Grand Master of the Adventurer's Guild
Following the events for the First Dragmar Horde a new institution was created in the form of The Adventurer's Guild to manage the new class of Wielders that emerged. Many Dremen and Dragmar were too powerful for oridinary people to fight, and often were too much for even a seasoned veteran. Moreover, becoming a powerful Wielder relies on being able to mark a dreamseed or fade seed with the Wielder's personal sigil, allowing the energy contained within to be internalized by the Wielder. The Adventurer's Guild held the secret to that process; a secret which they guarded jealously.
Every institution needs a figure to act as the final authority, and in the Adventurer's Guild, this power was granted to the Grand Master of the guild. The Grand Master was the ultimate authority within the guild, and while the position technically had no direct secular authority, it held the capacity to wield tremendous influence due to the fact that most of the worlds strongest individuals fell within it's jurisdictions. Grand Master is also the last line of defense members who get out of control. Because of this, the Guild takes great pains to monitor and keep track of the most powerful of its members.
The Guild and its members are sworn to be the first line of defense against Dremen, Dragmar, and other non-military threats to the people. If the Guild were to refuse to accept contracts from a particular nation, the effects would be devastating as the common people would be exposed to increased Dragmar attacks. Thus, it was considered by the nation states as absolutely imperative that the Guild Master remained politically neutral. In short, the Grand Master bears much of the responsibility for for security against all threats outside of general warfare.
To the secular nations, the Grand Master is a particularly menacing threat. None dare cross the Guild directly, as it would certainly unleash the powers of its mightiest warriors against the offending Kingdom, mostly likely destroying it completely. Even economically, the Guilds presence represented too great a financial benefit for the rules to risk upsetting them. This of course makes the other rulers terribly uneasy, and more than one sees them as a threat.
As if all of the political intrigue and balancing the world's peace on the knife's edge of collapse were not enough, the Grand Master was also ultimately responsible for the training and development of adventurer's registered with the guild, though not for their safety. While many outsiders might not see it, the Guild is well known by its members for its support in helping them reach as far in their powers as they wish to grow. The Grand Master spends a surprising amount of time overseeing their training knowing that this vital task of ensuring that, should all else fail and another Dragmar horde arise, the Adventurer's Guild will be there to hold the line!
Appointment
The Grandmaster is nominated and voted upon by all local guildmasters based on their records of service and reputation within the guild as a whole, as this in part requires a life in service to others, and a willingness to risk their life in service to another. The Adventurer's Guild as a whole is a meritocracy, and competition to rise to the top is fierce. However, because of the nature of adventurer's, power alone is insufficient to be considered: wisdom, humility, and strength of character are also requirements.
Being nominated is not as simple as having someone throw a name in hat, either. Guildmaster nominations are accumulated in the form of tokens that are given for exceptional service to a local guild hall, and are often given out years or before the person becomes a candidate. An adventurer has to have acquired nominations from two thirds of the Guildmasters to even be eligable. The three adventurers with the greatest number of nominations from the largest number of guild locals at the time of succession are put forward as candidates if they wish it.
The candidates are put through a series of interviews, a final trial, the nature of which is a closely guarded secret, and a popular vote of the guildmembers. The results of the three determine which candidate is chosen. Once the selection is made, the candidate undergoes a binding ritual that seals them to their position and the responsibilities involved. There is only one punishment for breaking the oath of this seal: Death.
Responsibilities
The Grand Guildmaster is expected to lay down their life in defense of all people against the Dragmar. While not expected to throw their life away, their oath will not abide them ignoring Dragmar attacks. Generally, ensuring that the guild is capable of keeping the Dragmar in check is sufficient to fulfill the criteria of that part of the oath, though if a particularly strong Dragmar shows up, and no one else is capable, the Guildmaster is bound by duty and spell to fight it to their last breath.
Not all monsters are Dragmar, though. Unfortunately, the Guild is not allowed to directly get involved with politics, and there are strict rules regarding political contracts to protect that neutrality. However, whild the guild does not get involved directly, it does not stop its members from acting in their own capacity as free agents in this regard.
Benefits
The Grand Guildmaster does not receive any pay for their service, though they are provided with room, board, and staff fitting to their position. Most adventurers who have reached this position are independently wealthy as a consequence of their adventuring life, so providing more than a staff and base of operations is largely unnecessary, freeing the position of potential points of corruption.
Accoutrements & Equipment
While difficult to verify, it is rumored that powerful items and artifacts collected by Grand Guildmasters are passed on to their successors in an unbroken chain since the formation of the guild. If this were true, it would likely make it one of the largest caches of artifacts in existence.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
The position of Grand Guildmaster a position that lasts for life. Even though they are able to retire, they are never free from the binding spell that is placed upon them when they are appointed. For this reason, Grand Guildmasters either tend to die while in their position, or come out of retirement to fight and die in a time of crisis. Rare though it is, dying in one's sleep is considered the pinnacle of success as a Grand Guildmaster as it means that the realms were safe under their watch.
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