Banks of Arystia

Most countries don't become globe-spanning colonial empires without a robust financial backbone. Arystia is no different. Just as in the old country, the financial scene of Joriana is dominated by the Three Great Banks: the Hawk, Lion and Wolf.

Banking System
The banking system is much as it is in the real world, but with one very large and impactful addition: blood magic. Contracts can be sealed with a vial of blood if they are performed by blood mages. Breaking the contract gives the blood mage power over the one who gave the blood. Theoretically, only the most severe contracts and the largest loans are sealed with a blood contract.

The Three Great Banks
Once, the Three Great Banks were the central banks of their respective kingdoms, whose heraldry bore the Hawk, Lion and Wolf. After the Great Unification that created Arystia, the banks did not merge to become a single organization; instead, they continued to carry out a millenia old fued.