The Continent of Bravehold has several formalized organizations that hold sway and influence in the region. Below is a list of some of the largest and most well known Guilds in the region, along with relevant information on each. Note that some of the Guilds of Bravehold are not suitable for players to join, and it is assumed that Player Characters will be members of the Order of the Stone Weasel adventuring guild. As such, that particular organization is presented with the most information.
Guild Motto: “Five empires. One shield.”
Guild Crest: A scrappy gray Weasel wearing a crown
Guild Colors: Orange, gray and white
A thousand years ago, a legendary adventuring guild of brave souls rode through the continent of Bravehold, righting wrongs and facing unspeakable dangers. This mythical band swore an oath to defend the Continent against any and all terrible threats, and countless great heroes of the age sprang from their lofty ranks. In time, the Guild faded into bardic tales and became the stuff of fog-shrouded legend.
The coming of the Frost Goblin King Nulgriff and his quest to win the hand of the Giant Queen Sha’Graan brought with it the grandest threat that Bravehold had known in some time, and so, the time has once again come for great heroes to stand firm against the darkness. And so, the mysterious robed figure known only as Grandweasel took it upon themself to act as emissary, visiting the leaders of the 5 Great Kingdoms of Bravehold, uniting them under one desperate banner.
Immediately, Grandweasel went to work, opening chapters of the legendary Order of the Stone Weasel throughout the continent, recruiting the best and brightest to once more adventure under the group’s mythical banner!
Who is Grandweasel?
Nobody knows. Not even me. Promise.
What does the Order do, exactly?
The Order of the Stone Weasel is a legendary adventuring guild who have sworn to defend the continent of Bravehold from any and all dangers. Only the most capable of heroes can hope to wear the sacred crest of this prestigious group!
How does someone join up?
You don’t go apply to join such a glorious band of heroes, you silly! Those rare few who have what it takes to join the Order are given a written invitation with the seal of the Grandweasel on it, and must undertake an initiation quest to prove themselves worthy of full membership.
Are there requirements to join?
Only those with pure hearts are invited into the Guild. Grandweasel is a very good judge of character, and watches would-be candidates from afar for a very long time before issuing a formal invitation. That doesn’t mean that all members of the Guild are paragons of virtue, mind you, but none of the members are outright evil. The Order of the Stone Weasel has all sorts of people within its ranks. Some are rude, ornery, arrogant, pompous, greedy, vainglorious and competitive, but despite their personality flaws, each member is a good person at their core.
How many members are in the guild?
Very few! At current count, there are less than 100 brave souls that wear the crest of the Stone Weasel on their gleaming armor.
Does the Guild have a Headquarters?
Chapter Houses for the Order are located in each of the five Great Kingdoms, where members of the Guild take quests, train, socialize, feast, and generally do heroic things.
What are the benefits of being a member?
Adventure! Those who are bold and daring enough to be invited to join the Order of the Stone Weasel lead lives of grand adventure and exotic travel. Members are awarded great respect for being a member of this legendary adventuring guild, and many find it a great source of pride to wear the vaunted crest of the Guild. Beyond this, members are free to keep any wealth or riches they find along their travels, and many members find that their coin purse swells quickly after joining up.
Does the Guild have a hierarchy?
Those that have been formally invited to the Order, but have yet to undergo their Initiation Quest are granted the rank of Initiate. This normally entails retrieval of a magical item from a dangerous dungeon, or any number of daring exploits. A band of Initiates all go on their Initiation Quest together, and bands are assembled to compliment skills and talents.
Once an Initiate proves their worth and completes their Initiation Quest, they earn the vaunted rank of Vanguard. Vanguards are awarded great respect by the populace and undergo perilous missions for the good of the continent. The vast majority of the members of the Order fall under this rank.
Once a Vanguard has proven themselves as a seasoned, loyal agent of the Guild, they are awarded the esteemed rank of Champion. Champions are steely veterans and have a wellspring of advice and experience to give to young up and comers in their field. Champions are granted a Chapter House of their own, where they act as leader to a group of adventuring Vanguards that serve under them. While their legends are impressive and their list of heroic deeds long, Champions are, by and large, retired from the adventuring game, and spend the majority of their time in the Chapter House tending to their duties. Adventuring is a game for the young, after all…
At the very head of the Guild is the mysterious figurehead known only as Grandweasel. Champions report directly to this legendary person of mystery, who controls the fate of the Guild as a whole and spends most of their time watching and recruiting potential members.
Each Chapter House also has a small staff of non-members that do the boring stuff like polish armor, cook food and perform menial duties around the Chapter House. Most of these people are volunteers who have been benefited by the Guild in some fashion and donate their time and skills to the more mundane aspects of the Guild’s operation.
Guild Motto: “Promise over profit.” (Old form greeting) “Mind your business.” (Modern greeting)
Guild Crest: An equally balanced gold scale with a green and orange crown
Guild Colors: Green, gold and orange
A massive guild composed of all manner of artisans, merchants and financiers, the Emerald League as an organization holds power and influence that rivals a Kingdom on its own. While many consider the League to be little more than a massive, greedy conglomerate of gold-obsessed financiers, the truth is far more complex. Getting into the League is a tough process, and only the most talented artisans and craftsmen can hope to attain the vaunted Silver Card of membership. Applying to the Guild is an expensive and lengthy process, with a potential candidate filling out extensive paperwork (in triplicate) and providing a hefty application fee. In time, a representative of the Guild will meet with the applicant to appraise their work and test their skill at their craft. If the member is found worthy of admittance, then they are welcomed into the Guild and may stamp their wares with the official Guild seal, which is a guaranteed mark of quality.
Are there non-Lepkin in the Emerald League?
Yes! While the majority of membership is taken up by Lepkin, representatives of all five great kingdoms can be found amid this lofty organization.
Can I play a member of the Emerald League?
Maybe? Card carrying members of the League take great pride in their chosen craft, and devote their lives to improving and mastering their chosen form of commerce. This doesn’t leave a whole lot of spare time leftover for adventuring through dank, dark dungeons, mind you. If you REALLY want to be a member of the Guild, you will need the Artisan Edge at Advanced AND pay a hefty 1,000 gold membership fee to get your Silver Card. This allows you to stamp your wares with the mark of the League, and earns you quite a bit of esteem with your peers. From time to time, you will be expected to tend to League business, as well. Undoubtedly, membership also ensures that you have at least one other rival within the League who goes out of their way to outdo you. While it is quite rare for one person to hold memberships in BOTH the Order of the Stone Weasel AND the Emerald League, it is not impossible, as the two Guilds are on amicable terms.
What are the ranks of membership?
All members of the Emerald League are granted a Silver membership card which marks them as a guildsman in good standing. Those who earn a reputation for particularly fair dealing and exemplary craftsmanship are granted a Gold membership card. One of the highest honors the Guild can bestow is the nigh-mythical Emerald membership card, which is reserved for the premier examples of their given craft. Each of the numerous Guilds in the Emerald League are overseen by an Archmerchant, who is the absolute highest representative any given form of commerce can hope to entertain. As you might expect, Archmerchants are some of the most fiscally affluent people in all of Creation.
What types of craftsmen are in the Guild?
Pretty much anyone associated in commerce or who produces a product that can be sold can be included in the Emerald League. There are Emerald League carpenters, blacksmiths, accountants, brewers, gemcrafters, and even bakers that all claim membership in this sprawling organization. The Guild does not deal in illicit goods or activities, however, and considers such “businesses’ as below their lofty standards.
What does the Emerald League espouse, exactly?
Fair business practice and quality are of utmost importance to a member of the Emerald League, and anyone who purchases a League-approved item can rest assured knowing that their gold will be well spent. Any trader or craftsman who is a member in good standing with the League makes certain to only sell the finest of wares at the fairest of prices.
Is every League member filthy rich?
Surprisingly not! Being a member of the Emerald League comes with much praise and respect, as well as consumer faith in whatever it is you are selling, and while merchants whose goods enjoy the mark of the Emerald League can charge higher prices for their quality goods, that cost is also sunken right back into the product, which affects profit. Some see the higher price of Emerald-stamped goods and are amazed that the shopkeep is not rolling in gold, but they do not take into account just how much care and money go into the art of the craft to begin with. Most members of the League are fine with this arrangement, and do what they do for the love of the craft instead of for love of gold. Do keep in mind, however, that the members of the Emerald League that ARE wealthy are grossly so, and some of the most financially influential persons in all of creation hold a vaunted Emerald membership card.
Guild Motto: “A steady hand to still the pulse.”
Guild Crest: A strange mask bearing a spiral design in its forehead
Guild Colors: None
This legendary society of slinking assassins makes its headquarters deep beneath the sands of the unassuming Thet’Kharoon settlement of Khefnu. The identities of members of the Court is shrouded in mystery, and it is rumored that their slippery coils have extended deep into each of the five great Kingdoms. While the Court of Coils has its power base firmly cemented in Thet’Kharoon, it has agents, eyes and ears everywhere, and if the true extent of who holds membership in this elite cadre of spies and assassins were ever made publicly known, the truth would be truly shocking. No one knows how a member of the Court gains membership, and very little is actually known about the inner workings of the group.
Are all members of the Court of Coils Serpae?
The vast majority of the guild is composed of natives of Thet’Kharoon, but non-Serpae also hold membership. In short, you never know when you are talking to a fearsome representative of this deadly group.
What types of jobs do the Court of Coils take?
Assassination and espionage are the guild’s stock and trade, and those looking to secure the Court’s services do so when they need a life ended or perilous information gleaned. Information brokers and killers without peer, the Court of Coils are an eccentric bunch, and only take on contracts that have poetic stories behind them. Simple revenge or common pettiness is scoffed at by this secretive society, but true tales of hatred and guttural vengeance can often secure the Guild’s attention. Strangely, members of the guild often approach those that have been wronged in particularly grievous ways, offering their services for a reduced rate if they feel that the kill will be particularly poetic. This strange code of honor makes the Court so much more than mindless killers.
How does the Court of Coils operate?
Details are sketchy, but the Court often operates in cells of 3 or so members with various grim specialties and nefarious talents. It is whispered that the Court has agents in positions of power throughout Bravehold, all of which filter a river of sensitive information back to the Guild’s headquarters.
How much does it cost to hire the Court of Coils? I wanna kill a bunch of people!
Player Characters shouldn’t really be interacting with the Court of Coils at all, as this shadowy band of poetic murderers-for-hire are not exactly heroic in their dealings. The Court of Coils is supposed to be wreathed in mystery and secrecy, and as such, this Guild is not available for play. If the players got an inside view of how this mysterious Cabal of Assassins operated day to day, it would take away a lot of their dangerous mystique!
Guild Motto: None
Guild Crest: A gruesomely tusked warthog with a green mohawk
Guild Colors: None
A few bad apples always ruin the bunch, and the Warhog Society is the antithesis to the hallowed Order of the Stone Weasel, practicing graft, theft, and general badness to the same heinous heights as their eternal rival practices goodness and bravery. The Warhog Society is a Thieves Guild of considerable size and influence, specializing in, well, stealing stuff and being generally naughty. As you might expect, the Warhog Society is tickled pink about all the chaos and fear that the Frost Goblin campaign has inspired throughout the Kingdoms, and they take as much advantage of the situation as possible, unleashing a bloody crime wave to add to the suspicious activity. Where the Court of Coils have a strange and poetic code of honor to their killing, the Warhog Society have no such scruples, and prey upon the weak for profit or outright entertainment.
Where does the Warhog Society operate out of?
The Guild practices their gruesome trade out of the Kingdom of Valtmoor exclusively, and has no reach or influence outside its borders. The headquarters of the Society is rumored to be somewhere in the Hogwood Forest, a deadly patch of heavy forest that is crawling with bandits, cutpurses and marauders. Few non-Warhogs who enter the Hogwood leave it in any condition to tell the tale.
Is there a hierarchy in the Society?
The head of the Warhog Society gains the title of High Hog, who is the mysterious leader of the entire organization. Lesser gangs of thieves and highwaymen give a percentage of their earnings to the High Hog in order to operate in the region, and woe be to those that do not. Several upstart criminal bands who did not kick up to the Warhog Society have been found gutted with a decapitated Hog’s Head (the Society’s calling card) left behind among the carnage. Leaders of the individual gangs that comprise the Warhog Society are often called Swinelords, who report directly to the High Hog. Outside of this, the Guild is relatively informal.
Does the Society have an ideology?
A hatred for Nobility and the stuffy Monarchic rule is a typical rallying cry for members of this brutal organization. However, there is no outlining goal or bonding ideology between members, besides wanting to line their own pockets with the hard-earned gold of others.
I wanna be a part of the Warhog Society!
These brutal cutthroats and brigands are not really appropriate to play as due to their…well, psychotic nature and all that. BUT, if your group wants a little change of pace, playing a game where all party members are a part of the Warhog Society would be pretty great fun. However, just like the Order of the Stone Weasel only accepts those of good heart, the Society only admits cruel, greedy blackhearts into their disturbing ranks!
Guild Motto: “Dedication. Distance. Discretion.”
Guild Crest: Two red stars flanking a tattered blue-winged boot
Guild Colors: Red and blue
These determined couriers are the premier method of sending information and packages throughout Bravehold. The Longfoot company is a parcel service that is peerless when it comes to getting messages delivered securely and in a timely fashion. Agents of the Longfoot Company often travel alone, oftentimes employing a combination of hard-earned travel experience and a touch of magic to aid in their tasks. The Guild’s origins began in Valtmoor many years ago, with the organization expanding its influence throughout the Continent, with offices in most major cities in Creation.
So, the Longfoot Company are pretty much medieval mailmen?
Pretty much, but with a lot more adventure involved. As you might expect, word travels a bit slower when you don’t have advanced methods of communication, and good ol’ fashioned couriers are still the primary method that most people conduct their long distance chats. When you need something delivered safely and on time, then the Longfoot Company is your choice!
But Bravehold has magic and stuff, why send a cruddy old messenger?
Sure, magic is available, but YOU go ask a Wizard how much they charge for sending an email and then get back to me. Access to nifty spellcasting isn’t readily available to everyone, and many common folk are wary and distrustful of such strange powers. Ink and parchment still is the dominant method of getting word around in Bravehold, despite the conveniences afforded by magic. In short, hiring the Longfoot Company is more convenient and less costly than the alternatives.
Does the Guild have ranks?
Kind of. Each Office has a Postmaster that assigns packages and schedules pick-ups. Couriers are the brave and adventurous sorts who actually lug the stuff around and see it safely delivered.
Is being a Courier dangerous?
Very much so! Couriers are not trained to be powerful warriors, but instead, prize resilience and cunning over brute strength. If attacked, a Courier is more likely to attempt escape than fight to the last. These guys and gals are good at what they do, and employ many clever tricks that limit the amount of deliveries that go awry from malevolence against mailpersons.
Are most Couriers Valtborn?
The Guild was formed in Valtmoor, so the majority of members are Valtborn, but members hail from any and all backgrounds and origins. A sizable chunk of the Guild’s members are Lepkin, who are naturally adventurous and have a penchant towards wanderlust and a love of travel.
