Appendix A: Factions & Guilds

The realms of Demayth are home to countless organizations, from powerful political factions to secretive cults. For adventurers, the most prominent and useful of these are the great guilds—sprawling, often neutral organizations that offer work, training, and resources to their members. This appendix details some of the most significant guilds a Demigod might encounter or seek to join.

The Magus Guild

The Magus Guild is the premier magical institution in the known realms. It functions less like a traditional adventurers' guild and more like a vast, interconnected network of magical universities. Its sworn purpose is to teach Demigods and other gifted individuals how to safely control Demayth, to create magical items and potions, and to develop methods for combating dangerous magical creatures and hostile spellcasters.

While scholarly in nature, the Guild understands the need for practical application. Its members are often assigned missions that aid the public, from neutralizing magical threats to studying and protecting endangered magical beasts. Success on these missions brings prestige, while failure can result in anything from a bad grade to expulsion—or even death, in the case of particularly dangerous assignments.

History & Governance

The Magus Guild was originally founded by several powerful Rye Ku clans as a way to centralize magical knowledge and train their own mages. Over the centuries, it expanded so far across the realms that it evolved into a semi-independent body.

Today, the Guild operates under a decentralized system. Each guildhouse is a self-contained academy led by an Archmage, who serves as the absolute authority for that location, overseeing all projects and acting as the final arbitrator. These guildhouses are typically located in civilized areas, far from active warzones, and are connected by a Gated Portal system that can only be operated by the Archmages in cases of extreme emergency. Despite their autonomy, all guildhouses are still heavily regulated by and ultimately answer to the founding Rye Ku clans.

Joining the Guild

Admission into the Magus Guild is difficult and costly. An initial application fee of 1,000 Geni is required simply to be tested. A prospective member must then pass three rigorous examinations:

The Test of Intelligence: A comprehensive exam of logic, history, and theoretical magical knowledge.
The Test of Magic: A practical demonstration of the applicant's raw magical potential and control over Demayth.
The Test of Psyche: A psychological evaluation to determine if the applicant is mentally and emotionally fit to wield the powerful magic taught by the Guild.

If an applicant passes all three tests, the local Archmage personally reviews their case and decides whether to grant them admission.

Ranks of the Magus Guild

The Guild has a strict hierarchy. A member's rank determines their influence, their access to resources and knowledge, and their responsibilities.

Archmage: The highest rank, leader of an entire guildhouse. Archmages sit on the council that dictates Guild-wide policy, from declaring support in a war to sanctioning the hunt for a rogue mage.
Master Magus: The second-highest rank. Master Magi are esteemed teachers and researchers, responsible for training lower-ranked members, holding lectures, and writing new texts for the Guild's libraries.
Spell Weaver: A respected rank for specialists who research and develop new spells, counter-spells, and magical artifacts for the Guild. Their contributions are vital to keeping the Guild's power and knowledge current.
Journeymen Magus: The most common full member rank, awarded to those who have successfully graduated from their apprenticeship. Journeymen carry out the bulk of the Guild's missions and have the right to pursue advancement into any of the higher ranks.
Apprentice Magus: The entry-level rank for all new members. Apprentices are seen as learners and are taught by all other ranks. They are often tasked with mundane duties like cleaning, assisting senior members, and basic component grinding, all while undertaking rigorous daily lessons. To advance, an Apprentice must pass the infamous Graduate Tests, which have a notoriously high failure rate.

Benefits of Membership

Students of the Guild have access to unparalleled knowledge. They can learn the arts of Spellcraft, Alchemy, and Artificery, study from extensive bestiaries, and uncover the deepest secrets of Demayth energy itself. While services and advanced teachings have costs, these fees are often reduced or waived entirely for members who successfully complete missions for the Guild.

Seekers Guild

The Seekers Guild is one of the most secretive and enigmatic organizations in the Demayth universe. Its stated purpose is to wander the realms in search of ancient or exceptionally powerful magical artifacts, not for use, but to hide them away within their vaults. They operate under the belief that certain items are too dangerous for anyone to possess and could be used to destroy a Gaia or even alter the fabric of reality itself.

History & Governance

The guild was founded long ago by a powerful and ancient Demigod Artificer named Huma Thahum. Over the centuries, he has adopted a new persona and is now known only as Baba Guma. He still personally guides the guild from a hidden, central sanctum.

The true guildhall of the Seekers is not in any of the mortal realms, but exists within its own magical plane created by Baba Guma. Only members of the guild can access the magical doorways that lead to its halls. This headquarters offers secure housing, workshops, and vast, magically protected storage vaults for the artifacts they collect.

Joining the Guild

The Seekers Guild does not accept applications. It sends its own recruiters out into the world to observe and select individuals who demonstrate a true passion for discovery and the willpower to handle dangerous knowledge. Those chosen to join must prove their loyalty and resilience through one of two harrowing initiations:

The Trial of Torture: The initiate is subjected to intense physical and psychological torture. The goal is not to break them, but to test their willpower and ensure they will not reveal the guild's secrets under duress. If they pass without breaking, they are welcomed as a member.
The Cursed Oath: The initiate willingly accepts a powerful divine curse. This curse typically strips them of their natural sight but grants them a new, magical perception (such as the ability to see through the eyes of all living creatures around them within 125 feet). The curse also magically prevents the member from revealing the guild's secrets; any attempt to do so results in instant death and the temporary capture of their soul within the guild's vaults.

Due to these extreme measures, the guild is secretive and gives out very little information about its members, its operations, or the artifacts it possesses.

Fighters Guild

Founded long ago by the great Orc warrior Nu, the Fighters Guild operates on a simple, brutal philosophy: true strength is forged and proven only through combat. The guild functions as a network of spartan barracks and intense training grounds, teaching Demigod warriors various methods of martial arts, the art of physical combat, and most importantly, how to overcome a spellcaster with sheer prowess and tactical aggression.

Purpose and Activities

Members of the Fighters Guild are more than just brawlers; they are highly sought-after combat specialists. Guild members often:

Are drafted into local military service as elite shock troops.
Work as mercenaries and bounty hunters, taking on contracts from nobles and common folk alike.
Serve as supplementary law enforcement in frontier towns.
Participate in grueling combat tournaments hosted by the guild or local arenas to earn glory and coin.

The guild is known for taking on extreme missions with low survival rates. This reputation for embracing impossible odds has earned it other names in various circles, such as the Mercenary's Guild, the Assassin's Guild, or simply, the Guild of Warriors.

History & Governance

The Fighters Guild can be found in nearly every realm, with guildhalls often built in harsh, remote locations like mountaintops to foster resilience. However, they send recruiters into civilized areas, seeking out tough and capable individuals willing to face any challenge—even, as the saying goes, "to fight a dragon hand-to-hand."

Each guildhall is built like a fortress and is run by a Guild Master. This title is not inherited or appointed; it is earned and held through combat. Any guild member can challenge the current Master for their title. This meritocratic and often violent succession ensures that only the strongest and most capable warriors lead. While the guild as a whole has no formal ranking system beyond "Master" and "Member," individual guildhalls may develop their own internal hierarchies based on mission success or tournament victories.

While they avoid lesser beasts, the Fighters Guild prides itself on its willingness to hunt down rogue Intent Gods or other powerful beings causing havoc, seeing it as the ultimate test of their strength.

Baron Guild

The Baron Guild was founded during the Promethean Generation by the human Noah Shun for a singular, noble purpose: to hunt down and eliminate powerful magical monsters and beasts that pose a threat to the people of the realms. Noah was the husband of the Promethean Kata Kiki, a powerful Demigod of feline appearance created by the goddess Maka Kiki. After Noah was tragically killed by a monster, Kata Kiki took leadership of the guild, continuing his mission for many years and establishing the traditions that endure to this day.

The guild is renowned for its courage and for taking on the most dangerous contracts, from destroying dens of vicious beasts to the nearly impossible task of slaying a Baron Beast.

Ranks of the Baron Guild

The Baron Guild is highly structured, with a clear hierarchy based on skill, experience, and accomplishment. Each rank is represented by a specific amulet.

Noble Hunter (Titan's Steel Amulet): The highest rank and the singular leader of the entire Baron Guild. Their word is law. This title can only be passed down by the current Noble Hunter's will, often to the most worthy Master Hunter upon their death or retirement.
Master Hunter (Palladium & Diamond Amulet): The second-highest rank. Master Hunters have earned the right to train others, run local guildhalls, and recruit new members. The diamonds on their amulets signify the number of Baron Beasts they have slain or the number of new Masters they have trained.
Expert Hunter (Palladium & Platinum Amulet): These seasoned hunters are trusted to take on high-tier contracts, hunt powerful beasts on their own, and may join a hunting party organized by a Master Hunter to take on a Baron Beast.
Journeymen Hunter (Palladium & Gold Amulet): Full members of the guild who have completed their apprenticeship. They can take on low-to-mid-tier contracts alone or with a group.
Scout (Palladium & Silver Amulet): Scouts are still considered to be in training but have more freedom than apprentices. Their duties include checking in with locals for new contracts, posting jobs, and scouting potential threats. They may only take on low-tier contracts by themselves.
Apprentice Hunter (Bronze Amulet): The entry-level rank for all new members. Apprentices cannot take on hunts by themselves and are responsible for the upkeep of the guildhall, repairing gear, and studying the guild's extensive bestiaries. They must earn the trust of higher-ranked hunters to be taken along on low-tier hunts.

Joining and Training

The Baron Guild is always welcoming to new recruits who have the courage to face down the world's monsters. To join, a prospective hunter need only meet with the Master Hunter of a local guildhall. If the Master deems them fit, they are accepted as an Apprentice.

Apprentices typically remain at the guildhall for two years, performing duties and studying. When the Master believes they are ready, they are promoted to the rank of Scout and allowed to venture out more freely.

Guildhalls and Culture

Baron Guildhalls can be found almost anywhere and often double as public taverns or inns. They are easily recognizable by the mounted heads and trophies of the guild's most glorious hunts displayed proudly on the walls. The guild itself tries to remain neutral in political conflicts, focusing solely on its mission to protect the innocent from monstrous threats.