The Seekers

Just because the caves are dark doesn't mean we fear them.

— Haranha, the Kaia

The Seekers are one of the largest guilds of Kaia in Araea, with headquarters and branches in several city-states. They once stood at the edge of total collapse but it is a combination of daring, skill and good fortune that have seen them turn their luck around.

Those Who Seek, Find

The Seekers are a guild of Kaia, explorers and adventurers that brave the unknown in search of fame and fortune. Few know the wild caves as well as the Kaia and among the guilds in Mharaji, they are the largest and most successful.
The Seekers are what many Kaia guilds aspire to be, but their journey to their current golden age has no been easy. Many Seekers have been lost in forgotten, dark corners of the world and many have returned from expeditions with little to show for it. But like all Kaia, the Seekers are nothing if not tenacious.

by Randis Albion

Beyond their exploration and mercenary work, the Seekers are beginning to shift their focus with their latest leader. With success comes ambition, and their is to do something more than merely survive.

Structure

Each station of the Seekers operate relatively independently. They are not required to pay tribute or taxes to the leader in Mharaji, but are expected to help other Seekers in need. This aid can be anything from shelter to equipment to sharing knowledge or even team members on particular expeditions. It is based on a system of trust and honor among the Seekers and only once has it been broken, leading to the creation of the Hēvana - their bitter rivals and enemies.

The Guild is as a whole guided by the Kaia-Kotiro, the Seeker and the first among equal. This elected role acts as commander and planner for the Seeker. The current Kotiro is Ivory Rose, a woman of fearsome intellect and great ambition.
Read more about the Kaia-Kotiro Title

The structure of each guild branch is similar: one, maybe two complete teams of Kaia and their support staff. Kaia occasionally travel between branches, sharing what they have learnt and any news that might have happened. Between the Seekers' own Kaia and their contacts, the guild is very well-informed as a result of this constant exchange.

The Seekers Today

Once nearly destroyed, the Seekers have turned their fortunes around and become a powerful guild, especially in Mhajari. They are in good standing with the city-states where they operate, frequently deployed to find new caverns that can be settled or resources that can be exploited. Nobles and merchants hire them to procure any number of different and valuable things and the Seekers sometimes launch their own expeditions into the Far Deep. They even have a branch of Hākari-Kaia operating out of Dūbavum.

One city the Seekers do not work for is Alazeta, the Slaver's Gate. They have no offices there, at least officially, and perform no service for the slave-masters who rule the city-state. Against it, though, is another matter.

In recent days, much of their efforts have been vested in supporting the unorthodox research of their leader. Some grumble at this, but those who have seen the initial result grumble much less. The Seekers might come to discover more than just caves.

History

[WIP - imagine awesome things, fantastic discoveries, treachery and crazy spinning backflips]

Explorers of the Deep
The Kaia are respected adventurers and explorers, daring to go where others fear to tread. Despite the age of civilization, most of Araea remains unknown and unexplored. It is the Kaia who look at a blank map scrawled with "here be dragons" and decide to see what is really there. It is a dangerous calling, but more than one city-state have avoided starvation with the fresh resources found by Kaia.
Read more about the Kaia - The Explorers of the Deep

by Rock Cafe.info

Damned and Desolate

The last leader of the Seekers still live and has abdicated his position after a failed expedition saw him stricken with dread Desolation. This fearful disease strikes those who find themselves lost and alone in darkness, where isolation and hopelessness gnaw holes in the soul. He still lives, but no one is sure for how much longer.
Read more about Desolation

Notable Members

• Example Character: Ahkan, the Warrior
• Example Character: Altanan, the Medikari
• Example Character: Haranha, the Kaia
• Example Character: Xael, the Theurg