The Rift Diver’s Guild

Organization   Guildmaster: Varik Hollowvein: A grizzled dwarf with a wealth of experience navigating the Rift. Known for his unflinching attitude and willingness to make harsh decisions for the guild’s survival. Directs high-level strategy, assigns priority missions, and handles relations with other guilds and city officials. Often seen as cold but fiercely protective of the guild’s reputation.   The Diver’s Council: A group of senior Diver Captains and advisors who assist the Guildmaster in decision-making. Responsibilities include evaluating artifact significance, planning large-scale expeditions, and ensuring the guild’s resources are allocated efficiently. Members: Ilara Ventis: A shrewd human tactician specializing in Rift navigation. Gorath Flintaxe: A retired Diver Captain who now manages artifact appraisals and sales. Selanir Farwind: An elven scholar and arcane expert who evaluates the risks of interacting with planar artifacts.   Diver Captains: Leaders of individual crews, responsible for planning routes, maintaining discipline, and ensuring their teams return alive. Captains have the authority to choose missions and are held accountable for the outcomes.   Field Operatives: Divers: The main workforce, tasked with venturing into the Rift to recover artifacts and resources. Scouts: Specially trained members who map uncharted areas, identify threats, and find safe paths. Guards: Protect Divers and Scouts during expeditions, often equipped with Rift-resistant armor and weapons.   Support Staff: Handlers: Manage the logistics of missions, including supplies, payments, and post-mission debriefs. Artificers: Repair and maintain equipment, often incorporating planar materials to enhance durability and efficiency. Medics: Trained in both mundane and magical healing to treat injuries sustained during missions.   Notable Members   Lira Tessandril: Role: Salvager with an uncanny ability to locate rare and valuable artifacts. Reputation: Known for her sharp wit and daring personality, she often pushes the boundaries of safety in the Rift.   Borik “Ironjaw” Grimstone: Role: Enforcer and disciplinarian, ensuring guild members follow orders and stay in line. Reputation: Gruff and intimidating, but with a deep loyalty to the guild’s mission.   Khalid Brightshard: Role: A human artificer specializing in crafting Rift-adapted gear for the guild. Reputation: Innovative but eccentric, often experimenting with risky combinations of magic and technology.   Serena Wyldmere: Role: A former Riftguard officer turned Diver Captain. Reputation: Disciplined and tactical, she is respected for her ability to lead successful missions under extreme conditions.   Ranks and Order   Apprentice Diver: Entry-level position for new recruits, tasked with assisting experienced Divers and learning Rift survival techniques. Must complete at least five supervised missions before promotion.   Diver: Core rank, responsible for artifact recovery and survival in the Rift. Experienced Divers may specialize as Scouts, Guards, or Salvagers.   Veteran Diver: Recognized for completing a significant number of successful missions, often tasked with training apprentices.   Diver Captain: Command individual crews and make critical decisions in the field.   Senior Captain: Act as mentors to other Captains and liaise with the Diver’s Council on guild-wide strategies.   Guildmaster: The ultimate authority, balancing the guild’s economic needs, safety, and reputation.   Internal Politics   Factional Tensions: Traditionalists: Believe in prioritizing the guild’s safety and reputation over risky profits. Profit-Seekers: Advocate for aggressive exploration to maximize returns, even at higher risks. Rivalries: Competitive spirit between crews often leads to rivalries, though outright sabotage is rare due to Borik Grimstone’s enforcement.   Facilities   The Diver’s Hall: Main Features: Bunkhouses: Provide rest and recovery for returning crews.   Artifact Vaults: Secure storage for retrieved items awaiting appraisal.   War Room: A central chamber for briefing crews and mapping expeditions.   Security: The vaults are heavily warded, and Borik Grimstone personally oversees their protection.   Training Grounds: Located adjacent to the Hall, featuring obstacle courses, combat training areas, and a small simulated Rift environment.   Workshop of Khalid Brightshard: A workshop within the Hall where gear is crafted and repaired using Rift materials.

The Rift Diver’s Guild has a distinct culture forged by the dangerous, high-stakes nature of its work and the unique challenges posed by the Rift District. Its culture reflects camaraderie, pragmatism, and a respect for the perils they face daily.   Core Values   Survival Above All The first and foremost rule is that no artifact or resource is worth a life. Teams are trained to prioritize the safety of their members and are expected to abandon a mission if it becomes too dangerous.   Pragmatism and Resilience Members are taught to think on their feet, improvise in dangerous situations, and accept that failure is part of the job. The guild has little tolerance for recklessness or overconfidence, valuing level-headed decision-making.   Camaraderie and Trust Crews form tight-knit bonds, often comparing themselves to family units. Betrayal or dishonesty among members is considered the ultimate taboo, punishable by permanent expulsion or worse.   Respect for the Rift The guild recognizes the Rift as both a source of wealth and a deadly adversary. Many members develop superstitions or rituals to “appease” the Rift before expeditions, such as small offerings or quiet prayers.   Everyday Life   Work Ethic Days are long and grueling, with members balancing intense training, briefings, and missions into the Rift. Physical and mental fitness are highly valued, and rookies are often pushed to their limits during their early years in the guild.   Training and Mentorship Apprentices learn directly from seasoned Divers, fostering a culture of mentorship and skill-sharing. Veterans are expected to pass down survival tactics, Rift lore, and the unspoken “rules of the Rift.”   Celebration of Success Returning from a successful expedition is cause for celebration at the Diver’s Hall, often marked with feasts, drinking, and storytelling. Artifacts of great significance or particularly perilous missions are commemorated with carvings or plaques in the Hall’s Wall of Valor.   Rituals and Superstitions   Pre-Expedition Rituals Many Divers carry personal tokens, charms, or runes believed to protect against Rift anomalies. Crews often share a moment of silence or a collective toast before entering the Rift.   Naming Expeditions Each mission is given a unique name, often reflecting its objective, crew, or perceived danger. Successful missions are remembered and recounted as part of the guild’s oral history.   The Return Bell A large brass bell hangs in the Diver’s Hall, rung upon the safe return of a crew. A somber tradition occurs when a crew is lost: the bell is rung once for every fallen member, and their names are etched into a memorial.   Social Dynamics   Rookies vs. Veterans New members, called Greenbacks, often face lighthearted hazing from veterans, such as being sent on wild goose chases or tasked with cleaning gear. Despite this, veterans take their role as mentors seriously, ensuring rookies are prepared for the dangers ahead.   Rivalries and Competition Friendly competition between crews is common, with members often boasting about their hauls or survival stories. Annual events like the Rift Diver’s Gauntlet, an obstacle course and scavenging competition, encourage camaraderie and showcase skills.   Eccentrics and Risk-Takers The guild attracts daring, unconventional individuals who thrive in high-risk environments. Some Divers develop eccentric habits or obsessions, such as collecting oddities from the Rift or chronicling every anomaly they encounter.   Guild Identity   Nicknames and Symbols Divers often adopt nicknames based on their exploits or quirks, such as "Ironjaw" Grimstone or "Flicker" Tessandril. The guild’s emblem is a broken compass surrounded by Rift-like swirling patterns, symbolizing the unpredictability of their work.   Outsider Perception To the rest of Barrensburg, the Rift Divers are seen as daring, enigmatic, and perhaps a little unhinged. Their willingness to delve into the Rift earns them respect, but their closeness to dangerous artifacts makes some wary of their influence.   Conflicts and Tensions   Profit vs. Safety While the guild preaches safety, there is constant pressure to recover valuable resources, leading to tension between leadership and field operatives. Some captains push their crews harder than others, earning reputations as either heroes or reckless gamblers.   Clashes with Other Guilds The Artificer’s League often accuses the Rift Divers of withholding valuable artifacts. Riftguard tensions arise when Rift Diver crews stumble into restricted areas or disrupt containment efforts.   Internal Division Traditionalists: Advocate for cautious, well-planned expeditions. Explorers: Push for deeper, riskier dives into uncharted areas to uncover greater riches.