Quest and Mace

*"Ages ago, there was a villain so powerful that the local Lords and Knights shivered with fear. His fighting skill was such that he would destroy anyone in his path, and no one was good enough to fight him. Then a mysterious man with a mace hanging in his belt came to the reigning Queen and asked her if she needed assistance in tracking this man down. The Queen then laughed at the man and agreed to pay him an extensive ammount of gold, not expecting him to return. Weeks went by and there was no word from the mysterious man. Until one day, the man marched back into town with the villain thrown over his shoulder. He went straight to the Queen to receive his payment, and the Queen stared at him in shock and awe. After receiving the payment, the Queen offered the man knighthood. But the man refused, and walked out of the castle. This man was the first father of the Quest and Mace. In the years following, many Bounty Hunters began to spring up throughout the realm. Offering their services, and showing their employers their ability to track and capture any quarry required..."*

**Quest and Mace:**

This guild is the largest and the most influential of many Bounty Hunter guilds. No task is too small nor too big as long as the sum of gold is right.Their services are highly renowned, and ue to the Hunter's Creed they have managed to attain a reputation of doing dirty work in a professional and clean way. The guild have offices all around the civilized world. In each office there are one Guildmaster that reicive and discuss the contract with the client. The members of the guild are specialized trackers and hunters who stalk down criminals. Some of the members are deeply concerned with justice, while others view their work as a practical matter.

**Bounty Hunters:**

The Bounty Hunters are often seen as an extended arm of the law, as Nobles and Lords use the Hunter service where their own reach are not sufficient. Unlike a simple guardsman, the Bounty Hunter is a relentless pursuer, whether his quarry takes cover in the wilderness or hides among friends and sympathizers. The difference between an assassin and a Boutny Hunter, is that the Hunters leave justice to be judged by their employers. Therefore their services are more used and commonly accepted.

**Hunter's Creed:**

Bounty Hunters must follow a code of ethics called The Hunter's Creed, sometimes just referred to as The Creed. The Hunter's Creed is a series of beliefs set forth by the first Bounty Hunters, and it is still followed to this day. As long as the Hunter is h must follow The Creed at all times.

* ***People Don’t Have Bounties, Only Quarries Have Bounties:*** This single, cardinal rule, more than any other, defines the way in which Bounty Hunters approach their chosen profession. It reflects the idea that sapient beings, to some degree, must be accorded respect. If, however, an individual has a bounty placed on them, he or she ceases to be an individual with rights. No longer a member of the community, the "quarry" becomes fair game. Tears should never be shed over the fate of someone who is, after all... "Only a quarry."

* ***Capture By Design, Kill By Necessity:*** In keeping with the loosely defined hunter code of ethics, killing is sometimes necessary. That’s business, pure and simple. However, unnecessary killing is still murder. The Bounty Hunter, unless otherwise directed by those leveling the bounty, must attempt to deliver the quarry alive. Often, those leveling the bounty have a vested interest in a live target — and the target might be better off trying to get themselves killed by the Bounty Hunter.

* ***No Hunter Shall Slay Another Hunter:*** Simply put, no matter their origin, Bounty Hunters see themselves as a special breed. They take their lives (and those of others) into their hands each time they hunt. One may agree with another hunter's motives, or damn him for the manner in which they carry out their hunts, but no Bounty Hunter may ever knowingly kill a fellow Bounty Hunter. This law applies only to hunters who themselves still follow the creed. Those who have broken the creed, or those that have a bounty posted on their heads, are merely quarries. In such cases, the ex-hunter is no longer seen as a member of the common fellowship and old scores can now be settled with impunity. The hunter has become the hunted.

* ***No Hunter Shall Interfere With Another's Hunt:*** While it is not unheard of for Bounty Hunters to work together as a team, the hunt for a given quarry is most often viewed as a form of personal duel between two sapient creatures. In such a duel, the hunter matches skills, wit, and courage against all the resources that one's opponent can bring to bear. If the hunter wins, it is a personal triumph denoting superior skill and intellect, not simply a question of luck. To interfere in another’s hunt, unless first invited, is to leave the question of "who is better" open and, perhaps forever, unresolved. Of course, competition between hunters is often fierce and there is often a very thin line between "competition" and "interference." This being true, while a Bounty Hunter is constrained from taking direct action against another hunter, there is nothing to constrain a Bounty Hunter from hiring others to do the dirty work. Of course, if such an action, successful or not, can be traced back to the original perpetrator, serious consequences inevitably follow.

* ***In The Hunt, One Captures Or Kills, Never Both:*** In the case where the quarry has been taken alive, that "choice" cannot be altered. To kill a quarry in the course of the hunt is one thing, which is fine. But to purposely kill an unarmed, helpless being already subdued and unable to resist is seen as simple slaughter and wanton butchery.

* ***No Hunter Shall Refuse Aid To Another Hunter:*** While no hunter has the right to interfere in another’s hunt, there comes times when even the best among master Bounty Hunters require assistance. In extreme cases, any hunter may ask and expect to receive aid and assistance from another hunter, even if it means the latter must temporarily suspend his or her own hunt in the meantime to render such aid. Whatever personal grievances or animosities may be involved between the two parties, it is known and understood that Bounty Hunters take care of their own. Of course, such assistance is not without a price tag, and the arbitration of payment after the fact can often put a substantial dent in the requesting Bounty Hunter's expected profit.