Quest to Become a Hero

[]"To the best of my knowledge, it seems to be run with generating skilled adventurers, though I find 'skilled' to have an interesting definition in my case."
Like, everything I've seen of the Guild is that it's mostly wants people who are competent above all. But I've also not seen much of, if any signs of it competing with other powers, merely co-operating, but that's also world-state at play- like things are so desperate they're kind of looking for everyone they can convince to step up and shoulder the burden.
 
Minor corrections
Not long later you find yourself in one of the open arenas in the training hall along with Liara, Velvet, and a rather ornately carved wooden golem with surprisingly complete facial features akin to an elderly human male.
It takes the card and slots it into the side of it's head, a partition opening up seamlessly to reveal a Card reader much like the ones the guards or Guild use.
On our western border is the Federation of Free Cities, a collection of ports and cities run by merchant barons.

So this is more of a survey question than a right or wrong test question. While I understand their reasoning for their sink or swim policies, I kind of wonder if they don't take it a little too far. I mean, just making every new Adventurer read a short introductory pamphlet with essential info would probably do a lot for initial performance and survival without actually handholding them right?
 
Huh, I'm not sure how to answer this. I guess I have to wonder what the exact purpose of the Adventurers Guild is. Presumably, the militias are responsible for fighting the Demon Lords' armies, and adventurers are allowed to choose their own quests so what role does the Adventurers Guild fulfill?

Maybe it's more about the internal needs of the kingdoms? The royals might not care so much about monsters threatening a town when they're trying to keep the demons away.

Is it the only way to access the System that the Three Saviours set up? The Source of the Heroic Spirit (that we aren't allowed to mention) is described as the Arbitrator so it might have created the System for the Three Saviours, but the Other Side's requirements prevented them from using it for their armies? The Mortal Races seem to have organized mana while the demons have chaotic mana so perhaps the organization of the System meant that the people using the System had to be "chaotic" to offset it? Is that the reason for the absolute "sink or swim" policy?

A rough draft vote that needs the MC's opinion on the Guild to be added to it:
[] I feel like there's a lot going on behind the scenes with the Adventurers Guild that I don't understand yet. For example, each new adventurer gets a guild card that cost 4 gold coins to make, but the Guild goes by a "sink or swim" policy that must result in the deaths of a significant percentage of new adventurers. This seems inefficient and uneconomical, which means that the Guild must be doing it for a reason I don't understand yet.
 
We know very little about the relationship between the adventurer's guild and the nobility, right? The guild has a lot of military power, but it's not clear how it turns that into political power.

Regarding the question at hand, I think the Guild is very efficient and precise in its handling of new adventurers, but we don't understand why it's better for new adventurers to sink or swim. Is it just that this is a long audition process, and that wood rank as a whole is a test? They get ten or eleven hopefuls a day/morning, I can see why they'd want to thin the herd. Hopefully by the herd washing out, not by the herd dying.
 
We don't know for a fact, but we can extrapolate that:
-The Guild's operations are to ensure only independent, inquisitive and resourceful adventurers can pass to a higher rank.
--Implication is that even if it'd produce more skilled adventurers cheaper, they don't WANT to train them in a coordinated way. They want the haphazard growth in all directions.

-The guild's services are concealed and the guild's shops are limited, limiting dependency on the Guild. You can get everything you need to complete your quests to a bare minimum, and not a hair more.

-The guild's services don't make economic sense. The services provided should cost more to set up and maintain than the adventurers are making for the guild in the quests. Most likely the lowest rank of adventurer is a primarily training purpose and the actual product is the adventurers?
 
Anyway we still need to actually vote. I'm going to go with Wysteria's draft, tweaked to include the gist of Mt. Elements' more specific point without getting into a too long aside.

[X] At my rank, the adventurer's guild seems to prioritize trying to prevent new guild members from advancing too fast and harming others with foolish actions. It is less concerned about them harming themselves. My instinct is to disapprove of how not revealing information may lead to loss of life, but I understand that it may prevent greater loss of life later.
-[X] The logistics of organizing quests is well-run. I am curious how the adventurer's guild pays for itself, especially with seeming discrepancies such as the high cost of each Guild Card for new adventurers despite the Guild's "sink or swim" policy that must result in the deaths of a significant percentage of new adventurers. This seems inefficient and uneconomical, which means that the Guild must be doing it for a reason I don't understand yet.
 
[X] At my rank, the adventurer's guild seems to prioritize trying to prevent new guild members from advancing too fast and harming others with foolish actions. It is less concerned about them harming themselves. My instinct is to disapprove of how not revealing information may lead to loss of life, but I understand that it may prevent greater loss of life later.
-[X] The logistics of organizing quests is well-run. I am curious how the adventurer's guild pays for itself, especially with seeming discrepancies such as the high cost of each Guild Card for new adventurers despite the Guild's "sink or swim" policy that must result in the deaths of a significant percentage of new adventurers. This seems inefficient and uneconomical, which means that the Guild must be doing it for a reason I don't understand yet.
 
[X] At my rank, the adventurer's guild seems to prioritize trying to prevent new guild members from advancing too fast and harming others with foolish actions. It is less concerned about them harming themselves. My instinct is to disapprove of how not revealing information may lead to loss of life, but I understand that it may prevent greater loss of life later.
-[X] The logistics of organizing quests is well-run. I am curious how the adventurer's guild pays for itself, especially with seeming discrepancies such as the high cost of each Guild Card for new adventurers despite the Guild's "sink or swim" policy that must result in the deaths of a significant percentage of new adventurers. This seems inefficient and uneconomical, which means that the Guild must be doing it for a reason I don't understand yet.
 
[X] At my rank, the adventurer's guild seems to prioritize trying to prevent new guild members from advancing too fast and harming others with foolish actions. It is less concerned about them harming themselves. My instinct is to disapprove of how not revealing information may lead to loss of life, but I understand that it may prevent greater loss of life later.
-[X] The logistics of organizing quests is well-run. I am curious how the adventurer's guild pays for itself, especially with seeming discrepancies such as the high cost of each Guild Card for new adventurers despite the Guild's "sink or swim" policy that must result in the deaths of a significant percentage of new adventurers. This seems inefficient and uneconomical, which means that the Guild must be doing it for a reason I don't understand yet.
 
[X] At my rank, the adventurer's guild seems to prioritize trying to prevent new guild members from advancing too fast and harming others with foolish actions. It is less concerned about them harming themselves. My instinct is to disapprove of how not revealing information may lead to loss of life, but I understand that it may prevent greater loss of life later.
-[X] The logistics of organizing quests is well-run. I am curious how the adventurer's guild pays for itself, especially with seeming discrepancies such as the high cost of each Guild Card for new adventurers despite the Guild's "sink or swim" policy that must result in the deaths of a significant percentage of new adventurers. This seems inefficient and uneconomical, which means that the Guild must be doing it for a reason I don't understand yet.


One thing to consider, given the way the guild weighs tests, is a good balance of what jobs we do - combat should continue to be in a minority of jobs until we have sufficient combat skills to have the combat exam weighed more highly.
 
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One thing to consider, given the way the guild weighs tests, is a good balance of what jobs we do - combat should continue to be in a minority of jobs until we have sufficient combat skills to have the combat exam weighed more highly.
I want most of our jobs to be scholarly, but the MC does need to take more combat quests in order to figure out his combat style and then improve his skills. For example, the corn monster quest should be pretty good for testing whether the MC has the Stamina and Strength to use a shield effectively in combat.

I guess he could do that in training as well, but there are downsides. Self-learning is probably really slow progression for the skill, the golem cost GP, and sparring against a similarly ranked adventurer means potential embarrassment and/or injuries. Similarly ranked doesn't mean that the adventurer has similar combat skills after all, and the nice thing about the golem was that it was programmed to avoid serious injuries.
 
Oh, I definitely want to take the corn and then the vicious rabbit quests, and maybe more - as long as John can still take wood rank quests, which I would hope so. I want John to be able to hunt for his rabbit's supper. But as for ratio, definitely keeping scholarly and other noncombat quests in the majority.
 
I'm kinda curious just how far we can go on scholarly and noncombat quests, almost to the exclusion of combat quests, keeping those skills for personal defense and as something of a surprise.
 
[X] The Guild's operations are to ensure only independent, inquisitive and resourceful adventurers can pass to a higher rank. It seems that even if the Guild could produce more skilled adventurers cheaper, they don't WANT to train them in a coordinated way. They want the haphazard growth in all directions.
-[X] The guild's services don't make economic sense. The services provided should cost more to set up and maintain than the adventurers are making for the guild in the quests. Most likely the lowest rank of adventurer is a primarily training purpose and the actual product is the adventurers?

I basically stole veekie's post and turned it into a vote
 
Sink or Swim, Because There Isn't A Choice?
[X] At my rank, the adventurer's guild seems to prioritize trying to prevent new guild members from advancing too fast and harming others with foolish actions. It is less concerned about them harming themselves. My instinct is to disapprove of how not revealing information may lead to loss of life, but I understand that it may prevent greater loss of life later.
-[X] The logistics of organizing quests is well-run. I am curious how the adventurer's guild pays for itself, especially with seeming discrepancies such as the high cost of each Guild Card for new adventurers despite the Guild's "sink or swim" policy that must result in the deaths of a significant percentage of new adventurers. This seems inefficient and uneconomical, which means that the Guild must be doing it for a reason I don't understand yet.


After a moment's hesitation you decide to speak your mind, the understanding you had come to of the Guild directly fueling what you considered to be the basic idea of the Guild as well as how it all seemed so... flawed. Was there really a need to be so flagrant with peoples' lives? An absolute requirement that kept the Guild from providing the core information up front? As a scholar you have become used to one thing: facts, and the facts show that the Guild simply flagrantly doesn't really care. It is irksome, frustrating, and wrath inducing at times, but you bury that all hoping to follow your path and find out the Guild isn't as awful as it first appears...

Of course, you carefully ensure none of that inner distaste really flows into your answer, giving the most clinical or at least reasonable description instead. Once you are finished the golem pauses for a long while and you can feel Liara's eyes boring into your side until the golem nods.

"Answer transmitted, the Guild thanks you for your views. Implementing standard fifteen minute rest time between tests."

At that you suddenly feel something appear next to you, looking over reveals Liara standing not even an inch away with her face hovering inches from your own making the sight of her narrowed eyes and frown all the more terrifying.

"It's an understandable view, Mr. Stitch, to the lower ranks and the average person the Guild seems unnecessarily cruel, or purposefully unhelpful. Perhaps even wasteful. However, compare the lives lost adventuring to those lost in the war against demons every day. Lowest estimates put the average casualties of a good day of the forces positioned at Bastion at roughly two hundred, and the bad days? Worst recorded casualties of Bastion's forces, date 893 AE which is not even ten years ago, in a single day is at six hundred thousand from what they could gather.

Our Guild wasn't founded to tend to sheep, or pamper wannabe warriors. It was built to dig out those gems buried away in the various Kingdoms and offer the possibility of carving their own path to that exalted title of Hero. You cannot make a Hero from coddling, they cannot be forged with soft mittens and stray hopes. They need to claw and crawl their way up to it with all the suffering that comes with it."

She pauses and sighs, pulling away from you before walking over and sitting down next to Velvet once again. Another piece of jerky quickly appearing in her hand as she messes with your companion.

"Public records of Demon Lord sightings puts their number at at least twenty. By Guild standards the weakest Demon Lord requires at least someone of the Hero Rank in order to stall them without significant sacrifice. As for the strongest? Remember the worst recorded casualties of Bastion's forces from earlier? That was the day the Demon Lord Pararia assaulted the Bastion Mountains alone. Three Venerated Heroes, Two Grand Heroes, Thirty Three Heroes, Sixty Two Lesser Heroes, and one of the front line Fortresses along with it's stationed army fell to Pararia and it simply walked away afterwards...

We treat Adventurers as we do, because there is nothing that can prepare you for facing off against our true foe. Only those who learn to act without guidance, to create their own path and gather together everything they need without assistance... It's only those who have a slight chance. Better a few thousand die than millions..."

Liara's sad expression is a strange sight on the woman you had only ever seen smile, your mind entirely uncertain how to process what she told you as you stood there simply staring blankly. By the time you finally muster the mental strength to try and respond the golem stirs again as the voice calls out,

"Choose a category for your skills test: Scribe Work, Harvesting, Survival, Smithing, Carpentry, or Herbalism?"

What do you do?
[] Scribe Work
[] Harvesting
[] Survival
[] Smithing
[] Carpentry
[] Herbalism

Gained 10 Experience for learning about the Guild's apparent reasoning for their operations as well as events ten years ago.

Gained 5 Experience from discussion/ideas in the thread.


Health: Battered and Bruised
Stamina: Fairly Energetic

Status Effects: Minor fatigue (-1 to all rolls)

Estimated Time of Day: Noon last you remember.

Heroic Legacy Points: 0

Level:
3
Experience: 78/400

Titles:

They Who Seek the Crown (Level One, 14/25) - A title earned by gaining the blessing of the God of War in a chance encounter with his will. It is a boon granted to those who seek to become like Lords, towering above the world with every action and word capable of bringing great waves of change. Currently it is weak and only grants you the power of Domination, but if you grow stronger and perform in a way that meshes with this Boon then perhaps its strength can grow.

Heroes can be Thieves Right? - In the name of Heroism you stole classified information from the Church of War without being caught. Now no innocent souls shall be ended with this dangerous knife, but ... yours might be if you mess up? Slightly increased chance of learning stealth and thievery related skills until discovered, lost if the Sealed Scroll is destroyed.

Ethical Scholar - A scholar's duty is that of facts, numbers, honesty, and boundaries. You have a devotion to the work of the written word that few would follow in the face of potential benefits. You seek simply to perform your work to the best of your ability and stand within the morals of your scholar code, even find yourself compelled to do so. Established personal Scholarly Code, sticking to it makes your work easier and better while going against it more difficult and with worse results.
  • Scholar Code I - No work is better than hasty work. {Provides +2 to scholarly rolls when you take your time, take -2 to scholarly rolls when you attempt to work with haste.}
  • Scholar Code II - Provide the facts to those that hire you, nothing more and nothing less. {Provides 2 bonus experience when followed, lose 2 experience when ignored.}
  • Scholar Code III - Judgement is the employer's job. {Provides 2 bonus experience when followed, lose 2 experience when ignored.}
  • Scholar Code IV - There is satisfaction in learning that which is known and that which is not. {Provides 2 bonus experience when learning new knowledge skills and advancing skill ranks in them.}

Guild Rank: Wood (10/10[!]) [Promotion Available]
Hidden Features: Unlocked Instructors in the Guild Store
G.P.: 170
Money: 90 Copper
Current Booked Courses:
Stealth, Beginner (1 Day)

Skills:
Mathematics (Beginner, 15%) -
+4 to rolls requiring use of mathematics.
Local Administration (Beginner, 10%) - +4 to rolls involving administration of businesses and small land holdings.
Geography of Relgar Township Region (Beginner) - Capable of recalling information related to areas in the Relgar area that could be of use. Such as the size of a specific forest, important landmarks, etc.
Monster Knowledge (Relgar Township, Beginner, 45%) - You've memorized basic information provided on Vicious Rabbits, Giant Rats, Slimes, Monstrous Corn, Green-pelt Wolves, and Forest Bears.
Plant Knowledge (Relgar Township, Beginner) - You've memorized basic information provided on Red-Shelled Warmths, Blue Bells, Golden Leaf, and common herbs like thyme or poppies.
Copying Writing (Adept, 1%) - You've experienced copying countless documents, books, and records to such an extent that it's almost an ingrained instinct in you. Time required to copy any form of writing is reduced and chance of wrongly copying something is greatly decreased.
Evasion (Beginner, 15%) - You've learned the basics of positioning, and movement enabling you to react well to attacks sent you way. It's rather simple now, but even a slight advantage could save your life. Increases your Difficulty to Hit by 4.
Dagger Mastery (Beginner, 2%) - Through sparring and practice you have grasped the basics of fighting with a dagger. How to grip it so as not to lose the weapon in combat, basic and effective methods of attack from stabbing to slicing, etc. +4 to attack rolls when wielding a dagger.

Harvesting (Learning Beginner, 45%) - You are slowly obtaining experience in the act of harvesting plants and herbs. With some more work experience you are certain you'd be at least somewhat skilled in the act.
Skinning (Learning Beginner, 40%) - You have learned the basic knowledge one should know to begin skinning and harvesting the corpses of monsters, but to really come to understand it and it's uses you will need actual experience.
Haggling (Learning Beginner, 89%) - You have obtained a lot of insight into the act of haggling varying from the dos to the don'ts and you are certain with a bit more knowledge and actual practice you can put it to work helping you.
Identification (Learning Beginner, 10%) - After reading the book on Identification you have a vague idea of how the power works, but without a teacher to guide you in the absolute specifics you are unsure if you can learn to utilize this power.
Survival (Learning Beginner, 40%) - You are quickly becoming used to most basic of the basics when it comes to surviving outdoors, and with the help of some of your research materials you believe you have a decent grasp of it all. Only actively performing the actions and experience will tell.
Trapping (Learning Beginner, 20%) - Trapping is a rather simple subject, but the specifics are somewhat confusing to you with your rather limited life experiences. You have a decent grasp of theoretical knowledge, but will need to use it in the field to confirm.

Abilities:
Domination (Level One, 5/25) - Allows you to bind creatures/monsters that are one level below you (to a minimum of level 1) to your will permanently. Unless the creature in question has a particularly strong will then the power is bound to succeed. Does not work on humans. [Dominated Beings: 1/2]
+ Dominate Writing (Level One, 7/25) - You've obtained a new power derived from your blessing from the God of War. It grants you the ability to draw strength from the written word though... You are utterly uncertain what that actually means. [Dominated Writings: 0/1]

Backstab - You force an opening in your opponent's guard and shift yourself into place to deliver a well timed, well placed reverse grip stab to the foe's back with great force. Such a move is straining on you, but has incredible effects when successfully performed. Make a single attack that deals four times damage to the enemy if it lands, uses a moderate amount of Stamina.

Traits:
Sturdy Physique -
You come to possess a body that is much more resilient than your original form allowing you to withstand roughly twice as much damage before your body gives out resulting in death.
Quick to Act - You are fast to respond in dangerous situations, where others are still confused about changing events you have already begun to move in response to them.
Iron Clad Mind - Your will is strengthened considerably under the guidance of the Spirit as if your mind has created the foundations of a fortress around it. With it's backing you are capable of putting up greater resistance against mental influences.

Aspire to Sagehood - You've come to find yourself a seeker of all forms of knowledge and find it easy to learn those skills a scholar finds most useful. Perhaps with enough work you may achieve acknowledgement as a Sage, a master of countless fields of knowledge. Increased skill gains for scholar related skills.
Forbidden Scholar - You are more likely to notice lore and knowledge regarding those topics considered forbidden to the general populace. Of course, your affinity for these subjects does not create that knowledge where none exists.
Studious - You've become well acquainted with book learning and, while it will never be a good replacement for a teacher, have learned how to make the most of it. Increased skill gains when learning a skill from a book.

Swift Growth I - With enough power the Heroic Spirit can even help you grow, increasing the rate at which you earn experience by twenty-five percent permanently.

Possessions:
Simple Iron Dagger [Damage: ???, Attack Speed: 2, Slashing]

Iron Kite Shield [???]
Iron Hand-Axe [???]
Simple Wooden Club [Damage: 3, Blunt]
Scholar's Writing Instruments [1/4 sheets of paper]
Plain Scholar's Robes [???]

Canvas Backpack [7/10]
- Ten Foot Rope
- Bundle of Clean Rags [10/10]
- Archbishop Julian Vandamule's Sealed Scroll
- Wooden Storage Box [Can hold up to twenty herbs (varies based on size) | 0/20]
- Paper with copied contents from a Book on Skinning
- Paper with copied contents about Trapping.
- Paper with incomplete copied contents about Dagger usage
-
-
-

Belt Pouch [3/4]
- Flask of Oil [3 Units of Oil Remaining]
- Container with Six Vials [0/6 Filled]
- Flint & Steel
-
Health: 5/8

Status Effects: None

Level: 2
Experience: 0/40

Attacks:
Bite -
[Damage: 3, Slashing]

Traits:
Sensitive Nose -
+5 to finding herbs
Natural Gatherer - +5 to harvesting herbs
Soul Linked - Can be given up to 2 Experience from their Master's kills.

Skills:
Evasion (Beginner,
8%) - Increases the Difficulty to Hit by 4.

Fighting (Learning Beginner, 32%)

Abilities:

Cannibalize (Level One, 0/10) - Capable of devouring their kin to quickly heal from injuries. Regains 1 Health per pound of Vicious Rabbit meat consumed.



Payment: Thirty Coppers, 15 GP, 1 Rank Advancement Point, 10 Experience
Description: I need an extra set of hands or two to help bring in the harvest, if you're willing then please take this request and come to * Farm.

Payment: 25 Coppers, 10 GP, 1 Rank Advancement Point, 10 Experience per day
Description: Relgar has experienced a great influx of merchants, Adventurers passing through, mercenaries, and more due to activity in the north which has brought forth a great chance for profit. The Town Guard is currently struggling to deal with all the newcomers and a newly born rise in crime and has asked the Guild for Adventurers willing to patrol the town as well. Those seeking to take up the offer will need to work with the Guard for at least four days, or until the situation has stabilized.

Payment: 50 Copper per 3 Golden Leaf (Quality does matter), Variable GP, Variable Rank Advancement Points, Variable Experience
Description: I have need of as many Golden Leaf as you can get your hands on, quality is important so insure proper storage. You can find me at the apothecary on the south side of the town, Gerald's Apothecary. I've provided drawings for those who've never seen Golden leaf and they can be found on the outskirts of Relgar's Northern Woods. Please only come when you have Golden leaf to deliver, I am a busy man.

Payment: 10 Copper for every pair of Vicious Rabbit ears, 5 GP for every pair of Vicious Rabbit Ears, 1 Rank Advancement Point for every ten pairs of ears, 1 Experience per every pair of rabbit ears.
Description: A rather ridiculous number of Vicious Rabbits have taken to destroying the eastern fields and after the death of several farmers Relgar's Lord has set down a bounty for the little bastards. After accepting the request bring proof of your slain foes back to the Guild to earn your reward. Also, don't damage the fields. Those who wantonly destroy the Lord's land in search of profit will find themselves at the end of his Knights swords.

Payment: 5 Coppers per Monstrous Corn corpse, 2 GP per corpse, 1 Rank Advancement Point for every fifteen corpse, 1 Experience per every two corpses
Description: Due to the increased traffic through town we've been running low on our supply of a local delicacy - Monstrous Corn. An fine mixture of sweet and salty that can survive months in the open air before rotting. If you could hunt down some for us it would be much appreciated, the more you get the better! We've left instructions to a good spot with the receptionist.

Payment: 15 Coppers per pair of fangs, 7 GP per pair of fangs, 1 Rank Advancement Point for every four pair of fangs, 2 Experience per every pair of fangs
Description: Many farmers and travelers have reported the Green-pelt Wolf population have been restless in the forests nearby, this announcement has been posted to deal with the issue before it can get out of hand. All we need is the fangs for confirmation, the rest you may do with as you will.
 
[X] Scribe Work

Best skill. We can pick it. Why would we not?
 
[X] Scribe Work

Not exactly a complicated decision.

As for Liara's explanation, that's about what I thought it would be, but it doesn't make it any less... well, I don't think the reaction of being angry at the guild is appropriate, but being angry at the demon lords who make this sort of necessary and somewhat at the system which rewards danger and struggle - that seems fine. And it's just sad and a waste. One can only hope that our estimates of the casualties among adventurers is an overestimate, and that most of them just get injured and fail out by not successfully completing their quests, or get frustrated and quit.

I suppose being a guild receptionist she'd have to give this explanation a lot, which might explain her giving-the-same-explanation-again frustration, but it does raise the question, if she's this into every hero being required, why isn't she on the front lines fighting demons?
 
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