I'm working on an idea for an international bank based on a guild. Here's my thinking so far:
Guild Ranks:
Applicant- Aspirant rank from which people can apply for loans. Like in a real bank loans have to be approved by the guild. Interested nobles will need to give a reason they need the gold and show evidence that they'll be able to pay it back with interest. This rank can also be used to apply to become a Branch Manager, in which case they'd need to show they are capable of creating a new guild house.
Debtor- A rank with a high max debt and a monthly fee. Rank is by appointment only.
Creditor- This rank is purchased at a high cost. It then comes with a monthly grant. The grant should be considerably lower then the fees applied to debtors. If a creditor's balance falls into the negatives then they are demoted to debtors.
Branch Manager- Reserved for region lords who open a new guild house in their region. Branch managers receive a grant without needing to buy an expensive rank since they've already built a guild house.
Magistrates- A rank reserved for realm judges who are bank members, Magistrates must swear to enforce the bank's authority within their realm applying punishments to debtors who reach their maximum debt and other people who transgress the bank's rules.
Executive Officer of the Bank- The highest rank reserved for whomever is in charge.
In addition to the bank's treasury the institution can be used for nobles to arrange direct investments with one another. Nobles entering into a contract can have the bank enforce their transaction in exchange for a nominal fee.
So what are your thoughts? Would this work? If so I think it would make for a great way to drive roleplay, create intrigue and otherwise ad excitement to the game. Imagine realms bitterly paying off war debts, or a creditor realm going to war with a realm of debtors so their accounts don't get seized. So many possibilities.
