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Theives' Guild

When in larger cities, there is often a seedy underbelly behind the bright lights and packed markets. Many who lurk in the shadows and engage in illegal activities often band together, offering mutual aid in their illicit dealings. The Thieves' Guild is the resulting organization of criminals, and especially large cities may even have more than one Guild in operation.

The Guild offers jobs to those who would work outside the law, including such types as bandits, drug and human traffickers, and even assassins. Information is readily exchanged, as is offers of mutual aid in both performing jobs and escaping the authorities. While such a gathering would immediately be a valuable resource for the authorities, occasionally a Thieves' Guild is allowed to function as an unofficial state entity, as it's easier to track criminals through the Guild than were they to work individually.

Locations of the Thieves' Guild

For obvious reasons, there's no sign above a door advertising a location as a Thieves' Guild. The Guild is often hidden, usually in a bar, in a small betting parlor, or other such establishments. These guild facilities are often hidden in basements or in storage locations nearby, with the doorkeep being tipped off by a particular pass word or phrase. Some even have a whole small performance, for the benefit of onlookers:

Customer: "Give me a glass of fine wine." Barkeep: "Do you want me to sell my home for some?" Customer: "A cold ale, then."

  • The customer drinks a little, then turns back to the barkeep*

Customer: This tastes like horse piss, do you have anything else?" Barkeep: "Yeah, let's go to the back."

With a certain degree of credibility, the Adventurer's Guild can offer the locations of such Guild establishments, though for a nominal (50~100G) fee.

Relationship between the Adventurer's Guild and Thieves' Guild

While most adventurers aren't members of both guilds, there are some who are, and these people can offer valuable information, for the right price. Some secret treasures and sites can only be found with the help of the Thieves' Guild, so it's wise not to cross anyone who's a known member. Whwile the Adventurer's Guild and Thieves' Guild will rarely cross paths as organizations, there have been some times where one guild has a particular relic or set of relics the other is looking for, so there's no bad blood between the two.

If one is successful in contacting the Thieves' Guild, it is possible to purchase information and join the ranks. Just joining up with the Thieves' Guild, however, costs 1,000 Gamels, and individual information will cost more, sometimes much more. The exact price depends upon how useful the information is, how fresh it is, and how powerful the target of said information gathering is. For example, digging up information on a local thug will only cost around 100G or so, while finding out who the lover of the local noble can run at least 500G. Of course, there's the rare bit of information, juicy info that can lead to something like state secrets, or involves wealth to the tune of hundreds of thousands of Gamels. The information alone for such top-end jobs will itself run 1,000G, if not more, though such intel is incredibly rare to come across.

Whether an adventurer is a member of the Thieves' Guild or not is up to the player (though they should also consult with the GM beforehand).

Famous Thieves' Guilds

In Lukythra, the guild known as the Dark Night's Falcons claims to be the largest Thieves' Guild in the Zalts region, counting hundreds of members in its ranks. However, the guild Deathcrimson, hailing from the Marquis of Corderia's lands, has a reputation for the most vile murderers, drug traders, and human traffickers in the region. There are some who claim that Deathcrimson has Barbarous in their numbers, but for obvious reasons it is impossible to say whether these rumors are true.

Airships

One of the most valuable, and rarest, magical items in the entirety of Raxian history is the airship.

During the heyday of the Al Menas, airships swarmed the sky, providing trade and passage across the world with ease. While modern thought is that such airship rides were only for the rich and wealthy, truth is the average person could afford to take an airship ride to the next country over.

As it stands now, however, the means of making airships is mostly lost to the ravages of time. The technology to create the magicore needed to create flight has been lost, so most of the airships that still exist have been cobbled together from remnants of older airships, as well as relics and other articles from excavated Al Menas ruins. Essentially, current airships are made by taking an existing magicore and placing it into a ship modified for such a purpose. Once attached correctly, the new airship can take flight, though it does need a steady supply of mako stones as fuel for propulsion.

There are a few different types of magicores, though they all work in the same way, by turning the air that comes into contact with the ship's hull into a more buoyant gas that lifts the ship and propels it forward. Most modern airships use a balloon-shape for their hull, which does allow for lower fuel consumption, though it makes up for this by having a smaller carrying capacity and slower speed than a more traditional ship.

Medium-sized airships will tend to be the most common, holding around 50 occupants (not including crew). Smaller ships, with a capacity of 10 occupants, as well as larger ships able to hold around 100 people have also been sighted over recent years. Some nations do still travel and trade via airships, though prices can get expensive even for small flights. Tickets tend to start at 500 Gamels for short flights, and can increase to 5,000 Gamels or more depending upon the distance and quality of the airship.

Another benefit of having a large fleet of airships is the threat of aerial retaliation. Not only can countries with a number of airships have thriving trade, but it becomes easy enough to outfit an airship with weapons of war if necessary. As such, there are few privately owned airships, and those tend to belong to wealthy merchants. At the same time, adventurers who find a magicore buried in an old ruin are able to ask for incredible amounts of money on the open market, and there have been tales of a couple adventuring parties who have become independently wealthy and retired just from finding one.

Veteran Adventurers

Adventurers of 5th level or higher should have enough of a reputation to be recognized in most major cities, while those of 7th level or higher are referred to as "veterans". The following is a quick description of the role of veteran adventurers in Raxia.

More Difficult Adventures

Most of the work given to fledgling adventurers often involves exploring urban ruins and exterminating low-level Barbarous who've moved in to abandoned places. However, veterans are given more dangerous missions, often involving explorations into uncharted areas, or assassinations of much more powerful enemies. Even in the Terastieran continent the areas where humanoids can safely live is limited, and so incursions into Barbarous lands and attacks on high-ranking leaders helps to drive the Barbarous back, opening up more land to settle on.

Sometimes, veteran adventurers will find unexplored ruins, and will sell this information back to the Adventurer's Guild and thus to lower-level adventurers, keeping the cycle going. And as the new ranks of low-level adventurers explore these newfound ruins and become veterans themselves, the current group of veterans is advancing yet further into the unknown.

Powerful Connections

Adventurers of the 7th level and higher may be sponsored by powerful aristocrats, merchants, temples, or even the state itself, in the hopes of preferential treatment when trying to acquire relics from the past.

Depending upon the reputation of the adventurers, there is a possibility to earn titles, power, and property. However, in gaining these material benefits, the adventurers do give up a bit of their freedom and their priority becomes that of their sponsor. There are stories of adventurers whose sponsors overestimated their abilities, and led them into attempting impossible tasks (such as attempting to slay a dragon, or map out the continent of Razeldawn) and were slain in the effort. At the same time, though, there have also been adventurers who knew their limits, and were able to successfully leverage their reputation and power into taking over important positions in their home country.

Found Your Own Country

Becoming an adventurer of 10th level, 15th level or even higher is an amazing task, and at that level of power and privilege it becomes possible to think about starting one's own country in areas that the Barbarous have been driven from.

Founding one's own country is no trivial task, but once it is known that a high-level adventurer is seeking to do so, other powerful adventurers and servitors will often follow them looking to become subordinates and court members in their new country. People will also flock to charismatic leaders, those who can win over the hearts of the masses, and by keeping the will of the people strong, their following will continue to grow.

Of course, such new countries are prime targets for Barbarous invasion, as the remaining Barbarous seek to take back the land they consider theirs. If there is a considerable threat of Barbarous in the area, the Adventurer's Guild will quite often set up a location in the new kingdom, providing newer adventurers with jobs to help out the new country.

Additionally, there may be a neighboring country or kingdom that doesn't appreciate young blood coming in and setting up. Such neighbors will keep the new country on their toes as much as a Barbarous incursion would, if not more so. Just because one founds their own country doesn't mean they can sit on their laurels and rest.

Celebrities of the Zalts Region

In this section are short descriptions of famous NPCs in the Zalts Region. It is up to the GM to make use of these NPCs as they see fit, whether as clients and sponsors for adventuring jobs, rivals searching the same deserted ruins for treasure, or adversaries willing to take out competition. Feel free to change any aspect of the following NPCs, such as their age or personality, as the scenario needs.

Illust. Anji Majima

"The Ambitious Emperor" Julius Krause, Emperor Lukythra (Human/Male/28 yrs.)

"Ambition? Hahaha. Big or small, everyone has it, right?"
A young emperor who governs over the Lukythra Empire. Polite and gentle, Julius is very ambitious and secretive. He is actively seeking out relics from lost civilization in order to increase his power base. Specifically, he is constantly on the hunt for magicores in order to build a fleet of airships.

It is said that when his predecessor fell ill, his brother-in-law who was set to take the throne next had a terrible accident and perished. Officially, it is all just a coincidence, yet most people believe otherwise. The truth remains a mystery, though.

Illust. Hariyuki Morisawa

"Former Swordsman" Luther Ellerden (Human/Male/50 yrs.)

"Oh, a newcomer! I've got the job for you."
The owner of the adventurer's store, "Blue Thunder Swords". Luther is an ex-adventurer, and the tale of how he beat a basilisk in sword combat is legendary. Known to help newcomers out, he takes time to make sure new adventuring parties are well equipped to take on the job they've accepted.

While his store is often full of veteran adventurers, each with their own bit of advice, one particular elven ranger, "Mayael of the Leaves" is a frequent visitor. She often has decent information about the nearby ruins, even though some of her stories might be exaggerated somewhat.

Illust. Hariyuki Morisawa

"The Great Artificer" Drucken Gardel (Dwarf/Male/52 yrs.)

"Understanding this device will advance our recovery efforts by 30 years!"
Drucken Gardel, the head of the Institute of Magitechnology in the Imperial Capital, Lukythra. Passionate about finding old relics and technology from the Al Menas period, it's said he gets a little crazy when presented with new findings.

Over the years, Drucken has met and worked with many different adventurers in the hopes of finding new and exciting magitech. While somewhat quiet and stoic, when excited he becomes almost childlike in his outbursts. Basically, he's a good person, but he does tend to get carried away and is almost mischievous when asking adventurers to try out new technology...

Illust. Rina Usui

"Princess General" Magdalena Yates (Human/Female/19 yrs.)

"Even if you replace me, there will be those who will take up my cause."
Daughter of the great Durlesburg General, Otfried Yates. A proud warrior known for standing with the Barbarous, she is a powerful knight-priest of Zaiya as well. She is a bit of an optimist, looking to see if there is a way to live peacefully with the Barbarous.

Of course, there are whose who are looking to discredit the princess, as well as having to deal with Barbarous attacks. However, she feels as there's no turning back at this point, and is also smart enough to hire adventurers to aid in her plans while actively conducting research herself. As the daughter of General Yates, she does stand in line to inherit some political power, so there have been mumblings about an arranged marriage with Emperor Lukythra.

Illust. Rina Usui

"The Knight of Steel" Howl Barkman (Human/Male/25 yrs.)

"Another Barbarous attack? Don't let the princess know. I'll handle it."
Known as Magdalena's Right Arm, Howl is the current general of the Kashkarn garrison. Constantly at the forefront of battle, wishing to help Lady Magdalena, he is currently helping to guard Barbarous and manage adventurers as head of the garrison.

Often seen as stern, serious and inflexible, Howl is actually very enthusiastic about his job. However, due to poor sleeping habits he always has a bit of a scowl on his face, leading people to believe he's a lot harsher than he really is.

Illust. Mikako Mikaki

"Twin Princesses" Kokul and Rafensa (Human/Female/14 yrs.)

"Will you ever become a queen?" "If I must, but not now."
Twin princesses who effectively rule the Fendil Kingdom, they took over when their father, the last King of Fendil, took ill and died over a year ago. The eldest child was Kokul, though she refused to take the throne unless her twin sister Rafensa could co-rule with her as well.

While very unusual, they have been able to govern Fendil fairly effectively as a pair, and even those who were opposed to the idea have come around and recognized the political ability the pair has. Their powerful magical abilities and pretty appearance has also managed to make them quite popular among their people.

Illust. Ryu-i-so

"The Painted Merchant" Dan Shirow (Lildraken/Male/73 yrs.)

"The most important thing you can have is trust. Not like you can buy money anyway."
Based in the port of Rocyletta, Dan has made a fortune off of trade with various foreign countries, though now he finds himself stuck in the Zalts region without a ship. He has made himself known through buying various relics and antiques for high prices, so there is a reputation that he may pay out big money for something worth his while.

Some of his dealings have even attracted royal attention, and some very powerful aristocrats have been seen doing business with Dan. Just recently, he's acquired a medium-sized airship, and is beginning to go flying around Raxia in search of the best trades and deals. If he can get some passengers to pay up for the privilege of tagging along, all the better.

Illust. Hiroyuki Aigamo

"The Demented Assassination Machine" Gertrude (Runefolk/Female/Unknown)

"Steal this. Kill that. Do these, and 'that person' will be pleased."
Leader of Deathcrimson, the Thieves' Guild from the Marquis of Kudelia. Her red hair and eyes give her a bit of cold beauty, but her expression is unwavering, and her personality is ruthless. If she has any emotions, no one alive has seen her express any.

Her references to "that person" are vague at best, and while some think it refers to the Marquis of Kudelia himself, some believe she is referring to the previous guild owner who she'd murdered. Currently, though, it seems that Deathcrimson is moving farther west, towards the Imperial Capital. However, the Dark Night's Falcons operate out of the capital, and word on the street is they're not happy with newcomers in their turf.

Illust. Hariyuki Morisawa

"The King of Wanderers" Albert Duraland (Human/Male/27 yrs.)

"Surely I can find a place of my own... right?"
A well-known adventurer in the Zalts region, his wanderlust is legendary. It is said that Albert is on a quest, as though he were obsessed with something known only to him. While he has achieved a significant amount of fame over the years, there is something that still haunts him, something that he still searches for. Because of this, he has started towards the continent of Razeldawn, in search of the City of Mist.

Even though his adventures are legendary, the challenges he faces are incredibly demanding and dangerous, and other adventurers are more often put into peril just by being around Albert. This propensity towards incredible danger and lack of concern for his party has given him the nickname "The Reaper", though this moniker has not slowed Albert one bit.

Illust. Rina Usui

"The Happy Blue Child" Blue Lip Revett (Grassrunner/Male/Unknown)

"Since you met me, you can be happy too!"
A famous bard, he travels around the Zalts region seemingly without rest. Rumor has it that if you listen to his cheery, upbeat songs that you will experience wonder and good luck, and so adventurers will often flock to hear him sing before going off on an expedition.

It is said that he knows quite a bit about the Zalts region, and he is quite skilled as both a Bard and a Scout. Because of his knowledge, some scholars and historians have been trying to track him down in order to preserve some of the knowledge he claims to have.

Illust. Hariyuki Morisawa

"The God Chaser" Nono Vanillatte (Tabbit/Female/17 yrs.)

"Oh, you found a new god!? I must go see it!"
Based out of Lukythra, Nono is a Tabbit wizard of some renown in the Zalts region. Contrary to her cute appearance, she is familiar with most kinds of magic, from Truespeech to Magitech. However, her true calling is to find the truth of the relationship between Tabbits and the gods. In doing her research, it is possible to find Nono in any given temple, scribbling away in one of many different journals.

Recently, due to the fact there has been a young god discovered in the southern area of the continent, Nono has been looking to head south to add to her research. However, because of a fear of heights, she's not sure whether or not to fly down in an airship.

Illust. Rina Usui

"Captain of the Sky" Amelia Skyfish (Nightmare/Female/45 yrs.)

"Moutes? Ah, he was a good man. No, really."
A merchant from Luferia, Amelia has recent come across a magicore and managed to build herself a small airship. Although she hides her true nature as a nightmare and tries to live as a human, her confident aura and good looks are rather eye-catching to those around her.

Currently, she has a contract to work under the merchant Dan Shirow, and operates regular flights out of Rocyletta. Her prices are fair, as well, only charging 1,000 Gamels for a one way trip, up to 3 days out of Rocyletta.

Illust. Tai Nakajima

"Archbishop of the Lake" Batelden Erra (Elf/Male/321 yrs.)

"No way, 300 years? I never thought I'd take care of my friend this long."
The archbishop of the temple of Luferia, goddess of the Lake Kingdom of Luferia. While virtuous and strong in the ways of the church, he tends to keep services and rituals rather short, as his solemn, priestly tone of voice doesn't last very long. A survivor of the Great Catastrophe, it is not uncommon to see Batelden lead a group of priestly warriors to the frontlines to fight against the Barbarous.

A childhood friend of Luferia when she was alive, he rose to power in her church after her apotheosis, and it is said that the two of them still have long talks with one another. However, the recent influx of foreigners and merchants requires diplomatic work as well as priestly duties, and it's obvious by his appearance that the stress of dealing with it all is getting to Batelden.

"One-Eyed Falcon" Shawn Graham (Nightmare/Male/45 yrs.)

Leader of the Dark Night's Falcons, based out of the Imperial Capital Lukythra. With branches throughout the Empire, he can gather information with astounding speed and accuracy. While he's technically a criminal, he dislikes being a conspicuous target and acts like everyone else.

However, adversaries and traitors receive absolutely no mercy from Mr. Graham. He's a master of weapons and magic, and his power has led to the rumor that he's unable to be assassinated.

"Swordsman with the Broken Sword" Alfred III (Human/Male/66 yrs.)

The current Duke of Durlesburg, this thin, willowy old man is surprisingly lethargic, even for one of his age. It's said that his memories and thoughts are fading, and he has little interest in politics. Rumor has it that he can't even raise a sword to honor a new knight.

Because of his frailty and poor decision making, the aristocrats in Durlesburg have split, some staying on the more conservative side of things, while others are optimists and look to find the good in every situation. These two groups are trying to compete with one another in order to see who should rule over Durlesburg, but both sides remain about equal in power for the moment.

"The Cruel Sovereign" Cader Kudelia, Marquis (Human/Male/38 yrs.)

The current Marquis of Kudelia, Cader has been seen quite rarely outside of the castle in recent years. Those who claim to have seen him remark that is is unusually cruel and brutal as of late. While he claims to be ill in order to avoid meeting with Emperor Lukythra, some suspect he's planning to build an army and fight for independence from the Empire.

Sightings of Barbarous in and around the castle only help to bolster these rumors, as well as tales of servants going missing while working at the castle. There's also rumors of the Marquis becoming enthralled with magical study, and possibly attempting to raise an army of undead to do his bidding, but no one has returned from any investigation into such a rumor.

"Immortal Sequoia" Rasun El Charade (Human/Male/66 yrs.)

In Fendil, the Land of Flowers, the oldest noble family is the El Charades, and Rasun El Charade is the first of that line. A rare politician who excels not only in politics and diplomacy, but strategy and war as well, Rasun is a diehard protector of the kingdom of Fendil. While he's stepped aside to let others take command in his place in recent years, his grand presence and strong voice can often overwhelm his successors.

Loyal to the royal family, almost to a fault, Rasun is a valuable member of the court of Fendil due to his accumulated knowledge. Even if his opinion is one that differs from the Twin Princesses, they will still listen to him speak his piece and consider his words wisely.

"Charity" Shadornik Shuligan (Lildraken/Male/59 yrs.)

A former adventurer, this lildraken is the order of the store "Lonely Dragon", a popular adventurer's shop in Durlesburg. With his kobold manager Dolly, he takes care of everyone who comes in, regardless of race. This openness is what has caused him to earn the nickname, "Charity".

"Unreliable" James Kovar (Human/Male/44 yrs.)

One of the consuls appointed to rule over Kashkarn. Because he was appointed as a consul instead of sitting back in Durlesburg as an optimist, every day he complains about wanting to head back to his more comfortable home in Durlesburg. This complaining has worn on the people of Kashkarn, and he is not very popular among the people because of it.

"Moonlight Genius" Valentin Carnot (Human/Male/26 yrs.)

An artist living in Fendil, he is always on the lookout for avant-garde pieces and motifs, and has even hired adventurers on multiple occasions to help him with one project or another. Even something as simple as restocking his supply of paints has been turned into a job for novice adventurers. However, he does have a bad habit of trying to hit on any woman he sees, hoping his good looks will win them over.

The Three Incompetents of Rocyletta

This disgraceful nickname was given to the unfortunate trio of Adela Calvert (Human/Female/46 yrs.), Simon Bonnefois (Elf/Male/122 yrs.), and Jorgen Reigliff (Dwarf/Male/71 yrs.) by the people of Rocyletta.

The reason these three have earned this moniker in the eyes of the people is due to their awful management of the port city. As representatives of each of the major races in Rocyletta, the theory was that two of the three would override the other's dissenting opinion. However, as it turns out, Adela is constantly pushing for aggressive action (even when unnecessary), Jorgen stubbornly refuses to help with her in any way, shape or form, and Simon procrastinates, often giving a non-committal answer like, "I'll need more time to think."

Most of the time, then answer eventually ends up being "Let's hire some adventurers to figure it out", so the actual function of the Parliament remains shoddy at best. This is no secret to the general public in Rocyletta, and residents' complaints about the Parliament are increasing by the day.

"Alliance Chairman" Helmin Kartz (Human/Male/45 yrs.)

A native of Burlint, Helmin Kartz is the chairman of the Free Cities Alliance. A man with a strong, stubborn personality, he has been finding it harder and harder in recent years to maintain some semblance of balance between the Free Cities, and accusations that he's pro-Lukythraian diplomacy has not helped his position.

"Living Saint" Ishmael Church (Human/Male/63 yrs.)

A gentle soul who leads the church of Lyphos in Lukythra. He is called a "living saint" because of his quiet demeanor and peaceful soul, and he is willing to walk throughout the Zalts region in order to bring light and harmony to every devotee of the gods.

"Desecrator" Seth Susaro (Human/Male/32 yrs.)

An very intelligent conjurer living in Kashkarn, he has earned the despicable nickname "Desecrator" as he will attempt to animate and revive anything that has left behind a corpse. It is rumored he loves the undead, and has a small army of Revenants to do his vile bidding.