Wayfarer Society

The Wayfarer Society is a unified, global organization of mercenaries recognized by the various national powers as individuals that work for the betterment of the world as a whole, founded in 1,982 A.R. by Markel Kilgrave. As such they are given unique privileges within the various nations and act as a politically neutral party. Even being granted emergency control over guards and soldiers depending on the Wayfarer's individual rank and status.
With the creation of the organization having formed out of Mercenaries tired of being betrayed, shorted, or generally looked down upon, it has a foundation of benefits that all members enjoy. This includes a specialized subsect that works under the Seekers (found below) as law specialists. Working closely with merchants and military members to ensure the fairness of safety and contracts with their members.
Wayfarers are also offered medical treatment and limited paid leave for rest and recovery after all successful jobs, and failed within reason as a case-by-case basis. Numerous guilds also offer limited discounts to Wayfarers based on their rank, Inn's owned by certain guilds as well as various shops often obtain their resources and protection from the Wayfarer's on jobs and in return offer the Society these discounts to encourage healthy business relations.
Alongside this, Wayfarer's are offered the option to take jobs under their hand. These jobs are guaranteed by the Society and the various civilian guilds backing them, having gone through an approval process with local military to ensure safety and communication. Taking these jobs allows them to choose things associated with their specialties, and work with groups to help better cover for one another's weaknesses. This encouraged team-play is often termed as "partying".
The rewards for these jobs are generally ten to twenty percent lower than normal, but are long-term contract-free and instead are managed through the Society to ensure multiple parties work together if they both wish to handle a single job. The cut amount of the reward is then funneled back into the Society to maintain its standard benefits, as well as the increased benefits based on the rank an individual Wayfarer may have reached.

Branches

Upon joining the Wayfarer's a member first goes through a standard education, this is effectively a three-month internship in which they are considered "Freemen" (found below). During this period they are taught the basics of each branch, their specialties, responsibilities, and how the Society works as a whole. This training is considered harsh by most, as though it's free, with meal and board provided they are expected to show results in their lessons within each branch or be removed. A branch is meant to only be a representation of a Wayfarer's specialization and does not limit the jobs they can accept and duties or hobbies they may keep.

Seeker

Symbol: A partially unrolled scroll.
The scholars of the Wayfarer's, Seeker's focus on the comprehension of knowledge in all of its forms. Magic, language, economics, law, politics, history, philosophy and alchemy are all important subjects to a Seeker and though they each may have their preferred specialization all are expected to hold above-average understanding in most subjects. This is also why all Wayfarer's are capable of reading and writing due to the basic training within the Seekers during the three-month training.

Pathfinder

Symbol: A pair of footprints.
With a focus on exploration and scouting, Pathfinders are often viewed as those with the easiest jobs. Yet their skillset is also one of the most difficult to truly master. Cartographers, navigators, scouts, rangers, and more Pathfinders are those that explore uncharted lands or dangerous zones in order to gather information. Often well-versed in nature, cityscapes, weather patterns, traps, stealth, and detection.

Hunter

Symbol: A bow and blade interlocked.
There are those whom focus on utility and knowledge, and then there are those whom focus instead of combat. Hunters are the standard combative branch of the Wayfarer's, and specialize in hunting animals, monsters and people. Skilled combatants and experts at reading patterns they tend to work closely with Pathfinders during their jobs. They are generally viewed as the most well-balanced of the branches, as research, scouting, and combat are often all necessary for their jobs. Often members will join the Pathfinders, only to become a Hunter once they've acquired more confidence.

Dungeoneer

Symbol: The open teeth of a beast.
If Hunters are respected as the most skilled, Dungeoneers are feared as much as they are respected. Be it for their power, skill, or the questionable status of their psyche, Dungeoneers are viewed as the "crazed few" that delve into the depths of The Labyrinth willingly. Experts in ruins, Firstborn, Daevata, underground travel, monster hunting, and corruption. Dungeoneers are few and far between. Generally separated into two types, the rookies that will quit after their first real job, or die on it. The other option being the hardened (or unstable) Veterans that returned from their first job and decided they wished to continue delving into the chaos below.

Freemen

The final "Branch" of the Wayfarer's, Freemen are considered either two sorts. The first being those whom have just joined the Society as rookies, entering their three-month training. The other being the few that wish to affiliate with the Wayfarer's and have access to the Society as a way to make allies and learn but lack the ability, or desire, the join as proper members. Freemen that have completed their training are able to take on jobs and work with parties but lack any of the other benefits the Society offers. In turn, they are not expected to pay the Society for the completed jobs and earn a full cut of the pay while still increasing their own, and the Society's good name.

Class

Within the Wayfarer Society, regardless of branch, members are granted a class, or rank that represents several things. Time dedicated to the Society, and the number of jobs completed as well as the difficult level of those jobs. Finally, individual skill is also a factor though it is treated as secondary next to the other requirements. Each Wayfarer is given a badge that is blood-bound to them, capable of always returning to their bound holder, being pulled rapidly toward them, this ensures a Wayfarer cannot be impersonated which is a Capital offense in any nation.

Bronze

The lowest rank, a step above only the Trainees, Bronze is considered the official rookie of the Society. They often focus on tasks that are the simplest and safest to complete within their branches. Rarely extending out beyond such.

Silver

The rank in which most Wayfarers are considered proper members of the Society that have earned its respect. The minimum requirement to gain a Silver badge is to have been a member of the Society for one year (with some exceptions), and completed at least ten jobs of lower difficulty.

Gold

The point at which most Wayfarer's are acknowledged not only as proper members but experienced members that can be relied on and no longer need to be watched over by other, higher-rank members. Generally compared to skilled veteran soldiers, they have been within the Society for generally two years and completed well over fifty jobs to reach this point in their career. This is the point in which most locations offer discounts to the members for inns, arms, armor, and supplies. This discount then begins to grow as their rank increases.

Diamond

The experts of the Wayfarers, Diamond-Class members are considered the realistic end of any Wayfarer's Career, and the spot where most members tend to retire. Diamond are the top of their field that have spent at least three years in the Society and built a solid reputation after performing around a hundred jobs.

Titanium

The rank that most Wayfarer's aspire to become, Titanium-Class are considered Masters of their Branch. They often make up the respect top ten of their specialization and lead multiple parties to ensure the spread of success and training to the other ranks. Someone with such a status generally must have at least five years of service and over a hundred jobs completed to hold the position. They are also the first rank that are granted Emergency Power during times of crisis, gaining the temporary rank of a mid-ranking military officer such as a Conlisan Lieutenant or a Ceridian Holy Knight during emergency situations.

Platinum

A rank that is considered the pinnacle of the Society, generally requiring ten years of service and hundreds of jobs completed to be considered for the position. Often there is only one or two Platinum-Class members within a single branch of the society at a time and they are often compared to commanders of the military within various nations in skill. Due to this, they are granted the temporary rank of a high-ranking military officer such as a Conlisian Captain or Ceridian Paladin during emergency situations.

Adamantite

A legendary rank that only a handful of members have had throughout the four-thousand-year history of the Society. The rank has no specific listed requirements, beyond holding the skill to easily handle an Archmage-level opponent or monster of comparable threat. Instead, the appointment of this rank is restricted to having at least ten votes of approval from either active or inactive Platinum-Class Wayfarers, and it must be started by someone that isn't the individual in question. It is not a class that can be requested.

Notable Members

• Lillia