User:Shai Halud/The Triple Krewe Council

Though the Asura for ages have functioned without any form of central government, when their race was forced by the dragon Primordus to rise from the depths and take their place among the surface dwelling races of Tyria, thier three oldest and most powerful krewes, perceiving an unprecedented opportunity for expansion, came together to form a singular entity - the Triple Krewe Council. The three krewes of the TKC, as it came to be known, assist and cooperate with each other to create advancement opportunities and expand their control over not just the Asuran nation, but every country on the face of Tyria.

The three krewes which make up the TKC are the Asuran Defense Krewe (ADK), the Asuran Gate Krewe (AGK), and the Asuran Banking Krewe (ABK).

The ADK
The ADK is the closest thing the Asura have to an army. They are the oldest krewe the Asura have with a history reaching back into times immemorial. They exist because all Asura agree on the need for an army to defend their cities in wartime and to enforce laws and settle disputes during peacetime. The ADK trains war captains, who have the authority to train and equip other troops and command them on missions. Though small hunting krewes are sometimes independently organized to deal with local threats, nearly all towns and villages have an ADK war captain who personally oversees the organization of such hunting krewes. War captains also keep the peace, settling disputes between bickering Asura and are authorized to train a small militia to aid them in completing thier tasks. Of course, the village or town can choose to ignore the war captain sent by the ADK and appoint their own war captain, but he, too, will be considered a member of the ADK and is expected to gain their approval. War captains also lead boarder patrols of trained Asura warriors and battle golems to protect Asuran lands from intrusion. These are considered the elite guard of the ADK and are not to be trifled with. The ADK is also rumored to keep large garrisons of battle golems stored beneath major Asuran cities in case of an attack, but no one has ever seen this alleged "Golem Army". In any case, the ADK is the single largest consumer of military grade golems and also receives funding from the ABK for buying equipment and for the development of new weapons and armor. According to their deal with the bank, they share all plunder acquired through their operations with the bank's investors. Thus far, it has been a very lucrative agreement. They also as members of the TKC, are allowed to use Asuran gates for troop transport and frequently do, giving them a major advantage over the armies of other races. There are also rumors that the ADK has sent expeditionary forces through gates into distant lands to collect plunder, though there is no proof and the ADK denies it categorically.

The AGK
The AGK is the second oldest of the Asuran krewes, having been in existence nearly since the invention of the Asuran gate. They have authority to appoint krewes to repair, maintain, and build new Asuran gates throughout the world. The AGK also maintains a strict usage policy for their gate system to "prevent abuse and maintain the balance of power throughout Tyria". To prevent the use of their gates for expeditionary purposes, no one who is not employed by the TKC can use an Asuran gate to travel to any gates they have not already visited. The AGK makes very few exceptions to this rule, so one must assume that AGK employees (or, more likely, their golems) personally handle the transportation of goods to places like Ebonhawke which cannot be reached by land. Several new security regulations have also been issued recently, frustrating usage of the gate system. The AGK apologizes for the inconvenience, but does not lift the regulations. They employ members of the Asuran Defense Krewe (ADK) as guards and receive a large portion of their funding from investments made through the Asuran Banking Krewe (ABK). They have placed gates in every city, town, and outpost in Tyria. It is also rumored that they have hidden some gates in distant locations for their own secretive use. Some say they even have gates located outside of Tyria, but that is considered highly improbable.

The ABK
The ABK is the youngest of the three krewes as it as only existed in its current form since after the perfection of gate technology. Actually, one might say its current form has only existed since it joined the TKC. It was only after this point that they set themselves up as an international service similar to the gate system, but much more lucrative. After Tyria was cut off from Cantha, ADK agents, using gate technology to transport items, soon replaced the Xunlai Agency as the major banking service on the continent. Through them, members of any race can invest in Asuran research projects which often result in technological breakthroughs of some significance. They also help businesses all over the continent find the "best suppliers for their needs", though most of these suppliers do tend to be Asuran for some reason. They also have a joint-venture going on with the AGK to find ways of utilizing the gate system for mailing and shipping purposes. They employ ADK members as vault guards and use them to retrieve stolen goods when necessary. As things stand, all of Tyria is economically dependent on the services of the ABK. Some even say they are looking into off-shore investment opportunities, but the specifics are still very sketchy. These are just rumors after all.

Growing Concerns...
Many are beginning to notice the TKC tightening its grip upon the nations of Tyria. Even the Asura are starting to wonder exactly what the TKC are up to. They have not consented to be governed, but the TKC is seeming less like a simple association of krewes and more like a political entity. The only other krewe with even vaguely comparable power is the Krewe of Krewes, and no one wants to ask them for help. Humans, Charr, and Norn are all becoming concerned about their growing dependence upon the services of the TKC, and all of them become more frustrated by the day as TKC restrictions continue to tighten around them. Only the Sylvari seem not to care as they are happy just to be in such close association with another species, but even they are sometimes confused by the TKC's insidious ways. Though all Asura revile the Krewe of Krewes and their intrusions on Asuran privacy, some are beginning to wonder if it might be the lesser of two evils.


 * Why this is a good idea
 * Provides the Asura with a suitable adversary to confront in their homeland
 * Elaborates on the Asuran story begun in TMotW
 * Missions connected to the TKC's corrupt rule could occur in every homeland as all the races try to deal with them


 * Why it may not work out
 * Anet may have already worked out what they plan to do with the Asuran story
 * Makes the Asura look like bureaucrats, even if we're only talking about the bad ones