Collective of Vagrant Excursionists

The Collective of Vagrant Excursionists, or COVE as it is commonly called, is one of the oldest organizations in the Lone City. Founded by a group of vagrants near the city's beginning. A group of six of LC's founders were tasked, and took it upon themselves, to venture into the wilderness for resources, wayward souls, and knowledge of potential threats. The founding vagrants were skilled and strong in their own right, but their skills complimented eachother and enabled them to survive deep in the wild. The founding vagrants were: Tanulia an elven wizard, Zirdas a high-drakkic sorcerer, Tulgan an orcish ranger, Lucille a human fighter, Jormaek a dwarven cleric, and Colias a tiefling rogue.
The Lone City grew as the six vagrants ventured into and returned from the wild. The vagrants would often return to a larger city than they had left. Bringing back resources and trophies of monster they had slain. The residents of LC would gather around the vagrant party and listen to their tales. Retelling them to the newcomers and youngfolk of LC. This led to many of the youngfolk attempting to venture off into the wild to return with stories of their own. Many of the youngfolk that attempted vagrancy never returned to the city the left.
That is until the six founders began taking in the adventurous youngfolk and teaching them the ways of their trade. As more and more individuals wanted to learn the skills necessary for surviving the wilderness, the COVE had to establish training grounds within the city to best prepare would-be vagrants. The COVE started where the LC tower stands now, and as the city grew COVE opened more locations. The COVE remembers its origins still. As LC grew and the tower was constructed, many of the organizations had to relocate or claim floors in the tower. COVE claimed part of the ground floor, and now provides a location for new vagrants to join it and learn the skills of a class under those that came before.
COVE's entryway provides a location for any interested in classes to be given an introduction. Where individuals can talk to current vagrants, test out equipment, and attempt to find a mentor. If a young valonite desires to join enter the COVE, they must register with a mentor who's a current member. New vagrants must then train under their mentor before they register with a party in the COVE. Once a party is registered, they can sign on jobs from the community questboard.
The questboard is an arrangement of jobs the local residents and businesses submit to COVE. Ranging from small tasks such as escorting a shipment or guarding a location, to more difficult adventures like hunting enormous beasts or eradicating a monstrous den. The COVE values its members, and will not allow a party to undertake a quest that is deemed too much of a threat to it. Parties must have a long enough successful record of jobs or return from adventures with trophies of vicious monsters to be allowed to undertake more difficult jobs.
As parties claim quests from the board, they are given a timeframe to return victorious. If parties don't return before the allotted time, the quest becomes available again for parties to claim. At which point the party that returns to COVE first with the job requirements are presented with the quest's designated rewards. A party's success and strength are often determined by the quickness they can complete a quest. In turn, the better a party's track record the more desirable a mentor its members are considered.
The COVE in the tower of LC provides quests for lower-tiered parties, and a location for vagrants to meet and train with their mentors. As parties prove themselves and are deemed more capable, they are directed by COVE officials to other branches of COVE within LC. These branches are spread throughout the districts of the Lone City and the various questboards have less restrictions on who can claim posted jobs. The jobs posted in the COVE's district locations relate more directly back to the local community rather than the overarching city. Providing locations for residents who do not have the skills themselves to find individuals who can complete necessary tasks.
The variety of quests on the district boards range much more widely than those on the boards in the LC tower. With the reduced restrictions come lessened vetting of posted jobs. This has led to many vagrant parties meeting untimely ends as they, intentionally or otherwise, claim a job that proved to be too dangerous. The risks of minimal information doesn't always provide for better compensation unfortunately. Businesses and wealthier individuals often pay fairly for their posted quests, many times also providing bonuses upon completion. The poorer individuals who post jobs, often the ones who need them completed the most, do not have the funds or means to appropriately compensate the vagrants. Many times leaving jobs go unclaimed and only growing more dangerous overtime.
The many COVE branches are stationed at or near the many courtyard-gates of LC. Maintained by retired vagrants or those who have resolved to their role as a mentor. The mentors of COVE tend to be experienced adventurers who have amassed enough wealth, become injured to the point of hinderance, had age catch up with them, or other reasons they have found to hang up their vagrancy and claim residence. Many of these retired vagrants had successful careers as adventurers and became local celebrities within their districts. The most successful of which became widely and commonly known throughout the entirety of LC. Signing on many mentees and growing COVE in the process.
The most revered mentors are the original six vagrants, or those who are still alive and in LC: Tanulia, Zirdas, and Jormaek. Tanulia and Jormaek have retired from adventuring after their long tenure, and now offer gui dance to new vagrants who come to the LC tower. Zirdas occasionally visits his former party members, but much of his time is used maintaining high level operations of LC. Aside from the remnants of the founding vagrants, many others have come and gone. Making a name for themselves and/or the parties they travel with.
The following are a few of the more well-known mentors throughout LC. Walter Wright, a human fighter who trained under Lucille and resides in the Geson Point district. Falvus Wanderfoot, a halfling ranger who mentors throughout LC. Thaola Balnorin, an elven paladin who mentors in Upper-East Midtown. Varcun, a drakkic monk who trains in Walnut Plaza. Mystic Entities, a party of wizards and sorcerers who train and entertain in Zippoan Square. Sholi, a half-orc rogue who travels throughout LC in search of displaced who may turn towards crime to make ends meet. Ivorytales, a party of bardic entertainers who travel throughout LC retelling stories of their travels and the travels of vagrants they've come across. Pemwim Gnenkle, a gnomish cleric who devoutly worships The Council of Eight and spreads their grace to the inhabitants of LC. Binyat Canan, a human druid living in Cralen Hill and teaching the importance of nature to the city-folk.
There are many more mentors scattered throughout the Lone City. However the aforementioned have each proven time and again their respective prowess. Those that reside in a specific district primarily mentor in that district. Many have claimed a residence and started businesses mentoring young vagrants.

Alternative Names

COVE, The Collective

Demonym

Vagrant, Excursionist