#pmdv

[pmdvarlaja]

1.1 - Arrival

Have you ever heard of the Guild?  Its Wardens are said to be great heroes: of valor, strength, and wisdom.  They readily journey the land to seek that which has been lost, combat the forces of evil, and uncover the mysteries of our past.  Explorers.  Mercenaries.  Researchers.  Together, these three branches form the Guild, shining a beacon across the lands of Varlaja from their fortress headquarters of Sentinel's Watch.

So you see?  That's what I want to be.  A true Warden of the Guild, both in title and in spirit.  I want to be that hero, I want to carry that light, I want my deeds of good to outshine all that I have done wrong in the past.  But it's best not to dwell on the past, right?  The past is no longer who you are: you are who you make yourself in the present moment, and in your future.  So, me?  I may not be one yet, but I know that I am a Warden at heart.

My name is Quinn.  For 18 years of my life I was a criminal.  I stole, I killed, I committed atrocities I am still trying to put out of my mind.  But now, that is no longer me.  The Quinn that used to be is no more.  A month ago I set out for Sentinel's Watch, with one goal in mind: I will move beyond what my life had made me and make proud the parents I never had the chance to know.

So I ask, will you join me?  Join me on this adventure into the unknown, walking the path of redemption and heroism.  I do not know where it will take me, I do not know who I will meet, what challenges I will face.  All I do know is that my back is to my past and the unknown future lies before me.  But first...  I have to wake up.

"Hey, you awake?"

Quinn's eyes fluttered open at the voice, slowly raising his head as he pressed a paw against it.  His head was pounding; resting it against the hard wood bench he had been riding on apparently hadn't been a good idea after all.  "Ugh...  I am now..." he spoke, flexing his jaws.  "Would've brought a pillow if I had known this was what my coin would get me..."

"That's what you get for travel on the cheap," the voice from before said.  As he raised his head, Quinn recognized it as the Chesnaught who sat on the bench opposite Quinn's.  The large, bulky Pokemon was taking up most of the limited space in the carriage, and as the moving vehicle rolled over a bump in the road Quinn could tell that its balance was off from uneven weight distribution.  Shaken and slid about on the bench, Quinn quickly grabbed onto a wooden post behind him before he went flying out the window.

"All I could afford.  What about you, big guy?  Seems you should have picked something larger yourself."  Quinn could barely remember the Chesnaught getting on at their previous stop; they hadn't talked back then, only for Quinn to fall asleep until now.  He glanced around the small vehicle, noting the Pokemon crammed against the walls to either side of the Chesnaught.

The large Pokemon gave a shrug, their hands easily touching the carriage's roof.  "Never said I was rich.  Asides, sometimes I like seeing what little folk experience, Eevee."

Quinn brushed his brown fur down and reached up with both paws to adjust his bandanna and goggles.  They sat atop his head, the red cloth wrapped around his scalp and forcing his ears to lay low while the large round goggles sat on the bandanna over his forehead.  Idly Quinn pulled the goggles up and off his head, reaching into a pouch on his belt and removing a cloth he used to wipe the lenses down with; dirt had accumulated on them from the road through the carriage's open windows.

"Call me Quinn," the Eevee ultimately replied as he finished cleaning the goggles, putting the cloth away and restoring the eyewear atop his head.  He gestured with his right paw in the air, a pair of gold bangles clinking against each other at the motion.  "You heading to Sentinel's Watch as well?"

The Chesnaught nodded with a smile across his face.  "Yep, that be right.  It is my home, after all."  He cocked his head, looking above Quinn and out the window the Eevee was sitting under.  "Should be getting close now."

"Wait, you live there?  So you're with the Guild?"  The tips of Quinn's ears twitched and his tail flicked about, slapping against the wall.

"Yep, again.  What about you, little guy?"  The Chesnaught sat up straight, or at least tried to.  When his head bumped against the roof, he was forced to lean back down again.

Quinn paused, pursing his lips as he considered how to answer.  Ultimately, he replied with, "It's my first time coming to the place, though hopefully not the last."

"Oh, I get what you mean.  You're a new recruit, aintcha?"  A few of the other riders in the caravan looked over at that, Quinn sighing as he found himself the center of attention, stared at by a half dozen strangers.

"Y-yes, I, uh...  Well...  Yes, that's it.  I hope to join the Guild."  Having found that oddly hard to say, Quinn nodded in satisfaction at his simple declaration.  He'd have to get used to considering himself part of it soon enough, after all.

"That's the stuff!  We got a newbie here, fellas!  Not that I'll pry into why you join, no sir..."  The Chesnaught slapped a thick arm against his leg, shaking the carriage in the process.  They were positively beaming at Quinn, the Eevee finding himself pressing his back against the wooden carriage wall as the hulking beast leaned in close to him, their head stretching across the open center of the carriage.

"Aw, it's always good to see new faces around these parts.  Why, I remember when I was but a Chespin and joining the Guild meself.  Was in much the same position as you, now!  There I was, setting out on my adventure, searching the world for a meaning to life...  Maybe that's the same for you?  Nay, probably not, but as I said I won't pry.  We all have our own story to tell, but it must be written first."

Quinn gave the stranger an inquisitive look.  It was a bit unnerving to be practically fawned over like this, but the big guy seemed to mean well.  Before the Eevee could respond with anything though the Chesnaught glanced upwards and grinned.  "Lookie there, the beginning of your story is coming into view."

Sliding off the bench to his feet, Quinn turned about and crawled back up in reverse, grabbing at the side of the carriage to pull himself up enough to see out the window.  Expansive farmland scrolled by alongside the dirt road the convoy was traveling, but as the caravan turned around a bend something new came into view.

A great wall of gray stone encircled a fortress--no, a city.  In ages past Sentinel's Watch was said to have been a fortress to protect against raiders who came by sea, but now it was so much more.  Those great walls enclosed and protected the city, and rising up at its heart were the five tall towers of the fortress' keep.  The points of some roofs could be seen sticking up over the walls, though Quinn knew that most of the city was hidden behind them.  Still, Sentinel's Watch was an imposing sight, only growing larger as the convoy approached.

Unfortunately, the road was curving again and bringing the fortress out of view as the carriage headed directly for it.  The Eevee frowned and tilted his head, before something lit inside his mind and he reached up to pull his goggles down over his eyes.  Narrowing his gaze behind the glass lenses, Quinn reached his paws through the open window and felt around before grabbing on to some exposed wood ribbing on the carriage's exterior.  Sticking his head out next, Quinn grinned as he climbed through the window while clinging to those wooden ribs.

"Hey, that's a wee bit dangerous!" The Chesnaught yelled in concern, Quinn looking back over his shoulder as he stood on the windowsill, finding the large Pokemon having leaned across the carriage.

"Don't worry!  I've done far worse before!" The Eevee laughed as he slid his feet down, finding a small crack in the wood to wedge them into.  Now holding on to the outside of the carriage, Quinn made sure he was holding on tight with one paw before letting go with the other.  The Eevee swung outwards away from the carriage on a pivot, bringing him to face the fortress they were approaching.

The convoy was heading towards a large gate sat in the middle of the curved outer wall.  Quinn smiled as he glanced around, looking at how the farmland pressed right up against that wall.  Dirt paths wove through the fields, all connecting together at the grand entrance to Sentinel's Watch.  High in the air above that gate a portcullis was raised, and doors that looked as if they'd require a team of Machamp to move were swung open to welcome the convoy and other visitors.

That convoy was just about there now.  It stretched far in front of and behind the carriage Quinn was hanging out from.  He could just make out the first carriages and carts passing through the gate, armored Pokemon mobilizing along the path and even high above atop the wall.  The guards were hard to make out individually from this distance, but they appeared to be of all sorts of different sizes, shapes, and species.

"Hey, what's your name?" Quinn asked, glancing over through the window he had crawled out of to the Chesnaught still inside.  A wild smile was spread across the Eevee's face and behind those goggles protecting his eyes from the wind Quinn's golden eyes were sparkling.

"Heh...  It be Duncan.  You're one wildcard, you know that?"  The Chesnaught chuckled, relaxing some but keeping his guard up, ready to lunge out and grab Quinn were he to slip.

"Wildcard, huh?  Yeah...  I think that fits.  Thank you, Duncan!  I hope we meet again!"  With a broad grin, Quinn pressed his free paw against his forehead in a salute.

"Meet again?  But wait...  Hey!"  Duncan yelled out, but it was too late.  Quinn swung back towards the carriage, grabbing on to it and climbing up with the speed of someone who was well experienced climbing moving vehicles.  The Chesnaught tried to grab the Eevee's bushy tail as it passed, but it was yanked up just a moment too soon as Quinn crawled onto the carriage's roof.  "You crazy bastard!  You're gonna go far!" Duncan roared in laughter, already hearing the pounding footsteps of Quinn running along the carriage's roof.

There were about ten carriages ahead of the one Quinn had started on.  After getting his balance atop the moving roof, the Eevee dropped to all four feet and began to sprint.  He smiled as he heard Duncan shout after him, but he couldn't reply.  Instead, he jumped.  From the roof of the carriage Quinn jumped down to the backs of the Tauros pulling it, vaulting from there up to the next carriage's roof.  He heard angry shouts from behind him, but he ignored those too.

Quinn kept running and leaping between carriages.  Not all were pulled by Tauros, he found that a few actually seemed to be electrically-powered.  Pausing atop one of the carriages near the front, Quinn stood up again just as it pulled underneath the city gate.  He spotted some guards giving him weird looks, saluting at them as he flashed a grin.  "Riding is too slow, dontcha know?"

There it was, now coming into view as the gate and wall slid behind Quinn.  The city of Sentinel's Watch, not just the walls that surrounded it anymore.  Right beyond the gate was a large plaza surrounded by a park, keeping the immediate area clear of buildings.  To either side, left or right, he could see rows of streets and buildings farther off.  Ahead too he could make some out, past the parks and fountains.  The road they were on cut through them all, heading straight to the second, inner set of walls that surrounded the fortress' keep.

That was his stop, Quinn knew.  Crouching down to run again, he propelled himself forward, leaping to the next carriage and from there to the very first.  Diving off it to the side, the Eevee rolled through the grass for a moment before righting himself and bracing with a paw.  Standing up to his legs, Quinn quickly brushed his fur down and glanced about at the few Pokemon that had taken notice of his entrance.

"Geeze, you all act like you've never seen someone run and jump before."  Quinn rose a paw and shrugged dismissively as he began to walk, slowing down now to take in the sights.  Pokemon rushed about to and fro, some playing in the park, others relaxing, and yet more seeming to move with a purpose much like Quinn.  Roads from both the left and right half of the city crossed through this central park, and there was no shortage of Pokemon traveling them.

"I'm here..." Quinn muttered under his breath, stopping still as he looked up with his gaze scanning from the base of the keep to the top of its towers.  "A new chapter, no, a whole new story...  Where will it take me now?"

[pmdvarlaja]

Quinn: The Wildcard

Species: Eevee Gender: Male Age: 18 Origin: Ivorith

(Art drawn by Rai)

Appearance: Average size for an Eevee, Quinn tends to stand and walk on his hind legs.  This is both to make him appear larger than he actually is, as well as for the superior maneuverability in tight spaces such as the deck of a ship, and to keep his hands free to hold onto things and use objects including weapons.  All four of his paws are a darker brown than the rest of his fur, while he has golden yellow eyes.  He wears a red bandanna over his scalp, tied around his head as a hat, which forces his ears to hang low.  Over the bandanna he has a pair of round silver goggles that sit on his forehead.  Around his waist is a black belt with pouches and pockets he can hold tools in, and on his right forepaw he wears two golden bangles.

Personality: Quinn has an optimistic outlook on life and tries to be ideal, believing that any situation can be resolved to the benefit of both sides.  This outlook was motivated by his former life, where he sailed with many pirate crews from a young age and committed acts which he does not wish to speak of.  It is this history though that has led Quinn to do good now that he is on his own, but he is unable to shake all of the shackles of his former life.  He can be almost wild-hearted and dangerously spontaneous at times, as well as underhanded and dirty when required.  Nor is he above cheating or otherwise breaking rules for the greater good.

Background: Orphaned at birth, Quinn had a difficult life growing up.  He lived as a slave to pirates for a period of time in his youth, before showing his chops to the crew and joining them as a shipmate himself.  For most of his life he's sailed with multiple pirate crews, moving from one to the other when instability and dishonor among thieves inevitably broke apart his current crew.  A year before leaving to join the Guild, however, something changed.  Quinn doesn't like to discuss what happened, but it was shocking enough to make him disown his former life as a pirate.  Having been sailing far to the south of the Varlaja mainland, it took Quinn a month of traveling before finding his way to Sentinel's Watch and joining the Guild to atone for his past.

[pmdvarlaja]

Recruit Guide

JOINING THE GUILD

Joining the Guild is a surprisingly simple task.  No background checks are conducted to begin with; the Guild believes that a person's life prior to joining the Guild matters no longer once they have become a member.  Still, new recruits must go through a probationary period where they have restrictions on their access to Sentinel's Watch to ensure that they do not intend the Guild harm.

All that must be done to begin the initiation process is to visit the Guild registrar at Sentinel's Watch.  Their office is located on ground floor within the central tower of the keep, so a guard must escort the new recruit through the keep's grounds.  Specific days throughout the year will be designated as open recruitment days however, allowing anyone to visit Sentinel's Watch and sign up without arranging the visit with the guards.

The registrar requires rather little information from the new recruit: their name, species, gender, age, a physical profile of the applicant's appearance, a psychological profile to determine their temperament, and optionally their region/town of origin and a background profile if the applicant wishes to disclose their history.  There are few if any disqualifying factors for Guild membership at the application process, but it is possible to drop out at the next stage of the process: the initiation itself.

New recruits upon submitting an application are required to go through initiation.  This involves three tests which correspond to the Explorers, Mercenaries, and Researchers.  The Explorers initiation features an obstacle course which recruit must navigate while picking up tokens, being rewarded both on the time they take and how many tokens they retrieve.  The Mercenaries initiation involves combat, naturally, with the recruit fighting one of the Guild's trainers and being judged on their overall performance, not on rather they win or lose.  Lastly, the Researchers give new recruits two tests: both a written examination as well as a practical test where recruits are challenged with solving a number of puzzles in the time given.

All three branch's initiations must be performed by new recruits to judge their aptitude and initial rank within the branches.  One of the few ways to disqualify from Guild membership and be forced to drop out is to fail all the tests, however as long as a recruit passes just one test they may become a Guild member.

The test results determine the recruit's initial rank within each branch, and thus the opportunities available to them.  Failing the initiation test for a branch will give them the pseudo-rank of NG, disallowing them from performing missions for that branch until they attempt initiation again and pass.  An average passing score will see the recruit start with the base rank of Initiate for the branch, while a truly exceptional result can grant a Novice or even in extremely rare cases Intermediate rank instead.

With initiation complete the recruit is then free to start their life as a proper Guildsman!  The initial probationary period for new recruits lasts two weeks or until they achieve Intermediate rank with any branch, whichever comes first.  During this period they may require an escort into the Sentinel's Watch keep and are unable to use the city's secondary entrances/exits, among other smaller restrictions.

GUILD LIFE

To a Guildsman, there are many things they can spend their day doing.  The most prominent is, of course, to take on and perform missions.  Missions can be found posted to boards in the Mission Bazar, located in the administrative district of Sentinel's Watch near the keep's gates.  Missions are categorized by branch and specialty within the branch, and then farther have a minimum rank required to accept the mission.  If one of the mission postings catches a Guildsman's eye, they merely have to take the posting and give it to one of the clerks located in the bazar.  The clerk will record the mission and provide any farther instructions.  From that point, the member is free to head out and perform the mission according to any directions given.

An exception to this format is for lab researchers, who rather than looking for mission postings at the bazar will instead want to head to a laboratory and sign in.  There, they will be issued tasks according to their rank, such as being assigned an artifact to study or working underneath a higher ranked researcher as an assistant.   The Guild's primary laboratory is located underneath the Guild library within the keep, however there are a few ancillary laboratories throughout Sentinel's Watch for use by lower-ranking and probationary members.

Outside of missions, other opportunities are available within Sentinel's Watch on a volunteer basis.  New recruits will most likely be interested in free training sessions which they can sign up for.  Training is available for a number of things including combat, survival skills, and even more scientific subjects such as physics and chemistry.  Tours of Sentinel's Watch are also given to newcomers, affording the chance for new recruits to get acquainted with their new home.

Further volunteer opportunities are available within Sentinel's Watch.  Those who can use electricity are encouraged to volunteer at the city's power plant, located underneath the keep next to the Guild's primary laboratory.  The city guard also accepts volunteers along with full time guardsman, and there are many other positions such as grounds caretaker for the city's parks.  In general, most businesses and jobs associated with the Guild's Civilian Division will be happy to take on volunteers from the Guildsman Division, though monetary reimbursement is not necessarily guaranteed.

ADVANCEMENT

The Guild uses a ranking system where a member is judged by their rank in each branch individually.  That is, a Guildsman will have separate ranks for Explorers, Mercenaries, and Researchers.  The ranks are as follows, from lowest to highest.  Each has both a title as well as a letter used to designate them in shorthand.

F-Initiate D-Novice C-Intermediate B-Experienced A-Veteran S-Pledged

Your rank can be advanced by completing missions for the Guild.  Given either enough successful missions or a truly notable performance that the branch leadership took note of and you can expect your rank to increase to the next level, though higher ranks are harder to advance to than lower ones.  With increased rank comes greater opportunities as more lucrative and challenging missions become available, with better rewards as well.

Normally, the highest rank one can achieve within a branch is rank A, Veteran rank.  Rank S and above are reserved for members who have chosen to pledge themselves to a branch.  Pledging to a branch can only be done once a member has reached rank A within the branch.

The act of pledging is a formal declaration that you will devote yourself to the branch and as such those who have pledged are no longer eligible to do work for other branches.  In exchange, they may advance to the S ranks within their pledged branch.  The S ranks do not have an upper limit and are indicated by appending a number after S: S1, S2, S3, etc.  Pledged members also get other benefits depending on the branch, such as housing within their tower and access to an exclusive branch store.

A pledge can be revoked at any time a week after the initial pledge was taken.  In doing so, the member would drop down to rank B within that branch and lose any special privileges they had gained.  They also may not pledge again with any branch for a full month, to discourage "hot swapping" pledges between branches.

Guildsman who reach rank A in all three branches are quite rare and as such receive a special title: Warden.  Wardens are considered the elite of the Guild, and while perhaps not as skilled in a specific branch as high ranking pledged members, they are prized for their versatility.  Wardens receive special housing within the keep and access to other privileges similar to pledged members.

TEAMS

The concept of teams is not formally recognized by the Guild.  Every member is judged on their own merits and must be registered individually, while there is no formal process to register a team.  Nonetheless, teams of Guildsman who band together to complete missions is common and some concessions have been made to accommodate them.

The largest concession to teams is that with most missions only one member of the team has to meet the rank requirement for the mission.  That is to say, if a mission requires rank C with the Explorers, so long as any one member of a team has rank C or higher with the Explorers the rank of others on the team does not matter.  The mission will still count towards the records and thus advancement of everyone on the team regardless of rank.  Some special missions will waive this, however, and require that EVERYONE taken on the mission must have a specific minimum rank within the branch.

TL;DR JUST TELL ME HOW TO MAKE MY OWN CHARACTERS

You are free to make your own characters within the Guild if you wish!  To do so, all you really need is to make a standard profile with the character's basic details: name, species, gender, age, physical profile/drawing, a psychological profile, and optionally their region/town of origin and a background profile.  Movesets, natures, abilities, etc are NOT required!  Pokemon are not restricted to just four moves in Varlaja, but you may feel free to provide the character's "signature moves" if you wish as well as other flavor information.

Note that some Pokemon really shouldn't be joining the Guild!  Any Pokemon that is part of the Varlaja religious pantheon is NOT eligible to have any other Pokemon of that same species within Varlaja, and thus can't be part of the Guild.  Check out the informational page on Varlaja for details on the pantheon which includes most legendary Pokemon.  Some legendries are excluded from the pantheon are thus acceptable, while others don't exist in Varlaja at all.

You will also need to provide the character's ranking within the branches, see the Advancement section for details on ranks.  For new recruits it is recommended not to have a rank over D, while older and more experienced characters may have better ranks.  Try to avoid making the character TOO good, though!  A rank of A in all branches is exceptionally rare within the Guild and I'd prefer for such characters to be avoided!

Once you have your character made, feel free to go ahead and do with them as you wish, at least so far this isn't one of those groups where I give out missions to perform.  Use your imagination to come up with exciting adventures!  Also, I would prefer if you showed me your characters and blog, of course!  NSFW use of the Guild is okay as well, just be sure to give proper warnings as always for NSFW material.

[pmdvarlaja]

The Guild

WHAT IS THE GUILD?

The Guild at Sentinel's Watch, The Varlajan Guild, or simply The Guild, whatever you may choose to refer to it as you can be sure that all will know what you're talking about.  There may be smaller guilds across Varlaja, but none has achieved the same level of fame as the guild a Shaymin by the name of Cedric established at an old, abandoned, out of the way fort.

What is this guild you ask and what makes it so successful?  Above all, Cedric has pledged his guild to the benefit of the people.  From explorers who map out uncharted territories and rescue lost citizens, mercenaries who ward off bandits and root out dangerous feral Pokemon, to researchers who uncover the buried secrets of Varlaja's past, every member of The Guild has taken a solemn vow to aid the helpless.  That is not to say every guild member is an upstanding example of morality, of course—The Guild welcomes all without question—but if you are in need you can count on The Guild to render assistance.

GUILD LEADERSHIP

Guild Leader: Cedric (Shaymin, male)

Councilor of Merchants and Services: Edgar (Delphox, male)

Councilor of Sentinel's Watch: Louise (Lucario, female)

Councilor of Foreign Affairs: Avidah (Mienshao, female)

Explorers Leader: Maverick (Sceptile, male)

Explorers Subordinate: Thalia (Talonflame, female)

Mercenaries Leader: Felicity (Lopunny, female)

Mercenaries Subordinate: Hano (Greninja, male)

Researchers Leader: Gavin (Glaceon, male)

Researchers Subordinates: Brianne (Braixen, female) and Brooke (Meowstic, female)

GUILD STRUCTURE

The Guild's leadership structure can be seen as an upside down tree of sorts, with the Guild leader, Cedric, at the top.  Cedric maintains absolute authority over the Guild, though he rarely overturns decisions made by the collective Council.

Beneath Cedric, the Guild splits into two divisions: Civilians and Guildsman.  Each of those divisions then farther splits into three branches.  The most familiar to Varlaja's populace would be the Guildsman branches: Explorers, Mercenaries, and Researchers.  These are where recruits joining the Guild will be stationed.  The Civilian division is more concerned with the welfare of the Guild itself, its headquarters of Sentinel's Watch, and its relations to Varlaja's governments.  Its branches are Merchants and Services, Foreign Affairs, and the overall governance of Sentinel's Watch.  Joining one of these branches is more akin to a normal job, with prospects applying to the business of office they are interested in directly.

Each of these six branches is led by a Leader in the case of the Guildsman branches or a Councilor for the Civilian branches.  These six along with Cedric make up the Guild Council.  While any Branch Leader or Councilor is able to enact changes that only affect their own branch, any proposal that would have sweeping effects across the Guild or are otherwise major enough that its influence would be felt outside that branch must be voted on by the Council, with the majority vote winning.  Traditionally Cedric abstains from most votes unless there is a tie, in which case he will break it, or it is an issue he feels strongly about.

Each Guildsman Branch Leader also has a subordinate (or two, in Gavin's case) who they can choose to assist them in their duties.  Civilian councilors can have assistants as well, but rather than a single person they instead have entire departments with their own individual organizational structure.  In either case, the structure beneath the branch leaders is ultimately up to the leader or councilor themselves.  For instance, the Mercenaries under Felicity's leadership has a much stricter and hierarchal organization than Maverick's Explorers.

Lastly, the Guildsman division is special in that underneath the Explorers, Mercenaries, and Researchers branches the organizational tree actually merges.  The common Guildsman such as new recruits is not bound to any one branch, but rather rests under all three of them at the bottom of the organizational hierarchy.  Only once a Guildsman has pledged themselves to the service of one particular branch will they move into that branch's organization, but this is not required to advance in the Guild.

THE BRANCHES

When the common Varlaja citizen thinks of the Guild, it is the Guildsman Division's three branches they will think of: Explorers, Mercenaries, and Researchers.  Each of these branches has a particular focus identified by their name, while also containing additional specialties that the branch offers services for.  Unlike other guilds, a recruit does not have to choose any one branch to join and may do work for all three at the same time, being rated in each branch individually with this rating affecting what missions they may take within that branch.

Reaching the max public rank within a branch grants the opportunity to pledge oneself to that branch, allowing them to advance farther and receive other benefits but disallowing them from doing work for the other branches anymore.  On the other hand, those who do not pledge and instead reach max rank in all three branches receive the title of Warden and receive additional benefits similar to that of pledging.

The Explorers

Leader: Maverick the Sceptile

Subordinate: Thalia the Talonflame

Specialties: Explorers, Pathfinders, Cartographers, Scouts

Under the leadership of Maverick and Thalia, the Explorers are often what many will think of first when the Guild comes to mind.  Focusing on small teams of two to four or even solo Pokemon that are able to move quickly and unseen, Explorers are the most agile of the Guild's branches.  Their primary task is the discovery of resources and locations across Varlaja; this may mean literal resources as in money, food or materials, but also knowledge and artifacts of the past.  Additionally, Explorers often serve as pathfinders both for other guildsman and civilians inside and outside the Guild, as well as cartographers to map out Varlaja's wilderness and scouts to seek out danger ahead of larger groups.

The Mercenaries

Leader: Felicity the Lopunny.

Subordinate: Hano the Greninja

Specialties: Mercenaries, Militia, Strike Teams, Shadows

Mercenaries are a surprisingly diverse group within the Guild's structure that represents its strength.  They are led by Felicity and Hano, who have styled the branch much like an army.  Despite this, most work done by the Mercenary branch is true to its name: mercenary work to fulfill contracts the Guild has taken up with settlements across Varlaja.  Most such contracts only require a smaller team, but the branch has plans in place to deploy larger militias should the need arise.  On the other hand, smaller strike teams are sometimes more useful, able to get in and out of hazardous situations fast.

The most mysterious of the Mercenary's specialties are the Shadows, a secretive team run under Hano's direct command.  Few are willing to disclose what Shadows actually do, but many assume that they are dispatched for missions where stealth is of utmost concern.  Including, it is rumored, assassinations.  Shadow missions are not posted publically, and one most first join the Shadows before receiving missions directly from Hano.

The Researchers

Leader: Gavin the Glaceon.

Subordinates: Brianne the Braixen and Brooke the Meowstic

Specialties: Lab Researchers, Field Researchers, Scholars, Engineers

Many are dismissive of Gavin's Researchers at first glance, deriding them as being little more than lab rats who never leave Sentinel's Watch.  Indeed, Gavin himself is a polarizing figure within the Guild due to his eccentric nature as exemplified by bucking the Guild's trends and taking on two subordinates: Brianne and Brooke.  He posits that this is due to needing Brianne to run the Guild's laboratories while Brooke runs the library, but it is hard not to notice that both are young girls who would not normally be the first choice for such roles.

Nonetheless, the Researchers are vital as the Guild's intellect.  While it is true that lab researchers may never leave the city, instead spending their time in a laboratory to analyze artifacts the Explorers have found, there exist many field researchers as well who choose to instead venture out to locations and conduct research on artifacts that are unable to be moved.  Scholars are much the same, and while some may spend all their time in the Guild's library others are just as likely to travel to Varlaja's other cities in search of elusive tomes.  Lastly, engineers can be said to take the knowledge gained by the other specialties and put it to practical use.

SENTINEL'S WATCH

Any guild needs a headquarters to operate from, no matter how far its reach may be.  In the case of Cedric's Guild, this headquarters would be Sentinel's Watch.  An old fortress constructed on Edheren's southern coast over a thousand years ago, it has grown from an abandoned, crumbling ruin into an impressive city that can rival any of Varlaja's regional capitals in size and influence.

Sentinel's Watch is a dominating sight that conquers the view for miles around.  Situated on a tall coastal cliff, Sentinel's Watch is surrounded by plains and farmland for nearly as far as the eye can see on one side while facing open ocean on the other.  While physically located within Edheren, Sentinel's Watch is considered to have extraterritorial status and is autonomously governed by the Guild.

The city is divided into six districts: The central keep, port, residential, recreational, mercantile, and administrative districts.  Of those, the keep is the heart of Sentinel's Watch and host to its top leadership.  It is composed of tall, thick walls corned by four large towers which enclose an inner courtyard and a final, fifth tower that sits within the walls.  This inner tower houses Cedric's residence and office on the top floor with the Council's meeting chambers one floor below.  Beneath that, the bottom floors house various administrative offices for Guild leadership.

The four towers along the keep's walls each house a particular Guildsman branch, with the Explorers, Mercenaries, and Researchers each getting a tower for themselves.  Within these towers the leader of the branch resides, as well as pledged members who have earned the right to live within the keep.  The towers also include various spaces such as meeting rooms, storage, and any other spaces the leader desires.  The fourth tower on the walls is special and offers exclusive housing to Guild Wardens: elite guildsman who have reached maximum rank with all three branches.

Lastly within the keep's walls is one last building that sits to the rear of the courtyard: the Guild library.  Maintained by the Researchers, the library has a collection of several million books that have been gathered from across Varlaja.  The library is open to any member of the Guild, though taking a book out of the library requires a minimum ranking to reduce the chance of loss.  Underground beneath the library is also the Researcher's primary laboratory complex and power plant, though lower ranking Researchers will more often use secondary laboratories constructed outside the keep.

Moving on, the second district of Sentinel's Watch is the port at the base of the cliff the city is on.  Due to the height of the cliff, either a long staircase down the cliff side or an elevator must be used to access the port.  Sentinel's Watch has a small fleet of trading ships that call the port home, and it also serves to berth ships visiting from other regions.

Next is the city proper, which is arranged in a semicircle extending outwards from the keep.  Like the keep it is enclosed in thick walls that may not be as tall as the keep's but still tower over the surrounding landscape.  Set in the inner section of the city right up against the keep's outer walls is the administrative district, housing the city's government and other offices for Civilian Division leadership.

Central and below the administrative district is the first district a newcomer to the city will arrive in through the main gates: the recreational district.  At its core the district is laid out as one long and wide central park that spans from the city's main gate through the administrative district straight to the keep's gate, being filled with grass, trees, and dotted with fountains.  The most notable fountain is at the entrance plaza, the first sight upon passing the main gates.  Lining this park on either side are the other features of the recreational district, including battling arenas among other entertainment businesses.  Some restaurants can also be found here, and stands serving food in the park are also common.

The residential district sits to the right of the recreational district and is where most Guild members live.  The district is filled with many apartments that Guild members can rent out and live in, along with some individual houses that are more costly.  A school is also located in this district, close to the homes of the children who attend.  A few smaller parks also scatter the district.

Moving to the left side of the city on the opposite side of the recreational district from the residential is the mercantile district.  This is where most businesses in the city will make their home, including more restaurants as well as other shops selling all sorts of food, goods, and daily necessities.  Workshops such as blacksmiths are also housed in this district among other services such as a post office.

While the wall surrounding the city ensures that access is restricted and helps protect against ferals, easy access in and out of the city is of course required.  There is the single main gate of course, which is kept open most of the time albeit watched by the city guard.  That is the only gate which is predominantly kept open, though other secondary gates are scattered around the wall but have restricted access to non-probationary Guild members only.

Outside the wall and thus outside of Sentinel's Watch proper are extensive fields where food is grown and domesticated feral Pokemon are farmed for meat and other products.  Many of these farms have a trade agreement with Sentinel's Watch so while not a part of the Guild proper, they nonetheless provide food to the city.

While Sentinel's Watch is definitely the heart of the Guild, regional offices have been established in other regions.  Most of Varlaja's capital cities is home to a Guild office, as well as the Archspire.  These regional offices provide an outpost for guild members to work from when abroad, providing housing and supplies for members.

[pmdvarlaja]

Varlaja

(Map Full View)

OVERVIEW

Found in a distant corner of the galaxy far from other populated worlds is a small planet the inhabitants call Varlaja.  Distinct from the Earth that so many know of, Pokemon on Varlaja have developed without the influence of humans; that is to say, no humans exist on Varlaja.  In their place, intelligent Pokemon have risen up into civilizations, living in towns and cities scattered across Varlaja's primary continent as well as other ancillary islands and smaller landmasses.

While Varlaja's history has seen many wars, today these Pokemon live in relative peace.  Varlaja can be seen to be at an almost post-medieval level of civilization.  Notably different from Earth's history, however, is the presence of electricity and technology.  Thanks to the advanced scientific development of the city of Atlas, Varlaja as a whole is starting to see a surge in technology.  Electrical lighting has become common place, and so-called "electric carriages" are beginning to take over the job of traditionally pulled carriages.  Computers, on the other hand, are still rare outside of Atlas.

Not all Pokemon in Varlaja are intelligent, unfortunately.  The wilderness is filled with feral Pokemon who will readily attack any who disturb them for a number of reasons: some ferals are carnivorous and will attempt to kill both other ferals and intelligent Pokemon alike for food when hungry, while others are territorial and will attack any who wonder too close.  Still other feral Pokemon are aggressive by nature and will attack without any provocation or reason, and some "ferals" aren't aggressive at all and at will flee if approached.  Ferals lack any special distinguishing features, but they're often easy to differentiate by their more animalistic movements and a lack of response when talked to.   A third category of Pokemon are domesticated ferals, who are raised by intelligent Pokemon as a source of food and other products.

Because of the dangers ferals present, travel across Varlaja can be dangerous.  For this reason, it's not at all unusual for someone to be born, raised, and live out their life in the same village without ever seeing anywhere else.  Travel between towns is safest in numbers, so for those who do wish to get away trading convoys present a prime opportunity for travel between towns.  These convoys are often large, with numerous carriages carrying both goods and passengers, as well as a number of guards armed with swords, bows, and even the occasional firearm.

REGIONS

Despite the dangers of feral Pokemon, civilization in Varlaja has flourished and many areas of the continent have been deemed relatively safe.  Over time, Varlaja's primary continent has seen a number of wars that divided up the land into a number of distinct regions.  These regions govern themselves from their capital, those cities often being shining examples of Varlaja's civilization.  Here is a list of these regions and their capitals:

Freyden: A land of natural beauty, Freyden is a fairly large predominantly landlocked region that takes up the north half of Varlaja's central landmass.  Lightly forested and with numerous lakes and rivers, Freyden often serves as a prime destination for travelers who desire to see the world.  While not being exceptionally known for any specific resource, its capital of Fairkeep is one of Varlaja's most important trading hubs due to its central location, with it often being said that all routes will eventually lead to Fairkeep.

Edheren: The second of Varlaja's two central regions, Edheren is situated to the south below Freyden.  Much of the region is open plains, which combined with fertile soil mean that Edheren is primarily known for farming.  Food from these farms is traded to every corner of the world, making Edheren vital to the sustainment of life across the regions.   Its capital, Orrinshire, is perhaps Varlaja's second most prosperous trading hub next to Fairkeep.  Edheren is also notable for housing the headquarters of Varlaja's Guild, Sentinel's Watch, on its southern coast.

Whiteholt: A cold, heavily forested region to the northeast, Whiteholt has a particularly dangerous wilderness.  However, at the same time, the density of trees mean that the region's primary trade is in wood and wood products.  Its capital is the heavily defended valley fortress of Caer Cadmire, famous for weathering many sieges in the past and having never fallen to invaders.

The Iron Bay: Less of a region and more a single island, The Iron Bay is technically said to be little more than the coastline surrounding the titular bay to Varlaja's northeast.  No one lives on the mainland, with the region's entire population instead residing in its sole city: Atlas.  Atlas is constructed atop an artificial island in the center of the bay and serves as Varlaja's most technologically advanced city.  With technology far beyond that of the rest of the region, Atlas citizens live an ideal life away from the stresses of the rest of Varlaja and as such see themselves as superior.  Xenophobic and isolationist, Atlas is infamous for not letting any outsiders into the city and only grudgingly sharing the most basic of its technology in exchange for necessary imports.

Northwald: The northernmost of Varlaja's regions, Northwald is perhaps also the largest region but is mostly taken up by inhospitable polar mountains.  With the region being extremely cold and treacherous due to blinding snow and sub-zero temperatures, the only notably populated settlement is its capital city, the Deepcourt.  Constructed in an underground cavern accessed by a large elevator, the Deepcourt is always expanding and is Varlaja's primary source for metals and gems.  Smiths from the Deepcourt are also renowned for their talent in metalworking.

The Shattered Seas: An uninhabited region consisting of dormant frozen volcanoes encased in ice and numerous glaciers, to the west of Northwald off the coast and extending upwards towards the planets northern pole.  While geographically considered a region on most maps, The Shattered Seas lacks any government or population.  Along with the islands being mostly icy glaciers with what little land there is being frozen volcanoes, cyclonic water currents make the islands near impossible to traverse by boat.  Some pirates and thieves may call the outer islands home, but due to the shifting nature of the glacial islands it is unwise to stay on one for long as it may end up drifting deeper into the region, away from any hope of escape.

Blackdell: Covered in blackened dirt, Blackdell is home to many active volcanoes that erupt every few decades to a century.  This has covered the region in ash and caused its soil to be of poor quality, which combined with warm soil due to heated underground water flows mean that no plants grow in the region.  In turn, this lack of plant life means that there is little Pokemon life as well.  Most of the region's intelligent population is composed of primitive tribes and nomads who have lived in the region for several centuries and adapted to survive in the harsh environment.  Some of these tribes remain unaware of the outside world, however the region's capital of Redhaven serves as a connection to the rest of Varlaja.

Ivorith: On the mainland, Ivorith is just a strip of the southern coast that serves as a major vacation spot for those who are able to freely travel the continent.  However, this does not give the whole story of the region.  Extending to the south of the continent across the planet's equator are a large number of islands, which together have banded together into a loose conglomeration under the Ivorith name.  Not all islands are willing to be governed this way and maintain their independence even in the face of growing pressure to join the regional government.  Due to the oceanic nature of the region, sailing is an important part of Ivorith culture with fish being an important export.  Its capital, such as it is, is Port Bonavita on the Varlaja mainland.  While a trading hub, the port is known to be rife with criminal activity and less than safe for the unsuspecting traveler.

The Golden Wastes: A harsh coastal desert to the southwest of Varlaja, the region is surrounded to the north and east by tall mountains which offer few paths into the region.  It is thanks to these mountains as well that the inwards bulk of the region gets such little rain.  Its coast is, on the other hand, largely open and fairly hospitable.  Like Blackdell the region is mostly a wasteland with little life, but adventurers are drawn to the wastes by rumors of treasure beneath the sands.  Treasure which, of course, no one has ever found.  Most who visit in search of treasure will find themselves staying at the capital of Hasham, a port city located on the region's southwestern peninsula to welcome those who have arrived by ship from Ivorith.

Falonde: Indisputably Varlaja's most mysterious region, Falonde is also its smallest.  Tucked in a valley where the Golden Wastes mountain range forks to the north, unique weather patterns mean that rain frequently blows in from the open coast to the west.  As a consequence, the valley is heavily forested with massive trees as tall as the mountains that surround the region.  Thanks to the natural privacy the mountains afford, Falonde is reclusive and wary towards outsiders.  The region's people live atop platforms built around the trunks of trees, connected by bridges into sprawling midair cities.  Outsiders will likely never see most of Falonde, however its capital of Aerilon is grudgingly open to visitors and allows travelers a glimpse at Falonde's uniquely spiritual culture.

Greenwater: Another sparsely populated region to Varlaja's southeast, Greenwater is covered largely in one massive jungle spotted with the occasional swamp.  Dangerous ferals, and worse such as rumored cannibal tribes, lurk among the tightly-packed trees.  As a result, the region's capital of Barford is unique in that it's built atop floating platforms along the largest river that travels through the region.

The Archspire: Not a region per se, the Archspire is an ancient tower on a small island to the east of the continent.  This island serves as an autonomous government, while the tower is frequently home to delegates from the other regions.  The Archspire thus serves as a neutral meeting ground for Varlaja's disparate governments to work out disputes, trade deals, and political matters without any bias that could result in dignitaries visiting other regions directly.

RELIGION

Religion in Varlaja predominantly worships a pantheon of multiple gods.  Outside of Varlaja, these gods are by and large known as "legendary Pokemon", though it is worth noting that not all legendary Pokemon are considered to be a god.  Indeed, not even all legendries in the pantheon are true gods.  The pantheon is divided into four hierarchical tiers, from highest to lowest: the two Supreme Gods, Lesser Gods, Deities, and Guardians.

Supreme Gods

Zachariel: Arceus, God of Creation

Armisael: Mew, Goddess of Birth

The two supreme or major gods are Armisael and Zachariel, commonly represented as a Mew and Arceus respectively.  It is said that they are the ones who created Varlaja, with Zachariel forming the physicality of the world while Armisael gifted the new planet with life.  The pair resides in the Ethereal Realm, existing in a higher dimension than our mortal world and are unable to physically visit Varlaja.

Lesser Gods

Dialga, God of Time

Palkia, God of Space

Giratina, God of Beyond

The gods of time and space, they rule over the passage of time and all of physical existence.  In their absence is Giratina who exists outside the reach of time and space, in a world said to be the reverse of ours where souls that have departed the mortal world go to rest for eternity.

Reshiram, God of Light

Zekrom, God of Darkness

Kyurem, God of Void

The opposing gods of light and the dark also rule over the positive and negative energy of the world and its people.  Sitting between them is Kyurem, who himself represents nothing, the absence of light and dark, positive or negative, maintaining neutrality.

Xerneas, God of Life

Yveltal, God of Death

Given their roles by Armisael directly, Xerneas and Yveltal are directly responsible for ruling over her children.  Xerneas guides them in life, while Yveltal guides them in death to the afterlife.

Zygarde, God of Balance

The strongest of the Lesser Gods, Zygarde seeks to maintain balance and order among all of creation.  He answers directly to his master, Zachariel, and has supreme authority over the other lesser gods.

Deities

Lugia, Deity of Moon

Ho-Oh, Deity of Sun

The creators of the moon and sun, Lugia and Ho-oh are said to continuously circle the world from high in the sky.

Groudon, Deity of Land

Kyogre, Deity of Oceans

Rayquaza, Deity of Sky

Regigigas, Deity of Shaping

Groudon and Kyogre created the land and oceans long ago, but have forever been locked in an eternal conflict as each tried to expand their reach.  Rayquaza was created to regulate the two, exerting the pressure of the sky on land and ocean both.  Related is Regigigas who assisted Groudon in the creation of the land by shaping the continents and thus Kyogre's oceans as well.

Jirachi, Deity of Wishes

Uxie, Deity of Knowledge

Mesprit, Deity of Emotion

Azelf, Deity of Willpower

Meloetta, Deity of Muse

The five deities of the mind, they gave creativity and individuality to people.  They are what define us as unique people, and drive us forward in our lives.

Cresselia, Deity of Dreams

Darkrai, Deity of Nightmares

The deities of sleep, Cresselia and Darkrai rule over the realm of the unconscious.  They are what give us dreams and nightmares, and are like two sides of one coin.

Guardians

Articuno, Guardian of Water

Zapdos, Guardian of Lightning

Moltres, Guardian of Fire

Suicune, Guardian of Wind

Raikou, Guardian of Thunder

Entei, Guardian of Magma

Celebi, Guardian of Nature

Latias and Latios, Guardians of Souls

Regirock, Guardian of Stone

Regice, Guardian of Ice

Registeel, Guardian of Metal

Tornadus, Guardian of Tornadoes

Thundurus, Guardian of Storms

Landorus, Guardian of Earthquakes

The guardians are the weakest of the pantheon, directly dispatched to look over and guard the world.  As such, they all have taken mortal form and can occasionally be seen wandering the land.  They seek out disturbances related to their realm to quell them, and are frequently seen when disaster occurs, either causing them or seeking to suppress them.  They are not on the side of either good or evil as such concepts were created solely by man, and so their actions may end lives just as often as they save them.  The exception are Latias and Latios, who seek to preserve life and the souls that bind us to this world.

Legendaries not in Varlaja's Pantheon

Mewtwo, Deoxys, and Genesect are not in the pantheon due to their manmade or extraterrestrial nature.  While it is possible for them to exist on Varlaja were they to be created or arrive from space, they would not be considered gods.

Manaphy, Phione, Shaymin, Heatran, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Keldeo, Victini, and Diancie all exist as normal, albeit rare Pokemon.

Any future legendaries (including Solgeleo and Lunala) should be presumed as not part of the pantheon until more is known about them and I can decide where they fit.

AETHER

Through the ages, it has been understood that there exists an energy that binds all life, and is indeed the source of this life.  This is called Aether, the energy of life itself.

Many cultures treat Aether with varying degrees of respect, from the citizens of Atlas City who deny such energy exists in favor of their scientific progress, to the tree-dwelling denizens of Falonde who hold a deep spiritual respect for Aether.  Among those who have little knowledge of Aether it may often be seen as magic, for those skilled in the use and manipulation of Aether can perform feats far beyond their own physical abilities.

Two concepts are vital to the understanding of Aether: Aura and the Aetheric Flow.  Both represent Aether in its raw form, with Aura bound to a specific individual while the Aetheric Flow is a constant and pervasive stream of Aether that flows through the world.  Simply put, Aura represents an individual’s soul, while the Aetheric Flow is a collective of souls from all who have died in the past.  When a body dies the Aura is freed to join the Aetheric Flow, where a soul traditionally remains for the rest of eternity.  Ambient Aether also exists in varying quantities; Falonde in particular is known to have a strong ambient field of Aether, as well as being a focal point of the Aetheric Flow.

So, with an understanding of Aether, what is one capable of doing with it?  The answer varies heavily, with there being many schools of thought and practice on the “proper” way to manipulate Aether.  Generally, it is agreed that to begin manipulating Aether one must acquire a focus to help channel the Aether, as well as acting as a sort of battery to hold Aether.  At least one instructor and their students have learned to manifest Aether itself into a focus in the form of a sigil.  Celine, the Guide to Avatar Shrike, is among those who have learned this technique.

With a focus acquired and a student able to gather and store Aether within it, many different techniques are available to them.  Some schools will focus on using Aether to heal, and others for defense.  Aether-enhanced movement is common, but no techniques are more impressive than using Aether for combat.

Indeed, Aether has been used for combat by Pokemon since the dawn of time, often without them being aware of it.  Techniques such as summoning water, lightning, even fire for some Pokemon are all fueled by Aether.  These combat techniques native to Pokemon draw from the user’s own Aura, and are often so instinctual that a Pokemon can be born with the knowledge, or otherwise easily acquire it with sufficient training or age.  However, one’s own Aura is limited.  While some Pokemon are better than others at channeling their own Aura into combat techniques, the unrestrained fury of channeling ambient Aether or even the Aetheric Flow itself can be a sight to behold.