Aside from the various political powers in Aeldaria, there is a large number of more or less influential organisations. Their reach is fairly regional though, and the farther you get from their seat of power, the less known and influential they are. For example, a Kergosian Commerce House might be a part of everyday life in southwestern Aeldaria, while no one but the most powerful merchants will have even heard of it in the northeast. The Warders are well-known all across the continent however, but their esteem varies greatly from kingdom to kingdom.
This page is obviously incomplete. I have a clear idea of what all the various organisations are, but I have yet to formulate any good descriptions for them. /mattwest
The Warders
The Warders are a non-religious order sworn to the preservation of Valorian knowledge. It was founded some decade after the end of the Great Winter by a man named Deorynis. The Warders consist almost exclusively of scholars; however, a great many of them spend their time wandering the roads of Aeldaria, searching for lost Valorian secrets and writing down local folklore. In areas where there are many Valorian ruins, the Warders sometimes make full-scale archeological digs, if the place in question is believed to have been an important location. This, among other things, have made the Warders quite impopular in the less enlightened parts of the continent, as the populace have a hard time discerning between science and grave robbery.
The Shadowmages
This underground organisation of magic users has existed since Valorian times. It was founded as a reaction against the High Magi's highly conservative and morally rigid Laws of Arcana, which among other things dictated that women were not allowed to practice magic, and that magic may only be used defensively. It was an order of freethinkers — and still is, even if the High Magi and their laws nowadays have been reformed greatly. It is commonly believed that the name Shadowmages refers to "black magic" and other dubious practices. In reality, the name stems from a famous quote in Shadowmage circles, "All light doth shadows cast." This was said by one of the founders of the order — the light in question referring to the High Magi.
The Commerce Houses of Kergos
There are several dozen Commerce Houses in Kergos, each one specializing in a particular trade, but only seven of them are large and powerful enough to be forces to be reckoned with outside the nation's borders. […]
The Dyers' Guild
[Dagostine guild]
Hammer Council
[Myrkanian mining guild]
League of the Serpent
[assassin brotherhood of Isanbar]
The High Magi
[Ilthoran mage council]
Cult of Uranni
[Joruni bear cult]
Church of the Patriarch
[Brennin]
Disciples of Jhondra
[Pendras]
Bloodstone Pirates
[Brennin]
???
[bards' guild]