The League of Merchant-Adventurers and Gentlemen Explorers, or simply The League, are the preeminent organisation of explorers within the Empire. A society of map makers, traders, and adventurers, The League has grown to prominence and power within the Empire over the years, due to the treasures and knowledge amassed by its members and the interest it has attracted among the Empire's elite.[1a]
The headquarters of The League is located in Altdorf. Its façade is lined with ancient pillars from the deserts of Araby, obsidian plaques from the jungles of Lustria, and exquisitely carved statues of strange and wondrous beasts from across the known world. Inside, the building is no less impressive, and there are rooms filled with treasures and artefacts brought back by its members. The most impressive chamber is the map room. Over a hundred yards in length, its walls are covered in maps of every conceivable location, trade route, and continent. The true treasure of the chamber, however, is its arched ceiling. It bears a huge painting of the known world stretching from wall to wall, detailing locations known only to The League.[1a]
The League attracts all kinds of explorers, from unscrupulous private individuals seeking personal fame and fortune to altruistic wanderers desiring to expand the influence of the Empire. And while The League does not discriminate based on an explorers' motives, they do maintain a strict membership policy. First and foremost, a new member can only be admitted on the recommendation of an existing member. Then there is the not inconsiderable annual fee of 100 gold crowns. The most difficult task is the requirement that The League's members add at least one new location to their grand map every year, which must be verified by at least three other members.[1a]
The current president of The League is Faustus Coperium, a famed explorer and fearless adventurer trained by the equally famous Estalian explorer El-dora. A tall dashing man in his later years, Faustus has travelled much of the known world, personally mapping such places as the fabled Valley of Clouds and the Shrieking Pits of Ka-dar. Despite his fame and prowess, however, no one has seen Faustus for several years. Though this is not uncommon among explorers, who may disappear for years at a time on their travels, it has presented the League with something of a problem. The charter states that only the existing president can name his successor. This has led to talk within the halls of the League of a new expedition – finding Faustus.[1a]