The Divitas Banking Syndicate is a powerful financial organization that controls almost all commerce within the Kingdom of Orel.
One of the prime sources of wealth for Orel is its banking industry. Each major Orellian city has an "Exchange," an enormously complicated and important clearing house for merchants and traders of every stripe.
Along with these commercial enterprises came the need for commercial credit, which led to the rise of the great banking houses. After consolidations, mergers, and acquisitions, there is now one major Bank in each of the seven largest Orellian cities; they are:
- the Argentari Bank; which controls the banking and trading in the cities of Jhannis
- the Avenado Bank; which controls the banking and trading in the cities of Ordana
- the Barzeni Bank; which controls the banking and trading in the city of Seaforth
- the DiGretti Bank; which controls the banking and trading in the cities of Whitehurst
- the Meravanchi Bank; which controls the banking and trading in the cities of Ormath
- the Oparis Bank; which controls the banking and trading in the city of Olthad
- the Terici Bank; which controls the banking and trading in the city of Morathad
Each bank makes obscene profits on both loans and speculation on merchant futures; such as crops, explorations, and commodities trading. These banks also have the authority of the state behind them, should anyone dare to default.
Today, the five Orellian Banks are united into one huge, powerful organization known as the Divitas Banking Syndicate. Some rumors claim the Syndicate is even more powerful than the Oramar, but many give those rumors little weight.
