Argent Banner
Faction Color: [#C0C0C0] (Polished Silver)
Description: The Argent Banner is a transnational guild of seasoned adventurers and monster-hunters, operating across borders to track and eliminate threats. While they remain neutral in divine politics, they frequently collaborate with the Chosen and honor god-touched contracts, balancing profit with a sense of higher purpose.
Detailed Faction Profile
Core Identity & Philosophy:
* Identity: A transnational, elite monster-hunting guild and mercenary company.
* Philosophy: "We are the silver line that holds back the monsters. We don't care about your god, your king, or your quarrel. We care about the threat. Our word is our bond, and our bond is sealed in blood and silver. If a monster plagues the land, our banner will answer the call—for the right price. But a contract is a sacred thing, and we see every job through to its end."
History & Origins:
* Founding Story: The Banner was formed two centuries ago by a trio of veteran heroes who survived a catastrophic monster-uprising (the "War of the Chimerae"). They realized that while "Chosen" heroes were busy with divine quests, the common folk were being slaughtered by the "mundane" hydras, harpies, and gorgons. They created a professional guild, bound by magically-sealed contracts, to take the politics out of monster-slaying and turn it into a reliable, professional service.
* Key Events:
* The Second Nemean Lion: A hundred years ago, a new, invulnerable lion appeared in the Nemean plains. After two teams of "Chosen" heroes were slaughtered, the Banner was hired. They spent a month studying the beast, then used a combination of tactical traps, alchemy, and a specialized team to slay it, proving that professionalism and strategy could defeat a divine beast where pure heroism had failed.
* The Medusa's Bargain: An infamous contract where a Banner team was hired to slay a medusa. They discovered she was a cursed, non-violent priestess. Instead of killing her, the team leader invoked the "relocation" clause of the contract, transporting her to a warded, remote island. This event cemented the Banner's internal philosophy: the contract is the law, and its "purpose" (removing the threat) is more important than simple "killing."
Goals & Motivations:
* Long-Term Ambition: To be the most respected, wealthiest, and most effective non-state guild in Hellenara. To have a Banner House in every major polis and a reputation so solid that even the gods turn to them when their own champions fail.
* Short-Term Objective: To fulfill their current, high-profile contract: hunting and containing a pair of Khalkotauroi (the Fire-Breathing Bronze Bulls) that have been unleashed and are terrorizing the northern plains.
* Driving Force: Professionalism and Profit. They are driven by a fierce pride in their work, their reputation, and the wealth it brings.
Methods & Tactics:
* Operational Style: Overt, professional, and methodical. They are not a secret society. They roll into town, declare their business, set up a command post, and get to work.
* Preferred Strategies:
* Research & Preparation: Their greatest strength. They have a massive, living library of monster lore (the "Argent Bestiary"). They never fight a creature without knowing its weaknesses.
* Specialized Teams: They dispatch teams custom-built for the threat: alchemists, trappers, heavy infantry, and specialist mages.
* Magical Contracts: Their contracts are "god-touched"—magically binding documents sealed with silver. Breaking a Banner contract (by either party) is said to bring a curse of terrible misfortune.
Internal Structure & Culture:
* Hierarchy: Led by an elected Guild-General who oversees the Banner-Captains of each major guildhall. "Field-Commanders" lead individual hunting teams.
* Atmosphere: A mix of a grizzled mercenary company and a professional scholars' guild. It's pragmatic, loyal, and results-oriented. Lots of bravado, but it's (mostly) earned. They value results and reputation above all.
* Recruitment: Open to all, but the trials are brutal. A recruit must survive a series of "probationary" hunts as a squire. Many do not. You don't just join the Banner; you survive long enough to be accepted.
Key Members:
* Leader: Guild-General Kratosia "The Unflinching" (Battle Master Fighter). A veteran warrior with a face like a roadmap of scars. She is a tactical genius, not a charismatic hero. She cares about logistics, payment, and her soldiers' lives—in that order.
* Prominent Member 1: Alexios "The Archivist" (Monster Slayer Ranger). The Banner's chief researcher and beast-lore expert. He's the one who figures out how to kill the unkillable. He's often found in the field, cataloging new threats.
* Prominent Member 2: Lyra "Silver-Hand" (Alchemist Artificer). The guild's master alchemist, responsible for creating the specialized oils, antitoxins, and enchanted ammunition needed for their hunts. She is the one who arms the teams for success.
* Common Archetypes: The grizzled veteran slayer, the eager young "glory-hound" recruit, the pragmatic alchemist, the stoic team-leader, the quiet beast-lore scholar.
Relationships:
* Allies: Local rulers (as clients), temples (as clients), "The Chosen" (as frequent collaborators and/or friendly rivals), smiths, and alchemists.
* Enemies: The monsters themselves. They are frequent, direct antagonists to the Nyx Cult, who often protect or unleash shadow-beasts. They occasionally clash with the Order of the Shadow Throne when a Banner contract (to "kill") conflicts with the Order's mission (to "shepherd" a soul).
Public Perception & Reputation:
* Seen as expensive, hard-nosed professionals, but worth every drachma. The common folk are always relieved to see the Silver Banner arrive. They are the most trusted "problem-solvers" in Hellenara.
Resources & Assets:
* Key Assets:
* The Argent Bestiary: A comprehensive, living library of monster lore, weaknesses, and tactics.
* Transnational Charter: Legal permission from most poleis to cross borders in pursuit of a "marked" threat.
* The Hoard: Significant accumulated wealth from centuries of successful contracts.
* Strengths: Unmatched expertise in monster-hunting, highly organized, well-equipped, and a rock-solid reputation.
* Weaknesses: Notoriously expensive. Their "neutral" stance means they have no true political allies, only clients. They are vulnerable to the divine politics they try to avoid (e.g., a god getting angry they killed their "pet" monster).
Notable Deeds & Current Status:
* Deeds: Slaying the (second) Nemean Lion; The Medusa's Bargain; "The Cleansing of the Stymphalian Nests."
* Status: Currently engaged in the difficult Khalkotauroi contract. The situation is complicated: the client (a local king) wants them captured alive for use as war-beasts, a task the Banner finds both technically difficult and morally questionable, testing their "profit vs. purpose" philosophy.