The Golotha Shipping Company was formed in 1051 and may have been at its founding a legitimate business engaged in
importing and exporting goods from Reetland. In the 1080's, however, the Golotha Watch became suspicious that
it was engaged in smuggling and conducted several raids on the company warehouses without finding more than a few
minor violations of the law. In 1089 the the Watch's suspicions were confirmed when a vicious turf war broke out
between the 'Shippers', or 'Ships' as they were known, and the
Thieves Guild.
The fall out from the gang warfare was that the Shippers were all expelled from the city. The reputation of the
Thieves Guild was tarnished, however, and having taken many casualties the local Guild openly blamed the fiasco
on the then head of the Reetland Thieves Guild, Bosco the Lame. Bosco had the local Guild expelled from the
national movement but he in turn was forced to resign his position within a year. The owners of the company
denied all knowledge of the criminal activity of their employees and cooperated with the authorities. After firing a large proportion of their workforce they were
allowed to keep trading.
The Shippers meanwhile resurfaced within a decade in Karldorf, Chelemby and Coranan. The response from the
Thieves Guild was more muted and consisted mainly in providing intelligence to the Watch. Although the Watch
has had some success against the Shippers they have never managed to capture any of its leaders or even
discover who they are. Gradually the Shippers have gained a national profile although they probably have only
ever had operational chapters in about half the cities of Reetland at any one time. As they have expanded they
have also enahnced their reputation for ruthlessness and violence and it is rumoured they do not let members leave their
organisation alive. At the current time they have returned in force to Golotha and many believe the Golotha
Shipping Company itself is again a front for them (assuming it ever really stopped being one). They are also believed
to be behind the import of drugs from
Cambria.