The Rasmanthus Guild

The organization founded to give a home to explorers, adventurers, and mystery seekers of all kinds

Pioneers of the Ranking System

Another facet of what has made the Rasmanthus Guild so widespread and commonly beloved and accepted is their willingness to handle most any kind of issue so long as pay is made clear - lower-ranked guildmates will even handle mundane tasks such as cleaning and errands. And, adding onto this willingness to do just about any task if the pay is right is the "ranking system" pioneered by the Guild to allow for most anyone, commoner to noble alike, able to identify the 'threat level' of a monster or hostile creature accordingly. This ranking chart, while not perfect nor exhaustive, is close enough to accurate that it has proved an invaluable tool in the Guild's arsenal in terms of both education and practical training, allowing for guildmates to quickly identify whether a threat is something they can handle or something they should flee from, while allowing Commoners to know loosely how much pay a task will take, how long it will take to find someone willing and capable of doing it, and the threat level of what they're asking. Requests that come in are typically given a recommended pay level by the guild(Which increases the higher up the quest is placed in the ranking system), though if the requester only has so much money, the quest is often posted anyway at the given pay rate but is given lower priority than others whose requesters could pay the suggested minimum fee. Pay for quests must be given to the guild up front when the requester posts the quest, after which the Guild will typically do investigating of their own to 'vet' the request and verify what is being asked is valid and true before 'posting' it for all guildmates to see. For requests considered to be 'emergency requests', the minimum prices for such requests will generally go up compared to normal. Requests that are deemed to be true and accurate are distributed to all guildhalls by way of the Featherpoint Post, or to all guildhalls in a specific area if the quest relates to a certain area.

S Rank: True Giants(Dai-Yukai, Eldragi, Othraka, Gloomgaunt) Etc), Legendary/Named Monsters, Liches, Graveknights, Archmages(Spellcasting of 7th level and above), Legendary Heroes/Villains, Grandmaster Warriors

A Rank: Adult Lamia, Powerful Monsters, Lesser True Giants(Wood Giants, Hill Giants, Jotun, Etc), Powerful Outsiders, Master Warriors(Matriarchy Soldiers, Juum barbarians, Etc), Exploration of 'High-Risk Areas' such as the Shenchuan Tundra or the Great Gyatsoshin Desert, Master Magicians(Spellcasting of 6th level)

B Rank: Most Adult Monsters/Undead, Powerful/Noteworthy Humanoids(Bandit Lords, Rogue Soldiers, Orc Warlords, Etc), Ogres, Most Outsiders, Organized/Tactical Monsters, Most Wilderness Exploration Quests, Important Escort Missions, Adept Magicians(3rd - 5th level casting)

C Rank: Most Humanoid Threats(Bandits, Mercenaries, Etc), Most Animal Threats(Owlbears, Dire Wolves, Etc), Most Escort Missions, Young/Weak Monsters, Most Orc, Exploration Quests in partially or fully settled areas, Novice Magicians(1st and 2nd level casting)

D Rank: Wild Kobold, Goblin, Small-Time Bandits and Thieves, Most Non-Combat Requests(Manual Labor, Fetch Quests, Etc)

Member Ranking

To gain entrance into the Rasmanthus Guild, three simple steps are needed - an entry fee of five silver pieces to cover the costs of the ranking plate and beginning training and equipment as well as other guild expenses, the passing of a measurement exam where one's abilities are put to the test by guild instructors, and passing a simple literacy test that is proctored for five copper coins. Once these steps are passed, the prospective candidate is welcomed into the guild and given the ranking best benefitting their level of strength. Adventurers in the guild are identified by a metal plate on an elastic band or string - each type of metal used corresponds to a certain rank in the guild. Typically new adventurers begin at C or D rank depending on their initial skill level, though exceptions are made for those who display notable potential or abilities from their joining, or those who already have significant training prior to joining.

S Rank - Adamantine plate

A Rank - Mithril plate

B Rank - Gold plate

C Rank - Iron plate

D Rank - Copper plate

Promotions in the guild are handed down by the Guildmasters, but are generally sent for final approval at the hands of the Head of the Entire Guild. However, this is usually just a formality - the local Guildmasters are generally very well trusted by the Head of the Guild, and it is somewhat uncommon for decisions to be overtuned like that. Usually, it will at most be extra tasks for the prospective candidate to do, extra waiting time, or other things like that - outright rejection is not very common. Generally, one does not take requests below their rank - it is seen as rude and stealing opportunities from the lower ranks, though it can be done if opportunities are plentiful or for some other unique reason. Usually, however, a given Guild branch has restrictions on this sort of thing. Inversely, a member of the guild generally cannot take requests above their rank - however, if a party made up of guildmembers of one rank wishes to take on a request for the rank above them, they may be given permission to do so at the discretion of the guild staff. This is done to encourage teams, parties, and cooperation. To this end, parties are common in the guild - oftentimes, parties are registered under a "Party Name" and given a ranking according to the plate-ranking above judging their general combat strength - and while this usually corresponds to the ranking of the members that make up the party, this is not required to be the case - certain parties with excellent teamwork that may be made up of Iron-Plate ranked adventurers might be considered a "Gold Plate" party for quest purposes, signifying how strong they are together rather than alone.

The Rasmanthian Code

The Rasmanthus Guild is a simple organization that prides itself on freedom, adventuring, and exploration of the unknown, but at its core it is an organization that strives to leave the world better than they found it - and to this end, ever since its founding each and every member of the Guild has sworn to uphold the three simple tenets of the binding code that all members of the guild must follow:

No job is to be accepted should it endanger the public, break the laws of the land, damage the ecological balance of the area, or otherwise be the domain of the underworld.

Discoveries of ruins, places of ancient import, historical sites, and any similar bodies is to be reported to the Guild first and foremost, before investigation and exploration of their depths.

The job of the guild is the defense of the public and the exploration of the unknown - political conflicts are not the domain of the guild, nor should they ever be.

Satisfy every client and their request as if they were your honored family or friends. Carry out each job to the best of your abilities.

This code is sacrosanct to the Rasmanthus Guild, and breaking any of the rules of the code or otherwise bringing shame onto the Guild will invariably warrant a punishment of some kind which can range from a simple warning or demotion to outright being blacklisted from all requests at the Guild - and in the absolute worst-case situation, can result in removal from the Guild as a whole. These adventurers who are removed and fired from the guild or those who simply cannot stand to abide by the laws of the guild in the first place often band together to take on illegal requests or to cut out the guild as the middle man and take on requests directly, and are frequently known as 'Jobbers'(A word used derogatorily to insinuate that adventuring is nothing but money to them, rather than the thrill and passion for helping and exploring). If rumors are to be believed, the Guild sometimes goes to drastic measures to eliminate the absolute worst among their ranks.

A Neutral Force

The Rasmanthus Guild is a force that has, ever since its inception centuries ago, prided itself as an organization which exists in neutrality and wholly removed from the politics of nations, countries, and the like - much like the Featherpoint Post, it is an organization who operates outside the political landscape of the world, who merely goes about their business providing a service valuable enough to warrant nations to allow them this neutrality. The typical deal struck with patron nations sees the Guild given the right to operate within their borders taking on requests and aiding in public security and various things, as the guild is wont to do, and in exchange the guild abides by the laws of the land - and in turn, the country typically agrees to consider the guildhalls neutral territory and not beholden to the governmental politics or the king, instead existing as a free organization that most all political bodies on the mainland continent recognize as neutral ground - even should a city be sacked and destroyed, rare is it for the local Guildhall to be sacked as well - most times, they are left well enough alone so long as they abide by the terms of their neutrality and do not harbor extant fugitives and the like(Though exceptions are made on rare occasion). Only the most barbaric of invaders tend to disregard this and sack guildhalls, though doing so puts them on extremely bad terms with the guild at large - which can prove disasterous to some lands. Some countries take issue with this, however - the most notable exception being the land of Tarthus-Tetsu, who refused to allow the guild to exist outside of governmental control and took them in as a vassal of the Tarthan Government, which was only allowed because of the guild's desire to help the people of Tarthus and being willing to make personal sacrifices both because of trust in Amenmeses Ra-sen Shakanasa I's promises of not misusing them and a pure-hearted desire to help others. Similarly, the guildhalls in the lands of The Narixian Empire have taken on a rather unique form because of a close backing by the Narixian Clans - each guildhall is typically ran by a representative of the clans, and serve as recruitment points for the clans as well as places for both guildmembers and Narixian Clans alike to come to find work - turning Narixian Guildhalls into popular gathering spots where most all citizens come first to get their problems heard by their Narixian Overlords. In this way, the Narixian Guildhalls are one part governmental building, one part free-spirited town hall, and one part raucous adventurer's guild - though almost none would think them a 'government' building upon seeing them. Similarly, though not identically, some countries simply have no need for them - most notably the land of Raoulin, which during the beginning years of the country's history saw the Guild have a quite good relationship with the Raoulish Government. However, in the modern day, the guild and its adventurers have developed quite a sour relationship with Raoulin because of the incredible effectiveness of the land's military - there is simply no longer an intense need for their services when the military is so plentiful and powerful, so Raoulish Adventurers and Guildmembers have begun to feel increasingly slighted and even useless. Other nations, such as the Coalition of Nine, either refused them outright or provided terms so intensely unfavorable that it was a clear and blatant 'refusal' in all but name. Otherwise, however, they have spread fairly well throughout the central areas of Zheng-Kitar and into its southern portions - only the Khadagan Commonwealth has outright refused them entry in the south, though the Lands of Ustanan are still on tense relations with the newly arrived Guilds there, which are by no means numerous.

Structure

Aside from the ranking structure described above in the 'Member Ranking' section, the Rasmanthus Guild is broken up into a relatively simple structure that sees the head of the Guild headquartered in the city of Axiom in western Zheng-Kitar, handling all the paperwork, logistical work, and other administrative efforts to keep the guild running while the rest of the Guild is broken up into hundreds of buildings known as "Guildhalls" located throughout civilized areas and wilderness both - these 'guildhalls' serve as gathering points for the members of the guild, where requests are posted and can be taken, friends can be found to team up with, and supplies can be bought. These 'Guildhalls' are typically ran by a single being that holds the title of "Guildmaster" or "Guildmistress", who run the Guild's operations in the surrounding area and are in charge of handling promotions, local affairs, and all manner of local administrative business for the Guild, as well as handling distribution and communication regarding new and completed quests and all other communication that needs to be done between them and the other Guildmasters in the area and even the Head of the Entire Guild, based in Axiom. These figures hold immense power in the guild, and are often drawn from the ranks of retired higher-ranked Guildmembers looking for a quieter life but who yet wish to remain involved in Guild Affairs. Almost universally, each Guildhall is located beside or close to an office of the Featherpoint Post - the organization which the Guild uses to communicate with its many guildhalls and send requests back and forth to each other for posting or for noting when they have been completed.

Culture

The culture of the guild is one of freedom and cooperation, where prospective adventurers happily drink and cohort alongside their coworkers in the hopes of gaining fame, fortune, and becoming heroes to slay monsters and uncover the unknown. While not all members of the guild abide by this romantic notion of heroism and fantastical mystery, it does pervade the guild to create a fairly open atmosphere and culture of help, cooperation, teamwork, and alliances to solve one's issues together rather than alone. The guild is often deeply engrained in the hearts and minds of the populace surrounding a given Guildhall, as well - often becoming quite familiar and amicable with the community around them as well as the local office for the Featherpoint Post, through which they communicate with other guildhalls across the continent.

Public Agenda

The Public Agenda of the Rasmanthus Guild is simple - the exploration of the unknown, to protect the common folk, uphold the balance of nature, and the avoidance balance.

History

The Rasmanthus Guild was founded in opening years of the Age of Expansion, when countless countries across the continent began hiring adventurers and explorers to go out into the wilderness of Zheng-Kitar and clear out the hostile lands of their dangers so that the countries' could settle the newly conquered lands, rewarding these adventurers with pay and even land and titles. As this went on, the need arose for an organization to unify all the scattered adventurers that came about as a result of this glorious age of adventure, and thus was the Rasmanthus Guild formed by its first and still leader, Osmantha the Indomitable - formed naturally as she helped found the city of Axiom and garnered a large following of adventurers who shared her vision for a unified organization to provide a voice for adventurers and explorers everywhere, that might provide the means for others' to achieve their dreams.

Zheng-Kitar's Most Wanted

Below is a list of the top five "most wanted" beings on the continent of Zheng-Kitar - these beings are not neccesarily 'the most powerful and lethal', but are instead those that have been deemed such a fundamental threat to all life on the continent that a public notice was deemed to be worth putting out. Below is a list of those five beings, their names and epithets, as well as reasons for their appearance on this most wanted list.

Epithet: The Fleshmelting Sadist Real Name: Jilixia Worldthrone Last Known Location: Kassau Matriarchy Appearance: Alabaster white skin Human woman. Usually found wearing fanciful dresses with long white hair. Wears no jewelery and carries no visible weapons. Special Qualities: Immensely powerful master of Kinetic Magic, capable of destruction on a city-wide scale. Only the strongest beings in existence can hope to match her power. Reward: 500,000 GP for proof of her death (Or 50,000GP each for the death of her children) Description: The last living descendent of the demon queen Dahmunara Worldthrone, who has brought untold suffering and despair to beings across the continent. Has completely destroyed the Rasmanthus Guild on one occasion, fought Osmantha the Indomitable to a standstill, and caused the fall of the Shaoshu Empire, as well as many more heinous acts.

Epithet: The Remnant Real Name: The Remnant's Name is unknown - only their service number: 985-02-7764 Last Known Location: Varies Wildly - last spotted in The Great Gyatsoshin Desert. Appearance: Aging, Borderling Elderly Humanoid standing around 14ft(4.26m) tall with a massively large physicality, with short grey-white hair and a mangy silver beard with streaks of black. Often seen swaddled in a ragtag outfit comprised of countless scraps of cloth, gas mask, and parts of their old armor and uniform during their time in The Ezdhûlian Alliance. Carries an advanced, ancient Ezdhulian gunpowder weapon alongside an advanced sawtoothed chainsword of similarly ancient Ezdhulian design. Special Qualities: Physically unremarkable themselves, but carries a suite of advanced weaponry and armor of the ancient Ezdhûlian Alliance alongside highly advanced battle strategies, tactics, and intelligence taught by Thorgrom Blackgranite to his special-operations squads. Though unconfirmed, their abnormally large build and physicality suggests they recieved state-of-the-art bodily enhancements which are likely responsible for their unnaturally long lifespan, strength, durability, speed, reaction times, and more. Reward: 250,000 GP for proof of their death Description: The last living relic of The Ezdhûlian Alliance, former Special Forces of the Alliance under Thorgrom Blackgranite, and one of the last survivors of the War of the Boiling Skies, Invasion of the Infernal Host, and the War against the Celestial Host. By all accounts and surviving records, was an aging veteran even during the formative years of Thorgrom Blackgranite who had served with his father Lomdael Blackgranite during the Invasion of the Infernal Host as one of the Special Forces operatives in the ancient Ezdhûl Rockcrusher Legions of yore. A master-class warrior supposedly present during Thorgrom Blackgranite's final duel with Kyra Aenai in the Saintbuster Silo in the Ezdhûl citadel of Kal-Dûlhral, they evaded capture and execution during the years after the signing of The Dûlhralian Accords and survived into the present day using their espionage and masterful combat skills. Has defeated hundreds of elite adventurers, bounty-hunters, and all kinds who have come to slay them, and has consistently evaded detection from the governments and top organizations of Zheng-Kitar for centuries. A supremely dangerous being who operates unseen, strikes from the shadows, and is almost impossible to pin down in one place for long, let alone defeat and kill - and before the rise of Jilixia Worldthrone, previously occupied the #1 Most Wanted slot of the guild for his assassination of dozens of Guild executives, the death of several S-class hitsquads, and more. Most notably, has remained a consistent and omnipresent threat to the life of Kyra Aenai.

Epithet: The Somnus Real Name: Unknown Last Known Location: Unknown Appearance: Unknown Special Qualities: Unknown Reward: 250,000 GP for proof of their capture or death Description: The leader of the Dark Guild Lethe Labyrinth, one of the three Dark Guilds of the Raughata Alliance - tripartite agreement made between the three biggest Dark Guilds active on Zheng-Kitar. A figure of utmost mystery who is responsible for innumerable acts of villainy and destruction because of the actions of the guild they oversee - everything from underground illegal pit fighting, slavery, trafficking, assassinations, thievery, and more all fall under the purview of Lethe Labyrinth, and by extension its leader The Somnus. They are careful and paranoid to the extreme - they somehow always keep ahead of those who seek to capture or destroy them, and are constantly in hiding to avoid attempts on their life. Only the champion of the underground fights run by Lethe Labyrinth are allowed to know them personally, and all details on them are virtually nonexistent.

Epithet: Father Patriot Real Name: Timothy Whiterose Last Known Location: Virtually impossible to track Appearance: Reports describe him as a male Half-Elf of lithe build and short height, with dirty blonde hair down to the shoulders and a pure white quartz orb in place of a left eye, as well as an X-shaped scar beneath the nose and above the lips. Special Qualities: By virtually all accounts, none. He is physically weak and unassuming, and powerwise is not a match for even a town guard or newbie adventurer- but his one special quality is his mind, and intellect. He is a world-class eccentric thinker, who has repeatedly outmaneuvered trained generals, tacticians, kings, and more. He is a master of out-of-the-box thinking, and in taking others by surprise. Reward: 100,000 GP for proof of his capture or death Description: Despite his own lack of personal power, Timothy Whiterose is wanted and considered extremely dangerous for not only his personal insider experience and knowledge of organizations such as The Rasmanthus Guild and many countries across the continent, but also for his personal presence and assumed responsibility in dozens of revolts, uprisings, guerrilla wars, rebellions, and more all across Zheng-Kitar and beyond. He is a master of underhanded and unexpected tactics, and has been spotted in the fronts of dozens of cases of civil unrest both large and small, as well as more high-profile cases of blackmail, sabotage, insurrection, and more that require a finer touch - his assumed breadth of experience and own personal interest in the sowing of chaos has made him a high priority target by the Rasmanthus Guild. However, perhaps more interesting is his quasi-temporal nature - he has been observed in several instances as 'vanishing' and 'reappearing' years later, been spotted centuries apart, sometimes summoned as if bound, and much more...though in many of these cases his participating seems almost involuntary and against his will. As such, he occupies a unique position on the most wanted list - he is wanted exclusively for more information and for questioning - and for death if his role in all the chaos he has sown is deemed to be of his own sound mind. He has appeared in the employ of nearly every country and organization at some point across Zheng-Kitar, sometimes retroactively(In the case of the Rasmanthus Guild, who found he had been in their employ two hundred years before he was discovered and placed on the most wanted list), and as such has accrued a terrifying amount of insider information.

Epithet: The Nokizaru Real Name: Silus Hotspur Last Known Location: Unknown Appearance: Appears as a five to six foot tall humanoid who wears a bone mask made from the skull of an Othraka and a cape made out of a spotted panther pelt. He wields a large scythe and a vast array of knives and blades, and no skin has ever been visible at any given point he has been seen or encountered. Reports and contact made indicate a human or a human-adjacent species. Special Qualities: Extremely proficient warrior and assassin, but no supernatural abilities beyond nigh-superhuman skill. Reward: 100,000 GP for proof of their capture or death Description: The leader of the Dark Guild Necro Shroud, one of the three Dark Guilds of the Raughata Alliance - tripartite agreement made between the three biggest Dark Guilds active on Zheng-Kitar. He is one of the most notorious murderers on ZK - little is known about him, but the only reason he sits so low in the most wanted list is his cool and level-headed nature - he is not prone to random acts of violence, and is purely a contract killer. He can be reasoned with, and has even helped knock off other Most Wanted targets when the time has suited him or when he has been paid to do so. He is commonly called "The Least Most Wanted" - everyone above him is an unreasonable, murdering monster or those who cannot be found and/or reasoned with. He has a strangely familiar relationship with Osmantha the Indomitable, the Guild, and most other adventurers and enforcers of law such that they are on a first name basis and treat each other as coworkers, fighting one day and talking the next. While he is not completely unreasonable, the guild he leads is the most notorious and villainous sorts made up of murderers, killers, assassins, madmen, and the like which specializes in killings, assassinations, and the darkest and most evil requests.

To the ends of the world.

Founding Date

4205 ASK

Type

Guild, Adventuring

Alternative Names

The Guild, The Adventurer's Guild

Demonym

Rasmanthian

Leader

Osmantha the Indomitable

Controlled Territories

Sapphire Steles

Notable Members

Related Myths

The Bagbeasts

The Price of a Quest

Unlike the Featherpoint Post, the prices of the Rasmanthus Guild are not so well-defined - though there are rough guidelines on how much a request of each rank should cost, the extreme variance that a 'quest' from the guild can entail means that the cost is more varied and on more of a case by case basis. However, a basic and rough outline of these prices can be found below as a point of reference - however, it should be kept in mind that requests can be submitted with pay below these minimum price requirements, though doing so simply means that the quest will be given lower priority compared to others of the same level that meet the minimum. Quests may also be submitted with items or other goods as collateral(Such as promise of a house, land rights, family heirloom, etc) to offset the gold costs of higher level requests. Another thing for those reading the below list to consider is that those Adventurers who take "kill quests" that involve slaying monsters or otherwise hostile enemies are often allowed to keep the gear and loot they find, which supplements their income. Additionally, especially generous or kind Guildmembers might take requests at lower pay rates to assist the requester, while inversely more greedy Guildmembers might do the inverse. Prices listed below are generally listed for individual members - each member of a party taking a quest tends to get the below listed amount, rather than splitting a lump sum. The requester is expected to pay more up front if they wish to specify a party or provide for a party rather than a single or pair of adventurers. The prices below are such that a typical peasant or commoner can generally pay for a C or D rank quest themselves with some saving over a few months or by digging into savings, though any higher ranked quests generally require pooling of money by many in a village or town. Lords, obviously, tend to afford much higher quests on average. S Rank: At least 10,000 Gold Pieces, though prices can range much higher. These requests are often so deadly that only legendary heroes even have a chance of stopping or handling the issue. A Rank: 5000 to 10,000 Gold Pieces. B Rank: 500 to 5000 Gold PIeces. C Rank: 50 to 500 Gold Pieces. D Rank: 5 Copper - 50 Gold

Equal Opportunity

The guild prides itself on being equal rights and open to people of all levels of society, and in most all guildhalls this holds true, with a few notable exceptions - in Kassau, in order to maintain good relations with the female-oriented barbarians of the land, all males who come through the guild must show deference and respect to females present. Men are generally used to fill the role of support staff in the guildhall, leaving women to do the more 'exciting' roles such as serving as trainers, instructors, and the like. This is seen as a cushy position for men as the guild only does this to maintain good relations with Kassau - though especially prideful or active men tend to hate getting assigned here as men are forced to give first pick of guild contracts to the women. For women, it is a highly desirable post - the extra opportunities they enjoy in Kassau make these Kassau postings a great place to prove themselves in a beneficial environment - however, some find themselves enjoying those priviliges a bit too much, and end up joining the Kassau military. In the lands of the Danzou Theocracy, it is the inverse - the men are given first pick of assignments and given the 'exciting' roles, while females workers are relegated to desk jobs and the like. Female adventurers must likewise give first pick of contracts to their male counterparts. These exceptions, however, do not equate to lower pay or less respect within the Guild itself - it is a common understanding in these guild halls that this is done mostly for show to appease the countries the hall is inhabiting so their work is allowed to continue, and is thus a neccesary evil that must be put up with.

The Rasmanthus Guild

The organization founded to give a home to explorers, adventurers, and mystery seekers of all kinds

Pioneers of the Ranking System

Member Ranking

The Rasmanthian Code