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--- organisation:fftc [2024/10/31 22:28] – johnb
+++ organisation:fftc [2025/08/22 10:01] (current) – johnb
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 ====== Far Flung Trading Company ======
-{{:organisation:fftc-logo.png?100  |  }}The FFTC, as it is known, isn't really one trading company but a co-operative organization of lots of smaller, independent, companies.  It trades along the frontiers and the local trade routes that the big merchant houses don't find profitable, but its co-operative nature means it is more flexible, and the poorer sections of a trade route can survive for years on minimal profit.
+{{:organisation:fftc-logo.png?100  |  }}The FFTC, as it is known, isn't really one trading company but a guild-like group of lots of small merchant houses and indepentent traders.  It works  the local trade routes that the big merchant houses don't find profitable, and opens up new trade routes where possible -  its co-operative nature means it is flexible, and can manage the shorter, less profitable, sections of a trade route effectively.
-Originally formed in the 1990s with a couple of players who had been captured by Zakharan slavers, but who managed to free themselves and travelled 'home'  across Zakhara.  During one of the last phases of the adventure, they captured a ship, and rather than claim a share of the Bounty, agreed to let a couple of NPCs run the ship as a business (Occidental Trading) in Conjunction with LAS (an NPC trade group).  They called themselves the FFTC, which became a tool for the next couple of game groups - which both included the original players.
+The FFTC was founded when ++LAS|(A family run fleet from Port Elizabeth and Sakhar)++ and newly established ++Occidental Trading|(PC adventurers who managed to 'acquire' a couple of ships)++ groups decided to work together and open up a trade route between Hann and Sakar, along the east coast of the Hann Sea.  It grew as other small merchant houses and independent traders join the group, and now its vessels trade all around the Hann Sea.
-The FFTC appear in most of my paper-based and NWN settings and will, apparently, survive for millennia, as a variant appeared in my Traveller setting as well.  The PCs normally see a general store that services a small town or village, that buys raw materials (Furs, uncut gems, natural magic components etc) and sends them for export.  However, FFTC often run the small ships that link the frontier to the larger world, and sometimes runs the frontier port itself.
+More broadly, the FFTC offers low-cost transport all around the coast of the Hann Sea.  Long journeys are often slow, and may involve a number of vessel changes - but that works for some people and cargoes, and it is cheaper than taking the faster ships that belong to the large merchant houses.  Moreover, they trade, legitimately, with some of the cities on the north coast of Sakhar, and independent holdings down as far as Finaroka.  This makes it  one of very few truly international organisations, with members from all around the Hann Sea.
-PCs who have owned (or still own) shares in Occidental Trading include Alfonse, Belle, Berwyn, Flower, Zona, Drea, Meriloss, Sean ap Bernd - and I think there were a couple more that I don't have a note of.
+Members give each other discounts at their port facilities, and cooperate to arrange longer multi-vessel journeys for their passengers and cargo, making longer passages easier, when time isn't important.  The FFTC also acts as a pension fund, and ships brokerage for its members, if vessels and port facilities are ++given to the FFTC|(Either left in a will or as a gift)++ the group will ensure that the owner's dependents are cared for and receive a small pension.  Ships are ++generally sold on|(often to experienced officers on other FFTC ships, via a loan)++ although they tend to keep, and manage, the port facilities themselves.
-Now the FFTC includes many more small merchant groups, and can compete with some of the larger trade houses ...
+While several independent traders are members of the FFTC, the largest groups are:
-  * The LAS Company
+  * The LAS Company - Based in Port Elizabeth - Trade between East Sakhar, Porters Bar and The Farran Isles
-  * Occidental Trading (Originally PC owned)
+  * Occidental Trading - Based in the Farran Isles, works mainly between Porters Bar and Stilan (in the strongholds)
-  * Kassen Kompany  (Originally PC owned)
+  * Kassen Kompany - based in Bime, and works between Angasa and The Razardi Islands.
-  * House Marisi
+  * House Marisi - Based in Angasa, and works between Stilan and Bime, in The Far Coast states.
-  * Al’Nisr Shipping
+  * Al’Nisr Shipping - based in the  Razardi Isles, and trades between Bime, West Sakhara and Finaroka.
-  * House A’Dair of Porters Bar
+  * House A’Dair of Porters Bar - Works East Telida, Port Elizabeth and up as far as the Farran Isles.
-  * Free Captains of Stilmouth
+  * The Free Captains of Stilmouth -  A local guild of independent merchants, who work between The Farran Isles and Angasa.
-  * There are a number of free captains associated with the FFTC
-  * The FFTC owns a number of vessels, whose income is used to provide pension for its members.
-For more detail, see [[organisation:fftcdetail|this page]] -  although be aware this was the implementation for a colonization game that never happened.
+  * The FFTC owns several small vessels that are generally used to supplement existing trade routes, or work newer routes.  They also own port facilities in Urgon and Finaroka.
+For more detail, see [[organisation:fftcdetail|this page]] -  While it is fairly accurate concerning administration, note that it was written for a colonization game that never happened, and the assets list is certainly wrong!.