Frostpunk

The Guild

3 min read

“We’re the ones who go out there so everyone else doesn’t have to.”

The Guild is the organization you work for. Officially: the Relic Hunters’ Guild of Hearth. Practically: the only reason the town is still warm.

What the Guild Does

The Hearth Engine requires a steady supply of magical relics to keep running. The Guild exists to provide them. Every sanctioned expedition, every contract posted on the Mission Board, every relic delivered to the Engine Chamber - that is the Guild’s work.

Without the Guild, the Engine starves. Without the Engine, Hearth freezes. The math is simple!

Leadership

The Guild is led by Governor Luthor Shrike, who also serves as Hearth’s de facto governor. Shrike founded the Guild before the Frost set in - he was running a minor relic-hunting operation when he discovered the Hearth Engine during the onset. He repurposed everything he had to get it running, and has been holding the whole operation together ever since.

Shrike controls the Engine. That gives him considerable leverage.

How It Works

Guild members are authorized to run expeditions into The Wastes and beyond. There is no salary. The relics you find are your compensation - what you keep, burn, sell, or use is entirely your call.

The Guild asks for one thing in return: the Engine gets fed. At minimum, one relic per expedition must go in. Beyond that, every decision about what to burn and what to pocket is yours.

In exchange for membership, the Guild provides:

  • Access to contracts, maps, and intelligence on relic sites via the Mission Board
  • Housing inside the Guildhall fort - warm, close to the Engine, and considerably more comfortable than most of Hearth (or the known world, for that matter)
  • Hot showers! Courtesy of the Engine’s heat - a genuine luxury in a frozen world.
  • The Guild General Store, stocked by Selka Driftmantle, selling gear at reasonable prices
  • Institutional backing - the Guild’s name carries weight out in the Wastes

The Mission Board

Active contracts are posted in the ground floor of the Guildhall. Each entry describes a known or suspected relic site and what the Guild knows about the risks. See the Mission Hub for current postings.

Ranks and Standing

New members start as recruits at Level 1. Complete your first expedition and you become a full Guild member at Level 2. After that, you’re free to operate as you see fit - the only thing the Guild asks is that the Engine stays fed.

The Guild’s Position in Hearth

The Guild is one of three factions that govern Hearth. See The Flamewardens and The Frostwatch for the others.

The Guild controls the Engine. That is its ultimate leverage and its ultimate responsibility. The Flamewardens believe relic use should answer to a broader moral consensus, not just Guild authority. The Frostwatch wants more say in where expeditions go and what they prioritize.

Shrike manages both tensions - carefully.

The Cord of Three Strands

A carved wooden panel at The Blue Flame depicts all three faction leaders - bound together by a braided cord. Beneath it: “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” - The Cord of Three Strands

See Also

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