Scout

Stormreign and her Fire dragons lead a war against us and no army could stop their advance. But sometimes, you don't need a hero to win a war. You need a professional.

— Reed Tribe tutor teaching history.

Career

Qualifications

Only individuals of relatively small size with naturally keen senses are selected to be Scouts. The art of hiding, stealing and sometimes killing silently is taught over the course of tutelage. Individuals who fail the courses are never allowed to rejoin them later.

Career Progression

Apprentices are thoroughly tested in a series of physical and mental exercises that are due to determine whether the individual at hand is capable of handling the profession's many trials.
Juniors are individuals who pass all Apprentice tests and are officially training under their assigned senior tutors. Generally speaking, tutors do not have more than two students at once. The final exams consist of an assignment that the junior must complete alone and without guidance from their tutor.
Seniors are autonomous and fully trained individuals who handle most of the assignments from their respective Masters or Tribe leaders. Some may be re-assigned to a different tribe where their services are needed most.
Masters are leaders who established their skill and efficiency over the course of many years, if not decades. While rarely performing assignments themselves, they may be called upon by Tribe leaders for counsel or for resolving very delicate and difficult assignments.

Payment & Reimbursement

Not all Scouts specialize in all the things, but generally, all Seniors name their own price based on the difficulty of the assignment and their own level of competence. Haggling, pre-payments and completion rewards are all very common. The simplest tasks of observing or scouting start at 15 gems, while the most complicated assignments may even rise up to a 1000 gems worth of rewards for especially dangerous tasks.

Other Benefits

Guilds and organizations for Scouts exist all over the continent, many of which will provide an unemployed individual with an assignment for a small cut from the reward. These guilds are also places where Scouts and other privileged persons can buy specialized equipment for their journey.

Perception

Purpose

Scouts, as their name suggests, are primarily the eyes and ears of dragon and gryphon-kind. Their job is to see but not be seen, and they train their young to do just that. Many specialized branches within the Scout profession exists, as not everyone is exceptionally good at traversing nature unseen, and others are best suited for mingling in foreign tribes and cities as spies and informants or have a keen eye for uncovering spies. And of course, there are also some with skewed morals who are not afraid to kill or kidnap individuals for a large sum of gems. All of these can be considered Scouts.

Social Status

What do I think of them? I can sum it up into a single word - Mistrust. But despite the fact my stomach turns each time I need to talk to them, they have proved exceptionally... useful to our cause.

— Falth when speaking about his hired draconic Scouts.

Scouts generate both problems and utility to tribe that has them. It is almost impossible to be aware of everything they are doing within your tribe, but if one possesses enough gems, their services can be invaluable to a leader who wishes to protect their tribe from foreign invasion or plans to invade their neighbors themselves.
The commoners, who simply cannot afford the services of these rogues and value their lives avoid them but dare not to speak ill of them publicly.

Demographics

Around 1%. Scouts generally reside only in tribes and cities with high enough population where they can blend in and richer individuals can afford them.

History

History does not remember the names and faces of Scouts, at least, the history-keepers tend to not disclose this information unless it becomes public knowledge. When assassins murder a Queen or Tribe leader somewhere, the blame falls upon the rival who ordered such a despicable act for greater power. So, while the instrument of their demise may be caught and executed along with the person who paid for it, history records generally only mention the high-standing rival.
And while the history of Midrast Wain is rife with mysterious disappearings, thefts, betrayals, deaths and murders, it is unknown whether all of these were performed by Scouts or not. Nonetheless, without any shadow of a doubt, the most prominent historic event Scouts played a role in was thwarting the invasion of Reed Tribe's territory by Stormreign and her army of Fire dragons. To this day, it has never been fully explained how could have an assassin entered her tent, kill her and her guards without raising alarm and disappear together with both her prisoners of war. Some speculate that it was the prisoners who managed to pull of this feat, others think she had been betrayed by one of her guards who helped the assassins. Either way, it was this single act that thwarted the course of the war between Mud dragons and Fire dragons and lead to begrudging truce.
Over the course of centuries, the need for explorers from the ranks of Scouts has diminished as more areas are now inhabited to a smaller or greater degree, and the duties of guarding the borders from wild animals have steadily been taken over by Hunters and Huntresses instead.

Operations

Tools

Weaponry such as Slicers, Tailspikes, poisons, Flutes and darts and/or nets. Other items of importance are scale/feather dyes for camouflage, dark hide capes, trap-making tools or simply a web of informants and friends.

Dangers & Hazards

Performing the job in itself is dangerous, since being exposed can lead to imprisonment, death, being held for ransom or torture depending on what the Scout ends up being accused of.

Alternative Names

Assassins, explorers, rogues, thieves, claws-for-hire, mercenaries, spies, stalkers

Type

Intelligence Gathering

Demand

The demand for Scouts is generated from the top of the privileged individuals who can afford them.

Legality

Partially legal

Used By

• Reed Tribe