Adventuring

Party Registration

Adventuring parties begin with an application at a local Adventurer's Hall, designating a team name, initial party members, and a team leader of Silver rank or higher. A team specialization can optionally be included, such as city defense, nature-focused, etc.

After a nominal registration fee is collected, a guild secretary conducts an interview to assess the team's readiness and alignment with guild values. A contract is written up, which can include adjusted rules on payment, protected statuses, co-leadership, and more. Once a team is formally registered, the party commissions an official banner, color theme, and symbol to represent themselves.

Party Composition

Parties have size designations, which are often used to determine mission eligibility. A "team" is roughly four members, a "squad" is roughly eight members, and a "cell" is roughly twelve members. Specialized parties, such as a team of all Druids, may only have teams of two or three members. Large parties often split into teams based on mission or teammate availability, rather than always participating as a single group. If a party reaches fifteen members, it must register as a clan.

Parties can be ranked as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Mithril. Party rank approximates the team's skill and determines which missions can be directly accepted from the guild board. Guild handlers can still make direct contract requests to any party, since rank does not necessarily reflect a party's specialized talents.

Clans

Clans are larger groups of twelve or more members, which must be lead by a Platinum or Mithril rank. Clans have more formalized terms and contracts than a party, including clan hierarchy, resource allocation, membership expectations, key roles, operation procedures, base of operations, living arrangements, recruitment and departures, succession plans, breach of conduct, and other contractual obligations. Clans typically have oversight from various guild representatives due to their strategic importance.

Mission Contracts

The Adventurer's Guild provides mission contracts in three primary formats. Public missions are posted on mission boards, and can accepted by adventuring parties that meet the expected criteria. Guild missions are assigned by guild handlers that work directly with adventurers and parties, often with important or classified assignments. Private contracts are paid for and handled by private entities; in some cases, these are special requests to specific adventuring parties.

Public missions come from the guild or public posts. Anyone can post a public mission at the cost of 1 pence per day, plus a satisfactory deposit for the contract or completion rewards, as determined by the guild secretary overseeing the assignment. Contractors often increase funding beyond the minimum rates required by the secretary to attract stronger parties.

Contractual Nuances

Missions include a recommended or required party size and rank.
The contractor can dictate which parties they approve for a mission, possibly involving a meeting or examination. They are obligated to pay an additional fee for any party they conduct a full review on.
Open missions distribute rewards based on repeating criteria, such as a copper for each Chimeran killed within a particular sector.
Deadlines can be assigned, with milestones that must be achieved in order to receive full payment.
Missions may require proof of kills or other tangible deliverables for completion.
Non-monetary incentives can be offered, including free or rare services, special permits, invitations or special access, and more. The incentives must have guild approval so that they can be legally enforced if disputes arise.
Special missions can optionally require pre-mission briefings and post-mission reports.
Hazard pay may be required if a mission involves combat that was unexpected, such as during escort missions.
Fleeing from certain assignments when a threat emerges, such as during an escort mission, may be grounds for demotion, expulsion, or other consequences, depending on the threat encountered and the terms of the contract.
Committing fraud on contracts is very rare, but carries extreme penalties. Knowingly defrauding a contract carries heavy consequences.

Mission Boards

Mission boards have colored borders and symbols to identify their associated rank: Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Platinum and Mithril rank missions are handled as a guild missions.

Mission postings may be permanent or recurring, such as clearing out demons in specific labyrinth zones, hunting demons in the wild, or participating in city patrols. Support requests and guild recruitment fliers can also be posted on the general mission boards. Support requests are posted by parties who need roles filled. This helps parties fill temporary gaps in their team or to find candidates for membership.

Common Missions:

Scouting support (Bronze - Silver).
Gathering materials (Bronze - Gold).
Escorting goods, transport (Bronze - Gold).
Escorting VIPs (Silver - Gold).
City defense (Bronze - Gold).
Scouting assignments (Bronze - Gold).
Damage support (Bronze - Gold).
Defensive support (Bronze - Gold).
Frontline support (Bronze - Gold).
Ranger support (Bronze - Gold).
Druid support (Bronze - Gold).
Priest support (Bronze - Gold).
Slinger support (Gold).
Sky Knight assignments (Gold).
Spider-Pilot assignments (Gold).

Party Missions:

Clearing Labyrinth zones (Bronze - Gold).
Hunting demons in the wild (Gold).
Patrolling sectors in the wild (Silver - Gold).

Difficulty Tiers

Mission eligibility is determined by rank and approximate size, such as "Gold Team" or "Platinum Cell." Additional requirements, such as specialized roles or a minimum number of participants may be included.

There are five size designations for parties:

Small Team : Expects two to three participants, often with specialist roles.
Team: Expects four or five participants. In some cases, may accept three. Considered the traditional party size.
Squad: Expects roughly six to ten participants.
Cell: Expects roughly ten to fourteen participants.
Raid: Expects at least sixteen participants, and will typically require extensive details.

Mission Reports

Most missions don't require written reports. Trusted parties debrief with a guild secretary, who designates the next mission status. When an assignment calls for a mission report, those involved must conduct a post-mission interview with the mission handler, presenting a full report of events and answering any questions. Reports may undergo verification by the mission handlers or outside resources. If discrepancies arise, further investigations may be launched to gather evidence. Parties may submit mission reports voluntarily, which may be referenced later if disputes arise.

Dispute Resolution

Parties must resolve disputes internally within 48 hours. If unresolved, a guild mediator will step in, conducting a hearing and evidence review with everyone involved. They will issue a final, binding decision. The ruling cannot be contested unless new evidence emerges that warrants further review. Mediators can charge fees if the dispute was deemed unwarranted or frivolous.

Payment Distribution

Parties are assigned contractual shares that designate their portion of team earnings. Team leaders have the right to adjust share distributions, but all team members must be made aware of any changes.

A standard payment distribution is as follows:

Anyone who matches the highest rank in the party: 20 shares.
Anyone 1 rank below the highest rank in the party: 15 shares.
Anyone 2 or more ranks below the highest rank in the party: 10 shares.
The party treasury: 5 x the number of party members.

Team leaders are often given 1 to 3 additional shares. Party members with critical skills are often given additional shares to incentivize them to join. When mission contracts are completed, the funds are distributed into the members' guild accounts. Funds can be retrieved by members at a time of their choosing.

The team leader or designated treasurer has the authority to use the party treasury for party-related expenses. Common expenses include party meals and celebrations, travel expenses, and equipment maintenance. The team leader can provide performance bonuses, which can be determined post-mission. It is known that this system can be abused, but it offers significant value for most parties.