Paperback
Paperbacks are a kind of 'adventurer' that have emerged in the recent 2 centuries. Paperbacks, unlike the mercenaries and ratcatchers from before, have formed a very independent and yet professionally and societally recognized position. This was influenced by the establishment of quest-agencies such as the Oozing Eye, which have shaped the quest market in many regions throughout the Worlds.
The term 'paperback' seems to comes from a comparison to the dwavern mercenary group 'The Iron Spine,' the most famous of its kind during the 930s when paperbacks were first becoming a job. It is also said to have been in reference to the much greater use of paper correspondence and contract, especially with the introduction of quest-agencies between the patrons and the quest-takers.
For the patrons, paperbacks are much more easy to enlist on an as-needed basis. Ratcatcher groups, where a patron is expected to sponsor a group's activities in the interest of the patron, ware difficult to hold onto as groups grow suffiently powerful, and almost as difficult to secure. Mercenaries are not only expensive but high profile, each group with a reputation that proceeds it. In the case of paperbacks, a patron can simply turn a request form into their quest-agency of choice; soon enough the agency will assign one of their partners to the task to get it done. Paperbacks also tend to have less faction based baggage attatched to them, which can often be a large problem to worry about with more historical groups and epic hires. This ease of hiring has increased the amount of work the wealthy and noble will outsource in this way. Paperbacks have become the supplementary task-force of choice for many of the factions through Dohralun and Thyra.
The emmergence of paperbacks has also impacted society's relationship with their line of work. Individuals of more diverse skill sets become paperbacks compared to the members that would make up ratcatcher or mercenary groups, expanding the range of people who can be hired. Previously, these sorts of ratcatchers were either troublesome mooks or heroes in the eyes of most folk; if your child hade become one it was seen as a pity not a pride. Paperbacks have come to be considered a much more viable profession in comparison, the shape of the industry making it a much more stable. While some may pity or cast dissaproval, a paperback is an honorable position in the eyes of many people.
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