Adventurers’ Guild

The **Adventurers' Guild** is an international organization that aims to assist its members in hunting and resource-gathering in Devil's Nests and Dungeons, so that the gathered resources may benefit society. Previously, this adventurer activity were done individually rather than in groups. They are fundamentally independent from all nations, but like every other Guild, they are not completely free and has to e.g. pay taxes.

## History

The organization was first founded by Farmaun Gold following the battle between Alda and Vida. After his death, the organization divided into multiple Guilds, which were eventually reunited again, giving birth to the Adventurers’ Guild of today. Before it's current incarnation, one could find a large variety of organizations like the Hunters’ Guild, Heroes’ Guild, the Frontier Guild, the Braver Guild and the *Adventurers’ Guild*\* (TLN\*: This one is in katakana).

## Application

There are two requirements for registration:

1. **Personhood**. First, one must be a *person*. This is a broad term that encompasses humans, Elves, Dwarves and Vida’s races. However, the definition of this term differs from country to country. For example, Dhampirs are treated as monsters in the Amid Empire, so they cannot register as adventurers.
2. **Age restriction**. In the Amid Empire, one must be of fifteen or more years of age. In the Orbaume Kingdom, each duchy has a different age requirement, but the age requirement is generally around ten. Duchies with an age requirement of less than ten conduct tests for reading, writing, and arithmetic. Those determined to have academic abilities at the level of a ten-year-old are allowed to register.
3. **Incarceration**. There are other conditions such as that one must not be a criminal or a slave. However, since it's common knowledge, this explanation will not go into detail on these.

The **Adventurer registration** is performed by qualified staff with specialized Magic Items. The applicant hands in a form with their personalia details (such as real name, age, and race), which is handed in to a staff member. Then a drop of blood is applied to a Magic Item, which will display the applicant's status. At this point, applicants are sometimes rejected if there are any inaccuracies in the filled-out form. This is also the point at which the Guild ensures that there is no bounty on the applicant’s head. If there are no problems, a registration card is issued, which is more commonly known as a **Guild Card**. From that moment on, the applicant is an official member of the Adventurers’ Guild; an **Adventurer**.

## Guild Cards

**Guild Cards** are identification documents issued by the Guild upon registration. They are made of a special metal-like substance, and they are the size of business cards on Earth. The name and current class of the adventurer are printed on the front. The back is usually blank, but it can also display the adventurer’s Attribute Values and skills if they wish. The first time the card is issued, there is no charge, but there is a fee to replace lost or damaged cards.

## Policies

The Guild keeps the status information revealed during registration in confidential registers, so that they will only be known to the staff member in charge of your registration. However, if you fill out the Specialities field in the form, it's a declaration of your intent to make that unique skill public and make use of it in competing requests. For example, a Goblin Slayer will be set up with requests and introduce appropriate clients suitable to that skill, like goblin extermination. But if the adventurer wanted to keep the skill a secret, it would basically be sealed within the mind of the staff member. Although, one has to beware that the policies may in some cases not be followed properly, as the organization is fallible to corruption.

In the Orbaume Kingdom, it's compulsory to attend the Adventurers' School if you are underage. This system does not exist in the Amid Empire, however. This policy may have applied to the entire Bahn Gaia continent in the past, before the system was changed a hundred years ago.

* The Guild branch deducts tax from the reward money it pays to adventurers. The tax rate differs depending on the nation, but it is generally around 10 %.
* The Guild decides which requests Adventurers can accept based on their class.
	+ Adventurers can accept requests up to one class above their own.
* You may apply for a promotion after completing multiple requests of your class, which the Guild will review. Onwards from D-class, there are *promotion examinations*.
	+ There's no clear requirements for promotion to A-class.

Changing a policy may be done under a joint signature of a Feudal Lord and the Guild Master of HQ. For example, Lord Belton of Hartner Duchy and HQ's Guild Master, made a rule that mixed-blood children under 10yo does not have the right to sit the examination. This includes blood of Vida's races that originate from monsters (such as Lamias, Centaurs and Dhampirs).

Sometimes, a Guild Master may be bribed or blackmailed to promote adventurers. For instance, Earl Thomas Palpapek bribed the Mirg Guild Master to fraudulently promote the Green Wind Spear Riley to A-class. Of course, there were some Guild Masters who managed their branches in a wholesome manner, but there were also those who did not.

## Code of Conduct

The **Adventurers' Code** can be summed up in three points:

* Do not break the laws of the region
* Help other adventurers when possible
* If you fail to complete a request, pay a penalty fee

These three rules are strictly adhered to. Depending on the severity of the violation, adventurers face fines, class demotions, expulsion or even having a bounty put on their heads and arrested. There are even cases where requests are issued to hunt them down. Such cases would cause the nation to hunt them down as criminals as well.

## Ranking System

Main article: Adventurers Basic Information

Adventurers are divided into eight classes from G- to S-class. See "Adventurers" for a detailed description of each class.

## Culture

* Whether Vida's races such as Dhampirs are treated as monsters, the type of support given to adventurers and rules within the Guild depends on the nation as well.
* The organization may be fallible to corruption.

It's normally considered abnormal to have multiple powerful individuals based in a single place. Talosheim, a city of five thousand people, had multiple A-class adventurers including the Sword King Borkus, as well as a great number of B-class and C-class adventurers. This was possible because of the multiple Devil's Nests and Dungeons surrounding the city, and the generally challenging environment of its location. Exploring the dungeons were a necessity for the city.

## Adventurers’ School

The **Adventurers' School** offers an education that is intended to prepare students for a future career as an Adventurer, where they receive intensive training over 1-3 years. Applicants undergo a simplified registration and pay a small enrollment fee (those who cannot pay it can defer the payment) and become students treated as G-class adventurers. The school uses a credit system, and students can graduate once they earn enough credits or three instructors acknowledge them as being capable. Many graduate within two years. Most underage adventurers form their first parties with those who attend the school at the same time as them.

Each school has different requirements for enrollment, but like registration to become an adventurer, one can enroll if they are a person. However, certain duchies may have rules that prohibit members of certain races from enrolling. In addition, those who are not underage can also enroll if they wish a more intensive training than the courses the Guild otherwise offers. However, the enrollment of former knights and such who are already as capable as adventurers of D-class or greater are not very welcomed. (Because the students would be stronger than the instructors.)

Beyond this, the guild also offers independent lectures taught by retired adventurers, as safe learning opportunities for normal adventurers, may apply to at the reception. However, students of the *Adventurers' School* take priority, so normal adventurers are unable to take the lectures constantly. If intensive training is desired, it's recommended to enroll.

The lessons may be about a wide variety of topics:

* acquisition of battle-related skills such as Swordsmanship, Archery and Spear Technique
* lectures on how to harvest herbs and disassemble various kinds of monsters for their parts
* courses in magic taught by instructors invited from the Mages’ Guild
* and even lessons in basic things like reading, writing, and mathematics (literacy)

## Trivia

* Marrying the reception lady is a common goal among male adventurers. Though not every recption lady is young, beautiful and single, as that's not among the guild's official hiring criteria.
	+ Marrying a fellow adventurer is acknowledged as a much more realistic dream, than marrying "a prince on a white horse".
	+ The Adventurers’ Guild is also aware of the popularity of such receptionists, so while they maintain that such criteria do not exist, they often choose to hire beautiful women.
* Farmaun used alchemy to develop Guild Cards, creating the foundation for today’s Guild.