The Rangers' Guild

Intro

The Rangers' Guild is one of the oldest and most respected guilds in the barony. Unlike the adventurers' guilds, that are seperate entities in each town, the Rangers' Guild is a single organisation with branches in all the major cities. Obviously, some towns have more call for rangers than other towns, and Keese has more use for them than most. Thus, although the administrative centre for the guild is in Rasath, the Keese branch is the largest and most influencial.

The Rangers' Beginnings

The Rangers' Guild was formed hundreds of years ago when a group of woodsmen joined forces with some officers of the Duke's army to deal with the growing threat of bandits in the rural areas. As time went by, they grew and became the major force for maintaining security and safety in the woodland areas.

By the time Keese was founded, the rangers were universally respected as reliable and honourable. Nobility were happy to associate with them, while the newly emerging adventurers' guilds were being shunned as semi-organised bands of hired thugs. The rangers dealt with all the matters that are now the province of the adventurers, clearing areas of bandits or goblins, scouting unexplored regions, investigating dungeons and so on.

The Rangers in Keese

Keese changed many things. The Larcax Forest is a large, scary place, and the threats that it contained were more than the rangers could cope with. Add to this the wierdness of the nearby Enclave woods, and it was inevitable that the adventurers were soon required to supplement, and eventually supplant the rangers.

The rangers' influence over Keese politics was more stable however. They were still respected by the powers-that-be far more than the adventurers (who were now regarded as an unpleasant necessity), and had a place on the council many years before them.

A certain amount of antipathy existed between the two guilds for some time, but was eventually eroded by the realisation that they could help each other achieve their common goals. The rangers are, fundamentally, a practical guild and it didn't take too long for their snobbery to be forgotten. It became commonplace for rangers and adventurers to combine forces.

The Wolfman War

The two guilds had been co-operating together for some time before the wolfman threat became a source of concern. When the war became inevitable, the rangers were caught between conflicting priorities. They saw the threat as much as the adventurers, and helped put the case to the council, but when official help was refused the rangers were compelled to abide by the decision. They could not participate actively in the fight except when directly requested by the adventurers.

By the time the council had acknowledged the threat, and the rangers were finally allowed to do what had been necessary all along, the adventurers had captured the public support. When the council fell, the rangers were only saved by their association with the adventurers. The adventurers took control of the town and the rangers were relegated to second place.

The Rangers Now

Now, the Rangers' Guild seems little more than a specialist branch of the Adventurers' Guild. They offer training and tuition in the woodland skills such as tracking and camouflage that they have always specialised in, but have almost entirely lost their sense of identity. The Keese branch still maintains its position as the most influencial branch within the guild as a whole, but as the adventurers are essentially controlling them there are genuine concerns in other branches about this state of affairs.

There are individuals that plot the overthrow of the adventurers and restore the Rangers' Guild to its former status, but they are mainly old men who long for the good old days. Most modern rangers in Keese are now also members of the Adventurers' Guild, and thus have no qualms with the situation as it stands.

Hierarchy

The Rangers' Guild hierarchy is based on status and accomplishements. Position confers some authority and power, but with the adventurers controlling so much, this power is not what it once was.

The higher ranks are often incorporated into ones name. eg Fred Fletcher is a scout. After successfully getting his party out of a sticky situation with a werewolf, he is promoted. He may now call himself Ranger Fletcher. After much devoted service, he is promoted again and now calls himself Journeyman Fletcher. He was only ever refered to as Scout Fletcher (or even Neophyte Fletcher) by higher-ranked rangers trying to emphasise their authority.

Neophyte
Generally reserved for children who are learning the ropes, but technically includes anyone who has no practical experience.

Scout
Once you have learnt a skill (usually Hide) and have survived at least one adventure, you can call yourself a scout. Scouts are never entrusted with any responsibilities beyond "Run up ahead and check there's nothing nasty waiting".

Ranger
After proving yourself capable (which can be done in any of a hundred ways, eg displaying courage or initiative or leadership qualities) you will be acknowledged as a Ranger. You can now lead parties, and Scouts will bow to your judgement.

Journeyman
This title is usually conferred simply after long experience (around 200 eps worth), but if you do something of particular note (discover something, defeat a foe against the odds, etc.) you can jump the ladder. A Journeyman is treated with respect by all, even adventurers. You can now organise adventures and assemble parties, leading them or choosing a leader.

Sheriff
This is the official title for the head guildsman in a town. When the old sheriff retires, he nominates his successor. If the sheriff dies suddenly, or otherwise fails to name a successor, there is an election. Note that there is relatively little political backstabbing in the Rangers' Guild.
In Keese, the possibility exists for the guild head and the council representative to be different people. In this event, the guild head is called the High Sheriff, and the rep is called Sheriff.

High Marshal
This is the official title for the head of the whole guild. The High Marshal resides and works in Rasath. New High Marshals are elected from the Sheriffs, but the endorsement of the old one is almost certain to guarantee the post.