Editing AnotherDayAnotherDelve (section)

== Setting ==

Pitch: https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?798326-Recruitment-Dungeon-World&p=20826844#post20826844

Dungeons and their monstrous denizens are “naturally” occurring threats that civilizations have to deal with. Imagine dungeons as a cross between ant hills, wasp nests, and beehives – they can spring up relatively quickly, have a mixture of consistent and messy structure within certain broad patterns, are inhabited by aggressive creatures which are mostly defensive but eventually begin to encroach on civilized areas, and generate treasure as a byproduct of the magic/creatures that create them. The production of treasure is equal parts nature, magic, and mystery to people in the world, something akin to how oysters create pearls or bees produce honey.

This means that groups must often hire Delvers to clear out these threats. Delvers are adventurers who specialize in clearing dungeons and removing them as a threat, something along the lines of exterminators but more in the flavor of the A-Team or Ghostbusters. The pay is good and there are spoils from the dungeons, they live free of most societal constraints, but it is dangerous work.

So the players would be an established Delver team or company, either the newest recruits for an existing group or a relatively new group themselves. The early focus would will be on killing monsters and taking their stuff, with a heavy action-adventure tone that may have dark elements but is not meant to be oppressively grim. Whether it goes beyond that into more plot-heavy narrative threads will depend entirely on the roleplay and group desires. 

Delver’s Guild: A quick note about an in-setting conceit – the Delver’s Guild. Every major civilized region has one or more chapters of the Delver’s Guild, usually at major metropolitan centers. The guild provides official licenses after a training/induction process, and aggressively polices the clearing of dungeons. The Delver’s Guild is less considered with how a dungeon is cleared, and more concerned that only officially-licensed Delvers are doing the work. They spend considerable time enforcing “safe zones” around dungeons to make sure unlicensed parties don’t attempt to cut in on what is essentially their business, and also ensuring that licensed Delvers are maintaining the reputation the Guild has cultivated. The Guild won’t care how a dungeon gets cleared by your group, but if you run around acting like murder hobos or causing/allowing collateral damage that would look bad for the Guild they will get involved.

*  One of the busiest towns in the western Queendom of Zvezdala (if one believed such talk), Nestlebrook was never short of traffic or business. Dozens of new travelers found themselves in inns and taverns every week, while plenty more set out with their pockets a few coins lighter than when they came. At the crossroads of two major arteries, Nestlebrook was a place more known for its visitors than its locals. While the Queensroad brought the steady flow of merchants, dignitaries, and armed caravans on official business, Jesta’s Trail often saw foreign mercenaries, religious pilgrims, and fantastic carnivals from beyond the realm. All had coin to spend and need of resupply, and the locals were happy to oblige on both counts.

**  Few towns enjoyed Nestlebrook’s potent combination of the appearance of frontier life with the reality of consistent civilization. While at its founding it was the very definition of dangerous living, the western hills and northern mountains had been quiet for longer than most residents could remember – the orc tribes seemed content to squabble amongst themselves, and the centaur kindreds can settled their ancient blood feuds. Those locals who attempted to carry on the rustic lifestyle of their forebears could not achieve the full effect, their clothes a bit too crisp and hands bearing too few callouses. Even the Delver’s Guild had closed their local chapter house four summers ago, with so little business to speak of the cost had greatly outweighed the meager activity in the area. Nestlebrook was a town of comfortable business now, and danger no longer lurked at every sunset.

*  In her research, Lindorell discovered that the Nalvians were a group of nomadic tribes that would travel through these lands during their vast cyclical treks. They were largely wiped out or expelled during the formative years of the Queendom and the violent unification wars.

* Wizards in this setting - "real wizards" are a prestigious and uppity group that require licensing by the official school. Any unlicensed wizards were regarded as "hedge wizards" at best and frowned upon by "proper society".