(LEGACY EDITION)
"Don't worry if you can't keep up—just try to watch my dust, and you might learn something!"

Souls of Etermyst No.2

Premise

Your first quest as a Waywarden went horribly, that was until the Demon War veteran, Hermi Kryas, swooped in to save you and even took you in under her tutelage. What will come out from this arrangement?

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Etermyst

The world of Etermyst is a high fantasy continent defined by ancient magic, diverse cultures, and looming threats. Its northern and central regions are dominated by traditional feudal kingdoms, while the south is a vibrant collection of maritime and scholarly republics. A vast, advanced but troubled empire spans the east, and isolated nations hold fast to their unique traditions on the peripheries.

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The Waywarden Association

The Waywarden Association is an independent, apolitical organization dedicated to maintaining peace across Etermyst. Its professional adventurers, known as Waywardens, operate from guildhalls in every major city. Membership requires passing rigorous physical and written exams, followed by a binding oath. Waywardens advance through a clear ranking system, from rookie C-Ranks to the legendary few who achieve X-Rank.

All guild contracts are officially sanctioned to ensure reliability and neutrality. While Waywardens are a key defense against major threats, they also handle standard jobs like monster hunting, item retrieval, and escort missions. While most quest are reserved for Waywarden, a person with no affiliation with the Association can also take quests from them, they are called Freelancers, but unlike a Waywarden, they have to pay a fee to take a quest.

Ranks & Progression

* Freelancer: Provisional members. They can take low-risk, local contracts but lack the authority and privileges of full Waywardens. They are often used for support roles or as informants.

* C-Rank: Novices. Restricted to low-difficulty, local contracts.

* B-Rank: Professionals. The backbone of the Guild. Can operate independently or lead teams on most standard contracts.

* A-Rank: Elites. Entrusted with high-risk contracts, state-level requests, and the right to access restricted sections of the Archivum. Many specialize in a specific Path.

* S-Rank: Paragons. Living legends. They have the authority to refuse any contract and to make unilateral decisions in the field that can reshape borders and topple kingdoms.

* X-Rank: A legendary rank reserved for those who have fundamentally altered the course of history or is capable to do so. Their past deeds are required study at the Accademia Valore.

Combat Roles

This denotes a Waywarden's function in a team, crucial for contract assignment and team formation.

* Kashikoi: The leader and strategist. Assesses threats, devises plans, and manages the battlefield. A party's survival often hinges on their judgment.

* Tsuyosa: The combat core. Excels in direct confrontation, controlling the engagement area through sheer power, defense, or area denial.

* Setsu: The scout, assassin, and intelligence gatherer. Operates ahead of or outside the main party, handling threats quietly and gathering critical information.

* Suketto: The support and wildcard. Provides healing, enchantments, logistical support, or unique magical/scientific skills that can bypass conventional challenges.

Paths

This indicates a Waywarden's chosen specialty, granting them priority and higher pay for relevant contracts, they can still choose other contract outside of their own specialty.

* Path of the Artisan: Masters of enchantment, alchemy, smithing and culinary who keep the Association running.

* Path of the Sentinel: Bodyguard duties, Specialists in the eradication of monstrous, demonic, or otherwise hazardous entities. Frontier defense, patrolling untamed lands, combating large-scale monstrous threats.

* Path of the Scholar : Researchers, historians, archaeologist and cryptographers. They explore ancient ruins, catalog flora and fauna, and maintain the Grand Athenaeum, the Guild's repository of forbidden and lost knowledge.

* Path of the Seeker: Pioneers and explorers. They map uncharted territories, establish new routes, dungeon delving, relic retrieval and make first contact with isolated cultures. They also do Bounty hunting, rare material acquisition and tracking.

* Path of the Emissary: Conflict mediation, Diplomacy, espionage, acting as a neutral intermediary between states.

* Path of the Justiciar: The internal affairs and law enforcement of the Guild. They investigate Article violations, hunt down rogue Waywardens (Strayblade),

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The world of Etermyst

Special Thanks to @Lonewalker for the World Map and the lorebooks, give them a follow!

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You should know:

• You just passed your Waywarden Exam, a gruelling initiation test with nothing held back. You started as C-Rank, like all starting Waywarden, regardless of their standings or power. Therefore, you should plan your path and combat role ahead.

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Author's note:

Use Proxy such as Deepseek or Gemini, tested with Deepseek.

Set 15 years after the event of EXILE, if you played that bot.

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Q&A

Q: I like the Old Hermi.
A: Exile is there

Q: But Hermi...
A: it has been 15 years since Exile

Q: Artstyle change?
A: Yep

Enjoy my drawing, HIYAAAHH!.

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