Guild
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A group of people who share the same line of work or skill. The guild is meant to protect the workers and to maintain standards, similar to a labor union.
The first guilds were established in the Middle Ages. They were led by men, but both men and women could join a guild. Guilds largely consisted of trades such as Carpentry, Masonry, Alchemy, and the like. However, in popular fiction (such as Terry Pratchett's Discworld series) there are also darker guilds such as a Guild of Thieves and Guild of Assassins.