IT’S NOT JUST A JOB
The guild clerk rummaged in his desk for a moment and retrieved what looked to be a single sheet of vellum. At the top was scrawled in neat calligraphy, “Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild” and below it were four distinct options, each of which had a small magical glyph inscribed next to it.
“Simply place your thumb on each of the options listed there,” the clerk pointed, “and a notification will inform you of the details for each of the three listed tiers, Bronze, Silver, and Gold, as well as our Guild Points program,” he indicated the last of the options.
“Got it,” Conrad said, thumbing the Bronze tier glyph. A notification appeared in his vision with additional information.
Bronze Tier Membership
Dues: 1 gold for first member + registration, +50 silver for each added band member. Monthly.
Perks:
Access to the Guild Quests Board
Access to Guild Points Program
Access to Guild Hall
Optional Access to World Adventuring Leaderboard
“Leaderboard?” Conrad asked.
“Most non-combat classes and non-adventuring citizens of Nexus are familiar with the top bands and adventurers - we all have our favorites, of course - but what most don’t realize is the top adventurers are not arbitrarily chosen by popularity. Many factors go into moving up on the leaderboard, and while there are no specific benefits offered by the guild for doing so, there are obviously other perks associated with fame and success,” the clerk explained.
Conrad knew first hand the kinds of benefits that came with fame. Gabriel Darkshield, the Impenetrable Bulwark himself, had once entered his parents’ shop and they gave him a 50% discount on his purchase in exchange for a quick, magically captured picture with them in the shop.
“What kinds of factors determine leaderboard position?” he asked.
“Guild standing is first and foremost, debtors cannot be listed. Then there are quests completed along with difficulty and reward, which is captured in our Average Guild Points Accrued metric, greatest foe defeated, class and overall level, tournament results, awards received. Really its quite a long list but it boils down to the idea that basically any visible work you’re able to do can affect your leaderboard position, both positively and negatively.”
Conrad tilted his head at that line, “Visible work?”
The clerk nodded, “Naturally, the guild does not track your movement and actions wherever you go. You may have slain a dragon out in some remote part of nowhere, but if nobody knows you did it, it might as well not count insofar as your leaderboard position is concerned. Guild sanctioned quests, available from the quest board, are always tracked and so are the most reliable way of ensuring your achievements affect your standing.”
“Then the opposite is also true,” Conrad said, “Failures or… learning experiences not done within the context of the guild or its purview are ‘invisible’.”
The clerk said, in as diplomatic a way as he could, “The guild encourages its members to maintain upright status in all jurisdictions and actions, but of course mistakes are made in our or any profession.”
“Right…” Conrad said as he gently thumbed the Silver tier glyph.
Silver Tier Membership
Dues: 3 gold for first member + registration, +1 gold for each added band member. Monthly.
Perks:
All Bronze tier perks
Additional discounts in Guild shops
Additional discounts in select partner shops (inquire at city guild hall for specifics)
Access to Guild Mercenary Quests and Contracts
Conrad looked up when he had finished taking in the information and the clerk gently tilted his head forward as he asked, “Mercenary Quests?”
“You got it,” Conrad said. This clerk clearly knew his business and had likely been through this same routine hundreds of times.
“We at the Adventurer’s Guild, while we value all members and strive always to serve them to the fullest capacity their membership tier permits, tend to consider the Bronze tier to be for hobbyist adventurers. It’s a good way to determine whether the benefits of the guild as well as the lifestyle of the adventurer is the right choice. But eventually we all grow up,” he smiled broadly, “and embrace the realization that adventuring is not just a job. It’s a calling!”
As a salesman himself, Conrad knew a sales pitch when he heard one. But Chaos take him, the clerk had him. He was very intrigued in going above whatever tier the original Seekers had chosen. Hobbyists.
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The clerk continued, “The points program, which you’ll find in greater detail below, offers benefits to members of any level, but its true potential is only unlocked in the Silver tier. And the greatest number of points can be earned through what we call ‘Mercenary Quests and Contracts’. These quests are similar to others you might find on the board, but carry with them added danger as well as potential for greater rewards - and not just in guild points! These contracts can at times put adventurers up against other adventurers of ill repute, and for many this side of our work - while important, as we are more accustomed to the stresses of battle than most guards or even professional soldiers - carries with it challenge that they would prefer not to face.”
“As in, bounty hunting?” Conrad clarified.
“There is some of that, but not every bandit deserves a bounty. In addition, not every job has a known source of threat. For example, if a rancher finds he is missing a cow, does this mean it was a monster that took it? Could it also have been an adventurer? Or perhaps simply a common thief? In uncertain contracts and quests, we put them under the mercenary category so that our more experienced and discerning members apply themselves, rather than opening up additional risks to hobbyist Bronze tier members.”
Conrad thumbed the gold tier and noted the differences. Higher dues, of course, all benefits of lower tiers… “What are guild exclusive shops and items?”
“Gold tier!” the clerk said, and he brought over a small display case of what seemed to be medals that had been set behind him, “Each of these is a guild pin, and they are the most humble example of the kinds of items available exclusively to gold members through our guild shop and can only be purchased with Guild Points.”
The clerk opened the glass case and gestured, encouraging Conrad to handle them. There was one each of bronze, silver, and gold. He identified each of them in turn, noting they provided the same benefits each, but with the gold version offering the highest benefit of the three:
Enchanted Pin of the Adventurer’s Guild - Gold Tier
Rarity: Rare
Description: This pin bears the crest of the Adventurer’s Guild, the Path Star. Pinning it to one’s clothing or armor offers the wearer the magical benefits listed
Effects:
All Stats +3
SOS - Activates a beacon which can be detected at the nearest adventurer’s guild and automatically generates a quest with emergency priority, awarding a predetermined reward for those answering the call. The Gold Tier pin automatically adds 100 Guild Points to the reward.
Merchant Class Bonus:
Would you like additional information?
“Not bad for a pin - I assume I set the reward here?” Conrad asked.
“Precisely. Obviously the pin can’t pull you out of the middle of a fight, but find yourself stuck in a dungeon or injured and unable to travel, and provided the reward you have left is of value enough to be picked up by one of our adventurers, help will arrive as soon as humanly possible.”
Conrad’s professional pride was twinged a little bit though. Sure this one magical effect was unique to the pin, but that didn’t necessarily warrant the higher membership tier.
“And there is more like this in the shop? At the Border Zone we also offer magical items, what benefit is there to shopping at the guild instead of one of the other shops?” he asked.
“A question befitting a true connoisseur,” the clerk said with a small bow, “The adventuring guild often enters into contracts of exclusive sale with not just top adventurers returning with treasure from the furthest and most dangerous reaches of the Chaos Lands, but also with some of the most talented Inscribers, Enchanters, Tinkerers, Crafters, and makers of all types.
“It is no empty boast to say that you will find items in the Guild Shop which, quite literally, cannot be purchased anywhere else. And each Guild Chapter boasts a different selection entirely.”
Conrad didn’t have to think long. He knew he was being sold but, sometimes, being sold didn’t mean you were getting a bad deal. With the money he would eventually get back from his parents he could fund his membership in perpetuity, but he also anticipated earning a fair bit on quests and his own dungeon dives.
He pulled out the gold required to pay the Seekers debts, plus the fee to enter into Gold tier.
“Excellent decision, sir. And also I am most pleased you’ve decided to return good standing to the Seekers. You do their memory proud.”
“Proud as can be, I’m sure,” Conrad said with just a hint of sarcasm, “How many points have they built up?”
“Eighty-eight points.”
“Is that a lot?”
“It is a respectable amount denoting the completion of more than a few quests for the guild. Shall I show you to the shop?”
Conrad shook his head, shopping could wait. He had intended to set up a quest for his parents but now that he was here, and as a Gold tier member, he could access mercenary quests. Had anyone else put up a quest related to The Tower?
“The questboard, please,” he said.
“Straight to business then! Follow me,” the clerk said, replacing the case of pins carefully and motioning for Conrad to follow him through the leftmost door in the entrance area.
“Through here you’ll find all the facilities available to guild members.”
They exited the quiet of the front hall and entered into a low hubbub of a large open area, complete with a full bar and ample seating. Dozens of adventurers took meals, lounged or chatted and none seemed to notice or care about a new face among them.
“They will soon,” Conrad muttered to himself. Someday soon the adventurer’s guild would know his name, and not long after the name of his band. And it would begin with The Tower. It was funny how such a small act, taking up a sword to kill a lizardkin attacking his family’s shop, had led him here and, little by little, a new destiny was taking shape for him.
“Through those doors at the back are the quarters available for lodging, and though we’re fully booked at the moment, there are purchasable suites belowground. Off to the right is the bar, which also offers food service from our kitchens,” the clerk gestured to the left, “Guild shops, as you can see, are set up here for when you’re ready to peruse, and I must apologize for one inconvenience.”
“What’s that?” Conrad asked.
“Heaven’s Touch healing is available to Gold tier members such as yourself, unfortunately we do not have the Healer’s available here at our Edge chapter. Healers are in such short supply that they are currently only available in the city of Confluence at the main Adventurer’s Guild. Though I hope you’ll never need to avail yourself of their talents.”
“Better than potions then?” Conrad quipped.
The clerk nodded, “Far better. I’ve heard even the regrowth of limbs is possible to them.”
“No shit?” Conrad said, completely surprised. He knew magical healing had its advantages but that was far and away beyond what a simple potion could do.
“Indeed,” the clerk confirmed, “But here is what you’re looking for.”
Dominating the center of the dining area was a large board with four sides, covered in both mundane paper or vellum describing available quests, but also with some sort of magical screens that displayed a great deal more quests in much the same way as his interface. And above it all, facing in all directions, was a slowly changing set of leaderboards showing the top adventurers and bands in multiple categories.
“Will you be requiring anything else?” the clerk asked, and Conrad shook his head no and thanked the man for his help.
“Guess I’ve got a little bit of research to take care of,” he said to himself and approached the quest board. If his parents had heard the name ‘The Tower’ in the course of the robbery, it made sense that he might find others who had reported the same thing. The man was either bold or stupid to let such an important detail slip out, and whatever the truth of it was, Conrad intended to find him.