Andoren banks are the grease that allows the wheels of the country’s economy to turn. Not only do they provide funding for entrepreneurs, insurance for ships weighed down with exports, and low-interest loans for farmers, the banks of Andoran also serve as a national symbol of economic freedom and self-determination.
The banking system developed slowly over a century, beginning as wealthy merchant families acting as moneylenders and pawnbrokers. By investing their profits from interest in further business ventures, these merchant families expanded their fortunes and, consequently, their power. The old nobility that ruled Andoran at the time quickly moved to stifle the rise of this new middle class by imposing harsh tariffs, thus ensuring that no matter how successful the banking guilds were in their trade, their efforts were always benefiting the nobles even more.
Chafing under such restrictive measures, the bankers developed resentment for the ruling class long before the rise of House Thrune in Cheliax. When the diabolists gained control of the throne and the people of Andoran raised their fists in protest, the banking families encouraged the dissension, funding the rebellious movement and smuggling arms and armor for the rebels.
After the People’s Revolt, not all bankers took to the burgeoning egalitarian government with the same sense of enthusiasm. A few felt that they were merely trading one form of suppression with another, as the newly formed People’s Council quickly moved to put a cap on interest rates, declaring that anything above a flat six percent was usury, and thus a crime. Voices of dissension were quickly drowned out in the thundering wave of patriotism that followed the revolt, and such bankers either learned to adapt or emigrated to more fertile ground.
Today, those who stayed operate in every major city in Andoran, supplying short-term, low-interest loans to any citizen with decent credit. Long-term loans are available for those who have acceptable assets as collateral, or who have outstanding credit.
Most banks operate out of fortified, two-story buildings, usually found right off the main market of whatever city in which they operate. Meetings with the clerks (called “factors”) for deposits, withdrawals, or loans are by appointment only, though banks usually operate out of stalls in the market during the mornings and mid-afternoon. Such open meetings are meant only to determine one’s qualification for a loan, present a request for withdrawal, or discuss terms of deposit. Once negotiations are set, an appointment at one of the bank’s branches—usually but not always within the same city— is made, generally 1 to 2 days after the meeting, though sometimes transactions can be carried out the same day (though withdrawals of substantial amounts might take weeks to gather). Once inside the branch, the customer is led to a small, unadorned room furnished with a few desks where various factors perform their duties, an abacus for figuring complex calculations, and a low table upon which the transaction is carried out.
Because competition between the various banks is nullified by nationalized interest rates, various institutions have learned to coexist by establishing friendly loan monopolies—there is an unspoken agreement among bankers that only a certain family will offer loans for certain trades. Grocers and drovers seeking a loan apply to one bank, while millers and farmers seek another, and so on. Any bank may grant a private loan to anyone, with the competitive edgegenerally going to the bank that takes the highest risks. These monopolistic divisions have their foundation with the merchant guilds, from whence the banks originated, and thus far are seen as a healthy form of diversity and competition by the People’s Council.
Though dozens of banks operate within Andoran, the three most powerful banking families are detailed below.
House Goldfield: House Goldfield had its start nearly a century ago as goldsmiths. The nobility of Andoran sought not only their expertise in crafting, but also their highly protected vaults in which to store their vast hoards of wealth. With such treasures at their disposal, the Goldfields founded a long family line as successful moneylenders, using the riches of the nobility to pull themselves into a position of power. They currently operate 19 branches throughout the Inner Sea region and employ 117 factors. Its current head is Lusha Goldfield; its primary trade goods are gold, silver, and alum.
House Naran: The most successful bank in Andoran is Andoran’s first bank, called the Foresters’ Endowments, and is operated by House Naran, which got its start as loggers and shipwrights. Based out of Augustana, House Naran enjoys the distinction of being the government’s number one supplier of naval ships, their shipyards outpacing the ones found in Almas in both quality of design and speed of manufacture. The house currently owns 22 branches across the Inner Sea region and employs 132 factors. Its current head is Jerrik Naran; its primary trade goods are lumber and ships.
House Vaylen: Beginning as archaeologists and treasure hunters, House Vaylen blossomed into one of the most successful banks in Andoran. They are currently the largest Andoren supplier of the precious antiquities from distant lands that help fuel Andoran’s impressive economy. They are well known for their funding of large-scale expeditions into foreign realms and generous contributions to the Pathfinder Society. They have 15 branches scattered across the Inner Sea region and employ approximately 90 factors. Its current head is Mennen Vaylen; its primary trade goods are antiquities, exotic artifacts, and luxury items.