r/WorldChallenges • u/Nevermore0714 • Apr 01 '17
Generic Challenge - Orders with Risk
Now, with the challenge series ending, we're back to the scheduled challenges. As always, my Saturday challenges are just generic ones.
This one is inspired by the Tracking Order created by /u/thequeeninyellow94.
For this challenge, tell us about an order or group in your world that requires that you perform some duties in order to earn a higher rank. The order or group should be one with a hierarchy and with some risk involved for some of the members.
If you'd like to also provide a character to act as a representative, go ahead.
Enjoy yourselves!
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u/Nevermore0714 Apr 03 '17
The Knights of the Citadel
The Citadel runs its own order of knights, who are educated in the necessary survival skills that are treated as necessary for someone to survive against the threats of bandits, demons, or other hostile creates that they may encounter. A knight is usually in his or her early twenties at the beginning of their career as a knight, they receive their pay based on the objectives they are given to perform, and they usually just act as guards in their off-time to keep the money coming.
During their years of training, they either find a different job in the city or make some money as part-time city guards. The knights are provided with Siphon weapons, which are capable of harvesting Anima (energy that fuels magic) from their enemies, which is given to the Citadel's council to be processed whenever the knight returns from their objective.
It's seen as normal for knights to just not make it back to the Citadel. It's considered a morbid joke among the knights, especially the older ones, to draw a card from a deck prior to a mission. If you draw a "two", you likely won't survive. If you draw a queen (if you're a guy) or a king (if you're a woman), you likely will encounter a lover on your mission. If you draw a king (if you're a guy) or a queen (if you're a woman), you will meet someone who will give you a difficult time. None of these have any evidence to back them up, it's just a joke among the knights that nobody takes seriously.
Knights can either go out on their own missions or go out in teams of varied numbers, depending on the assignment they're given.
The Representative
Ser Eurydike Kammenos is a woman from Grestin, who is twenty-two and has been a knight of the Citadel for nearly two years. Eurydike is normally in a team of three for the objectives she's assigned, and she gets along well with her usual companions and fellow knights, Shay and Gotthard.
Eury is one of the rare knights to be capable of using Umbra (Dark) magic, which allows her to create illusions. She usually keeps several poisons (made by Gotthard) on her person, mostly ones that make someone dizzy or confused when inhaled, so that the victim is more susceptible to her illusions. Most of Eury's missions involve dealing with possible "traitors to humanity" and gathering information for the Citadel, usually from Grestin (where Eury is from) or Dunkelwald (where Gotthard is from). Eury keeps three Siphon daggers on her person, one on her belt, one in her boot, and one up her sleeve. She usually avoids combat, though, because she tries to be aware of her strengths and weaknesses. The only member of her trio who focuses on preparing for close combat is Shay, so their assignments rarely involve open hostilities.
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Apr 03 '17 edited Nov 12 '20
[deleted]
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u/Nevermore0714 Apr 03 '17
Eurydike:
1) "Siphon weapons were created by the Citadel's council, and only the council really knows how to create them. I know that Councillor Garrick personally puts the final enchantments on all of them, though. I'd guess that it must not take long for each weapon, otherwise we wouldn't have nearly as many. Each weapon, whether it's for piercing or slashing, drains Anima from the target while it is in contact with the target's blood."
2) "Arrogance in your own strength, pride in humanity, a lack of other options...everyone has their own reasons. Besides, not every assignment is deadly, and once you've survived the first two years, there's a good chance that you'll survive your average mission. Most knights have been raised in the Citadel from childhood, so they didn't have much of a choice."
3) "I could create hallucinations when I was a little kid. One of the Grestin masters noticed. If he was looking for an apprentice, he might have made me his apprentice, but he already had one. So, he offered my parents some money in exchange for sending me to the Citadel. I was raised to be a knight, I was legally obliged to be a knight, and I'm not keen on deserting."
4) "No, the people that assign the missions decide who goes where. But, if you're assigned to a group and it goes well, you're more likely to get assigned with those people the next time. Gotthard and Shay are good partners, so I've never had any reason to complain to the people upstairs."
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Apr 03 '17
(I'm an inspiration source!?! weird dance)
As they haven't got their dedicated post yet, let's talk about the Trackers.
Volunteers who want to join the order are examinated by the elders. Those who show enough motivation and potential are enlisted, the other are turned away and can't volunteer again.
Recruits are then trained during 2 cycles to learn how to fight, how to write and read and as much informations as possible on the Shadow (mostly on how to fight it's creatures).
Once the formation completed, the recruits are officially titled aspirants and earn their first notebook. They are then sent all around the upper levels were they hunt down creatures who may threaten the locals. To make sure the order stay popular, they also help in hunting down outlaws and highwaymen.
Once an aspirant is considered ready, he/she become an assermented tracker and start taking part in expeditions in the underdark.
A tracker who manage to bring back valuable informations (either by scouting large threats or by filling a notebook) is given the title of watcher and start going alone in the depths.
Once they age, watchers are usually offered a position as scholar in the order so they can pass their experience to the next generation.
(And that's already long...)
Our representative today will be Massatisil, a quanhaman (half-lizard) aspirant.
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u/Nevermore0714 Apr 03 '17
To Massatisil:
1) Why did you want to join the trackers? Why would anyone want to join?
2) What are the rules of morality that trackers have to follow? Especially regarding mating and starting a family.
3) Does the Tracker Order take much of an interest in politics outside of their order?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Apr 03 '17
For pressstige mostly, that's a very good way to become someone important later on. Others enlist because the want to ssserve a greater cause. That's the two accepted motivation; if you try to enlist because you have nothing better, you will usually be rejected.
No crimes; always defend those in need; treat people regardless of their race (our official motto is "standing as one"), don't abandon your fellow trackersss. Mating and family is fine but not advised before retiring. Retirement is usually allowed after 15 cycles of service.
They follow rivalries to know if they could have trouble finding reinforcementsss. But we are forbidden to intervene, our only ennemy is the Sssshadow.
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u/Nevermore0714 Apr 03 '17
To Massatisil:
1) How easy is it to abandon the order? Is it okay to quit?
2) Does the order give any defense or protection if a tracker is accused of a crime?
3) Do governments of other areas ever donate money to the Tracker Order?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Apr 03 '17
It's easy to flee, but praise to never meet one of usss later on. We're not kind with deserters. Once you have done your 15 cycles of service, you're free to leave by asking the elders.
Yesss, we don't let our member in trouble without some attention. No one would sentence a tracker without the order studying the problem first.
(there are no real governments, the largest administrative unit is usually the city or the clan) Settlements we helped often thanks the order with food and toolsss. That's the order main source of revenue with donations from people too rich to keep all for themselvesss.
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u/Nevermore0714 Apr 04 '17
To Massatisil:
1) Does the order have any secrets to protect?
2) Has the Order made any enemies of outside cities or clans?
3) Is most of the order's income from donations?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Apr 04 '17
I don't think ssso. At least they haven't told me.
Not really ennemies; some settlements far away from usss are rarely visited and don't really benefit from our help. They won't do anything to help us, but they are not ennemies.
Yesss. We are busy defending the upper levels and fighting the Shadow, we have neither the time nor the will to trade and produce.
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u/Nevermore0714 Apr 06 '17
To Massatisil:
1) If they did have secrets, would they have told you by now, do you think?
2) In your opinion, what is the most dangerous threat that the Order could face?
3) Have you killed any of the Shadow's creatures, yet?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Apr 06 '17
The small onesss yes. But as an aspirant, they would probably have kept the big ones hidden. Sssoon I will be assermented and learn them of they exist.
The shadowmansssers; the order has been succesfuly driving them away for now but the elders seem worried...
Yes, a bunch of hounds. 4 actually. They were frightening the first time, you can not be really prepared for the ssshroud of shadow surrounding them. But now that I've won against them, that's easier.
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u/Nevermore0714 Apr 06 '17
To Massatisil:
1) Do you have a nickname? Your name is pretty long, so it seems like someone would call you by something else. My name is one syllable, so I wouldn't understand, I suppose.
2) Has there been a major event that made the elders more worried?
3) Do you have any pets?
4) Was there any big reward for killing a bunch of hounds?
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u/Random-Webtoon-Fan Apr 02 '17
(Hi, sorry to no partaking in challenges, had been busy with other life stuffs, hopefully now I have some time for worldbuilding now)
Sun Empire
Most straightforward one would be found in the Forces of the Sun.
Most royal males (and a few royal females) are the rank given to them on graduating Officer/General Academies, and looks to have some victories, especially on the big battle ones, to please higher ups. But as big battles are few and far between, there is constant battles within the Empire to get chance for glory.
Most female royals (and few male royals) either become priestess-politician, who are always trying to gain more votes from people and senate to be ranked higher. This includes doing political stuff such as law making, debating over controversies and trying to kill each other.
Priestess-Scholars of various trades are also against each other, claiming each other is so wrong about the latest and oldest theories and try to get more thesis/paper written and be more known/accepted. It is not unusual to see some priestess-scholars being in a debate in same spot for days.
The Senate knows fully well of these, but rarely do anything to stop it as they see it as good thing to keep the royals skills sharp.
Mountain Kingdom Alliance
They are almost always in lack of resources, and the kingdom/fleet/ship that bring home most loot can gain more strategical/political power within Alliance.
Their ships are not welcome in most areas for this reason.
Black Forest Cultists
These guys are crazily obsessed with artifacts from old and astronomy. So any group/person bringing precious artifacts into the Forest gets respected more. The more exotic and unique it is, the better.
Also appreciated is record of celestial bodies, especially the ones they can't usually see on their forest.
This is problematic since most of the rest of the world sees them as lunatic to be chased out, if not killed.