Welcome to the Adventurers Guild
c. 100 ADW
An introductory trial for new members of the global Adventurer's Guild. Adventurers are tasked with hunting one of five magical creatures and returning with a trophy to earn their starting rank of Tin, Copper, or Brass. The hunts take place across three regions: the Whispergrove Forest (for Cockatrice), the Old Sewers of Kingdom Grand (for Gazers and Gibbering Mouthers), and the Fangridge Peaks (for Rust Monsters). Harpys are also hunted in the forests or mountains.
Referenced In
This module is referenced by the following lore entries:
Factions and Organizations
- Adventurer's GuildAlso known as Spear of Elina or Spear of the Goddess. A hundred years after the Dead Wars, the Guild has grown into a global hub for missions, with adventurers flocking to it from all over the world. It is currently led by Guild Master Master Thalin Fernstride in Kingdom Grand, with branches overseen by Guildmaster Teyla Coalmaker in Kdor, Elrin Veymar in Evenfell, and Alyndor "Aly" Marvale in New Arcanum. The Guild uses a ranking system, with new recruits earning a rank of Tin, Copper, or Brass; higher known ranks include Colbot, Steel, and Diamond. When Holt threatens to awaken He Who Slumbers, the four guilds unite their forces beneath Kingdom Grand.
- Arcane RegistryAlso known as A.R. A faction that registers mages, wizards, and sorcerers, founded by figures like Tyre. It is involved in collecting magical artifacts and hoarding knowledge about them. Led by the dragonborn Ty in the reent years following the Dead Wars, though it had other brilliant leaders like Merrick in its past. They pose as a historic museum collection, but have had tensions with other groups, such as the Adventurer's Guild, over claims to artifacts. In Dead Wars III, they were known to be drawing raw energy from the fabric of existence. In the century following the Dead Wars, the Arcane Registry established its own nation in the western wastes, centered in the city of New Arcanum.
Legendary Characters
- Master Thalin FernstrideA towering Firbolg who serves as the Guild Master of the Adventurer's Guild in the century following the Dead Wars. He has long black hair braided down his back, piercing blue eyes, and dark green fur, and wears a forest green and white Gi. His personality is calm and measured, and he is known for giving inspiring speeches that relate adventuring to baking. He expects discipline and creativity from his guild members. As Holt's treachery unfolds, Thalin grows weary but resolute, coordinating the four great guilds against the threat beneath Kingdom Grand. After the tremors from the Elderdungeon crack the city's streets, he opens a fresh recruitment drive to replace the guild members lost in the fighting, and later leads the hunt for a saboteur hiding inside his own guild. Troubled by a caravan of strangely well-guarded stolen keepsakes bound west, he hand-picks a party and dispatches them across the Western Wastes to New Arcanum to work with his counterpart Alyndor "Aly" Marvale, convinced the thefts are somehow tied to Biscuit's fate.
Locations
- EvenfellA kingdom once ruled by Queen Miriel Highlance. It fell to Skotos and was occupied by Augments in Dead Wars II. A century later, it is known as a land of white sands shimmering across the sea to the south of Kingdom Grand and has become a hub for collectors of rare and sometimes stolen artifacts. The city has black-sand beaches beneath stormy skies, high walls, a lighthouse with a stone bridge connecting to the city, docks, and a guild plaza. The streets are mostly quiet, with buildings that are mostly three stories and made of stone with red tiled roofs. The city is home to the Adventurers Guild of Evenfell, led by Elrin Veymar. The city has been experiencing a decline, with strange cultist activity and an eerie silence that sometimes falls over the streets. As Holt's war escalates, many citizens evacuate while mind-controlled adventurers defend the approach to the Great Dungeon Gate.
- KdorA snow-covered nation located to the northeast of Kingdom Grand, known for its gleaming white-and-gold spire. It is one of the major nations connected to Kingdom Grand via teleportation gates in the century after the Dead Wars. Ruled by the Goldsteil family. The city hosts an annual Festival of Rebirth, celebrating Kdor's reconstruction and the rise of the Goldsteil family. The highlight of the festival is The Gauntlet, a multi-stage challenge course that tests martial, mechanical, and magical prowess. The rules are strict: no magic on others (only yourself), stealth is encouraged, and the only way to lose is to be knocked out. The competition includes puzzles, stealth challenges, skill challenges, and a final combat footrace. Only the top three teams receive prizes, with first place earning a special item and the Medallion of the Gauntlet. The festival features various shops, food stalls, and entertainment, with gold and white banners decorating the streets.
- Kingdom GrandAlso known as First City, New Kingdom Grand, or New Grand. Formerly the only major civilized city in the region as of ADW 0, it is now the bustling heart of a more interconnected world, linked to other nations via teleportation gates. Holds an annual Festival of Peace to celebrate Elina's sacrifice in Dead Wars I. The tremors from the battle beneath the city cracked streets and toppled buildings across Kingdom Grand, scattering loose magic and prompting a fresh wave of Adventurers Guild recruitment.
- New ArcanumA magical metropolis rising from the heart of the Western Wastes that, in the century after the Dead Wars, became the seat of power for the Arcane Registry and its nation. Perfectly circular, it is a city of towering spires and gravity-defying floating platforms, with airships passing overhead and a great floating black obelisk at its center. A shimmering protective dome cools the entire city, granting relief from the desert heat to travelers who reach its gates. It is connected to other major world powers via teleportation gates, and about a week's wagon travel from Kingdom Grand along a well-marked but perilous trade route. Its Adventurers Guild is led by Alyndor "Aly" Marvale, who joins the other guildmasters against Holt.