Companies of Rockhome

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 "Family is of course always family, but business is business!"

Dwarf companies are primarily business ventures. Many are unconnected to the seven great clans of Rockhome, though of the seven, Syrklist clan is the one most likely to be associated with these companies with its tradition of trading and craftsmanship.

They cover a range of sectors and business types, from manufacturing to warfare to food to finances. Some of the dwarves in these companies will have levels in Darokin Merchant class (from Gaz11: Republic of Darokin), and there is considerable exchange of ideas and practices between the two nations, though there is also some rivalry and certainly business competition.  

The number of employees and staff in each can vary greatly from small local outfits to what are known in Rockhome as Great Enterprises (what we would call corporations). 

Muldennir & Sons

• Field: Architecture, Engineering & Construction
• Staff: 210 (not including casual labour)
• Based: Dengar
• Notes: Muldennir & Sons provide advice, expertise & plans for construction projects especially fortifications and stronghold defenses. They usually hire labourers locally for each job. Although they draw talent from all across Rockhome there is a disproportionate number of dwarves from Skarrad clan in the company. They are often invited to dwarf strongholds to give assessments on improvements that could be made to keep the place better - safer, but also more productive and perhaps neater and more impressive.If their suggestions are accepted, then several members will stay and oversee the work, usually by stronghold residents. 

Mithril-Helm Defenses

• Field: Mercenaries & Security
• Staff: 440 (4 squadrons of 100 each + 40 as headquarters)
• Based: Stahl
• Notes: All members are at least 3rd level dwarf fighters. They tend to take defensive contracts and prefer to operate within Rockhome, so usually end up defending fellow dwarves. Each squadron has its own dwarf cleric and scout and can deploy as a self-contained fighting force. As mercenaries they charge a weekly fee, so they are usually hired when a stronghold or town is expecting trouble or is already under attack.If they are hired to attack a target, they only accept jobs against humanoid lairs, never dwarf or human controlled locations. 

Deeplake Transport

• Field: Waterborne Transport
• Staff: 60 + 10 boats
• Based: Kurdal (+ Stahl)
• Notes: Deeplake Transport provides ferries for both passengers and trade goods across both Lake Klintest & Lake Stahl. Their head office is in Kurdal but also have a branch office in Stahl. Although most of the company is law-abiding, there are rumours that some members are skilled at smuggling, usually taxable goods rather than outright banned items. 

Stormstrikers

• Field: Treasure Hunting
• Staff: 63
• Based: Evemur
• Notes: The Stormstrikers are essentially an oversized band of adventurers who go after treasure in monster lairs, ancient tombs and abandoned strongholds. They don't have traditional customers, only targets. They are currently considering Tarrag Duun as their next major project. They are open-minded about who would prove useful and will hire human thieves and mages as required. The Stormstrikers are wide-ranging in what they will go after, both geographically and in types of target, but they are always careful not to become bandits and robbers - no active human or dwarf locations are even considered. For large ruins they can deploy their whole force but for single tombs or smaller monstrous lairs they will deploy smaller teams of 5 to 10 members (rather like a classic adventuring party, but with a disproportionate number of dwarves). 

Belgaard Traders

• Field: Wholesale & retail of various trade goods
• Staff: 2,300
• Based: Dengar
• Notes: This is one of Rockhome's Great Enterprises, and has outlets in every town and city. They buy, transport & sell goods to & from small strongholds & big cities acting as the middleman. They generally use their own transport and security, and have very well-organized caravans. Although they normally operate within Rockhome they have recently started venturing into Soderfjord, Vestland and Ylaruam. They buy and sell a wide range of items, including weapons, clothing, food, tools and books. Most recently they have set up outlets in rougher borderland towns that sell adventuring equipment, weapons and armour, and will buy gems and jewelry at a reasonable rate. 

Eddilnor & Edga's Specialist Foods

• Field: Luxury & exotic food & drink
• Staff: 350
• Based: Dengar
• Notes: Most strongholds are self sufficient for basic food stuffs (bread, beer etc). Eddilnor and Edga buy and sell luxury food (usually ready to eat, not just ingredients) both within Rockhome and further afield, including chocolate, tea, mead, cheese, jam, pickles, fine wines, dried fruit & salted meats, from Ierendi, Thyatis, Sind, Five Shires and even Norwold. They have teamed up with some human mages (not Glantrians!) to use spells that preserve food for weeks longer than normal, although some dwarf customers are suspicious of this new preserved food. Eddilnor & Edga send out traders across the Known World and they will sometimes hire guards and adventurers to look out for them if venturing into dangerous realms. 

Dorrian Greeb Financial Services

• Field: Accounting and Moneylending
• Staff: 110
• Based: Stahl
• Notes: Dorrian Greeb are called in when dwarves get into financial trouble. Firstly they assess the problem including assets, debts, income and costs, If there are no solutions, Dorrian Greeb act as insolvency agents. If the situation is salvageble, Dorrian Greeb will lend money (with interest appropriate to the situation). They have a bad reputation as being avaricious vultures preying on vulnerable citizens - this is not entirely undeserved, as some staff and managers are cynical and  ruthless, earning the nickname "Greeby bastards".   Nonetheless, they are (grudgingly) credited with saving various dwarf businesses from mismanagement or bad luck, and their assessment of business situations is widely trusted. Although Dorrian Greeb is a money-making business in itself, the management knows that it depends heavily on a reputation of sticking to the rules and not making bad situations worse.  

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