Adventurers.

The kind of people who venture into the most dangerous places, or go up against terrifying creatures. For profit, or for the thrill of it, whatever the reason there has always been adventurers forging their way through life with spells and blades and all other manners of weaponry and magic. But the life of an adventurer, while exciting, is also very dangerous. Not only that, but without any regulation, there were those who claimed to be adventurers accepting jobs from civilians and proceeding to never fulfill them, or worse, prey upon people who were in need of assistance by taking advantage of their desperation.

These reasons, and many more, were behind the creation of the Adventurer's Guild. Both for the purpose of assisting adventurers, allowing them to learn about various jobs suited to their experience level and locate partners efficiently, and assisting those in need of hiring adventurers. No longer was there any requirement to meet in a bar and hope that the other party was being honest. The adventurer's guild allows for missions to be posted in the guild hall where any adventurers have access to them, or for adventurers to be hired directly.

One of the largest guild halls is located in the city of Venne, capital of the country of Estival. Situated to the North of Ithillin, but far south of distant Barukstaed, Estival enjoys a pleasant climate, allowing for travel at most times of the year. As of now, it's a rather lovely summer.

And of course, business is always bustling for for the Adventurer's Guild. Whether it be low-ranking requests to deal with an infestation of particularly large rats, clearing a dungeon of powerful undead, or even slaying an orc chieftan, the Adventurer's Guild is always ready to supply those in need with those willing to work.

Of course, the adventurers themselves have all sorts of motivations for joining the guild. For the thrill, for the money, for the purpose of helping others, no two adventurers are alike. But they all stand together, as members of the Estival Adventurer’s Guild.

What’s your reason for joining?

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So, this is an RP centered around an Adventurer's Guild in the country of Estival! All kinds of people join the guild, and all sorts of jobs are made avaliable to them. From clearing dungeons, to fighting undead, even pest control, all are jobs offered at various levels for adventurers of all skill and experience levels.

Speaking of levels, the Estival Adventurer's Guild divides its members by experience level, separating them into ranks based on their experience level.

This means that an inexperienced member of the Guild may only accept jobs within their skill level, minimizing the danger until they become more experienced, in order to avoid their potential death.

Additionally, members of the guild are divided into four categories based on their abilities. These classifications allow for a quick understanding of what an adventurer's abilities are focused on, both by those who wish to hire an adventurer and adventurers who wish to form a party.

• Swords:: Adventurers who focus on direct combat. This usually indicates melee weapons, but users of ranged weapons or fists are also categorized as Swords. Those who utilize magic in conjunction with melee, too, are Swords. The main classification of a Sword Adventurer is a focus on direct fighting in some manner.
• Wands: Mages are categorized as Wands. This is for all who utilize magic as their primary weapon, of any sort. Those who use magic to supplement melee weaponry or fists are classified as Swords.
• Cups: Cups is the classification reserved for those who specialize in using divine blessings and other related spells for the purpose of supporting their comrades. While some classified under this category do utilize melee weapons, they are Cups due to a focus on healing and enhancement spells.
• Coins: Coin is reserved for those adventurers who focus on stealth, infiltration, and the disabling of traps. While they likely possess the ability to fight, their main focus is invariably on avoiding conflict, or eliminating enemies without being forced to fight them directly.

In addition to these classifications, there are twenty-two special ranks reserved for the most powerful adventurers in the Guild. These are...

The Magician
The High Priestess
The Empress
The Emperor
The Hierophant
The Lovers
The Chariot
Strength
The Hermit
Wheel of Fortune
Justice
The Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
The Devil
The Tower
The Star
The Moon
The Sun
Judgement
The World

The final rank is not an indication of power, but rather symbolizes one who is descended from the original founders of the Estival Adventurer's Guild. It is known as the Fool.

Finally, there are thirteen adventurer ranks, indicating what range of jobs an adventurer can accept. They range from One to Nine, and then Page, Knight, Queen, and finally King.

I'd like players to stay within a range of ranks four to six. I may accept one who is at most one rank above this limit, and I may also accept those below four if it is discussed with me beforehand.

Adventurers can have various jobs avaliable to them at any given time, and these jobs can range from taking care of a local pest infestation for low-level adventurers to clearing out a dungeon for higher level ones. Of course, between these jobs there's plenty of time for other material, too!

The RP's story will primarily be arc-based, and I'm willing to work with players on personal arcs they may wish to include relating to their characters!

Given she talked me into this, @Raineh Daze will be my co-GM and will be helping me handle a lot of this!

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Races:

• Humans: Straightforward and coming in many varieties. Humans in Estival are ruled by the King and Queen of Estival living Estival's Capital of Venne.
• Elves: Elves, too, come in several varieties, with splits even within these varieties. High Elves dwelling in cities, High Elves dwelling in forests, Wood Elves dwelling in Forests in both tree-cities and in a manner more one with nature, Dark Elves dwelling beneath the earth and far to the North in Barukstaed. The greatest differences between these varieties is culture and architecture, as all elves are unable to die of old age. They are also capable of reproducing with humans, producing half-elves. Of course, Elves are extremely rare in Thaln.
  
  • High Elves: There are a handful of High Elven settlements beyond Lethienvel, but they are few and far between. Rarely, a High Elf from beyond the veil will venture into the rest of the world. High Elves boast perhaps the greatest proficiency with magic among their kind.
  • Dark Elves: From the Far North, Dark Elves are mysterious folk who dwell so far to the North that the sun rarely pierces the snowstorms. Another rare sight in Velt. Dark Elves are highly proficient assassins and are skilled in the art of stealth and infiltration.
  • Wood Elves: The most common variant of Elven kind in Velt, and the youngest, Wood Elves dwell in forest cities and towns. They are fond of solitude, but gracious hosts to visitors who arrive with their permission. Few intruders, however, return alive. Wood elves are known for their skill in archery and hunting. There is a Wood Elf Settlement in Thaln, but finding it is extremely difficult.
• Dwarves: Short, bearded folk dwelling in their deep mines and working metal, dwarves have a reputation for honesty, loyalty, and being the most stubborn people you could possibly meet. Dwarves often build vast kingdoms within mountains across the land. The dwarven capital is North of Estival, in the great Grey Mountains, home to their most vast halls and the Deep King. Dwarven metalworking is the best by far in the land, but they lack magical capabilities entirely.
• Nem: A diminutive race from the deserts of the south, the Nem resemble small humans, commonly reaching heights of around 3'4-3'5. They are universally pale in skintone, with red or yellow eyes and black hair. Nem males cannot grow facial hair, and as a whole they are small and agile but lacking in physical strength. They are also known for being skilled archers, and wielding curved swords(well, more like daggers to the larger races). Their language lacks an equivalent to the letter "B", and some Nem have trouble pronouncing it as a result. They are nocturnal and possess excellent night vision, but during the day their vision is slightly worse than a human's. They also easily burn in the sun and must wear covering clothing to move during the day. Most Nem live in their desert homes, but there are a few found in Estival as well. They have an extremely low alcohol tolerance. Nem worship a night goddess known as Ila-Nem.
• The Hundi: The Hundi are a a near-human race. On average they are around the average human height, or slightly shorter. What physically sets them apart from humanity is their soft, furred, dog-like ears and tails. Loyal, proud, and honorable, the Hundi are said to be incapable of lying. On every Hundi's sixteenth birthday, they are sent on a journey to practice their highly-valued combat skills and learn about the world first-hand. An unusual custom of the race is their unique marriage rights. An opponent who defeats a Hundi in honorable combat immediately gains the position of that Hundi's fiancee, to be married as soon as possible. Hundi are most common in Ithillin, but some enter Estival as part of their mandatory quests, or as wanderers or the occasional sellsword.
• Sapient Undead: Living beings who have, for whatever reason, revived after death with their mind intact. Usually this process only occurs with the recently dead. In place of the inherent life of any living being, they possess what magi refer to as a "mana reactor", a wellspring of mana simulating life and allowing a corpse to be animated. Their bodies do not decompose, and they are immune to poisoning or the effects of bloodloss(though their blood does indeed flow it serves no purpose). The "mana reactor" allows their bodies to heal, but decapitation is unquestionably death for even the most powerful of sapient undead. They can also be hacked to pieces, their bodies capable of healing but needing its parts to be fixed in place before such a thing is possible. One possible source of Sapient Undead is necromancy.
• Fairy: Fairies resemble female, human-like children. With the exception of the fact that human children tend not to be six inches tall at most, winged, and wearing clothing made from flowers. Fairies possess translucent insect-like wings, and all fairies are female. They tend to possess a childish immaturity, but they are in fact adults. Fairies tend to be inquisitive and curious, as it benefits such a small race of beings to investigate their surroundings thoroughly. Their curiosity extends to when they meet new people, as well. Fairies are mostly harmless, the worst they seem to be able to bring themselves to do being mischievous pranks upon other, larger races. However, harming or killing a fairy will bring the anger of other fairies upon the perpetrator, and they carry a large amount of sharp objects and know how to aim for the eyes and throat far too well. Fairies cannot die of old age, and only violence or disease can kill a fairy. A common sight in Estival's forests.
• Nagas: One of the monstrous races, and an extremely uncommon sight outside of the wilds, nagas are human until you reach their thighs. For, from the thighs down, a naga possesses a strong, thick snake tail instead of legs. Nagas are carnivorous and possess sharpened teeth. A naga's tail is incredibly strong and remarkably dangerous.
• Driders: Driders are a relatively rare race, uncommon in populated areas. They come in a variety of subraces, each with the features of a different spider, varying in size and strength. Commonly, driders are well-suited to utilizing magic, but some of the largest subraces of drider are incredibly strong, as well. Much like nagas, they are carnivorous, finding it difficult to digest anything aside from meat. Unfortunately, there is some level of discrimination against driders in some countries, based on rumors of a taste for human flesh, but this is altogether false.
• Harpies: A mountain-dwelling monstrous race, harpies are an unusual race of beings in that they are entirely female, relying on the males of other races for reproduction. In place of arms they have a pair of wings, and therefore lack hands and cannot create clothing or tools easily. Harpies dwelling in towns or cities often live with a roommate of another race in order to be dressed properly. A harpy's bird-like feet are highly dexterous and possess sharp claws, and their wings are strong enough to easily break a man's arm. They are light due to their hollow bones and highly cold-resistant. On average they are somewhat shorter than human females.Ask before signing up
• Orcs and Goblins: A race divided into two categories, largely by strength and size. Orcs are on average a head taller than a human man, and are very burly and powerful. Goblins are usually a head shorter on average, and are wiry and thin. They usually possess sickly green or grey skin, and are violent barbarians who pillage and steal from others. Orcs are generally found roving in warbands, while Goblins often hide in deep, dank caves. Both Orcs and Goblins are known to eat the flesh of other races. Orcs ride boars, often given aggression-boosting herbs.Not playable
• Trolls: A relation to Orcs and Goblins, Trolls are tall, muscular, and dim-witted beasts. Eating anything they can get their hands on, trolls are more monsters than they are sapient beings. Orcs often use them as attack dogs of a sort, filling them with aggression-boosting herbs. Not playable
• Mindless Undead: Undead reanimated by a source that does not retain their mind. These undead can be revived at any point after death, and unlike sapient undead their bodies are not preserved. Rotting corpses or skeletal warriors, mindless undead crave flesh and will attempt to consume it even though they are incapable of digesting it. With the aid of guiding intelligence, such as a necromancer, mindless undead can wield weaponry. Necromancy can also raise mindless undead. They may also occur in places of great violence or magical disturbance. While a bite from a mindless undead can cause unpleasant infection, they are usually no great threat to a prepared warrior. Mindless Undead are considered an abomination by the Dual Church of Reon and Mayon, and are exterminated whenever possible. Not playable
• Giants: A race of huge humanoids, often ranging from seventeen to twenty-five feet tall in height. They resemble, quite simply, enormous humans of either gender. They are extremely strong and physically capable, but few giants ever posses the capability of performing magic. Velt's Giants live in small settlements resembling human villages, but there are giants with a more tribal civilization further south. In spite of the size difference, half-giants are possible. They tend to be around ten feet tall and have immense strength.Not playable, too big to fit into dungeons

Locations:

• Estival: A vast land to the north of Ithillin, Estival is famous for its expansive adventurer's guild and the plethora of ancient ruins and various other unusual landmarks, likely due to once having been part of a larger country in the distant past, that no longer exists. Ruled by the King and Queen of Estival(who have three children, two daughters and one son), it is a prosperous country in no small part due to the Adventurer's Guild itself.
• Velt: The country of Velt, Southwest of Thaln, is a vast land composed largely of plains and forests, with a few notable mountain ranges(such as the Northern mountain of Cahladren, home to the dwarven city of Draz'khzidra). The River Nirinel runs through the heart of Velt, and the Veltan capital of Meridan is situated on its Southwestern bank. Velt is dotted with ruins of the past, from the crumbling Blue Ridge Watchstation overlooking Vaelin's Lake, to the deep, dark ruins of the Prison-Castle of Mad King Haldric. Meridan is a vast, wealthy city, featuring the White Tower as the seat of its royalty and the rulers of Velt. As for climate, Velt enjoys warm summers and snowy, yet relatively mild winters. Another notable landmark is Caraan Valley, the location of the final battle in the Orc War. It was here that Captain Mathen beheaded the Orc Chieftan Gridashk and the Orc legions were broken.
• Ithillin: The land to the north of Thaln, ruled by Lord Indril of Calthir. Similar to Velt in climate and geography, though lacking in the mountainous regions to the North, Ithillin has a bustling trade with Velt and the two countries enjoy excellent relations. Thaln experiences some of this trade as well. The country's capital is Calthir, situated to the northwest. Deep in the southeast their lies the Black Pit, Talderia, a foul crater given a wide breadth by all but the most insistent of adventurers.
  
  • Talderia: "And the King's misdeeds destroyed all, his black heart darkened his city, and all was brought to ruin." The ruins of the ancient city of Talderia are located in Ithillin. They are given a wide breadth by travelers, and it is often times that Talderia is referred to as the Black Pit. For the ruins of Talderia have become a den of the utmost evil, filled with the most vile beings beyond imagining. None who venture into the Black Pit ever return.
• The Veil of Tears/Lethienvel: The famed, or perhaps infamous, rushing wall of water dividing the western land of the High Elves and the lands east of them. There are gate-ways between them, though the water. There is no visible source, and yet somehow it appears to flow. Though somehow, it is difficult to tell if the water flows up or down. Its infamy stems from a tragic event in the history of the High Elves, the first occurrence of the spilling of High Elven blood by other High Elves. The tragedy and regret from this incident gave the location its name, and to this day many High Elves still have reluctance to cross the Veil. However, there are some settlements on the opposite side of the Veil.
• Orodagor: In the land east of Estival lies the shattered remains of a relic of a long-passed age. Orodagor, the Black Fortress, was a stronghold for the armies of Hidroroth of the Dark. Hidroroth, the poison existence born from the utter fall to evil of one of the world's deities, sought to paint the world in shadows an consume all life in a shroud of darkness. He was slain, ultimately, in the Battle of Inmoorn, thousands of years ago, his spirit left to the judgement of the Gods. Orodagor was one of the remnants of this long-passed age, abandoned for centuries. However, nearly eight-hundred years ago, a new figure appeared and made her stronghold here. The Witch-Queen of Orodagor, as she came to be known, threatened all the lands by sending her coven of witches to overtake the lands. She was apparently slain at Orodagor in spite of her incredibly powerful magic, but rumor has it she did not perish here.

Other:

• The Church of Reon/The Church of Mayon: The largest religion among humans in Estival, originating from Velt, this dualistic religion worships both the Sun Goddess Reon and the Moon Goddess Mayon. Both Goddesses, it is said, cannot be separated from one another. Reon's symbol is a highly-stylized lily, and Mayon's is a similarly-stylized rose. Chapels to the goddesses are paired, and adherents focus on either one or the other. Paladins of both goddesses are a common sight, with Reonite paladins being highly aggressive combatants while Mayonite paladins are often more intended to keep peace. The religion is deeply anti-slavery, and Reonite paladins are often deployed to break slavery rings and free those being sold through them. Worship for either sect features the sacrifice of lilies for Reon and roses for Mayon. In Estival, Reon worship is more common then Mayon worship, but both goddesses are revered.
  
  • Reon: The sun goddess Reon is believed to have the form of a beautiful maiden. While unimpressive in stature in spite of her nature as a deity, it is said that the goddess possesses a fiery nature. She is described as having fair skin, flowing, long blonde hair, and alert blue eyes. She is clad in red and gold robes. Reon is said to have a palace on the surface of the Sun, a paradise that all her worshippers go to after death. Naturally, the aspect most strongly symbolizing her is fire. Lilies are even burned to be sacrificed to her. The weaponry of Reonite Paladins is often enchanted so that it is capable of in some way channeling this divine fire. Reonite Paladins are highly aggressive fighters, their purpose being to destroy evil.
  • Mayon: The moon goddess Mayon also takes the form of a beautiful maiden. She is taller than Reon, with shorter, black hair and somewhat darker skin. Her eyes are a soft shade of amber. She wears robes of blue and white, and like her counterpart possesses a palace, though naturally hers is situated on the moon. The aspect that most strongly symbolizes her is water, for water is directly effected by the phases of the moon. Incorporating water into weaponry in a direct manner is difficult, so unlike Reonite Paladins, Paladins of Mayon do not often use such enchantments. They are more protective, often wielding enormous tower shields for the purpose of defending themselves and the innocent from evil.
• Magic: Many races possess a natural internal source of mana. However, not everyone has enough to achieve the status of a mage. Magi are practioners of magic educated by a tutor or by a Mage's College, honing their skills in order to cast a variety of spells. Spells require some concentration and the ability to cast, using chants ranging of at least one word. Stronger spells require more words and therefore take more time to cast. Running low on mana is dangerous as it may strain the caster's body, causing them to lose consciousness or worse. Magic users educated outside of the accepted systems are known as witches, and are viewed with no small amount of suspicion.

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Bios:

• Name:
• Age:
• Gender:
• Race:
• Rank: 4-6
• Appearance:
• Personality:
• Brief Backstory:
• Equipment:
• Skills:

Enthusiastic co-GM reporting for duty. o7

... I will note that neither of my planned characters fits inside the stated range but because they're always together and one is way below it, they work out the midpoint. So the "just outside of the parameters" slots are available.

Will this be concurrent with Iron Roses?

Pretty much? There's not really going to be any overlap since we're literally the other side of a country.

Speaking of Iron Roses, the general strength of individual knights is a little higher than the adventurers here (and the long-serving veterans even more so). Less country-affecting stuff on hand for adventurers, but it's also less regimented.

Just might influence a few character ideas if I jump in. I’ll mull it over a bit.

Good to know on character powerage!

It's not really something I'd expect to see reflected in bios, it's more a note for magic-knight type characters.

mmmmmm you had to dash my hopes with the congruent with iron rose storyline. This would have been perfect for Elwen before she went back XD

Is classification switching—say a sniper starts getting really interested in spells, for instance— a thing?

If the game goes long enough, sure. It's not like there's prescriptive roles.

Example characters:

well corinne looks just absolutely positively adorable @Raineh Daze

That was the goal!

regarding “snipers” again, would such an archer that specializes in extreme distances be classed as a sword or coin? i’m somewhat assuming the latter, since they’re outside immediate danger.

I would think if they can't keep up once engaged, Coins.

well i will be interested, I just dont know if I should make a boi or girl mmmm Decisions decisions.

throwing in tentative interest here. if i can come with a solid character concept i'm totally in. liking this setup tbh.

Interested!

• Sapient Undead: Living beings who have, for whatever reason, revived after death with their mind intact. Usually this process only occurs with the recently dead. In place of the inherent life of any living being, they possess what magi refer to as a "mana reactor", a wellspring of mana simulating life and allowing a corpse to be animated. Their bodies do not decompose, and they are immune to poisoning or the effects of bloodloss(though their blood does indeed flow it serves no purpose). The "mana reactor" allows their bodies to heal, but decapitation is unquestionably death for even the most powerful of sapient undead. They can also be hacked to pieces, their bodies capable of healing but needing its parts to be fixed in place before such a thing is possible. One possible source of Sapient Undead is necromancy.

big interested.

Righto, throwing in my interest

Will starting thinking up some ideas.

@Derg2 honestly when I read that I instantly thought of a delusional ains ooal gown type character who thought he is the overlord of this guild. It was tempting

Sapient undead still for the most part look like they're alive; since they come back at the moment of death and have explicit regeneration.

An intelligent undead that isn't would be a lich and you can imagine how poorly a terrifyingly powerful evil necromancer fits in. :p