service may be called on whenever they desire. Apprentices may be assigned to members at higher levels.
Structure: ranks -
- apprentice
- trial member (1 year period)
- basic member (2 year period)
- full member
- elder (after 30 years or by special appointment)
- Mage Council
Once a full member, the person sits on in the Outer Circle. Elders sit on the Inner Circle. The Council is responsible for the day to day operations.
Leaders: The Mage Council is comprised currently of 4 members: Balson, Celdona, Taspis, and Mikan. Balson is their undisputed leader, and in fact runs the entire guild like a king. In theory, the Outer and Inner Circles set direction, decide on money matters, etc. In reality, the Council does as it likes and few complain.
Rules: Members must treat each other with respect, and not interfere with their work. Members are also expected to obey the rules of the city and also the kingdoms they are in if travelling. More than one mage has had to be brought down by the Mage Guild for breaking a local law.
Other: Members may take on any apprentice they wish, but are expected to encourage them to join. As well, apprentices may be assigned to them from time to time. Part of the agreement with the Geltan Empire is that the mage guild must train a certain number of empire magic users every year.
Mages are often hired from the guild for varying jobs, and the guild may force members into service if it accepts contracts. There are 2 ways to contract with the guild: hire the guild (very expensive) or try to hire an individual (less expensive, but may take a long time to find a mage willing to do it). Either way, the guild gets its cut.
Churches
See the separate section on religion.
Thieves guild
Description: This guild exists in most cities, but usually operate independently of other cities.
Primary classes: Rogue
Needed to join: no requirements, other than being willing to steal.
Benefits: Access to guild shops, discounts, and most importantly, information. Also, if you steal in town and aren't a member of the guild, you should be watching your back, since the guild probably wants to "talk" to you.
Drawbacks: The guild assigns jobs, and also takes its cut (usually in the 50% range). Membership is often enough to get you arrested if found out.
Structure: Varies, but usually has a guildmaster, with a few lieutenants.
Leaders: The leaders tend to be the more cut-throat operators, but some are quite trustworthy (at least until they get paid).
Rules: Varies, but usually includes only stealing when told to steal, not harming others in the guild, etc.
Terronok
Description: The assasins guild. Available for hire if you know the right people, this group will kill for money. That's about it.
Needed to join: Only assasins (prestige class) are allowed to join.
Benefits: You gain the assasin prestige class.
Drawbacks: Members have to assasinate on the orders of the guild. Also, membership carries a death sentence in most countries.
Structure: Largely unknown, but seems to be made up of cells, with membership of the cells unknown to other Terronok members. Even the head of the Terronok does not know who all the members are. Each member adopts a nickname, which is the only way they are known to each other.
Leaders: The leader is a man known as Ghost, whose abilities are legendary. His right hand is nicknamed NightOwl.
Rules: The internal rules are unknown, but some of their behaviour is common knowledge. Targets always receive a warning (usually a knife with blood encrusted on it), and assasinations never take place in a public place. The preferred method of killing is strangulation, but other methods may be used. As well, if the assasin is killed, no other assasins will come after the target until a new contract is ordered, and even then not until one year has passed.
School of Lore
Description: Created to foster greater learning amongst the masses, it is closely aligned with Ayeuse (god of knowledge/learning), although still independent. Its members believe that much of the knowledge of the past was lost, and struggles both to recover previous knowledge and to preserve it for the future. To this end, any knowledge found is brought to the Hall of Lore in Tiros (Ehika) where it is copied at least 3 times: the original stays at the Hall, and the first 3 other copies are taken and placed in secret vaults.
The Mountain Gnomes of Zadis and the Mountain Elves of Asycy frequent the Hall of Lore, and a huge trade of knowledge occurs between these groups. The Mountain Gnomes are primarily concerned with science, the Mountain Elves with magic, and the School of Lore with history.
Primary classes: bards, wizards
Needed to join: at least 4 knowledge skills with rank 5 or higher.
Benefits: access to the Hall of Lore and its information. The Hall is the largest library in the world. Also, access to the Loremaster prestige class.
Drawbacks: Fees are set depending on your membership level. The Guardian, Librarian, Curator, and Custodians are actually paid a modest sum for their work. Senior and Full members owe 5000 gp per year, Junior members 2000 gp per year, Associate members 500 gp per year or 2 gp per day, apprentice members 100 gp per year, and honorary members 1 gp per year. Fees can be paid in either gold or service, and usually are done in service.
Structure: The Guardian of Knowledge is the head of the guild, and runs everything. Once every 5 years the entire membership gathers to select a new Guardian by voting. They also select 2 alternate Guardians, in case the first becomes incapable of his/her duties. These serve as the Librarian (in charge of the written works) and the Curator (looks after the artifacts). The Guardian also appoints two Custodians to look after the secret vaults (the secret vaults contain copies of all texts in the library, but are stored in secret locations to prevent the destruction of knowledge). After that, there are senior members (full access), full members (full access, but do not know location of secret vaults), junior members (no access to "dangerous" things), and apprentice members (essentially helpers to more senior members). Occasionally, outstanding service to the guild will earn someone honorary member status, a non-voting position with their degree of access determined by the Guardian. Associate members are those who pay merely to access the library holdings, and are not allowed into any of the more dangerous books.
Rules: Members must obey the Guardian, and respect all knowledge. They are expected to make every effort to obtain any new knowledge and submit it to the School.
Other: Merchants often bring new texts and/or artifacts to the School. A busy trade in information occurs daily, and sages answer questions. Payment may be in gold (with very high prices), or in knowledge (usually very good rates). The library and museum are so well organized that they can tell whether or not they have seen an item before within a day. New knowledge is given extremely good exchange for gold or service.
Aronok
Description: An organization out for world domination, they are found everywhere and comprise a secret society. They often are the power behind the throne in a given kingdom.
Primary classes: all
Needed to join: must know someone in the organization. Often, a likely candidate will be recruited and tested before being approached with membership.
Benefits: Money, power, and the chance to rule the world.
Drawbacks: members always start at the bottom, and are given the worst jobs. As well, over-eager candidates are frowned upon and are often used for dangerous jobs. Governments often hunt the members.
Structure: A ruling body called the Cabal directs affairs throughout the world. Its success rate varies.
Leaders: Unknown, it's a secret society.
Rules: Unknown.
Other: One of the known sore points of the society is their lack of a presense in Staig. They try repeatedly but so far have been completely unable to establish a good hold on the city-state.
Another problem for them stems from a botched attempt to take over the Terronok for their own purposes. When the Terronok found out, they vowed war against the Aronok. Since then, Aronok agents are the primary target of the assasins. In what was their greatest set-back, 6 members of the Cabal were killed in one night by Ghost and NightOwl, the leaders of the Terronok.
The Aronok is feared throughout the world, with many problems laid at their feet (a peasants cow gets sick, and it's their fault,etc.).
Spellswords
Description: Originally founded by Girowin Storm, it fell apart with the disappearance of his successor Temus Storm. The return of his sword brought back the knowledge and the guild now trains spellcasters in the art of melee fighting.
Primary classes: Spellswords
Needed to join: Arcane spellcaster with level 2 spells, BAB +5
Benefits: access to spellsword prestige class
Drawbacks: the guild is still fairly poor, and taxes its members accordingly (15%).
Structure: Guildmaster Sionell is in charge. Since there are only a few dozen members, there isn't really anyone else. Zalmus acts as steward.
Leaders: Sionell
Rules: Members must practice their techniques daily to improve their skills.
Other: With their numbers so low most of the advanced students stay and train others. Only a few are currently out adventuring.
Disciples of Intellect
Description: A secret society of of psions, they are in constant battle with the Mindbenders.
Primary classes: Psions
Needed to join: Recruitment into the group by a psion.
Benefits: access to psion classes
Drawbacks: Joining means you are instantly a target for the Mindbenders.
Structure: The leadership is supposedly on the Isle of Hope. They are mostly independent agents who coordinate through the elders.
Leaders: unknown
Rules: unknown
Other: Their existence has only recently been confirmed. They have agents in all the Allied Kingdowms and the Geltan Empire.
Mindbenders
Description: A secret society of of psions, they are in constant battle with the Disciples of Intellect. They infiltrate the western lands for the Emperor of Zarod.
Primary classes: Psions
Needed to join: Recruitment by a member.
Benefits: access to psion classes
Drawbacks: Having to pledge allegiance to the Emperor of Zarod
Structure: The Emperor of Zarod is the head. Since there are currently three contenders for the throne, it is not known which they support
Leaders: Their leader is refered to as The Brain. He/she is somewhere in the Zarod Empire
Rules: unknown
Other: With the leadership in disarray, the Disciples have outed or removed many of their members in the Allied Kingdoms and Geltan Empire