Around about 200 years ago, it is said, a lucrative trade grew up between the Osirion city of Solthis and Westcrown,
chief city of the Gherant Coast. The trade was based on repurposing trinkets made by Solthis craftsmen and sold cheaply in the bazaars as ancient artefacts made in Osirion's First Age. It proved so lucrative that the original consortium of merchants grew very wealthy and decided to expand their operations into wider areas.
Thus the
Aspis Consortium was born.
Given the Consortium's model of doing business, the wealthy elite in control were forced to take into account that their operations were sooner or later going to prove unpopular so they recruited diplomats, spies and muscle to support their commercial operations. Gradually
the Consortium expanded over the whole Far Sudland region and even up the east coast of Sudland and across the
Eastern Ocean.
Spreading North up the western coast , however, proved a problem for the Consortium because forewarned by its dubious reputation both
Koronande and Tanturak banned it operations in their
countries. Many of their neighbours in the region have since followed suit.