Marin frowned and stared at the box on Shin’s back: barely a foot long and half that wide, but heavy. What could be so heavy? Coin? A block of rose stone? As tempting as it was to ask, Marin knew that the reason these packages paid so well was to ensure discretion. The whole idea didn’t sit well with her, but these weren’t the sort of people you said “no” to, either.
“Gee! Hutt, hutt, hutt!”
She called out to Shin, making sure the broadback knew to avoid the kids playing stairball. The animals hardly needed any guidance to make the ascent up the Slow Road — they’d been walking that path since before Moru Kel was founded, likely as not since before Skandara itself. But people were comparatively new to them, and children in particular often fell below their usual sight lines.
Marin sighed. A couple more blocks and they’d pass the tavern where she was to drop the package. A wiry little short-haired dwarf with a nasty cackle would give her the rest of her payment, and she’d be back to the normal hauling and riding. Thank the gods.
The Broadbacks’ Guild is composed of the drivers (themselves often called “broadbacks”) of Moru Kel’s broadbacks. The Guild also oversees all loading and unloading of commercial vessels in Kilpo Bay, with stevedores, tenders, and harbor pilots all part of the Guild. As such, it is quite influential on both the economy and the politics of the city.
The drivers handle the loading and unloading of their beast’s cargo, driving the broadbacks up and down the Slow Road, and the general care and maintenance of the animals. Each driver generally owns and works a single animal, which they often develop a deep attachment to. In the happy circumstance of a new clutch of broadbacks hatching, the driver will find new drivers to raise each of the surviving offspring. This is often a family business, owing to the level of trust involved.
Drivers mainly deliver large or bulky items to the upper levels. For a small fee they will also deliver messages, notes, or small packages to locations along their route up and down the Slow Road. Drivers are constantly overheard comparing notes on the diet and performance of their beasts. Much of their time not spent humping is spent cleaning the lizards, keeping their bedding fresh and cool, feeding them, etc.
In recent years, the Guild has been notable for its opposition of the construction of Moru Kel’s funicular.
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