#the guilds

"Yes, right up until the point when your head fell off."

"The trouble is," said Mr. Boggis, "that the job makes people mad. You take some chap who's no worse than any of us and after a few months he's talking to moss and having people flayed alive."

"Vetinari isn't mad."

"Depends how you look at it. No one can be as sane as he is without being mad."

Absolutely nobody needed to say: A lot of the most powerful men in the city owe their positions to Lord Vetinari.

And nobody replied: Certainly. But to the kind of men who seek power, gratitude has very poor keeping qualities.

The Guilds

The amazing, wonderful, perfect, light of my life and literally one of the few people still making me write, lady-idryl, made these banners for me after I told her about the Guilds in Ranger’s Cub! She’s absolutely incredible and you should all go follow her and talk to her!

Actually there is!

Five Mercenary Guilds are scattered throughout the world. Each more like a community than a band of warriors, and they operate separately from the laws of the country they’re based in, and Colin is a member of the Araluen Guild.

Araluen: Oaken, hidden away in one of the densest forests in the kingdom, is one of the largest and oldest Guilds to ever exist. Some claim its older than the uniting of the fiefs and the first Rangers were among its ranks. The current Guild Master is a former knight of King Oswald’s Royal Guard, and was stripped of his knighthood after attempting to stop Morgarath and his barons from sending Prince Duncan away.

Skandia: The Frost Wolves, high up in the mountains between Gallica and Skandia, Olav Silverbeard and his men, a former Skandia crew who left after being exiled by the Oberjarl who preceded Ragnak, will work for anyone with coin enough to hire them. Whoever said a Skandian was nothing without a ship?

Gallica: The Brotherhood, a relatively young Guild, formed fifty years ago by former Genovesans after being casted out of their country, they charge far more for their services, but a kill is guaranteed for the coin they ask. A Guild Master can have a man trained by the Brotherhood. For a price. But the training is said to change the man.

Arrida: The Dawn Watch, in a fortress deep in the desert, the Dawn Watch train and fight. One of the few places outside Araluen and the eastern Steppes where the bow is used for more than hunting, and are deadly with them. Their current Guild Master is Sonya Sun-Hair, and is known for her incredible beauty, and accuracy with her bow.

Picta: Though technically based in Picta, the Black Snakes roam more than stay in one place due to the way they operate. Their War Dogs are infamous and valuable, blooded on travellers, so they must move often or risk being attacked by the locals. Currently, they’re wandering Araluen, using bear attacks as an excuse for their dogs so they don’t alert the local Ranger to their activities.