The Meatshields are one of the oldest established adventuring guilds in the land. Famed for their heavy armor and weaponry, massive muscles, and endless appetite for meat, the Meatshields stand at the forefront of civilization's constant battle with dire beasts.
History
The oral history of the Meatshields traces their roots back to a warrior in antiquity known as
Ser Hamza. Having slain an enormous bulette in the wilderness, Hamza was breaking down the carcass for transportation. A fearsome red dragon, having caught a whiff of the bulette's blood on the wind, and came to scavenge the kill. With his ears still ringing from a blow taken during the battle, Ser Hamza did not realize the dragon was nearing until the wyrm was upon him. The dragon reeled back to draw its breath and rain a gout of flame down upon both Ser Hamza and the carcass, but Hamza thought quickly; in lieu of his battered targe, he lifted a massive cut of bulette steak above his head, shielding himself from the dragon's fiery breath. The dragon was taken aback by the warrior's survival, and so deeply shaken by Ser Hamza's enraged roar that the dragon turned tail and fled.
Though Ser Hamza still sustained injuries from the attack, he survived the encounter and made camp that night. Supping on his hard-won meat, he discovered that the intensity of the dragon's flames had formed a distinct crust on the steak that imparted a flavor unlike any he'd ever known. By the time Ser Hamza returned to the outpost at which he resided, his allies were shocked to see his rippling muscles that were barely contained within his armor. Having subsisted off of a diet heavily based on bulette meat, and working his muscles every day in the process of dragging the beast's massive armor plates back to the outpost, Ser Hamza's strength had greatly increased. Soon, he was leading expeditions of warriors into the woods to fell the largest beasts they could find, living off their meat as they carried their gargantuan prizes back home. Thus, the order of Meatshields were founded.
Mission
The Meatshields take pride in the direct action they take to confront the most powerful beasts that threaten civilization. Their guild motto, "We Sup On Strength", is derived from the fact that animal protein is ideal for building muscle. Though they are often associated with consuming red meat, such as
dire cows and bulettes, the Meatshields themselves most highly prize the lean meat of poultry and fish, like cockatrice and various sea monsters.
Relationships
There are virtually no groups that the Meatshields are not willing to cooperate with for the protection of civilization, and knowing the limitations of their own driven and focused style of combat and training, the Meatshields are quick to reach out to other guilds to augment their operations.
House of Scythe and Rake
Though individual members of the Meatshields and the
House of Scythe and Rake are famous for their rivalries, the organizations themselves hold a strong working relationship. Both guilds are known to call upon each other when met with enemies outside of their specialization. Though most reapers of the House of Scythe and Rake are not entirely pacifistic toward non-plant creatures, they would still rather call in the Meatshields than face such beasts. Likewise, the Meatshields are highly specialized in hunting animals, and many of their techniques do not apply well to addressing threats from their terrain, for which the reapers are uniquely honed. That being said, there is no shortage of good-natured taunting and jabbing between the two groups.
The Keepers
Because many of the Meatshields' targets are huge or even gargantuan in size, it can be difficult to utilize all of a hunt before it goes to waste. Thus, the Meatshields often notify the Keepers guild when they plan to pursue especially large quarry in remote locations. The Keepers will often send a unit with the Meatshields in order to help process a carcass, setting up camp to salt cure, smoke, dry, and even pickle meat in the field.
Public Opinion
A common impression of the Meatshields is that they are strong, hulking brutes who prioritize big muscles over speed or intelligence. This is not true; the concept of becoming "musclebound" by putting on too much bulk is rarely seen among the Meatshields, who demand that their warriors remain flexible and fast. The most successful warriors in the history of the Meatshields have also been highly skilled hunters and trackers, outsmarting their prey instead of relying on brute force.
Comments