Mythos System
“The echo of deeds upon reality itself.”
Origin
Mythos was not invented. It was discovered roughly 3,000 years before the current era. Its discoverer identified that heroic actions left a measurable resonance in reality itself and spent his life building the framework that governs the system today. His disciples formalized it into the Adventurer’s Guild.
His name has been erased from all records.
Overview
Mythos is the metaphysical measure of a mortal’s impact on the world. The echo of their deeds upon reality itself. When an action changes the course of history, the world records it in Mythos.
- Mythos is universal and recognized by planar forces.
- It applies to everyone. Adventurer, king, criminal, hermit. Registration with the Guild is not required.
- When Mythos crosses a threshold, the individual enters a higher Rank, and the world responds differently to them.
- Mythos is cumulative and permanent. It does not decrease.
- The Adventurer System is the institutional framework the Guild built around Mythos. See that page for registration, contracts, seals, and Guild-specific benefits.
The Formula
Mythos Awarded = Impact x Scope x Permanence
That is the entire formula. Pick one value from each of the three tables below. Multiply them together. Done.
Two multiplications. Three numbers. No exceptions.
Step 1: Impact (Base Value)
How significant was the action itself?
| Tier | Description | Base |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Clearing bandits, completing a delivery, solving a small local problem | 10 |
| Standard | Saving a town, protecting a caravan, resolving a local crisis | 50 |
| Major | Stopping a regional threat, uncovering a major conspiracy | 200 |
| Epic | Preventing economic collapse, ending a war, slaying a great beast | 600 |
| Mythic | Rewriting fate, stabilizing a continent, acts that alter history | 3,000 |
Step 2: Scope Multiplier
How many people or territories were affected?
| Scope | Scale | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Local | A single village, dungeon, or site | x1 |
| Regional | A city or province | x2 |
| National | An entire kingdom | x4 |
| Continental | Multiple kingdoms or trade networks | x8 |
Step 3: Permanence Modifier
How long does the effect last?
| Permanence | Duration | Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary | Weeks to months | x1 |
| Long-Term | Years, or changes policy | x1.5 |
| Permanent | Alters world history or cultural memory | x2 |
Round to the nearest 10 after multiplying.
Quick Examples
| Quest | Impact | Scope | Permanence | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deliver supplies to a village | 10 | x1 | x1 | 10 |
| Drive off bandits harassing a trade road | 50 | x2 | x1 | 100 |
| Expose a conspiracy destabilizing a city | 200 | x2 | x1.5 | 600 |
| Return Henrietta | 600 | x8 | x2 | 9,600 |
The Henrietta quest is an outlier by design. Finding a chicken sounds trivial. Stabilizing continental trade permanently is not. The world reacts to what was actually accomplished, not what it looked like from the outside.
Mythos Rank Table
These ranks are universal. They apply to anyone with accumulated Mythos, regardless of whether they are registered with the Adventurer’s Guild.
| Rank | Range | Title | How the World Reacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | 0 - 99 | Unknown | No recognition. The world has not noticed yet. |
| E | 100 - 399 | Emerging | Names circulate among commoners. Locals remember your face. |
| D | 400 - 999 | Recognized | Regional awareness. People in neighboring towns have heard of you. |
| C | 1,000 - 2,999 | Notable | Local leaders track your movements. Rumors spread ahead of you. |
| B | 3,000 - 7,999 | Heroic | Nobles send direct requests. Public celebrations when you arrive. |
| A | 8,000 - 19,999 | National Icon | Monarchs know your name. Songs are written. Your decisions affect kingdom politics. |
| S | 20,000 - 49,999 | World-Class | Feared or revered internationally. Your presence alters morale and magical currents. Nations plan policy around you. |
| X | 50,000+ | Ascended | Mythos has fully saturated the individual. Reality itself responds to their presence. Mortality may no longer apply. |
Only one entity in recorded history reached X Rank. The records name no one. The records simply note that it happened.
Mythos Without the Guild
Mythos accumulates whether or not you carry a Guild seal. A warlord who conquers a kingdom accumulates Mythos the same way an adventurer who saves one does. The world does not care about your registration status.
The difference is visibility. The Guild’s enchanted seals provide a way to read and verify Mythos accumulation. Without a seal, the Mythos still exists, but no one can put a precise number on it. They just feel it. A king might not know his Mythos score, but the room still goes quiet when he walks in.
This means powerful individuals who never registered with the Guild can have enormous Mythos while holding no Adventurer Rank at all.
Connections
- Adventurer System: the institutional framework built around Mythos.
- Adventurer’s Guild (Solen Branch): the institution that tracks Mythos using enchanted seals.
- M3: the party, currently F Rank, climbing.
- Henrietta: the campaign’s first major Mythos catalyst (9,600 points).
- Madam Chi K. En: her favor is a direct result of the Henrietta Mythos spike.
- Mayor Mayor: his investment in the party is validated by rising Rank.