[Faction] The Slayer's Keep
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 5:54 pm
Since its founding, the Free City of Kalzasi has been in the business of fending off hordes of creatures that scurry up from the depths of the Warrens or beasts that wander the Wildking’s Forge. At first, these troubles were faced and exterminated solely by the Sky Guard and the various warriors throughout the settlement who rose to the challenge. As Kalzasi became more established, however, so too did it begin delving deeper into the Warrens in order to exploit the resources that are present there. With the Sky Guard directing its attention in multiple places, the excursions into the Wildking’s Forge became more defensive as opposed to proactive. This lead a group of hunters to form a fledgling troupe of mercenaries in the 207th Year of the Age of Sundering. As the troupe rose to the prominence it caught the attention of the Daizoku of House Dahshida at the time. With the patronage of one of the Greater Houses, the mercenary troupe was converted into a full operation guild adopting the name “The Slayer’s Keep”. It has remained a prominent faction within the city ever since as its members provide both a vital service to the city and offer a lucrative business in acquiring exotic hides and other animal parts.
Structure
Overall, the Slayer’s Keep doesn’t have much in the way of a hierarchy. The Huntmaster of the Lodge is the head of the guild overall. The Huntmaster accepts contracts on behalf of the guild and then disperses them to the various Hunting Troupe’s within the guild. Each Troupe has a Seeker, who is designated as the leader of that particular troupe. Every Seeker has a voice and a vote when it comes to broader guild deliberations. Beyond that, there are simply roles given to each member within their individual Hunting Troupe’s but such roles are not part of any official listing in the guild itself. Seekers are given autonomy to organize and structure their troupe’s however they wish.
Membership
The Slayer’s Keep does not accept individual members into the guild per se. Rather, they accept the members of various independently operating Hunting Troupe's that fall under the umbrella of the guild. The success of their endeavors and their reputation is founded upon their hunter’s ability to work cohesively as teams. While each troupe operates independently unless the whole of the guild is called to action, they are all expected to maintain a level of capability in the eyes of the guild or else lose their affiliated status. What that means is, in order to become a member of the Slayer’s Keep, one must become a member of either a troupe that is already affiliated with them or form one and gain affiliated status. The Slayer’s Keep leaves it to each individual troupe to determine their entry requirements. However, twice a year the guild as a whole host a contest of skill and ability in order to provide a pool of potential hopefuls for the existing troupe’s to pick from. Completing the Slayer’s Trials is not a prerequisite to joining a troupe but it certainly makes one appealing and often bypasses any requirement individual troupes might fashion for prospective members.
The Slayer’s Trials
Twice every year, once in Searing and again in Ash, the Slayer’s Keep hosts a challenge that is open to the public. Anyone with the desire and skill to participate is welcomed. Candidates are welcome to enter the contest as individuals or as a team but at some point, all participants will have to work alongside others. The contest is designed to test participant’s skills in combat, their ability to capture live prey, and their ability to work as a team and follow instructions. Most often, these trials begin at Kalzasi’s Proving Grounds where participants are pitted against strong beasts from either the Warrens or the Wildking’s Forge. Those who successfully complete the trials are welcomed into the lodge where they often have their pick of which troupe they want to join.
Benefits of Membership
The Slayer’s Keep provides a vital service to both Kalzasi and some neighboring cities. When the often dangerous wildlife of the Wildking’s Forge wander too close to civilization or become a nuisance, towns, villages, or even individual’s contract the guild to dispatch with these creatures. Given the guild’s reputation for getting the job done, they are often the go-to faction for magical practitioners to hunt and acquire particularly exotic creature parts for experimentation. Wizards from both the Circle of Spells and the Scholia Arcana regularly contract their services. As a result, members will find no shortage of work and will certainly have a more steady income than if they chose to go freelance.
Members are given access to the guild’s lodge which provides room and board for members who wish to stay there. While the accommodations are not free, they are comfortable and offer a convenient place to congregate and stay in touch with potential contracts that are both high risk and high reward. Furthermore, members are able to buy weapons and tools at a discount from the lodge’s quartermaster as well as receive repair services to their arms and equipment at a discounted rate than might be found at the shops in the city.
Structure
Overall, the Slayer’s Keep doesn’t have much in the way of a hierarchy. The Huntmaster of the Lodge is the head of the guild overall. The Huntmaster accepts contracts on behalf of the guild and then disperses them to the various Hunting Troupe’s within the guild. Each Troupe has a Seeker, who is designated as the leader of that particular troupe. Every Seeker has a voice and a vote when it comes to broader guild deliberations. Beyond that, there are simply roles given to each member within their individual Hunting Troupe’s but such roles are not part of any official listing in the guild itself. Seekers are given autonomy to organize and structure their troupe’s however they wish.
Membership
The Slayer’s Keep does not accept individual members into the guild per se. Rather, they accept the members of various independently operating Hunting Troupe's that fall under the umbrella of the guild. The success of their endeavors and their reputation is founded upon their hunter’s ability to work cohesively as teams. While each troupe operates independently unless the whole of the guild is called to action, they are all expected to maintain a level of capability in the eyes of the guild or else lose their affiliated status. What that means is, in order to become a member of the Slayer’s Keep, one must become a member of either a troupe that is already affiliated with them or form one and gain affiliated status. The Slayer’s Keep leaves it to each individual troupe to determine their entry requirements. However, twice a year the guild as a whole host a contest of skill and ability in order to provide a pool of potential hopefuls for the existing troupe’s to pick from. Completing the Slayer’s Trials is not a prerequisite to joining a troupe but it certainly makes one appealing and often bypasses any requirement individual troupes might fashion for prospective members.
The Slayer’s Trials
Twice every year, once in Searing and again in Ash, the Slayer’s Keep hosts a challenge that is open to the public. Anyone with the desire and skill to participate is welcomed. Candidates are welcome to enter the contest as individuals or as a team but at some point, all participants will have to work alongside others. The contest is designed to test participant’s skills in combat, their ability to capture live prey, and their ability to work as a team and follow instructions. Most often, these trials begin at Kalzasi’s Proving Grounds where participants are pitted against strong beasts from either the Warrens or the Wildking’s Forge. Those who successfully complete the trials are welcomed into the lodge where they often have their pick of which troupe they want to join.
Benefits of Membership
The Slayer’s Keep provides a vital service to both Kalzasi and some neighboring cities. When the often dangerous wildlife of the Wildking’s Forge wander too close to civilization or become a nuisance, towns, villages, or even individual’s contract the guild to dispatch with these creatures. Given the guild’s reputation for getting the job done, they are often the go-to faction for magical practitioners to hunt and acquire particularly exotic creature parts for experimentation. Wizards from both the Circle of Spells and the Scholia Arcana regularly contract their services. As a result, members will find no shortage of work and will certainly have a more steady income than if they chose to go freelance.
Members are given access to the guild’s lodge which provides room and board for members who wish to stay there. While the accommodations are not free, they are comfortable and offer a convenient place to congregate and stay in touch with potential contracts that are both high risk and high reward. Furthermore, members are able to buy weapons and tools at a discount from the lodge’s quartermaster as well as receive repair services to their arms and equipment at a discounted rate than might be found at the shops in the city.