After the Rupture, when conventional militaries failed and ninety percent of humanity died, a new organizational structure emerged from necessity: the Hunter Guild System. These organizations recruit, train, deploy, and support the warriors who stand between humanity and extinction.
The Rank System
All hunters and monsters are classified using a standardized power ranking system, from weakest to strongest:
F → E → D → C → B → A → S
This system allows for quick threat assessment, appropriate team deployment, and fair contract pricing. Ranks are earned through demonstrated capability, not time served or politics.
Monster Ranks
Monster ranks determine threat level and required hunter response. Rank applies regardless of origin—a D-rank ember wolf is D-rank whether rift-born, natural-born, or infused. However, origin affects typical rank distribution:
- Rift-born: Full range (F to S), with higher proportion at upper ranks
- Natural-born: Mostly D to B-rank; no confirmed S-rank natural-born yet
- Infused: Mostly F to C-rank; infused creatures rarely reach elite power levels
F-Rank Monsters
- Small, weak creatures
- Minimal elemental power
- Can be handled by trained civilians with proper equipment
- Typically eliminated during wall patrols
- Low material value
- Examples: Ember rats (Sun), Stone beetles (Earth), Shadow mice (Moon)
E-Rank Monsters
- Human-sized, moderate threat
- Basic elemental abilities
- Require hunter involvement
- Standard patrol work
- Decent material value for common equipment
- Examples: Flame hounds (Sun), Boulder crabs (Earth), Mist stalkers (Moon)
D-Rank Monsters
- Large creatures, significant threat
- Strong elemental abilities
- Require hunter teams of 3-5
- Can damage fortifications if unchecked
- Good material value for quality equipment
- Examples: Inferno wolves (Sun), Stone golems (Earth), Shadow panthers (Moon)
C-Rank Monsters
- Building-sized, serious threat
- Advanced elemental abilities
- Require coordinated hunter teams
- Can breach weak sections of walls
- High material value, used in premium gear
- Examples: Magma serpents (Sun), Earth titans (Earth), Nightmare stalkers (Moon)
B-Rank Monsters
- Massive creatures, extreme threat
- Master-level elemental abilities
- Require elite hunter teams (10+ hunters)
- City-threatening if not stopped
- Extremely valuable materials
- Examples: Solar drakes (Sun), Mountain lords (Earth), Lunar wraiths (Moon)
A-Rank Monsters
- Catastrophic threat level
- Reality-bending elemental power
- Require multiple elite teams, evacuation protocols
- Can destroy entire city districts
- Legendary materials worth fortunes
- Rare; only a few dozen confirmed globally
- Examples: Phoenix lords (Sun), Continental juggernauts (Earth), Eclipse beasts (Moon)
S-Rank Monsters
- Extinction-level threats
- Incomprehensible power
- Require city-wide mobilization, international cooperation
- Can destroy entire fortress cities
- Materials beyond current understanding
- Less than ten confirmed sightings in five years
- Examples: Solaris incarnate (Sun), World-Shaker (Earth), Void sovereign (Moon)
Hunter Ranks
Hunter ranks reflect individual combat capability and clearance level:
F-Rank Hunters
- Failed Assessment but received provisional license
- Limited to F-rank contracts with supervision
- Wall patrol duty, guard work
- Often transition to civilian roles
- Stigma attached to F-rank status
E-Rank Hunters
- Passed basic Assessment
- Fresh graduates, minimal field experience
- Standard patrols and simple contracts
- Most hunters start here
- High mortality rate (40% don't reach D-rank)
D-Rank Hunters
- Survived first year, proven competent
- Handle routine threats independently
- Backbone of guild operations
- Stable income, reasonable safety
- Majority of hunters plateau at this rank
C-Rank Hunters
- Veterans with 2-3 years experience
- Specialized skills or proven leadership
- Lead teams on dangerous contracts
- Well-paid, highly respected
- Required for guild officer positions
B-Rank Hunters
- Elite veterans, 5+ years survival
- Exceptional combat skill or unique abilities
- Handle crisis situations
- Celebrity status in their cities
- Each city has 20-50 B-rank hunters
A-Rank Hunters
- Living legends, peak human capability
- Can solo C-rank monsters
- Lead major operations against A-rank threats
- Wealthy beyond civilian comprehension
- Political influence, guild leadership roles
- Each city has 3-10 A-rank hunters
S-Rank Hunters
- Beyond human limits (often bonded, though not publicly known)
- Can solo B-rank monsters
- Personally responsible for city survival during catastrophes
- International fame, power, and influence
- Fewer than 100 worldwide
- Their presence determines which cities survive
Rank Assessment
Initial ranking comes from Hunter Assessment performance:
- Top 5%: Start at D-rank
- Top 20%: Start at E-rank with fast-track potential
- Passing: Start at E-rank
- Minimal pass: Start at F-rank (provisional)
Rank advancement requires:
- Demonstrated kills at current rank
- Survival time in field
- Team leadership capability
- Guild recommendation
- Formal re-assessment for B-rank and above
Rank degradation can occur:
- Serious injuries reducing capability
- Extended absence from field work
- Failed contracts resulting in team deaths
- Disciplinary action
Special note: Some hunters deliberately stay at lower ranks to avoid attention, political pressure, or dangerous assignments. A few S-rank hunters maintain official C or B-rank status.
Guild Structure
Each major fortress city has multiple hunter guilds competing for contracts and talent:
Guild Organization
Guild Master (typically A-rank)
- Oversees all guild operations
- Negotiates major contracts with city council
- Manages guild reputation and resources
- Final authority on recruitment and advancement
Vice Guild Masters (typically B-rank)
- Manage specific divisions (recruitment, training, operations)
- Handle day-to-day guild business
- Step in during Guild Master absence
Team Leaders (typically C-rank or higher)
- Lead field operations
- Responsible for team survival and success
- Mentor lower-ranked hunters
- Report directly to operations division
Full Members (D-rank and above)
- Core guild workforce
- Take contracts appropriate to rank
- Form teams or work solo
- Required to contribute to guild defense during emergencies
Junior Members (E-rank and F-rank)
- Learning roles, supervised work
- Limited contract access
- Training and evaluation period
- No voting rights in guild decisions
Support Staff (non-hunters)
- Crafters working with harvested materials
- Researchers studying monsters and elements
- Medical staff specialized in creature injuries
- Administrative and logistics personnel
Guild Membership
Joining a guild:
- Assessment passers receive offers from guilds
- Top performers get multiple offers, bidding wars
- Average passers join where they can
- Guild choice impacts career trajectory significantly
Guild benefits:
- Access to guild contracts and resources
- Equipment maintenance and repair
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation
- Death benefits for families
- Training and advancement opportunities
- Legal protection and political backing
Guild obligations:
- Percentage of contract fees (typically 30-40%)
- Mandatory emergency response during breaches
- Maintaining guild reputation
- Following guild codes and regulations
- Training junior members
Changing guilds:
- Possible but politically complex
- Higher-ranked hunters get poached regularly
- Breaking contracts requires compensation
- Reputation follows you between guilds
Major Guild Archetypes
While each city has unique guilds, certain patterns emerge:
Elite Combat Guilds
Focus: High-rank contracts, A and B-rank monsters
Membership: Selective, requires C-rank minimum
Culture: Prestige-focused, competitive, wealthy
Examples: First Spear, Crimson Edge, Storm Breakers
Strengths:
- Best equipment and resources
- Highest-paid contracts
- Political influence
- Training from legendary hunters
Weaknesses:
- Elitism creates resentment
- Internal competition can be toxic
- Expensive membership fees
- High pressure, high burnout
General Service Guilds
Focus: Broad contract base, all ranks accepted
Membership: Open recruitment, largest membership
Culture: Practical, team-focused, steady work
Examples: Iron Fangs, Sentinel Watch, People's Vanguard
Strengths:
- Consistent work for all ranks
- Strong team bonds
- Reasonable fees
- Training programs for new hunters
Weaknesses:
- Less prestigious
- Lower-paying contracts
- Harder to advance to high ranks
- Spread thin across many contracts
Specialist Guilds
Focus: Specific monster types or elements
Membership: Requires relevant skills/experience
Culture: Knowledge-focused, methodical, nerdy reputation
Examples: Riftwatch (rift specialists), Tidecallers (Ocean-types), Shadowhunters (Moon-types)
Strengths:
- Deep expertise in specialty
- Premium rates for specialized contracts
- Access to unique tactics and equipment
- Researcher partnerships
Weaknesses:
- Limited contract diversity
- Vulnerable if specialty becomes rare
- Small membership
- Narrow advancement path
Bonded-Friendly Guilds (Underground)
Focus: Secretly accept bonded hunters
Membership: Small, invitation-only, paranoid
Culture: Tight-knit, secretive, idealistic
Examples: Names never spoken openly
Strengths:
- Access to bond abilities
- Can handle impossible contracts
- True partnership between species
- Revolutionary potential
Weaknesses:
- Execution if discovered
- Constant secrecy stress
- Limited growth (can't recruit openly)
- Betrayal is existential threat
Contract System
Guilds earn income through contracts issued by city councils, private clients, or international organizations:
Contract Types
Patrol Contracts (F to D-rank)
- Regular sweeps of territory near walls
- Steady work, low pay
- Prevents monster buildup
- Assigned to lower-ranked hunters
- Increasingly involves infused creature management as contamination spreads
Elimination Contracts (D to A-rank)
- Specific monster marked for death
- Pay scales with monster rank
- Require proof of kill
- Core guild income source
Rift Management (C to S-rank)
- Monitor and suppress rift sites
- Prevent surges
- Extremely dangerous
- Long-term assignments, premium pay
Infestation Clearance (E to C-rank)
- Eliminate infused creature populations before they spread
- Target contaminated wildlife zones
- Steady work as elemental saturation expands
- Less prestigious but increasingly necessary
Escort Contracts (E to B-rank)
- Protect trade caravans between cities
- Guard VIPs in the Wilds
- Duration-based pay
- Moderate danger, reliable income
Salvage Contracts (D to B-rank)
- Recover resources from pre-Rupture ruins
- Monster-infested areas
- Keep portion of salvage
- High risk, high reward
Emergency Response (All ranks)
- Wall breaches, surges, catastrophes
- Mandatory for guild members
- City pays hazard rates
- Save your home or die trying
Contract Pricing
Contracts pay based on:
- Monster rank (higher = more pay)
- Urgency (emergency = premium rates)
- Danger level (rift work = hazard pay)
- Client wealth (council vs private)
- Guild reputation (famous guilds charge more)
Typical rates (pre-guild cut):
- F-rank monster: 50-100 credits
- E-rank monster: 200-500 credits
- D-rank monster: 1,000-3,000 credits
- C-rank monster: 5,000-15,000 credits
- B-rank monster: 50,000-150,000 credits
- A-rank monster: 500,000+ credits
- S-rank monster: Priceless (city survival)
Living costs context:
- Modest apartment: 500 credits/month
- Hunter equipment maintenance: 1,000+ credits/month
- Medical treatment: 100-10,000 credits depending on injury
- Quality weapon: 5,000-100,000 credits
- New hunter monthly earnings: 2,000-5,000 credits
- Veteran hunter monthly earnings: 20,000-100,000 credits
- Elite hunter monthly earnings: 500,000+ credits
Guild Reputation and Politics
Guilds compete for:
- Top Assessment graduates
- Prestigious contracts
- City council influence
- Public perception and fame
Reputation matters:
- Higher reputation = better contracts
- Failed contracts damage reputation
- Heroic actions boost reputation
- Scandals can destroy guilds
Political power:
- A-rank hunters often serve on city councils
- Guilds lobby for favorable regulations
- Competition can turn ugly (sabotage, poaching, defamation)
- Some cities have guild wars (political, sometimes literal)
Public relations:
- Successful hunts publicized
- Heroes cultivated for morale
- Failures suppressed when possible
- Civilians protected from harsh realities
Training Programs
Most guilds run training programs:
Pre-Assessment Training (ages 14-18)
- Sponsored students in exchange for recruitment commitment
- Guild-specific techniques and culture
- Increases Assessment passage rates
- Creates guild loyalty early
Junior Hunter Development (E and F-rank)
- Supervised contracts
- Skill refinement
- Team integration
- Survival training
Specialist Courses (D-rank and above)
- Element-specific tactics
- Advanced weapon techniques
- Leadership training
- Rift management certification
Cross-Guild Exchanges (C-rank and above)
- Rare but valuable
- Share techniques between guilds
- Build inter-guild relationships
- Usually only between friendly guilds
The Guild Master's Burden
Being a Guild Master means:
- Sending people to die for money
- Balancing profit against member safety
- Political maneuvering while maintaining honor
- Knowing which contracts to refuse
- Bearing responsibility for every guild death
The best Guild Masters are respected, feared, and quietly drinking heavily.
The worst Guild Masters get their members killed and guilds disbanded.
Guildless Hunters
Some hunters operate without guild affiliation:
Advantages:
- Keep 100% of contract fees
- No guild obligations
- Complete independence
- Choose only desired contracts
Disadvantages:
- No guild support or resources
- No medical coverage
- Harder to get good contracts
- No backup during emergencies
- Cities trust guildless hunters less
Who goes guildless:
- Disgraced former guild members
- Ideological objectors to guild system
- Bonded hunters avoiding scrutiny
- S-rank hunters who don't need support
- Those with secrets to hide
The Reality
The guild system keeps humanity alive. It's not perfect—corruption exists, politics gets people killed, elitism divides those who should unite. But without guilds organizing humanity's defense, the walls would have fallen years ago.
Every hunter knows this. So you join a guild, follow the rules, climb the ranks, and try to survive long enough to retire.
If you're lucky, you make it to D-rank and plateau safely.
If you're skilled, you reach B-rank and become wealthy.
If you're exceptional—or bonded—you might reach A or S-rank and become legend.
Most likely, you die somewhere in the Wilds, harvested materials sent back to your guild, name carved on the memorial wall.
That's the job. That's the guild system.
That's survival.