B26 Adventures Guild
A broad timber-and-stone hall wrapped around a central common room, the Adventurers Guild is part tavern, part clubhouse, part job-office—Verbobonc’s newest and loudest answer to the question, “Where do we find heroes for hire?” Founded scarcely a year ago, it has already become the place for blades, spellcasters, and would-be legends to seek work, allies, and trouble.
A Haven for Heroes
Situated in the heart of the cobblestone streets of Verbobonc, the Adventurers Guild serves as a vibrant meeting point for those drawn to the life of adventure. Despite its recent establishment just a year ago, the guild has quickly become a central hub for adventurers due to the region's increasing popularity as a destination for quests and exploration. The guild combines the rustic charm of a traditional tavern with the organized structure of a modern guild, offering a range of services designed to support its members.
- Atmosphere and Culture: The guild is characterized by its lively, tavern-like environment where adventurers from diverse backgrounds share tales, broker deals, and prepare for new exploits.
- Purpose and Role: Provides support, information, and services to adventurers, fostering a community that encourages exploration and mutual assistance.
Atmosphere & Role in the City
Founded only a year ago in response to the surge of expeditions, treasure-hunters, and monster-problems around Verbobonc, the guild blends the comfort of a back-country tavern with the organization of a modern guildhouse.
- Haven for Heroes: A neutral meeting ground where rival companies drink under the same roof, trade warnings, and occasionally sign on to the same contract.
- Brokerage House: Jobs, bounties, escort work, and exploration charters from nobles, merchants, temples, and outlying villages all pass through the central message pole, the great pillar at the room’s heart plastered with handwritten notices.
- Civic Pressure Valve: City officials quietly encourage its growth; keeping heavily armed wanderers under one roof (and on documented jobs) makes life easier for the Vigil Wardens and magistrates.
Approaching the Adventurers Guild
The guildhall is a two-storey timbered structure facing the cobbles, its stone ground floor braced by heavy beams, its upper gallery jutting slightly over the street. A painted signboard hangs above the double doors: a stylized compass rose ringed with sword, staff, bow, and tankard, and beneath it, in neat Common:
ADVENTURERS GUILD – JOBS • ROOMS • MESSENGERS.
Light glows from tall windows; shadows of mailed shoulders and gesturing hands slide across the glass. Somewhere inside, a chorus takes up a rowdy marching song while a deeper voice bellows for someone to get off the gaming table. The whole building feels like a stormcloud of stories waiting to break over whoever steps through the door.
Interior Layout
Main Hall – The Den of Deeds
Stepping in, you are swallowed by an organized chaos of:
- Long oak tables and benches scattered around a central stone hearth.
- A heavy bar along one wall serving cheap stew, decent ale, and stronger stuff for those who’ve had a good haul.
- A raised gallery and balcony running the second-storey walls, lined with bookshelves, trophy cases, and doors to private rooms.
At the very center stands the hall’s defining feature:
- The Message Pole – the structural pillar of the building, wrapped in layers of parchment: contracts, warnings, “help wanted” notices, scrawled boasts, and desperate pleas. Knives, pins, and wax-seals hold the layers together; new postings are added daily.
The atmosphere is that of a rowdy common room—songs, arguments, and the occasional arm-wrestling contest—yet underneath it runs a surprisingly strict expectation of guild law: steel stays sheathed unless you sign for an arena bout in the yard.
Map Room & Strategy Chambers
Off to one side, a quieter wing holds:
- A large regional map of the Viscounty and surrounding wilds, annotated with colored pins and scribbled notes: “goblin sign,” “ruined tower,” “bandit ambush,” “DO NOT GO HERE – Ogres.”
- Small meeting rooms with sturdy tables, where patrons meet parties to discuss terms, or companies plan expeditions away from the din.
These rooms are available to members at no extra cost and to non-members for a fee.
Upper Floor – Suites & Library Loft
The second floor, reached by a broad stair from the main hall, contains:
- Private suites and bunkrooms for members—simple but comfortable, with lockable chests and shutters.
- A resource library: shelves of books on local lore, histories, and monster compendia, plus folders of prior job reports and trail notes.
Membership includes access to both sleeping quarters and the library; non-members can sometimes buy supervised reading time.
History
The guild's foundation is a response to the growing demand for organized support structures for adventurers in Verbobonc, reflecting the city’s strategic importance in regional politics and trade.
- Establishment: Founded just a year ago amidst a surge in adventurer activity in the area.
- Growth and Popularity: Rapidly became a popular institution in the city, indicating a significant demand for its services.
Relationships and Politics
The guild maintains various relationships with local entities, navigating the complex socio-political landscape of Verbobonc to secure its place within the city.
- Local Authorities: Works closely with city officials to ensure that its operations complement local law enforcement and civic plans.
- Other Guilds: Occasionally collaborates with other guilds and merchant associations to enhance the services it offers to its members.
Notable People
The guild is a melting pot of characters, each contributing to the rich tapestry of stories and skills within the community.
- Guild Members: A diverse group of adventurers, from seasoned warriors to aspiring mages, all looking for opportunities to lend their skills or find employment.
- Leadership: Managed by a small group of experienced adventurers who founded the guild, focusing on sustainable growth and member support.
Membership and Cost
Joining the Adventurers Guild comes with a set of benefits and responsibilities, structured to foster a supportive and law-abiding community of adventurers.
- Membership Fee: Costs 10gp per month, granting access to all guild services and facilities.
- Legal and Ethical Standards: Members are expected to uphold certain ethical standards; involvement in illegal activities can lead to expulsion and further actions by the guild.
Law, Ethics & Politics
Membership comes with an expectation of “professional heroism”:
- Members are required to obey city law while in Verbobonc and are strongly discouraged from taking criminal contracts; confirmed illegal work can mean expulsion and the guild testifying against the offender. B26 Adventures Guild
- The guild works with local authorities to share warnings about monsters, cults, and trouble spots, but jealously protects client confidentiality within legal bounds.
- Other guilds and merchant houses sometimes envy its influence; a few High Quarter nobles mutter that “sellswords should know their place.” For now, the guild’s usefulness keeps it tolerated and even courted.
Adventure Hooks
- The Missing Poster
A job notice promising rich reward for work near Nulb appears on the message pole—then vanishes overnight, along with the patron who posted it. The Council quietly asks the PCs to track down who removed it and whether the offer was a Temple of Elemental Evil trap. - Bad Apples in Good Company
A notorious group of thugs seeks membership to launder their reputation. The Vigil Wardens pressure the Council to refuse them, but the letter of the guild’s charter doesn’t forbid it. The PCs may be asked to dig into the applicants’ past—or to shadow them on their first sanctioned job. - The Safe House Breach
One of the supposedly secure “rope-trick-like” safe rooms is compromised; a member is found dead inside with no signs of forced entry. Is there a traitor, a flaw in the wards, or something worse? The Council needs discreet investigators. - Council Seat for Sale
As the guild grows, a wealthy sponsor offers a sizable endowment… in return for a place on the Founders’ Council. Some see this as necessary growth; others smell the fingers of a noble house—or Temple sympathizers—reaching for control. Where the PCs stand could shape the guild’s future.
Called Before the Council
A broad-shouldered guildsman leads you along the balcony to a heavy door banded in iron. Pinned to it is a simple notice:
FOUNDERS’ COUNCIL – KNOCK FIRST.
He raps twice, opens without waiting for an answer, and waves you in. The room beyond is long and low-beamed, lit by lanterns and a fire burning steady in the hearth. A large oaken table dominates the center, its surface scarred by knives and ink alike. Maps of the Viscounty, the Kron Hills, and the Gnarley lie spread in overlapping layers, weighted with tankards and knife-hilts.
Three figures look up as you enter:
- A weathered man in mail and worn blue surcoat, gray at the temples, arms folded across his chest—eyes sharp and measuring.
- A dark-haired woman in plain wizard’s robes, quill still poised over a ledger, gaze bright behind the glass of a monocle.
- A halfling in mail with a sunburst brooch, feet barely touching the floor from his chair, hands wrapped around a steaming mug.
The door shuts behind you with a solid thunk. Suddenly the weight of the hall’s reputation is very real. These are not tavern braggarts—they are the people who decide which blades the city calls on when things go wrong.
Founders’ Council – First-Meeting Dialogue
(For the DM to read as a single, flowing scene.)
Rydan Thornmail: “Right, then.”
The mailed man pushes off from the wall and takes the central chair, gauntlets resting on the table as he studies you one by one.
“You’re the company that pulled those drovers out by Oakbridge. Or so this says.”
He taps the folded contract on the table—your contract—bearing the merchant’s seal and a quick note of commendation.
“Name’s Rydan Thornmail. Used to swing a sword on the caravans, now I mostly swing a quill. This is Mistress Selis of Dyvers, and Brother Elgan Fairstep. Between us, we try to keep this madhouse pointed at the right monsters.”
Brother Elgan: The halfling raises his mug in salute, eyes crinkling.
“Well met, well met. Sit, if you like. You look as though the road’s been chewing on you and didn’t quite finish the bite.”
Selis: The wizard inclines her head, quill still ticking softly against the ledger.
“You’d be amazed how many wander in here with tales and no witnesses. You, at least, bring a signed hand and clear details. I appreciate that.”
She flicks her eyes over the contract, lips moving as she reads.
“Bandits scattered, hostages returned, only one mule lost. Efficient.”
Rydan: He grunts, not quite a smile but close.
“Which brings us to why you’re up here instead o’ down there sweating in the common. You want in. Guild badges, access to the map-room, someone to vouch for you when a noble or temple comes asking for ‘reliable professionals.’ That about the shape of it?”
His gaze fixes on you, level as a drawn blade.
“Understand what that means. We’re not a band of cutpurses with a signboard. You take work through us, you keep city law. You bring your grudges to the arena or the wrestling pit, not the street. And when you see something ugly out there—cult signs, undead in too many numbers, Temple rumors—you bring word back. Not just for coin. For everyone who walks out those doors after you.”
Brother Elgan: He nods, setting his mug down with a soft clink.
“We patch you up when we can, lend a bed when you’re down on your luck, and say a few words over you if it comes to that. In return, we ask you don’t make us ashamed to say we knew you.”
Selis: She slides a small stack of brass pins across the table—each stamped with the guild’s compass rose.
“Membership dues are ten gold a month. That buys you access to the library, the safe rooms, and formal messenger service to other guilds when caravans leave. More importantly, it puts your names on this.”
She taps another ledger: rows of company names, some neatly crossed out, some annotated with terse notes in the margin.
“Patrons ask us whom to trust. We do not lie.”
Rydan: He leans forward, resting his forearms on the table.
“So. You’ve shown you can keep folk alive on the road once. You want the compass rose on your cloaks, say it plain. Are you ready to sign your names in our book, take our work, and be accounted for as proper guild adventurers of Verbobonc?”
His eyes narrow, weighing your next words.
“Think on it a breath. After this, every good deed—or fool’s move—you make will have a place on our pages.”
Verbobonc Locations Referenced by Type
B26 – Adventurers Guild
- Type: Guildhall / Adventuring Consortium
- District: Business Quarter (just off the main market streets, near the heart of B1–B30) B26 Adventures Guild
- Owner: The Founders’ Council of the Adventurers Guild
- Primary Factions: Free adventurers, caravan guards, scouts, monster-hunters, city officials who hire them
Leadership & Staff
The guild is run by a Founders’ Council of experienced adventurers who saw profit and stability in banding their kind together. B26 Adventures Guild You can name them as fits your campaign; the default assumption:
- Guildmaster Rydan Thornmail (NG human fighter/rogue): Retired caravan champion, handles contracts and discipline.
- Mistress Selis of Dyvers (N human wizard): Oversees messengers, arcane services, and the library.
- Brother Elgan Fairstep (LG halfling cleric): Keeps the peace, tends minor wounds, and arbitrates disputes.
A rotating cast of bartenders, scribes, and hired bouncers keeps the place running from dawn till long past midnight.
Goods & Services
Per the original write-up, membership costs 10 gp per month and includes most guild services.
For Members (included in dues):
- Library Access: Use of lore books, monster compendia, local histories, and prior expedition notes.
- Messenger Service: A mundane-plus system mimicking sending—short, written messages relayed to other known Adventurers Guilds in major cities when caravans or barges depart.
- Safe House: Secure private rooms and a hidden panic space designed to mirror a rope trick refuge—offering up to 8 hours of safe rest from pursuit.
- Healing & Bed Rest:
- Minor wound treatment free for “devout members” who support the guild’s ethos.
- Non-magical bed rest with simple meals for a token 1 cp/night.
For Non-Members:
- May post and accept jobs through the message pole for a fee or cut of payment.
- Can rent meeting rooms, buy access to certain maps, or pay standard rates for basic bed space and minor healing (typically 1 gp donation or less).
Guild Membership
- Cost: 10 gold pieces per month.
- Benefits: Includes access to all guild services, private rooms, and sanctuary in legal disputes.
Library Access
- Cost: Included in the membership fee.
- Details: Access to a collection of books on local culture, history, and a compendium on local and exotic monsters.
Messenger Service
- Cost: Included in the membership fee.
- Details: A service similar to the 'sending' spell, allowing short messages to be delivered to other adventurers' guilds in major cities.
Safe House
- Cost: Included in the membership fee.
- Details: Provides a safe haven for members for up to 8 hours, similar to the effects of the 'Rope Trick' spell.
Healing Services
Minor Wound Treatment
- For Devout Members: Free.
- For Non-Members or Non-Devout: 1 gold piece or less, typically as a minor donation.
Non-Magical Bed Rest
- Cost: 1 copper piece per night, which includes minor meals.
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