Brelish-Storm Reach Company
B.E.S. Company
Lawful Evil Secret Society
The B.E.S. Company is nothing more than a front for the Aurrum and while it has ties to both the Gnomes of Zilargo as well as the Twelve, these members tend to be part of the Golden Society as well. It is one of the most successful and powerful ventures for expanding their control of wealth in Khorvaire. Having taken over the influence of the late Harath Clawblade, they now can dictate where Breland goes to war. Few would ever guess that they have similiar influence through their dummy corporations in the Aundair Estates General or the Karrnath Bundestag. A slight majority of all foreign trade in Khorvaire passes through the Company's hands.
The Breland East-Stormreach Company makes ample use of House Orian, House Lyrander, and House Cannith members that are ambitious but lacking in political affluence.
Their highly intrigue ridden backgrounds lends itself well to the skullduggery that is the hallmark of the Corporation. The B.E.S. Corporation has forged iron-clad trade agreements with The Black Lotus Society, The Dreaming Dark, The Valenar (whom depend on them to handle all of the necessary merchantalism they hate), and several Darguun chieftains with varying degrees of success. It is almost in complete control of Q'Barra's government despite the monarchy's best efforts to remain independent.
The company is hugely racist and tends to be massively exploitive of nonhuman labor. It's employed mercenaries on outright missions of genocide in the Talenta Planes and Xen'drik. They're perfectly capable of assassination, bribery, murder, blackmail, and extortion to make a buck with many of its employees forced into indentured servitude. Indeed, quite a few crews include substantial numbers of impressed soldiery. At least one Rakashasa sits on the Board of Directors, though he's had to do little to encourage their naked ambition.
While the majority of its wealth comes from shady but legitimate business, Rupin being especially appalled at the way they gobble up independent smugglers, they are also the chief marketers of Dreamlilly in Khorvaire. In the reverse of Britain's opium wars, the Sarlonan are creating vast amounts of addicts with their sales that are kept open by greedy merchants on both sides.
Subgroups of the Brelish-Storm Reach Company[edit]
Black Sword Pirates
Neutral Evil Secret Society
The most feared villains along the coast of Breland, Zilargo, Darguun, and Q'barra. The Black Sword Pirates were originally a small band of murderers and thieves that were slowly being assembled into an increasingly larger syndicate by the late Harath Clawblade. When that man perished at Lykanaton, the Pirates had their power vacuum filled by members of the Dreaming Dark whom have continued to build up their power base.
Currently, the Black Sword Pirates have formed an alliance with the Black Lotus Society as they target those Merchant Houses that refuse to pay tribute to the former organization while recieving a portion of the booty instead. They have begun taking whole crews as opposed to just killing them in order to sell them on the slave trade to Darguun and beyond. The Brelish Navy has full intention to deal with the matter but the same hamperings in Parliament that plagued them with the Blood Claws makes dealing with the Black Sword Pirates all the more troublesome.
Aundair has also found much of its shipping to be harassed thanks to the efforts of the ruthless band of cutthroats and thieves. The Black Sword Pirates are identified by a Cutlass underneath their Skull and Crossbones plus a specially marked Piece of Eight they keep around their neck. Fear has actually made it possible for them to recieve resupply even in the heart of Sharn.
The group was taken over by the Aurrum after the Black Lotus Society's destruction.
