El-Zarada maintained an inner circle of advisors who assisited him and helped manage his day-to-day affairs. These were Jamal al-Jakim (you), Khirdoumi bint-Dwarja (the accountant) and Halim al-Ysra (chief thug). His other assistants were the Guild's representatives in each of the provinces where it does business. You and Halim were full lieutenants.

Roles:

Jamal al-Jakim was responsible for negotiating with the government and with wealthy tamounazada investors. Basically the respectable face of the Guild. You are the part-owner of the Mesiran Trading House, which negotiated investments in business ventures by wealthy individuals. The other owner of the House is the ZMG itself.

Khirdoumi bint-Dwarja (fDw, Br/Tainted/5, T3) is the accountant for the Zhainge Merchant's Guild. She managed el-Zarada's accounts, and the flow of money within the ZMG. She is a paid employee of the Guild, and your chief rival for the position as el-Zarada's heir. She's the only one who fully understands exactly which companies the Guild has shares in or owns. She has an excellent head for figures, but is pretty callous and vengeful.

Halim al-Yasr (mKh, unblooded, F6) was el-Zarada's left hand-man. 6' 2" tall, he was responsible for carrying out any dirty-work that el-Zarada might need doing. He has access to about 60 thugs within Mesire itself who can be hired for various tasks at a
moments notice. He's a large man, and not particularly quick on the uptake, although he's quite determined. He is also very professional at his work. He often seems very apologetic while breaking someone's leg.

Resources:

The ZMG owns three Dhows and a Zebec.

Mesire: Mesire is the centre of Zhainge Merchant Guild operations and the home of the guild. Within the city it has a virtual lock on all the trade the comes into or goes out of Mesire - it is said that if one does business in Mesire one does business with el-Zarada (well now they correct themselves and mention Jamal al-Jakim). The guild first rose to prominance within Mesire through blackmail and intimidation. By the time Yousef el-Mesire or his goverment realised what was going on el-Zarada had eliminated his opposition (two merchants guilds - the Silver Hall of Mesire trading along the coast and the River Trade House which traded along the river) by playing them against each other and having those who opposed him killed.

Yousef had little opportuity to try and do something about this mercantile coup since a sudden increase in raids from the ruined lands of Djira put the state on the defensive. He merely imposed a large tribute upon the guild, to which suprisingly el-Zarad
a assented. While he may not have liked the idea of paying so much money, the propect of losing trade to the Gnolls worried him even more.

Mesire the City: Mesire is a beautiful city, set upon the banks of the Zhainge, with canals laced through it like some delicate work of art. More travel goes on within the city by boat than by cart, and indeed carts are restricted to certain roads within the city. The people of the city are very fond of growing plants, and many older houses are covered with creeping vines. It is also traditional for houses in Mesire to maintain small gardens where various trees are planted, which at certain times of the year produce the most wonderful smells.

The House of Vines: Not a wine house, although some imported wines are available at a price, the house of vines is an expensive coffee house within the mercantile district of Mesire. It is so named becuase the entire four storey building is covered in thick grape vines which at the correct time of year produce a rich harvest of grapes. Such grapes can be picked by passers buy, although it's considered very improper to take more than a handful. The house is a major trading centre for Mesire. Many of the richer ajazada & tamounazada come here when they wish to invest in trade ventures. In the last ten years it has been in a slow decline since el-Zarada found the place too stuffy for his liking.

The Palace of Brilliant Stars: Home of the Mesire family, this is considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in all of Khinasi. It covers an entire small Island in the centre of the city.

The High House of Nasri: High Temple of the Temple of the Ancients, this building is set on a small island, some distance out into the river. The Bridge that reaches out to it spans some 300 feet, and is a series of low arches. Each support is decorated with carvings of sea beasts, some familiar, some not. The main hall is decorated with a pattern of blue and green tiles, while the walls are an undecorated white. The towers from which the faithful are called to prayer also double as watch towers as the temple prays for the safety of sailors at sea. The temple is reknowned for it's collection of knowledge about the Masetians. Many works of Masetian lore are gathered within it's walls, as they try to preserve the history of that people into the millenia ahead.
There are other temples of the Temple of the Ancients within Mesire - usually dotted around the docks.

River House: The home of el-Zarada and the centre of his business empire. A new building, constructed soon after he secured his grasp upon trade in Mesire, the house reflects the tastes of it's owner. Not quite opulent enough to be classed as a palace, it is still sufficient to add a +1 bonus to diplomacy rolls. The house it also defensible, and el-Zarada maintained a personal force of some 40 guards here to protect him. There was even a small docks, accessible through a gate in the wall, leading out into the river. The floor in the entrance hall boast a finely done mosaic of the Zhainge river and surroundings from Kozlovy down to Mesire.

The Well: Not far from the palace is the well, a large open area of water where several canals meet - almost equivalent to a square. The waters here are dark and slighty stagnant going down deeper than anyone in the city knows. Occasionally those poking around in the mud here discover gold coins dating back to Masetian times. It is said that the Masetian tax house used to stand on the edge of this pond, and rather than let pillagers seize the treasure (in the period of fighting before Deismaar) the defenders of the tax hall threw it into the Well, where the chests sank rapidly, but might still lie to this day.

The Ship Hall: This building holds the records of every ship registered in Mesire and records the details of their travels. Merchants in Mesire visit here to check up on reports of how theitr ships are doing.

The Gathering House: Just across the canal from the Ship Hall, and easily accessible thanks to a nearby bridge, the Gathering House is a coffee bar where merchants gather to plan and trade information. El-Zarada spent much of his time here, surrounded by his assistants and cronies.

Azeda el-Behire: The white rock stands on an Island in the mouth of the Zhainge. it's the strongest fortress in Mesire.

The Al-Canaja: These refugees have fled the troubles in the northern half of the country and come here seeking safety. Now they live alongside the roads leading into the city begging for handouts. They make up a cheap, desparate workforce that was heavily used by the el-Zarada. The Red Kings of Aftane have been gathering power amongst these disaffected individuals, by promising them a better tomorrow.

Outside the City: Mesire is a rich and pleasant province, with well tended fields, although in the north the fields are becoming more and more deserted as the people flee the dangers represented by Gnoll raiders. One of the most noticable Mesiran products is silk, of which they produce some of the finest in Khinasi.

Hekinja Towers: These towers are placed along the border with the Black Spear Tribes, and are used to signal when gnoll raiding parties cross the border. They use mirrors to reflect sunlight great distances, and use fire beacons at night.

Seirad: This military camp is where Adan al-Mesire is based, and from where he coordinated the border defence. He practices a very aggressive form of defence, often raiding deep into the Gnoll's territory to prevent them from setting up base camps from which to attack Mesire.

Barasa: This ruined town is close to the border. When it was sacked by the Gnolls they ate the inhabitants in a three day orgy of violence. Since then the town has reputedly been haunted and few venture close to it's ruins at night. It is said that on the night of the new moon a portal to the Shadow World opens, and spirits escape to terrorise the inhabitants of nearby villages.

Namal: This agricultural province is similar to Mesire. However the sense of threat has been felt here much longer. Close to the Direwood it has been menaced by fell creatures for much longer.

ZMG: Mohas el-Sheji is the ZMG's factor in rural Mesire. He buys up goods and arranges for the sale of products throughout the country, covering rural Mesire province and Namal.

Zhainge Merchant Guild:

Adaba: Traditionally Aftane's second city, Adaba boasts impressive city walls and a excellent natural harbour. Many river boats travelling the Zhainge prefer to travel to Adaba along the coast rather than unload in fara Zhainge and risk loosing profits. Adaba is a much less oppressive city than the other cities of Aftane, lacking both the pervasive tentacles of the Brotherhood of Khet and the temples of the Chosen of Khirdai, althought the Chosen maintain a garrison within the city. Much of the rest of the province is pretty barren – herdsmen & shepherds can make enough to support themselves but the province produces little in the way of agricultural goods.

Trade Goods: Most of Adaba's trade goods come from outside. The Red Kings and the sultan of Aftane before them maintain a large naval base and a shipyard (which has seen little use recently) which generates quite a bit of work for the inhabitants. Otherwise Adaba is famous for it's wine bars and other small scale crime – the absence of the Brotherhood of Khet has kept this all quite small and disorganised, but people seem much more able to relax in Adaba than other cities in Aftane. The ZMG's local factor in Adaba is Mussel al-Bida (mKh, unblooded, T5), a rather shifty character, who keeps a hand in with many of the brothels and wine bars in the city. Otherwise he's competant but not particular moral or inspired – his most redeeming feature is that he loathes the Brotherhood of Khet & has tried his damdest to keep them out of the city.

Krak Adaba: The great castle of Adaba dates back to the days of the Anuirean occupation and was a watch upon Ariya's eastern borders. The outer walls are now in a dodgy state of repair, but the keep is still sound.

Fara Zhainge: Along with Busada, Fara Zainge is the agricultural heart of Aftane – rice, olives, dates and the like are grown along here. Small villages are dotted along the river bank which tend the surrounding lands – the rice paddies closer to the river and the olive groves further back. The irrigation system reputedly dates back to the Masetian empire, and has been repaired many times since then. Canals were dug at the height of the Khinasi Golden Age, after the system had been allowed to all into disrepair by the Anuirean occupiers.
The biggest threat to the peace in Fara Zhainge are the raids from across the river – the Gnolls often have difficulties crossing the river, but when they do, they can do substantial damage and kill many people before retreating – the local garrisons rarely arrive in time to catch them.

Trade Goods: Fara Zhainge provides a substantial market for agricultural tools, seeds and the like, and is thoroughly exploited by the ZMG, which in return purchases their excess produce – especially the olive oil which commands a high price in nearby cities. ZMG activity in Fara Zhainge is administered from Adaba.

Aftane: Aftane is administered by a different Red King than Adaba & Fara Zhainge and the difference is noticable. The Kharmin Moushal patrol the streets and harass forigners. The Brotherhood of Khet have a great deal of influence within the city. Agents of the ZMG regularly get beaten up by people working for the Red Kings.

Trade Goods: Agricultural products from Oused & Busada flood into Aftane to support the city's population. The ZMG brings a lot of agricultural products ino the city and supplies many of the needs of the farmers from the other provinces. Aftane serves as a way station for the ZMG for goods being brought down river from the Tarvan Waste. The ZMG's factor in the city is Samar al-Sirasi (mK, unblooded, F5) a tough hardbitten man who has spent a long time putting up with the trouble the Red Kings have sent his way.

Tarvan Waste: The three provinces that the ZMG has trade holdings in are held by the Uigher tribesmen. These nomads produce some of the finest horses in the world and trade these for good quality steel weapons. The Uighers are lead by Rashid min Uigher although his cousin Tiera is the most important priestess in the tribe and also holds a great deal of influence. She's more militantly inclined than he is, and popular amongst the young warriors of the waste.

The Uigher have no permenant settlements, except at the banks of the Zhainge in Rafr, instead living in small temporary encampments.

El-Kesire: There's a small gold mine in el-Kesire that the Uigher occasionally mine. However they don't reveal where it is to outsiders.