Adventurer System
“The Guild does not make adventurers. It finds them, grades them, and takes a cut.”
Overview
The Adventurer System is the institutional framework built around Mythos. Where Mythos is metaphysical and universal, the Adventurer System is bureaucratic and human. The Adventurer’s Guild tracks Mythos, issues contracts, grades quests, and manages the relationship between adventurers and the world that needs them.
The Guild did not invent Mythos. It was discovered roughly 3,000 years ago. The original discoverer’s disciples built the Guild around it. The enchanted seals they use are simply instruments for reading something that already existed.
Adventurer Rank (AR)
Adventurer Rank is the Guild’s institutional classification of a registered adventurer. It mirrors the Mythos Rank scale (F through X) and is read directly from the adventurer’s enchanted seal.
AR requires Guild registration. Someone with enormous Mythos but no Guild registration has no AR. The world reacts to their Mythos (see Mythos System), but the Guild has no file on them and they receive no Guild benefits.
For registered adventurers, AR updates automatically as Mythos accumulates. The seal reads Mythos in real time. There is no application, review, or promotion ceremony. Your rank changes when your Mythos crosses a threshold.
Enchanted Seals
Every registered adventurer carries an enchanted seal. The seal is:
- Issued at registration
- Bound to the individual, not transferable
- Permanently attuned to the bearer’s Mythos accumulation
- Updated passively as Mythos accrues (no activation required)
The seal displays the bearer’s current AR and total Mythos. It cannot be forged. Attempts to replicate the attunement process have universally failed.
Guild clerks use a reading stone to verify seal authenticity and current rank. The stone cross-references the seal against a central enchanted ledger maintained at the nearest Guild branch.
The seal does not grant rank. It records it. Mythos exists whether or not the seal is present.
Registration
Registration is open to anyone. Requirements:
- Present yourself at any Guild branch
- Pay the registration fee (nominal, varies by branch)
- Receive an enchanted seal
- Be assigned F Rank
There is no test. No background check. No minimum capability. The Guild’s position is that Mythos is self-sorting. If you cannot do the work, you will not accumulate the score.
Guild Benefits by Rank
These are institutional perks granted by the Guild to registered adventurers. They are separate from the universal world reactions described in the Mythos System.
F Rank
- Basic Guild access: notice board, public contracts
- Use of Guild waypoints (some branches have resting facilities)
E Rank
- E-tier contracts open up
- Name recognized within the local branch network
D Rank
- Regional contracts available (D-board)
- Guild tax reduced by 5%
- Light equipment credit at Guild-affiliated vendors (branch dependent)
C Rank
- Guild endorsement letters available on request
- Access to sealed contracts (work that does not appear on public boards)
- Guild tax reduced by an additional 5% (10% total)
B Rank
- Direct noble and institutional contact: requests arrive through private channels
- Guild liaison assigned: a dedicated clerk handles logistics and contract routing
- Full fee waiver on standard contracts
- B-board access: kingdom-level operations
A Rank
- Guild formally backs the registrant in political disputes
- Open line to Guild leadership
- A-board access: near-legendary work, existential regional stakes
S Rank
- The Guild treats the registrant as a peer institution, not a client
- Contract terms are negotiated, not issued
Quest Tiers
The Guild grades available contracts by the AR recommended to attempt them safely.
| Tier | AR Recommended | Contract Type | Typical Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | Any | Deliveries, minor errands, basic escort | 5-20gp |
| E | E+ | Local threats, minor investigations, standard escort | 20-60gp + item |
| D | D+ | Regional problems, significant local threats, recovery missions | 60-200gp + item |
| C | C+ | Notable conspiracies, regional crises, dungeon clearance | 200-800gp + item |
| B | B+ | Heroic-scale threats, kingdom-level problems, legendary targets | 800-3,000gp + item |
| A | A+ | National crises, existential regional threats | 3,000-10,000gp + rare item |
| S | S+ | World-altering threats, events that shift continental power | Negotiated directly |
| X | N/A | No contracts exist at this tier. The Guild does not negotiate with entities at this level. | N/A |
Rank recommendations are advisory, not enforced. The Guild will issue any contract to any registrant. It bears no liability for outcomes.
Guild Fees
The Guild takes a percentage of contract rewards as a processing and registration tax.
| AR | Guild Tax |
|---|---|
| F | 15% |
| E | 15% |
| D | 10% |
| C | 10% |
| B | 5% |
| A | 5% |
| S | Negotiated (typically 1-2%) |
Fees are collected at contract completion, not before. Non-payment is logged and affects future contract access.
Contract Types
Open Contract: Posted publicly on the board. Any registrant can accept. First-come, first-served with some branch discretion for underpowered applicants.
Sealed Contract: Not posted publicly. Issued directly to registrants at C Rank and above. Source may be anonymous.
Commission: A specific party or registrant is requested by name. The client pays a premium and the Guild routes the work directly.
Emergency Contract: Issued without standard review when a crisis requires immediate response. Reward and Mythos calculation may be revised after the fact.
Guild Internal: Work performed on behalf of the Guild itself. Rare. Typically involves protecting Guild assets, investigating fraudulent seals, or recovering a compromised branch.
Rank Verification
Anyone can request a rank verification of any registered adventurer from a Guild branch. The branch clerk checks the central ledger via reading stone. Results are public record.
Verification is used:
- By clients hiring adventurers independently (bypassing open contracts)
- By political entities assessing whether a known party poses a threat
- By other adventurers assessing a rival
- By innkeepers, merchants, and service providers offering rank-based discounts
The Adventurer’s Guild (Solen Branch)
The Solen branch is among the largest in the region. It handles a significant volume of contracts due to Solen’s status as a trade and political hub.
Key details:
- Standard branch operation: clerk staff, notice board, reading stone verification, basic facilities
- Well-connected to the Flow of Economy trade network through proximity to Madam Chi K. En’s operations
- Maintains a relationship with Mayor Mayor’s office
- Staff are professional and largely immune to being impressed by rank alone. They have seen everything.
See Adventurer’s Guild (Solen Branch) for full details.
What the Guild Does Not Do
- The Guild does not send enforcement after failed contracts unless significant collateral damage occurred.
- The Guild does not adjudicate disputes between adventurers.
- The Guild does not guarantee client honesty. Contracts are taken at the adventurer’s risk.
- The Guild does not track Mythos for non-registrants. Mythos still accumulates. The seal just does not record it.
- The Guild does not revoke rank. Mythos is permanent. A registrant who destroys a city will hold their rank and be denied future contracts.
Connections
- Mythos System: the underlying metaphysical framework the Adventurer System is built around.
- Adventurer’s Guild (Solen Branch): the branch the party is registered through.
- M3: currently F Rank, holding active registrations.
- Nate Napkins: the party’s first D-rank contract giver. The Tollbridge Route escort.