreciated much all the commodities the guild had to offer and Jack gained 10 times his investment. Unfortunately, since he wanted his fame to surpass his fortune, he lost his life during a League expedition in the lands now known as Hjorig. However, his legacy stayed: in the following three years the guild managed to forge alliances thanks to the routes paved by the army, and even created a trade route which covered the whole Black Ice Bay area. When the armies of the league returned defeated and pursued by the vos in 1140 HC, many decided to stay in Grevesmühl and join the workforce of the highland pastures and farms. This helped the guild strengthen its position as the main source of business in Grevesmühl and possibily saved it from the brutal cut-out from the whole south area due to the nearby kingdom of Roschlöwen being conquered by the vos.

Only in recent times, due to Guildmaster Aldor's policy, the guild gained its name Black Ice Traders. Arlinda had always tought that the only reasonable way of expanding the guild's business would be by the sea - no serious trade or carovan may be led into the vos realm, if not those already coming from Rzhlev and returning to their Great bazaar. However, The black ice bay was too close to pirate nations. So, the guildmaster plan was, in a sense, really simple: just like the guild's ancestral father Jack Holdsted, she gambled the guild's fate. She raised by 500% the lumber cost for dwarves, breaking the ancient contracts, and she secretly spent much of the guild's gainings to build a small fleet and the favor of the coast's counts like Graevas Resketch. However, the first business of the fleet was not commerce, but piracy. Only when all the pirates of the bay understood very well that messing with the guild's ships would result in significant losses more than gainings, Arlinda created business agreements with several kingdoms of the bay, Müden included.

Being the first and most important representative of the Rosenröt doctrine, the guild actively tries to agitate the province grafs against each other, and all the grafs together against the Duke. Politically speaking, Arlinda Aldor is one of the most dangerous people of Grevesmühl, if not the whole Overlook. She has used her charms to favours after favours and more than ten knechts have already dueled for her hand or to defend her (debatable) honour. Just one evening with the Duke has won her the right to the monopoly of the seaports in Haldwaren and Westriet.

Ruornil Silver Guard, the Rosenweißen, is the guild's natural enemy. Not only they compete with the white rose for the soul of the realm, as the Red Rose doctrine is opposed to the white rose's hierarchy of powers, but also because more often than ever the guild finds itself on the opposite side of the law from the Silver Guard. Grevesmülig rangers have often helped guildsmen with the retrieval of stolen goods by bandits or gnolls, only to quarrel with them when they refused to return the goods to their rightful owners. Haldwaren is another sour spot for Arlinda, since Luther Helmsen, count and de facto ruler of the province, always works against her plans.

That's why Arlinda has recently entered the good graces of the countess of Dubeswald Graevas Resketch. Arlinda has won the countess' hard earned trust (malicious rumours also add her love) to pave the way for a diplomatic channel that would have the Crown open more seaports in the province, allowing a sea passage safe enough from pirates to forge new sea trade routes.

There is little love between the guild and the dwarves, and price wars are frequent almost as attempts to steal each other's guild control of business, especially in lawless provinces such as Jardwessen. Even less love is reserved to Gnolls, considered to be the second cause of major losses for the guild. The first cause is of course being the guild's competitors, the pirates of the Zweilunds islands, Grabentod and Rzhlev.

There is bad blood even between Arlinda and the sorceress Caliene LLwelyn, the Wizard of Grevesmühl, due to an incident related to a quest in which the guildmistress (allegedly) seduced the back-then-true-love of the sorceress, Gunther of Rulsfeg, creating a fracture between the two which stands even today. The sorceress has never truly forgiven Arlinda and is counted between the ever-growing list of the guild's enemies, although in more than one occasion Gunther has asked the two of them to cooperate.

• Arlinda Aldor (FBr; T9; Ba, minor, 17; LE), grew up in the logging camps of Grevesmühl and took over guildmastership after the passing of the former regent.
  
• Graevas Resketch, former freebooter now countess of Dubeswald, the most representative member of the Red Rose movement in the realm, and rumored to be Arlinda's lover. What is known is that the two women have grown together their desire for greatness.
  
• Nikolai Bonewind, Captain of the guilds' fleet. A former captain from Grabentod, he changed his name to avoid being persecuted by the Royal Fleet.
  
• Richter Wödemeister, Guild leader of Rulsfeg. A lumberjack first, a ranger then, Richter is an honest man with his hands tied due to Arlinda's leadership. He vents his frustrations with his rangers by patrolling the woods, hunting for bandits and gnolls.
  
• Lady Teovalda, Mistress of the most famous "fun house" of Trie and guild leader of the city. A noble in disgrace, she is specialized in providing services for the few elites remaining in the city. She is in charge of Tries' spy network.
  
• Oleg one-eye, Orog guild leader of the black market in Daugren. He also leads the spy network of the city.
  

• Arlinda shares with the The Black Rose a common despise for non-humans. This could be the start of a dangerous partnership that could undermine the White Rose's influence on the dukedom.
  
• The friendship between Arlinda and Graevas could be more than a rumour: on many occasions the guildmistress has been heard joking about running away with the countess on a ship. With Nikolai being interested only with the sea, the guild may have to rely on an external candidate, or risk a fracture between its numerous activites.
  
• Someone may be scamming Oleg by making him believe that the magic items sold in the streets of Daugren are actually worthless. If such a rumour is confirmed, such person(s) must be found and make an example of.
  
• If the Zweilunds are to be removed from the chessboard, The guild needs a wizard strong enough to face Colin Shaefpaete. Perhaps Gunther could put a good word with Caliene? or maybe it's easier to ask the sorceress tsarina of Rzhlev for help. This second option it's more realistic but dangerous - the pirates of the Zweilunds could be replaced by something far worse, like the rzhlevian vos.
  
• If enough nobles are moved toward the red rose, an insurrection is not off the table. With a puppet king and a corrupted council, who knows how far the guild could go? However, for this plan to succeed, Luther Helmsen, captain of the guard, must be neutralized.
  
• Better ships would mean more business. The guild however doesn't seem eager to risk everything - again - for Arlinda's ambitiousness. Perhaps it's time to break the taboos and steal a ship from the Royal fleet itself?
  

The following assets are under the guild's maintainance (3E cost, rounded to nearest, in parentheses):

• Lv. 4 Shipyard in Haldwaren (1.7 GB);
  
• Highway in Rulsfeg (Forest), Tyrtep (Mountais) (1.1 GB);
  
• 2 Cogs (0.8 GB, active) and 4 coasters (1 GB, active);
  
• 1 spy network (Westriet, city of Trie; 1 GB);
  

All ships but one are on active travel due to the sea trade routes. The second cog, Bonewind's Black Rust, is to be considered active due to piracy and smuggling activity.

• The Southern Iron Road (Rulsfeg/Daikhar; 2 GB): The lumber from the forests of Grevesmühl is traded with the ore and the fine metallurgy products of the dwarves.
  
• The Northern Iron Road (Rulsfeg/Tyrtep; 2 GB): as above, only covering the northern mines of Tyrtep.
  
• The port of Trie (Westriet/Unknown; 2.5GB; 1 cog)
  
• The port of Daugren (Gredaur/Unknown; 1.5GB; 2 coasters)
  
• The port of Haldwaren (Gredaur/Unknown; 2GB; 2 coasters )
  

The Duke has been... persuaded by Arlinda to build assets such as highways and seaports to support trade. Shaeme's complete ineptitude towards negotiations produced the following agreement:

• The duke will pay for the building of any asset required for trade; he will also pay for the maintenance of the seaports; However, the Duke will keep the veto on who can use the seaports and who cannot;
  
• The guild will pay the maintainance costs of the roads, and a forfait 2 GB tribute as vassal to the duke. The guild will keep any other gaining from the routes and is granted building and usage rights for a shipyard in Haldwaren.
  

Domain Table: Black Ice Traders

Province	Law	Temple	Guild	Source
Dubeswald, Grevesmühl (3/4)	SK (1)	LH (2)	AA (2)	CS (4)
Gredaur, Grevesmühl (3/4)	SK (3)	LH (3)	AA (3)	CS (4)
Haldwaren, Grevesmühl (4/3)	LH (0)	LH (3)	AA (4)	CL (2)
Jardwessen, Grevesmühl (2/5)	-	-	AA (2)	CL (4)
Rulsfeg, Grevesmühl (6/1)	KP (3)	LH (3)	AA (4)	CL (1)
		ME (3)	DU (2)
Sleppsig, Grevesmühl (5/0)	SK (5)	-	AA (3)	-
			DU (2)
Westriet, Grevesmühl (5/2)	SK (3)	ME (1)	AA (3)	CL (1)
		GF (1)	DU (2)
Abbreviations: SK = Shaemes Karlburgher (Duke of Grevesmühl); LH = Luther Helmsen (Ruornil's Silver Guard); AA = Arlinda Aldor (Black Ice Traders); CS = Colin Shaefpaete (the Island Mage); CL = Caliene Llwelyn (Wizard of Grevesmühl); KP = Kallen Pickbiter (Daikhar Zhigun); ME = Morathos Everdark (Bright Ember's Darkness); DU = Dorin Utterlund (Deep Steel Miners); GF = Ggus Feuerscorn (Yeenoghu's Dark Curse);

The holding recap list in HotGB, p. 81, is missing the holdings in Westriet.