Guilds of Cybertron

The Guilds of Cybertron were a political group that oversaw and administered the caste system and exercised complete control over which newborn cybertronians were routed to which caste for the rest of their lives.

The Guilds existed since the disapearence of the Primes, guiding each Transformer onto his "proper path" of employment and life. They take credit for all the great achievments of cybertronian civilization and indeed the existance of that civilization itself. However, though it is true that the Guilds of Cybertron have existed since the departure of the Primes they were not always the absolute totalitarian force they would eventualy become. The idea to formalize the castes originated with the generals of the militia at Fort Scyk and they were solidified and made manditory at the hand of Sentinel Prime, who argued that they were the best way to keep society stable. Instead, this represive, constricting social structure lead to stagnation, the loss of interstellar contact, and eventually total social decay.

The Guild representative to the High Council in the last days before the great war was Sigil (close friend of Councilor Halogen) and a staunch (and quite pompous) supporter of the status quo.

Fiction

Sigil argued for the guilds against the freedom desired by Megatron, Orion Pax and their followers. This angered young Orion and added fire to his speech calling on the Council to grant each Transformer the freedom to decide his own fate.