The Hunter’s Guild

The Hunter's Guild stands as a vital institution within the Sky-sea, fostering a community of adventurers, mercenaries, and bounty hunters. With a network that stretches from major port cities to the most remote village, this guild provides essential services to those who brave the perilous wilds of Yrdde.
For a nominal fee and a cut of bounties, an innkeeper can register his tavern as an official guild location. From these locations guild representatives facilitate contracts between mercenaries and their prospective clients. As long as the rules are followed, there is no restriction on who may place a job request. Private citizens, overworked city guards, and even Imperial agents are common sights in the tavern halls.
Hunter's Guild taverns are more than just places to rest and do business; they also serve as hubs where retired adventurers gather. Those who survive, accumulate glory, and reach an advanced age are honored with free retirement lodging. These seasoned individuals share advice, swap stories of past conquests, and provide a wealth of knowledge to the newer generation. At every hour of the day it is common to see at least one graybeard holding down the bar, surrounded by young adventurers looking for their first job.
Hunters who perform notable feats and demonstrate exceptional skill may receive special guild marks. Marks can be traded for unique services and equipment, thus are highly sought after.

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History

The Hunter's Guild traces its origins back to the early days of the Empire, when a group of seasoned adventurers recognized the need for a support structure to ensure their well-being in their later years. Concerned that they would have no means of support once they retired from their dangerous profession, these legendary adventurers banded together and established the Hunter's Guild.
Operating from humble beginnings, the Guild established a network of outposts in various towns and cities across the world. They rented space in local inns, forging partnerships with innkeepers who welcomed the constant influx of prospective adventurers seeking work. These inns served as bustling hubs of activity, where adventurers could gather to seek employment, share stories, and form alliances.

Operations

Operating out of the Hunter's Hall in the city of Nivora, representatives administer rigorous tests and evaluations to assess the skills and capabilities of aspiring Hunters. Those who passed these tests were awarded a Hunter's coin brooch, a symbol of their official status within the Guild.
Guild operations are funded through a combination of membership fees, commissions from completed contracts, and partnerships with local authorities. In return for their services, Hunters received compensation in the form of local currency for most tasks. However, particularly important or sensitive missions often came with additional rewards, including rank increases and specialty Hunter coins that granted unique privileges and benefits.
For every contract accepted by the guild, a dozen are rejected for being too minor or for skirting too close to the legal boundaries of the region. Many innkeepers handle these refused contracts themselves, often hiring failed Hunter recruits or random thugs. Retaliation by the guild is rare, unless illegal activities can be traced back to the guild itself, in which case the innkeeper in question can expect to find themselves being permanently retired from the business.

Notable Groups

The Ratcatchers

The Ratcatchers are a notorious mercenary band with deep connections to the Empire. Renowned for their ruthless tactics and moral ambiguity, they specialize in a range of nefarious activities, from kidnapping and assassination to hunting down and returning wayward scions of wealthy and influential families.
Operating with a cold and calculated efficiency, the Ratcatchers navigate the shadowy underbelly of society, exploiting the vulnerabilities of their targets for personal gain. Their services are in high demand among those who seek to settle scores, eliminate rivals, or retrieve valuable assets by any means necessary.
One of the Ratcatchers' primary areas of expertise lies in the retrieval of wayward noble offspring who have strayed from the path of propriety. In the lawless fringes of the Empire, where the trappings of civilization give way to chaos and anarchy, the younger scions of noble families often succumb to the allure of power and adventure. They often form their own gangs or bands of mercenaries, terrorizing the populace and preying upon the vulnerable with impunity.
In response to the havoc wrought by these privileged marauders, families of means turn to the Ratcatchers, entrusting them with the delicate task of reclaiming their errant progeny and restoring order to their households. Armed with a combination of cunning, brute force, and utter ruthlessness, the Ratcatchers stop at nothing to fulfill their contracts, leaving a trail of devastation and despair in their wake.

The Runefarers

The Runefarers are led by a group of scholars from the Imperial academy who, bristling under Emperor Thorne's strict ban on artifacts, left Imperial territory behind and now specialize in artifact recovery and trading. Though they are experts in assessing and researching artifacts, they are mercenaries first. The Runefarers often conduct their own excavations of ruins, but they are not above resorting to theft and piracy to acquire valuable relics.
Runefarer Hunters have been known to ambush and plunder shipments from legitimate salvage operators, using their superior knowledge and resources to overpower their rivals. There are even rumors of airships bearing the Runefarer flag engaging in acts of piracy, holding up salvage airships and seizing their valuable cargo by force. Their membership in the Guild is a subject of fierce debate amongst senior leadership, but their practice of offering to assess and handle artifacts for their fellow Hunters without cost has managed to protect their position thus far.

The Dawnbreakers

The Dawnbreakers are a mystery. Rumors abound as to who they are and where they came from, but what is known is that they've gone from relative nobodies to veteran hunters in record time. There are allegedly seven members, though this number seems to fluctuate, and they operate out of a highly advanced scout airship named "The Primrose Dawn". The ship itself was once affiliated with the Explorer division of the Imperial navy, though it no longer bears empire markings.

As an esteemed Master Hunter, Fifth Class, I find myself in the perfect position to elucidate the inner workings of the Hunter's Guild. For a nominal fee they can solve nearly any problem under the sun, legal or otherwise. Cat stuck in a tree? Astral Leech infestation? Political opponent asking the wrong questions? Your local Guild Representative will gladly find you a trained professional to help solve these problems with a moderate application of violent force. You do get what you pay for, make sure you read the fine print. - E Dawnstrider

Type

Guild, Adventuring

Parent Organization

Nivora Trade Union

Location

Nivora

Notable Members

• Ellyara Dawnstrider