I, myself, have relied upon Grey contracts many a time — Hajar Stoutsong, renowned explorer and chronicler
The Grey Scales
The Grey Scales are the oldest surviving Adventuring Guild in the world. They stand outside official military and law-keeping institutions, though still bound by the laws of the land. For those that can pay for their services, they provide an option for those trapped by the confines of their own abilities. The Grey Scales, by their very nature, are a neutral organisation.
The Contract
The contract is between the individual, or party, and the Grey Scales. Typically, the contract will feature a payment up front and a payment upon completion, though this balance may be waived on occasion at the discretion of the Grey Scales.
The contract will be drawn up by a Handler, a specialised rank amongst the Scales for this purpose. A Handler will be a member of the Veteran rank of the guild who has shown themselves to be skilled in writing such a document.
Contracts may be entered for a wide variety of situations, however a killing of a sentient species is forbidden - unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as allying with the actual military for the deposition of a threat to the land. The most common contracts taken out are simply protection or rare resource collection (such as parts from dangerous animals). All contracts are passed through the Leader for approval.
The Leader will select a Veteran to lead the contract and the Veteran will chose their team, should it require more than one person.
Importance of the Document
In some semi-restricted locations, such as sections of libraries, the showing of a Grey Contract may provide admittance that would not otherwise be granted. The contract will state the specific nature of the deal and such whomever is in charge of admittance can decide if it is reason enough. For instance, information on rare creatures cannot be found in public libraries so the Veteran may be permitted to search rarer books thanks to the contract.
Another important example is when an area is barricaded off due to the presence of a dangerous entity, the Grey Contract may be presented for passage into that area since it explicitly states they are there to deal with said entity.
Comments