The First Bank of Ataland
The First Bank of Ataland is a inter-faction organisation that utilises magic to provide financial services. Branches of the bank have been established near or in major towns and cities. The primary services provided by the bank are accounts, loans and deposit box hire.
The First Bank was creation of the human wizard Isaac Steinworth, after being hired to cast spells to secure a private vault. Realising this kind of protection was out of the reach of most he founded the first branch - The City of Abingend Bank. It gained immediate popularity not only with the nobility is was intended for, but also with the new class of wealthy merchants that had begun to emerge in the larger towns. Soon the bank was open to all.
The success of the bank has made Steinworth extraordinarily rich and powerful. It is said his wealth rivals that of the entire faction of Astrus.
Magic and The Bank
Key to the prosperity of the bank is the magic used to ensure the safety of it's assets and records. It is to this that the bank owes it's reputation of safety and trust.
Underneath each bank is a vault floor. Entrances to bank vaults are protected by Glyphs of Warding, Guards and Wards, and other magical traps. The vault floor is enchanted with the Private Sanctum spell, preventing magical intrusion.
Of equal importance to the safety of the gold in their vault is the integrity of the bank's records. Magical Ledgers are used to ensure the recordkeeping is beyond reproach. (See Legendarium, Rare Items.) Additionally, the public area of the bank has a permanent Zone of Truth cast on it, preventing anyone from misrepresenting their identity or business. If anyone attempts to cast a spell in the public area, a hidden ward teleports them outside the bank.
Each bank also contains a permanent Teleportation Circle. These circles are strictly for the use of the staff and their sigil sequences are closely guarded secrets. After closing time, the circles are used to synchronise records between branches. This allows account holders to access their money from any branch.
(See the SRD for details of the spells mentioned.)
Services
Accounts
Anyone may apply for an account, so long as you maintain a minimum account balance of 25 gp. This service is a free service and no interest is paid out. Transactions can be made at any branch, but withdrawals outside the account's home branch must be processed overnight and are subject to a handling fee. The handling fee is 1% of the withdrawal (minimum 1 sp, maximum 10 gp).
Deposit Boxes
For a fee, the bank will rent deposit boxes which are stored in the vault. Lock boxes can contain up to 50 pounds, not exceeding 1 cubic foot. They are lead lined which blocks most magical effects. Rent costs 5 gp per year. If a box's rent is not paid on-time, the bank claims the contents. Rent is often paid for several years in advance.
Anyone with the key to the box is granted access, so keys should be carefully guarded.
Loans
Note: Think twice about letting your players take out a loan. Keeping track of money lending is not fun material. Most bank managers would turn adventurers down due to their profession anyway.
The bank loans out money from it's coffers. With little competition interest rates are high. Applicants can expect an interest rate of anything from 10% to 30%. Land is usually used as collateral. Defaulting lendees have made the bank one of the biggest landowners in Ataland.
Sample Layout
Scale 1 sq = 5 ft.
Ground Floor
All doors on this floor are locked, requiring a clerk's key. (Thieves' Tools check DC 16.)
- Public Area - The public area is surrounded in a Zone of Truth. Clerk windows are to the left. The public door at the bottom is unlocked during business hours.
- Clerk Area - The clerk area and with today's Magical Ledgers are stored in cabinets to the left.
- Staff Area - Staff area with employee building entrance to the left.
- Teleportation Circle - The circles sigil sequence is a closely guarded secret.
- Stairway - Stairway to vault floor. This area is protected by Glyphs of Warding.
- Manager's Office - The manager spends most of his time here, emerging only to approve loans and new accounts. Public entrance at the bottom, exit to staff areas to the left.
Vault Floor
This entire floor is protected by the Private Sanctum spell. Doors on this floor require two clerk's keys and use particularly fiendish locks. (Thieves' Tools check DC 20.)
- Vault Floor Corridor - Stairs lead to area 5. All three vault doors are locked and barred. This area is protected by Guards and Wards.
- Deposit Box Vault - Contains shelves of locked deposit boxes.
- Valuables Vault - Coins, Ingots and Gems are sorted in to organised coffers. One of the keys used to open the door must be the manager's key.
- Records Vault - Magical Ledgers and other documentation is kept in this area.