Montaraz Club
| Montaraz Club | |
| Location |
  Punta Santiago, Alduria |
|---|---|
| Membership | 300 (cap) |
The Montaraz Club (Alexandrian: Cercle Montaraz; Martino: Club Montaraz) is a private gentlemen's club in Punta Santiago, Alduria. Founded in 1673 AN by a group of Aldurian merchants, diplomats, and military officers, the club occupies a four-story townhouse in the Barrio Antiguo district.
Membership is capped at 300 and requires sponsorship by two existing members in good standing, followed by review by the Admissions Committee. The waiting period between nomination and admission averages eleven years. Initiation fees are NAX€85,000, with annual dues of NAX€12,000. The club admitted its first female members in 1728 AN following a contentious vote that nearly split the membership. The Diplomatic Guild of Nouvelle Alexandrie has held its meetings at the Montaraz Club since 1687 AN, and the club's Oak Room has hosted treaty negotiations, ministerial consultations, and informal diplomatic exchanges for over six decades.
History
The club was founded by fourteen men who had served together in the Aldurian Border Guard during the chaotic early years of the Republic. They purchased a merchant's residence in the Barrio Antiguo and converted it into a meeting place for what they termed "gentlemen of consequence." The founders' portraits hang in the entry hall. Early membership drew heavily from the Aldurian government and military, and the club developed a reputation for discretion that made it attractive to those conducting sensitive business.
The club's association with the Diplomatic Guild began in 1687 AN, when Guild founders sought a venue removed from government premises. The relationship proved mutually beneficial as the Guild gained a discreet meeting space, while the club gained access to the diplomatic elite. In 1743 AN, the club's confidentiality was tested when remarks by Secretary of State Federico Mercurio at a Guild dinner were leaked to the press[1], prompting an internal investigation that resulted in the expulsion of three members.
Facilities
The clubhouse contains a formal dining room, a library with over 8,000 volumes on Aldurian and New Alexandrian history, six private meeting rooms, a billiards room, and twelve guest bedrooms for members traveling to the capital. The Oak Room, where the Diplomatic Guild meets, features wood paneling salvaged from an Alexandrian-era ship and can accommodate 80 guests for formal dinners. The club employs a permanent staff of 34.
