Tailspine Lodge

Hunter Gatherers

Tailspine Lodge is an Empire Sanctioned Guild that is responsible for providing meat, leathers/furs, and some potion ingredients to cities & towns. Guild members are those who enjoy being out in nature for weeks on end before coming back to society to sell what they hunted. Recruiters are looking for people who could be dropped off in the middle of the woods naked and find their way back to their home town. Of course, they also expect a certain level of knowledge in plantlife and expertise in tracking, killing, and skinning animals. Tailspine Lodge does not advicate animal hatred or genocide, and in fact try their best to keep the natural balance and avoid causing extinction. They respect every kill and appreciate their sacrifice, and sometimes keep certain animals as pets and treat them as family or hunting partners. Members are also keen observers of nature itself, able to find nearby water sources, roughly predict weather, anticipate season changes, and of course, find true north without a compass.

Branches & Species

Just like many other E.S.G.s there are a few different branches that are responsible for different specialties within the realm of hunting and gathering. They also have what they refer to as "Species" which are effectively the ranks within the guild. The species in order of bottom to top are as follows; Badger, Wolf, Puma, Bear, Manticore, & Dragon. Badgers are Lodge initiates, they are can join hunting packs & take on targets of Shooting Stage. Wolves are members who've gained enough experience to lead a "Pack" of about 3 to 7 Badgers & Wolves and can take on targets of Limiting-Out Stage or lower. Pumas are the best solo members of the Tailspine Lodge that usually do not work well in larger groups compared to when they are solo. They also can take on targets of Trophy Stage or lower & have seniority over badgers and wolves but do not have the same authority as wolves to lead a pack. Bears are some of the most knowledgable members of the Lodge and they use that wisdom to give out information on targets to other members for a small fee. Bears are also the ones who run the shops within the Tailspine Lodge building itself and can lead a Gang which is up to 3 Packs at a time. Bears can take on targets of Method Stage or lower. Manticores are the fiercest members of Tailspine Lodge able to lead a a Gang as well as advise a Flock which is 5 to 8 Gangs. They are the most dangerous and effective members, able to take on targets of Sportsman Stage or lower. They get a slightly better cut for any game that they turn in, as well as a tiny cut of all of the game their Flock brings in as well. Each Branch picks one of the Maticore level hunters to be the leader of said Branch. There is only one Dragon who is the current acting leader of Tailspine Lodge.

Game Hunter Branch

This branch specializes in hunting animals for food and other usefull parts such as pelts & ivory. Members in this branch are especially knowledgable when it comes to animals of all shapes and sizes. Typically they are incredibly stealthy and use a bow & arrow to kill their game from afar without being noticed. Game Hunters are also the best when it comes to tracking through natural signs, such as tracks, scat, blood, & hair; as well as predicting animal behavior like mating habits, migration patterns, preferred shelters, & nearby water sources. They have access to a fletchery, tanning racks, bait, & other miscellaneous hunting gear. For each item they turn in, depending on if its a full carcass, a pelt, specific organs, the head, or small parts (antlers, claws, teeth, etc.) they get a small cut of the profits of the projected worth of said animal parts. Members in this branch tend to be rangers or fighters so they can effectively use ranged weapons proficiently.  

Botanical Hunter Branch

This branch specializes in gathering varius plant life for potions, medicines, and spices. Members in this branch are especially knowledgable in anything and everything botanical. Typically they are the best when it comes to being aware of things such as weather, climate, seasons, & different types of terrain and how those things effect the plantlife. They still have to be able to protect themselves in combat since there are still dangerous animals in the wild that you have to watch out for, even if you're not looking for them. Members are usually really fast and nimble as well, since they don't want to stay in one area any longer than they need to, and when there is a threat that they aren't capable of taking out they can just run away. Their nimbleness combined with their tenacity and resourcefullness helps them reach hard to reach areas and survive harsh conditions to get the rarest ingredients. A lot of druids and rangers are in this branch so they can either shapeshift and blend in, or cast spells like animal friendship to get out of sticky situations. They also have spells such as speak with plants for obvious reasons, and in the rare case where they are dealing with a sentient plant such as an awakened tree.  

Bounty Hunter Branch

This branch specializes in taking bounties on criminals or problem animals/monsters. Members in this branch are especially knowledgable in ciminal psychology and are usually the strongest members in combat. Typically they are also the most charismatic in the Lodge since they need to ask around a lot more to get information on targets and ocassionally intimidate, persuade, or decieve their target. Members tend to use poisons and other subterfuge techniques to eliminate their targets since they don't normally have to worry about the quality of the carcass after a kill. Since they don't really collect anything to turn in for the guild, instead the guild puts in the effort to gather as many bounties together as possible, versus most taverns having only 1 or 2, in exchange for a percentage of the bounty reward. Their strength in combat, charismatic persona, and subterfuge tactics combine to make some of the most deadly assassins in Tailspine Lodge. That being said, Rogues are the most abundant in this Branch, followed by Rangers and Fighters. This branch tends to have the most vendors and craftors in the Lodge as well.  

The Dragon of Tailspine Lodge

The leader of Tailspine Lodge a.k.a. The Dragon, is a literal female Adult Green Dragon named Thothmiir, The Scarred. True to her name, she has many scars on her face and over her body, which some people may initially see as a sign of weakness. It is Thothmiir's choice however, since it would be trivial to heal those scars with lesser restoration. In fact, Thothmiir views scars as a sign of experience and hardiness, showing proof that one can live through tough battles. She is also aware of the intimidation factor, especially when she takes on her green tiefling form, which she does very often. In her dragon form she adorns a necklace made from bones, horns, claws, and teeth from her most proud kills. She also adorns custom made leather armor from the pelt of a Dire Mammoth. In her tiefling form the relatively giant necklace gets pieced apart and accessorized on different parts of her body, some teeth staying on a necklace, two skulls acting as pauldrons, a few bones strapped to the side of her limbs, claws turned into various piercings on her face, and horns strapped around her belt. She wears leather armor made from the pelt of a dire wolf and boots made from saber tooth tiger pelt. She wields a Dragonwing Longbow, a Dagger of Venom, and wears Bracers of Archery. In this form she is a level 15 Arcane Archer.  

Branch Chiefs

For each Branch of Tailspine Lodge there is a Chief who leads it. Chief is not a rank or "Species" but a leadership title granted only to Manticore level hunters. There are few dozen or so Manticores within Tailspine Lodge, but there are only 3 Chiefs. These are handpicked by The current acting Dragon and the title cannot be refused and the Chief can be replaced for any reason if the Dragon deems it necessary. The current Chief of the Game Hunter Branch is a female Centaur, Fey Wanderer Ranger named Riavi. The current Chief of the Botanical Hunter Branch is a male Topaz Kobold, Circle of the Land Druid named Zorn. The current Chief of the Bounty Hunter Branch is a male Black Dragonborn Assassin Rogue named Aldeth Drasashi.