News:Companions Guild
news Companions Guild
Contents
Overview
The oldest profession in the ‘Verse has one of the oldest and most respected guilds in the Core. Prostitution as it had existed on Earth-That-Was was abolished long ago, replaced by a government-approved profession officially titled “Companion.” The Companion’s Guild established Guild Houses throughout the system to train its members, though, due to the war, there are few Houses currently on the outer worlds. The Guild establishes its own laws and rules. For example, Guild law states that no House may ever be run by a man. The law also states that a Companion is free to choose her clients. Originally a female-only organization, the Guild has since allowed males to enter. The men undergo the same training as the women and, like the women, they service both sexes. The Houses exist to provide training to the Companions. No work is ever done inside a House.
Becoming a Companion
Girls and boys as young as twelve may begin training, which includes a well-rounded education and years of physical discipline, religious study, and the arts. Girls and boys are taught dance, martial arts, calligraphy, how to play musical instruments, and singing. The children undergo rigorous testing on all subjects, and those who fail are sent back to their homes. They are taught the art of love play only upon successful completion of their schooling.
Companions must pass a test in order to gain their registration. To maintain that registration, they must also pass a yearly physical examination conducted at a licensed hospital.
Clients
Clients must pay a subscription fee to earn a place in the client registry. The Guild and the Companion must approve of the client. If a client ever mistreats a Companion, that client will earn a black mark in the client registry, preventing him or her from ever securing such services again. A Companion House is run much like a monastery, protecting its inhabitants and sheltering them from the outside as they undergo their training. The services a companion performs for the client are steeped in tradition and ritual. A Companion greets a client and bids that client farewell with ceremony, and the act of lovemaking is designed to make each client feel that he or she is special and valued - only one of the reasons an evening with a Companion is so highly sought after.
Contracting with a Companion earns the client “an evening of pleasure” that goes far beyond the sexual encounter. A Companion is trained to listen, to entertain, to soothe, and even to offer advice, for they are well-versed on any variety of subjects from politics to the economy. A Companion knows traditional and contemporary dance. They are skilled musicians, schooled in literature and stay current with all significant newsworthy events. They have a high degree of empathy and are trained in psychology, so they can understand their client’s needs.
Companions in the Verse
The beauty, elegance, and skills of the Companions have earned them the highest respect in social circles. There is no stigma to bringing a Companion to a party, as doing so proves you have both money and the ability to impress the Guild, whose members set very high standards. However, few Companion marry the wealthy prince and go off to live in the glittering castle. While of the social elite, Companions still exist outside society. Though a Companion is welcomed as an escort at party, a Companion would not be so well-received as husband or wife. A Companion might commit to an exclusive, long-term contract, but that would still be a business arrangement. A Companion is encouraged to enjoy the work, but is taught to stay emotionally detached from the clientele.
Most Companions work on the Core planets, entertaining clients in their own suites or meeting them elsewhere. Some choose to travel and may contract with a luxury liner servicing clients on a cruise or flying the ship’s shuttles to visit clients on nearby worlds. Few Companions choose to travel on their own or ally themselves with a small ship, and even fewer visit the outer worlds. Those who travel off the beaten path can pick and choose their clients, though they may not make as much money as working on the wealthy Core worlds.
Addendum
Companions are a cross between the oriental-style Geisha and the classic courtesan of renaissance Italy -- in many ways, they are the highest ranking nobility of the Firefly 'verse -- when it comes time for a show of power between a high-ranking member of a Core World's administration and a single Companion... bet on the Companion.
The only thing likely to out maneuver such a woman is The Guild itself -- few companions will knowingly cross Guild Law.
"The Guild" is a socially powerful pseudo-religious organization that trains and organizes "Companions" throughout the Core Worlds.
RP Note
The Calling of Companions whores isn't very IC. Even though we know and love when Mal did it, it does not forgo the above statements of fact.
See Also
For more information about applying to be a member of the Companions Guild, see: news Companion App
