The guildhall doors open onto a broad room of scarred tables, weapon racks, and loud voices. Adventurers fill nearly every bench, trading boasts beneath banners stained by years of smoke and dust.
At the far counter stands a young adult woman with dark braided hair, warm brown skin, and a green guild sash over a practical brown dress. A silver key hangs at her throat.
A few heads turn toward Aiden's travel-worn coat and sword. Nearby conversations falter, then resume as he crosses the crowded floor toward the receptionist.
The Guild Receptionist
Good morning. New registration, I take it?
She draws a thick ledger from beneath the counter and sets out a sharpened quill. Its pages are crowded with names, contracts, and inked marks of completed work.
The Guild Receptionist
State your name, and I will start your entry. If you have training or a sponsor, mention that as well.
The receptionist rests one hand on the open ledger and waits, while the guild's noise rolls around the counter like distant surf.
✓ Quest Accepted
Register with the adventurers' guild
“hi my name is Aiden i have training in the sword and magic”
SUCCESS (Fair Reasoning, rolled +0)
Aiden Cross
Hi. My name is Aiden. I have training in swordplay and magic.
The receptionist writes his name in a firm, practiced hand, then adds swordplay and magic beneath it. The guildhall's din briefly presses close around the counter.
The Guild Receptionist
Aiden, then. Sword and magic are useful credentials, though broad ones. I will record both for now.
She sands the fresh ink and turns the ledger slightly toward herself. The exact school and limits of his magic remain unrecorded, leaving that detail for later verification.
The Guild Receptionist
Your entry is started. I still need to mark what sort of magical training you possess, but your name and disciplines are accepted.
The Guild Receptionist
Do you seek a contract today, or are you here to learn how the guild works first?
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn how the guild works
“i'm yes i would like to learn about the guild in how it works and i minor in ice and healing magic if that helps”
FAILURE (Fair Reasoning, rolled -1)
Aiden Cross
Yes, I would like to learn how the guild works. I also minor in ice and healing magic, if that helps.
The receptionist adds two brief notes to the ledger, then taps the quill against the page. Around them, the Guild Adventurers continue their noisy bargaining and boasts.
The Guild Receptionist
That helps narrow your training. Ice is a combat discipline, while healing falls under support magic. The guild records both, but does not certify either without a demonstration.
She turns the ledger toward him and gestures through several cramped columns: registration, contract tier, proof of completion, and the guild's share of each reward.
The Guild Receptionist
In simple terms, you register, choose an available contract, report its completion, and collect the listed payment. The finer rules depend on rank and danger.
The explanation becomes a tangle of exceptions and unfamiliar terms before she finishes. Noticing his confusion, she points toward a slate board beside the entrance, where a blue mark appears beside several postings.
The Guild Receptionist
Start with the blue-marked contracts. They are open to new adventurers and may be read without accepting one. That will show you how the system works more clearly than this ledger can.
“that helps me get started thanks, is there anything else i need to do?”
SUCCESS (Fair Reasoning, rolled +1)
Aiden Cross
That helps me get started, thanks. Is there anything else I need to do?
The receptionist considers the question, then flips past the crowded registration columns to a short checklist near the ledger's end. The guildhall noise rolls around them.
The Guild Receptionist
Only a few things. Sign your entry, show your guild mark when accepting a contract, and report honestly when you return.
She points to a blank line beneath his recorded disciplines, then taps a small brass seal stamped into the ledger's cover.
The Guild Receptionist
There is no fee for the initial registration. Your first contract will establish your standing, and demonstrations are only required if a contract demands certified magic.
The Guild Receptionist
Sign there, Aiden. After that, you may read the blue-marked postings and ask me about any rule that still seems unclear.
The quill waits beside the indicated line, its dark point glinting in the lamplight. Beyond the counter, blue-marked contracts rustle whenever the entrance doors open.
Quest Complete
Learn how the guild works
Attribute Upgrade: Reasoning Fair→Good
“i grab the quill and sign on the line as shown”
SUCCESS (Good Agility, rolled -1)
Aiden takes the offered quill and bends over the ledger. The pointed nib catches his finger as he signs, leaving a sharp sting and a small red mark, but his name settles clearly on the line.
He sets the quill down. The receptionist sands the fresh signature, then presses the brass seal beside the entry with a firm tap.
The Guild Receptionist
There. Your registration is signed and active.
She closes the ledger halfway, keeping one hand on its cover while the other gestures toward the blue-marked slate near the entrance.
The Guild Receptionist
You may read those postings now. If one interests you, bring it here and show your guild mark before accepting it.
The sting in Aiden's finger fades as the guildhall resumes its steady clamor. Several blue-marked contracts rustle on the slate whenever the entrance doors admit another breath of cold air.
Quest Complete
Register with the adventurers' guild
Attribute Upgrade: Reasoning Good→Great
New gift: Guildwise Bearing