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Banking is a time-honoured tradition in Castana, meant as an institution that would safeguard capital and provide an exchange between various currencies. In time, this developed into full-on business banking. This includes extending loans to prospective artisans with new ideas, providing funds to kings for raising armies, and handling other financial matters. Your father had the concept imported to Greifswald to give the industries and other ventures a better chance at obtaining capital for themselves.
Families in the merchant or crafts business who switched to banking have spread the institution across Argalis, reviving and expanding trade. The revived trading networks are displacing the old autarkic manorial systems. And Castana is at the centre of it all. Ships come and go to Mithras, the Orient, and back again.
A low, businesslike profile and fortress-like characteristics, including bars on the window, define the bank. To keep the riff-raff out, two guards, a sweaty dwarf and a greasy orc, are present. Because your surcoat gives away your noble heritage, you and your entourage are let in without a problem.
Upon entering the low vaulted room that makes up the public section of the bank, you see a long row of men sitting behind a set of benches with various weighing instruments. Some are measuring various coins, others are scrutinising documents, some with transparent crystals, and others with specially cut glass.
A friendly-looking young gentleman with an enormous nose and a double chin approaches you. The greeter, most likely.
<span class="mu-i"> ''Buona giornata, nobili signori. Posso aiutarti con qualcosa?'' </span>
Instead of waiting for Alfonso to translate or asking him to do it for you, you simply hand the man the bank check you have with you. You are not really in the mood for conversation at the moment. The greeter looks at the seals on the document before he speaks again.
<span class="mu-i"> ''Ma certo, allora siete Grifonlegni? Per favore seguimi, ti porterò dal nostro specialista nella gestione degli affari con la tua nazione.'' </span>
Alfonso quickly whispers in your ear. <span class="mu-i"> ''He said that you should follow him, he will bring you to the specialist concerning Greifswald.'' </span>
And so you follow the fat porter, beyond the main hall into the office level, before the three of you stop before a door. The usher bade you to wait with a motion of his hand. He knocked on the door and went inside. A little later, he emerged again with an older man in tow.
