Grim work need not demand dour workers. Indeed, the Hagbane Bakers take solace in the fact that when they face some of the most foul enemies the world has to offer, they do it for the protection of people everywhere. In between dealing with some of the harshest battles adventurers may ever face, Hagbane Bakers greet the world with a smile.
History
The tale of the Hagbane Bakers began with a young bread baker simply known as
Jack, who lived in a small settlement off the beaten path. One day, an enormous vine sprouted from the ground in the center of town, ripping up the foundations of houses and climbing up above the clouds. Soon after, an enraged roar echoed like thunder, and a giant descended the vine and began to attack the villagers, believing they were responsible for the towering foliage that had burst through the floor of his castle in the clouds. Though the village sent for reapers from the
House of Scythe and Rake to deal with the massive vine, villagers were being injured and abducted by the giant every other day. Unwilling to watch the carnage continue, brave and foolhardy Jack decided to climb the stalk and rescue his neighbors.
In the castle above the clouds, Jack was horrified to find many of his neighbors imprisoned in a gargantuan pie safe, and the giant's humming echoed through the kitchen as he ground his millstone nearby. Though bonemeal was a common filler for breadmaking when flour was hard to come by, the giant had developed a taste for it, and had terrible plans for the villagers. With no time to waste, Jack set about causing a distraction, angering the giant and sending him on a wild goose chase through the kitchen. Enraged, the giant knocked over tables and chairs and even the pie safe, allowing the villagers an opportunity to escape. Far more nimble and quick-footed than the giant, Jack followed after the villagers, while their abductor lumbered and lagged behind. When Jack and the villagers reached the bottom, he saw the reapers from the House of Scythe and Rake arriving, and called for them to cut down the vine. Four reapers descended on the stalk at once, hacking it from every angle until it frayed and split, falling under the weight of the giant attempting to climb down it. When the vine and giant fell, so too did a portion of his castle, ripped from the clouds and raining down on the forest.
Today, the city of
Blunderbore's Folly is surrounded by chunks of stone ruins littered throughout the woods. In the center of town is a giant-built oven that helps warm the entire town during the harshest of winters, and is one of the few in the world capable of cooking gargantuan beasts. On the north side of the city stands a huge stone wheel, formerly the giant's grindstone, and at its foundation is the headquarters of the Hagbane Bakers. As for Jack himself, he took several magical relics that fell from the giant's castle, and spend the rest of his days travelling the world, slaying giants, hags, and other magical beings who would make humans their prey. Wheresoever he wandered, he went with a smile on his face, and a trail of vengeance in his wake.
Mission
Hagbane Bakers specialize in hunting beings that would hunt and consume people like animals. Their guild motto, "A Skip In Your Step, A Hand On Your Hilt" were words spoken by their founder Jack, who believed that the key to staying strong and surviving such awful encounters was nurturing one's own zest for life. Hagbane Bakers are known for opening bakeries or managing travelling bake sales in order to fund their never-ending need for more weapons.
Relationships
Though Hagbane Bakers work in a specialized field, they are also one of the most publicly visible guilds, with their bakers frequently opening up shops or delivering baked goods far and wide.
House of Scythe and Rake
After fighting beings who would treat people like livestock, some bakers grow to find meat and animal products to be distasteful. Learning to bake without eggs, butter, milk, or lard is a specialized skill that the reapers are uniquely qualified to teach. Likewise, the Hagbane Bakers have long held the House of Scythe and Rake in high regard for felling the vine in the middle of Blunderbore's Folly, else their guild might not exist today.
Public Opinion
Not everyone finds the Hagbane Bakers to be a comforting sight, and their cheerful nature in spite of their grim duty may come across as fake at best, or unhealthy at worst. However, because the Hagbane Bakers directly hunt intelligent beings who prey on people, they often earn the respect and gratitude of families and friends for returning their missing kin.
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