Larry Porter and the Chamber of Commerce

I was at work this morning and out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a “thank you” card hanging on one of the bulletin boards.  From where I was standing, I could make out the words, “Thank you, The Chamber…” 

That was all I could see but I laughed to myself as my mind substituted words and arrived at the abovementioned title.  I started thinking about what the Chamber of Commerce could be in a classic or modern fantasy RPG and I would like to present two of the options below.  Enjoy! 

Chamber NOUN
chambers (plural noun)

a large room used for formal or public events.
synonyms:
assembly room, hall,  auditorium

(archaic)
a private room, especially a bedroom.
synonyms:

bedroom, bedchamber, boudoir, room, bower 

Commerce NOUN
the activity of buying and selling, especially on a large scale.
synonyms:
trade, trading, buying and selling, business

A chamber of commerce (or board of trade) is a form of business network, for example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses.   In this manner, the Chamber of Commerce is much like a legislative body of guilds that seeks to influence the rulers of a city or nation.

There have been dozens, even scores of articles written, detailing different ways to separate PCs from their hard won wealth.  I am not going to revisit the consequences of sending a group of private individuals into a settlement with enough coin to destabilize the local economy but know that the risk exists and know that the Chamber of Commerce knows that the risk exists and that they will take (and have already taken) steps to ensure that they keep a tight control on the financial reins of their city (which is why prices in the PHB are set up the way they are).

But…what if…?

The Chamber of Commerce is an actual chamber?  A real place YOUR adventurers could go to divest themselves of unwanted (or unusable) loot the next time they go to town.  What if it was a hidden market like the Troll Market from Hellboy II, Mantol-Derith outside of Mennzoberranzan or Skullport deep beneath the streets of Waterdeep or even the Desperado’s Den of the Boot Hill RPG?

In keeping with the “Chamber” part of its name, this place is a clandestine meeting place much like a speakeasy where deals are made, treasures sold or traded, and stolen items are fenced.  Admission is only granted to those adventurers brace and bold enough to have earned it (i.e., looted treasures worth trading for).  Once the group has been accepted into the Chamber, it is possible that other members of the group will attempt to hire them to locate or procure specific items.  More importantly, a group with membership that exists almost solely of independent adventurers means that the chamber could also be a veritable clearing house for all sorts of illicit, secret, or otherwise confidential information.