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== Wardens of Faerun == [[File:Wardens.png|thumb|The symbol of the Wardens of Faerun, a guild of mercenaries with chapters in all major cities. Members wear a special pin depicting two hands joined together as shown above.]] The Wardens are a guild of mercenaries dedicated to helping the greater good and all peoples of Faerun. They are not a specialized guild like most others, rather they employ people of all backgrounds and professions. This generalized approach gives them a great deal of flexibility and talent that other guilds frequently lack. Because of this, almost anybody can enlist as a Warden, provided they follow the Tennent's of the Wardens, which are listed below in order of priority: # '''Honor the Contract''' - When a Warden takes a guild contract, they are expected to fulfill the terms of the contract to the letter. The guild understands that things goes sideways on occassion, but you are expected to fulfill your contract to the absolute best of your ability. # '''Honor the Guild''' - When acting on Warden business you are expected to be an upstanding member of society. Wardens are supposed to be a sign of hope, respect, honor, and goodness. # '''Honor Life''' - Wardens value life above profit, personal gain, or just about anything else. They will only take a life if there is no other option or to protect the greater good. During war or other great conflicts, the above tenants may be rescinded by the Chapter Master or Grand Master. A Warden who violates any of the tenants will face a tribunal and may be charged and punished depending on the circumstances. A tribunal consists of 3 or more senior ranking members and they have absolute authority over the fate of the Warden(s) in question. Depending on the rank of the offending Warden, tribunal members will be pulled from higher rankings. Tribunal members are usually selected by the Justicar or Chapter Master. However a fair bit of slack is granted to Initiates and Probates as they are expected to fumble when first getting their feet wet in the guild. Lawful characters tend to thrive in the Wardens, but membership is open to virtually anybody. '''Warden Contracts''' Contracts form the basis of the Wardens. When a client needs to hire the Wardens, a lengthy contract is created and signed by both the client and a senior member of the Wardens to seal the contract. The contract is then given to ranking members to execute on behalf of the Wardens. Payment for each contract is provided up front when the contract is signed by the client, and held in trust by the local Chapter. When a contract is completed, the participating Wardens receive a fair share of the contract, minus a fee which is retained by the Chapter of course. Furthermore, if a Warden comes into loot or treasure when on an official contract, they are expected to donate a fair share of all such treasure to the local Chapter. A Warden cannot have more than one open contract without special approval from a senior member (requires permission from an Adjunct or higher). Warden Contracts are enforceable documents which allows Wardens permission to enter virtually anywhere as long as it's required to complete their contract. They can even enter the castle or houses of nobles and other protected areas if their contract calls for it - they simply have to present their Warden Contract to gain access and explain why they require access. Refusing to grant a Warden access to an area is a punishable offense, which often has very unpleasant consequences. Because Wardens value life and honor, they will rarely accept assassination or related contracts (that's what assassin guilds are for). The exception is if the intended target is evil alignment and has committed some kind of atrocity. Just being evil isn't sufficient. Wardens rarely operate alone. Most contracts will call for 4-6 Wardens. This helps to ensure the contract is completed, holds all participants accountable, and improves the chances of success with each contract. Occasionally contracts are given to larger groups, usually during times of war or other crisis events. '''Organization''' The Wardens are based out of Chapters, which there is one in almost every city on Faerun. Small villages and towns likely don't have an official Chapter present, but they likely have a Senior Warden stationed at the town. Bigger cities will have dedicated Chapter buildings with potentially dozens or hundreds of members. The Waterdeep Wardens Chapter is the headquarters and has the largest membership. Each Chapter is run by a Master and supported by several high ranking members. The entire organization is run by an appointed Grand Master, which is a lifelong position. When a Grand Master dies or retires, a new one is chosen by the senior members. New members are referred to as Initiates and are not considered to have official status within the guild until they complete their first contract, which is usually given to them upon signing up for the guild. Once they've completed their task, they are initiated into the guild as a full member with ranks. The guild has a militaristic-style ranking system. As you advance you get special access and privileges' befitting your rank. Details on this will be established during gameplay and updated here. At any given time, there are approximately 750-1,000 Wardens in Waterdeep. Worldwide there are approximately 25,000 - 30,000 Wardens. It's hard to track exact numbers due to how widespread the guild is and the precarious nature of Warden Contracts makes it difficult to keep an accurate count of Wardens that are still alive and active. {| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;" |- ! scope="col" | Rank ! scope="col" | Access & Rights ! scope="col" | Requirements ! scope="col" | Comments & Notes |- || Initiate || None || None || No authority or access, probationary member. Will always have a senior Warden accompany on contracts to evaluate their performance. |- || Probate || Common areas, Communal Barracks, Main Hall || Complete 1 initiate contract || Considered "fresh meat". Might get hazed by other members. Will always have a Senior Warden accompany on contracts to evaluate their performance. |- || Warden || Warehouse, Requisitions, Mess Hall & Kitchen || Complete 3 probate contracts || 80% of guild membership is at this rank. Typically hundreds of members in large cities and metropolis's. Considered a full member of the guild. Occasionally will have a Senior Warden accompany on contracts to evaluate their performance randomly, but overall they operate with their team and are afforded relative autonomy as long as they follow the Tennent's of the Wardens outlined above. |- || Senior Warden || Private Quarters, Voting Rights, Treasury || Appointed by Adjunct or other senior member || Being promoted to Senior Warden isn't automatic. After accumulating a strong reputation they must seek recognition from an Adjunct or other high ranking member, who may test them in numerous ways before granting them the promotion. Senior Wardens are expected to mentor Initiates and Probates and assist with various administration tasks to keep the Chapter running. There is a lot of bureaucracy and meetings and politics. There are usually no more than 30-50 Senior Wardens in Waterdeep at any given time. Senior Wardens are often used as pawns by higher ranking members with the promise of promotion and other lures, as such the life expectancy of a Senior Warden is surprisingly shorter than other positions. |- || Adjunct || Large Private Quarters, Autonomy || Appointed by Adjunct or other senior member || Adjuncts are responsible for overseeing a core aspect of the Chapter. Each Adjunct has a specific area of responsibility (Recruitment, Training, Public Relations, Noble Relations, Judge/Enforcement, etc). There are approximately 12 Adjuncts at the Waterdeep Wardens and they operate with complete autonomy within their purview, can set new rules, delegate responsibilities, promote people, etc. |- || Justicar || Complete Autonomy || Appointed by Chapter Master || Justicar's oversee the day-to-day operations of the local Chapter. They ensure that Adjuncts as performing their duties and act as a liason between all departments and senior personnel. There is never more than 2-3 Justicars in the Waterdeep Wardens. |- || Chapter Master || Complete Authority, Chapter Master Chambers, Private Workshop || Appointed by the Grand Master || Responsible for the Chapter. They have complete authority over everything in their Chapter. There is only ever a single Chapter Master in any Chapter. Appointment is permanent. The Chapter Master has the authority to mobiize the enter Chapter if a crisis arrives. This essentially gives them an army on demand but it is very rarely executed. |- || Grand Master || Absolute Authority, Grand Masters' Chambers || Elected, lifetime appointment || Responsible for the entire organization. Appointment to this position is a lifetime position until death or retirement. Has elaborate private quarters and facilities at every Chapter in Faerun. Typically resides at the Waterdeep Chapter but travels frequently. When a new Grand Master is required, all available Chapter Masters across Faerun will meet in Waterdeep and hold a private session where they will select the next Grand Master (exactly what's involved in these closed-door meetings is unknown). Only a Chapter Master can be elevated to the role of Grand Master. Like the Chapter Master, the Grand Master can muster the entire organization. It may take several weeks as Wardens come from everywhere to join the crusade, but they will come when called. This has only happened a few times in the entire history of the Wardens and it's always been during wartime or some other major crisis. |}
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