High Power

Qualifications

The High Powers are meant to represent the best of us, both in terms of their power and their ability to help others. This is why 7 Staves was picked to be the first of these powers, a research guild pointed toward the common benefit of people all over Terisirae that, because of their many high level spellcasters, is incredibly powerful. There are a litany of minor qualifications that makes a guild eligible for the status of a power: participating in enough cooperative quests each year to maintain A-rank licensure, maintaining zero inventory of unfulfilled quests in month over month evaluations for a period of 40 months, and accepting at least one quest for every ten members it has each month, among other requirements like recruiting and adventurer acquisition. Once a guild has become eligible for the status of High Power, it is considered a Prospective Power, and each is monitored closely by members of the Colum Protectorate to prepare them for their evaluation. Of course, the goal is for the country to have many High Powers who are each responsible for the protection of their neighbors, but the criteria for these appraisals have to be so great that only the best of the best succeed.

Requirements

Each Prospective Power is assigned a highly difficult quest above A-rank by the crown of Colum, a mission that must be successfully completed within a given amount of time for the guild to become an official High Power. None outside of the royal family know what quests were issued to the existing High Powers, but rumors circle about great beasts of godly strength trapped beneath the earth and magical tears in reality in need of repair. When a prospect accepts this mission, they must accomplish it by any means necessary. Failure will not only means losing the title, but the guild and its founder(s) are forever barred from attempting again. Because of this nature of the advancement, there are dozens of Prospective Powers who are, perhaps, theoretically strong enough to complete their advancement missions but still gather strength to make absolutely sure of their odds.

Benefits

There are two primary benefits to the status of High Power that work as the main driving force for interest among the many incorporated guilds. First is an immense boost in reputation. Many guilds spend much of their resources to attract talent to become members, but becoming a High Power inverts the relationship to where high quality adventurers will beg to join your illustrious halls. The second is the exclusive ability to accept missions written by the crown of Colum. Adventurers of all skill levels dream of accepting quests above A-rank for a variety of reasons, be it the rewards, the money, or the renown for such an accomplishment. It is unclear which is the main driving force behind the popularity of the High Power title, after all there are only three that exist. 7 Staves, The Red Sons, and The Rune Runners. All three have a membership waiting list of half a decade at the least, where eager up-and-comers simply wait for other adventurers to retire, or die in the field so they can take their place. Individuals who belong to these guilds also enjoy the benefits of such a boost to their notoriety, like the eminent Brayden Bradley who is regarded by many as one of the greatest wizards who ever lived.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

There is, as of yet, no precedent for a High Power having its status revoked or demoted. Despite its success and the ripples it has made in the adventuring market, it is still in its infancy and less than a handful of guilds have even reached its level. Still, it is important to remind that as High Powers, they represent more than the interests of their individual guild and its investors or founders. It is also important for them to remember that, with the ability to accept missions on behalf of the crown, they represent Colum and its interests—domestically and abroad. Though a precedent does not exist, if the status is given by the crown it makes sense that it can be taken away at the discretion of the sitting royal family.

This entry is narrated by Queen Cassandra of Vastwood

Type

Civic, Military, Commissioned

Form of Address

By Recognition of the Crown

Equates to

Rough estimations for the strength of a High Power vary greatly, a situation made more difficult to estimate by the number of prospective powers that have yet to officially attain the rank. Regardless, it is often teased that High Power’s maintain enough strength among their adventurer members to fend off entire armies. The impossible gap between A-rank guilds and High Powers represents an ability, perhaps even an obsession, to defeat any opponent and ascend any height. To contrast, A-rank guilds, though they are powerful and few, are highly advanced enough to fend off creatures that can threaten the stability and population of an entire country. B-rank guilds are proven to be capable and battle tested, enough to do combat with creatures capable of threatening entire settlements. C-rank guilds are moderately talented, able to venture into the zones of the Impetus and emerge with minimal losses. D-rank guilds are novice, newly incorporated, and equipped enough only to handle low level domestic threats.

Source of Authority

The royal family of Colum

Length of Term

Indefinite

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