Alignment: Any non-chaotic.
Symbol: A golden coin with a sun embossed on one side.
Disciplines: Radiant Dawn
Oath: There are two types of individuals within the Bank. The most common amongst them are there to keep the day-to-day operations running smoothly, from tellers to the mercenaries that keep the caravans protected. Occasionally, one’s greed for coin and wealth, combined with their own unique strengths, rises above their peers, and they become selected by the inner ‘Elite’ of the bank. Lengthy background checks, mundane and magical, are performed, and if the candidate is approved by at least three-quarters of the existing Elite, then that individual is formally invited to join the ranks of the Elite. If they accept, they’re then saddled with an amount of paperwork that takes a solid week to fill out; mostly legally binding contracts that penalizes acting against the Bank or any operations that it has its fingers in. Once everything is filed out, a small party is thrown for the newcomer, and they can expect their token (a golden coin with a sun embossed on one side, and whatever they had requested with Form 5583b on the other), as well as their sign-on bonus, within two to ten business days.
Allegiance Benefit: An elite of the Bank of the Sun gains a +2 insight bonus on Appraise, Knowledge (local), and Sense Motive checks, as well as an amount of ‘loaned’ gold based on their level, according on the chart below.
Intentionally attacking the Bank, causing the Bank to lose profits, or otherwise hampering the Bank’s operations, will draw the ire of the elite, who will then take measure appropriately. The violator and her allies may find themselves shunned by shops (and maybe even some churches) in cities where the Bank has a presence, will no longer be able to request services through the Bank, will no longer receive ‘loans’ with each new level, and, in extreme circumstances, will have bounty hunters or other adventurers set upon them.
The following chart determines how much money an elite member of the bank gains at each level. This isn’t free money—it’s a loan—but so long as the elite remains amicable to the bank, it never has to be paid back. When gaining a level, subtract the difference between their previous level and current level to determine how much they gain.
| Level | Gold Amount | Level | Gold Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 450 gp | 11th | 16,850 gp | |
| 2nd | 650 gp | 12th | 22,050 gp | |
| 3rd | 1,050 gp | 13th | 28,450 gp | |
| 4th | 1,650 gp | 14th | 37,450 gp | |
| 5th | 2,550 gp | 15th | 48,450 gp | |
| 6th | 3,650 gp | 16th | 63,450 gp | |
| 7th | 5,150 gp | 17th | 82,450 gp | |
| 8th | 7,050 gp | 18th | 106,450 gp | |
| 9th | 9,650 gp | 19th | 137,450 gp | |
| 10th | 12,850 gp | 20th | 176,450 gp | |
Description: The Bank of the Sun is a tradition that, surprisingly, has its roots in pirates, trading and love. The Bank traces it’s history (sometimes proudly) to the pirate warlord Suna. A cunning elven woman who practiced the Radiant Dawn tradition, Suna’s love for adventure was only matched by her love for her human first mate, Al’karash. He didn’t return her feelings, as his heart had only room for gold and jewels. To keep his attention, Suna used her capability with words to draw allies from across the world to her fleet, and her capability with her sword to lead them to overcome impossible odds, earning a notorious reputation on the high seas. When a stray arrow took her left eye, and nearly her life, Suna turned thoughts to her future, the legacy she wanted to leave, and the man that she loved. While recovering from her wound, Suna hatched a plan: She would turn her fleet from pirates into merchants, using her ill-gotten wealth to ensure the ‘legitimacy’ of this new business. There would need to be a place to store all of the goods she planned to trade, to which end she secured a small island and built what the Bank would consider its first headquarters. In the end, Suna proposed to her first mate, with the Bank of the Sun as the ring, and everyone got what they wanted—Suna got the man she loved, and Al’karash got all the wealth he could ever want.
Its history aside, the Bank of the Sun is a now mostly-legitimate business that specializes in the trading and storing of goods, services, and money. It’s first and only primary directive is to make money: Whether that be from giving out loans to farmers, arranging trades between enemy nations, setting up mining operations, to anything else that could conceivably make coin. Rumors of illegal activity exist, but the Bank is quick to respond to and squash those rumors— with force, if needed.
While called a ‘Bank’, their primary source of income is actually trade—storage is something that happens on the side, and is mostly done by the bank itself to hold goods until the ships come in to bring it to its destination. The Bank also makes much use of convoys, and combined with its oversea routes, the Bank hires plenty of mercenaries to help protect the goods during their travels; or in some cases, enact revenge against those who’d pillage their trade routes. These mercenaries, along with the sailors and convoy drivers, combine with merchants to constitute the majority of the numbers of the bank. The others, known simply as the ‘Elite’, actually drive the direction of the Bank; being the ones responsible for setting up new trade routes, expanding the Bank’s footprint, setting up harvesting operations with the local druids, and so on. Every year the Elite hold a get-together, an opulent week-long party at their headquarters to celebrate the money they’ve made in the past year, as well as discuss plans going forward in the next year. The Elite can invite friends along, as long as they’re well behaved, though they’re encouraged to pack warmly: The Bank’s headquarters exists in a very cold and mountainous snowy region, after all.
Common Tasks: The Bank of the Sun’s grand plan is simply to make more money. Adventuring is always considered a high risk, high reward effort, and as such, members who are adventurers don’t get called upon often to do other work. However, members are expected to complete their fair share of the paperwork, adventuring or not, as well as make actions that fill the coffers of the Bank, and not just line their own pockets. As such, adventurers may receive requests for geological surveys if they are explorers, or problems to be solved, magical or mundane, if they are intellectuals. These with a talent for people may also be called upon to help negotiate on the Bank’s behalf if they’re conveniently within the area that the Bank is looking to move into. If the Bank requires anything more than that, one can expect to be hired on, and paid handsomely for their directed efforts. Finally, they’re also expected to attend the bank’s annual gathering, or at least send a letter explaining why they couldn’t make it, at least two weeks in advance, or be fined thirty gold pieces for their share of the food and wine.
Available Services: The Bank of the Sun offers many services; as long as you’re willing to pay for them. For the most part, none of these pertain to adventuring, the main exception being their ability to bring goods in even the strangest of places. Mundane services can also be acquired, as well as other ‘elite benefits’ for businesses that work with the bank, such as being able to book the largest room in the tavern, priority on boarding ships for travel, or being able to obtain an invitation to a noble’s party (As long as you’re willing to help the bank out while you’re there, of course). Thy also can store money, goods, and other artifacts, provided that they aren’t too dangerous.