THE RANGERS:

The Rangers are a unique group; they differ somewhat in each Kingdom, and declare nominal allegiance to the crown that rules the land they reside in. The Rangers thus have five leaders, one in each Kingdom. The Korresh rangers are led by Timlen, a human woman of no mean skill and a great deal of attitude. Lirynn is led by Arawnwen, also a human of a somewhat calmer temperment than her Korresh sister. Garr is led by Gyalm, a tough dwarven male who rarely finds himself underground and doesn't miss the darkness. Tahnn is led by Shremmli, a male misharr quick to scorn those not strong enough to withstand the desert he is so proud to know. Mirg is led by Scree, a female goblin has managed to stay alive in the Big Green longer than any other.

Though they are nominally loyal to the land they live in, it is more the actual land than the person who rules it that holds their allegiance. Whether they are hermits, travellers, guides, woodsmen, or something similar, Rangers as a group and seperately are all highly individualistic people who prefer staying away from the crowds of towns and cities and make their living off of the land. They organize more out of a common goal than a desire to meet people; though there is the occasional Ranger encampment, more often than not one will find a single Ranger who will take on the character for most of the PC's training.

Rangers meet each other relatively often and keep tabs on what each other is doing; though it would take at least a month for a particular group to mobilize, most rangers are completely up-to-date on the important occurrences within the borders of their Kingdom.

Rangers have some ties with the Children of Faeterna; occasionally, one of their members will require training in magic and no Ranger is available; in such a case, the candidate is likely sent to the Children with a request and the Rangers will perform some favour in return.

Tested Skills:

Even though the Rangers are not a magical guild, they know the secret to preventing sorcerous Scarring--as all Elite Guilds do--even though they do not test in magic. They test in all combat skills, survival, tracking, herbalism, medicine, hunting, riding, stealth, animal training, and cartography/navigation.

Entrance into the Guild:

Entrance into the Guild is simple, but not easy. The candidate is stripped naked in the middle of nowhere, and must find clothing, a weapon, and a trophy before three days is out. The Trophy must be something that was dangerous or risky to obtain that othewise represents the trial in some personal way for the player. Failure means refusal, and there are no second chances.

Advancement within the Guild:

The initiate goes off with a mentor, one best suited for his skills. The mentor and the initiate need not get along; in fact, though eventually they may become closer than brothers, they might not even like each other, and might never do so no matter how close they become. His second trial is similar to the first, but more difficult; he must spend a week, again starting completely naked, in the wilderness by himself, with only a knife. The difference is that the trial is always in the depths of winter, and he may kill no living being, not even to eat. He must find sustenance in other ways. The Trial is always a surprise; how well-prepared the candidate is beforehand (hidden stores of food in case of need, etc) often determines life and death.

The successful Ranger is often deemed ready to go on his own at this point. Later, if his deeds are particularly renown or if he is deserving, he will go through a third test, similar to the other two but again, much harsher. Does he survive, he will become one of the leaders' lieutenants, with all the duties and privileges therein.