#TamrielTogether—Goldleaf Acquisitions Guild Spotlight

Goldleaf Acquisitions’ winning entry

What is your Guild’s primary area of focus?

Sarethi: Goldleaf Acquisitions is, by and large, a roleplaying guild. However, despite our strong focus in collaborative storytelling, we also have many members who really enjoy PvE (including more difficult content, such as veteran trials and veteran dungeons) and PvP (a bit rarer for our member base, but still there nonetheless). Naturally, the guild also has a strong social aspect due to its size and the nature of our main purpose, which is to create and write stories together.

As a roleplaying guild, our concept is simple: treasure hunting. The characters within Goldleaf are individuals who work together to seek out the priceless artifacts across Tamriel, for the purposes of sale, research, or sheer fascination and curiosity. The company is meant to be totally legitimate; that is to say, there’s no theft here. No Goldleaf Employee will ever steal from someone living!

How did Goldleaf Acquisitions first form?

Sarethi: Our guild was first formed in 2015. At the time, it was filling a niche that was relatively absent from the roleplaying community of the time. Most guilds focused upon telling stories of political intrigue or operated as militaristic entities. Very few sought to explore the landscape of ESO and make use of the provided locales with the intent of finding valuable items or even just exploring.

I wanted to utilize the hundreds of unique delves and locations as backdrops for storytelling that could then be used to create something thrilling and different for the writers interested in that sort of thing.

We began in Windhelm, operating out of a very small corner in the Outlaw's Refuge, to eventually expanding into our own cavern, then later, a large, crystalline cove that reflects the collective wealth of the company.

On the hunt for treasure and adventure!

What kind of in-game activities does your Guild participate in?

Jin: As mentioned before, we do have a few members who dabble in the other aspects of the game aside from roleplay. We have quite a few players who have done every quest in the game, others that run and organize regular trial groups, and still others that dip their toes into the war in Cyrodiil (some of which are veteran PvPers and are very accomplished).

Regardless of our member's desires, everyone is always willing and eager to jump in and help players achieve their goals in every aspect that ESO has to offer. Primarily, we do focus on RP and have a host of willing members who are always bringing their ideas for adventures to the table.

Do you have a Guild house or lodge?

Jin: We use the Potentate's Retreat as a home base, and it has been beautifully furnished by the collaborative efforts of a few members. Recently the Princely Dawnlight Palace was added to the roster as a secondary location for our members to use, and in-character we consider it a front office building for Goldleaf's operations.

There's an incredible amount of talent and passion that has gone into each location, and I can't rave enough about how gorgeous the decor is! Every spot within the housing has a purpose and furnishings to match. There are so many styles and unique details that have been added, and it's a lovely example of how Goldleaf works together as a unit to create beautiful and moving stories.

The Guild crafting their own stories

Is it tricky to manage an RP Guild? How do you manage it?

Sarethi: In truth, I find that Goldleaf is a relatively low-maintenance guild. When it comes to management, I simply do my best to ensure all my members are happy and comfortable in the environment we've all built for one another. In game, we keep a somewhat loose rank structure that rewards participation, though it doesn't penalize a lack thereof. Out of game, we prefer to socialize and organize events through Discord, which I manage alongside my three officers.

Jin: Seeing as the members of Goldleaf are first and foremost friends, it's pretty simple to handle the upkeep. There are some general maintenance details to handle, the usual behind-the-scenes paperwork so to speak, but overall, it's a very low-maintenance experience. The guild uses Discord to allow our members to communicate when not in-game, and it helps us to organize our events. Every member is allowed the freedom to bring stories and event ideas to the table, allowing for everyone to provide tales.

Do you have any fond Guild memories you’d like to share?

Sarethi: Goodness, that's a bit difficult! After five years, we've a lot of memories to choose from! We had a recent event where a single artifact was hidden amongst a large storage room of strange items, and touching one would have a bizarre (but ultimately harmless) effect fall upon the individual in question. The result was incredibly humorous, and the innovation of our DM was incredible.

That aside, much of our history has involved episodic events, or large gatherings for celebration and socialization. One such involved searching through Dwarven ruins for pieces of a priceless weapon, almost legendary in nature. Another entailed getting together for our 5th anniversary, filling up a Psijic Villa home with a myriad of characters who all danced and enjoyed themselves.

Really, there are so many little moments that I've enjoyed and that I would not trade for anything. It's hard for me to pick just a handful.

Jin: I've found many of my best memories to be tied to the connections I've made within the guild itself. With such a chaotic year, Goldleaf has steadfastly remained a place of joy and laughter where we can relax and just enjoy one of our favorite games with our friends. The people I've met here are absolutely incredible, and quite a few I would say have even been life-changing for me. I hope that they'll remain my good friends for many years to come.

Nonsense is important, too!

Do you have any recommendations for managing an RP Guild?

Sarethi: When it concerns growth for new guilds, I'd have really just one recommendation: patience. I have never been an excessively active recruiter for Goldleaf. Rather, I've relied on word-of-mouth, friendships, and support from others to help our guild progress, and chose not to rush it, nor cut corners when it came to the recruitment of interested players. It's best to find people you know will be a good fit for you and your concept rather than rushing in and trying to get your name out there to everyone at once.

Jin: As for me, I would say just hang in there and have fun. This is something that you should enjoy and that should bring a smile to your face! When you can create friendships and a great atmosphere, that's where all the hard work pays off. Running and making a guild is about the community within and the love and respect everyone has for one another, and those around them.

Respect the people around you and protect your friends. Stay true to what you love, and the people that you love will always have the best payoff. It's always more fun when you have a good crew to take on the world with you!

Thank you to Guild officers Sarethi Veren, Jin Roah, Niveus Veren, and Monarch Wintervine of Goldleaf Acquisitions for answering our questions and helping us put this spotlight together, and congratulations on being one of our Guild Contest grand-prize winners! We hope all the members of Goldleaf get to enjoy many amazing stories (and treasures) in the future!