Bounty Hunter
Overview
Bounty hunting is, by and large, a regulated profession, though its exact nature varies widely by region. Most bounty hunters operate as individual mercenaries, contracted to locate, capture, or eliminate specific targets in exchange for a posted reward. Bounty boards are a common fixture in taverns and places where people gather across the world. Whilst many see bounty hunting as a fringe occupation, some regions have formalised it into a fully fledged ecosystem, complete with institutions, oversight and internal codes of conduct. In such places, bounty hunters are more than just merely tolerated, they are relied upon, serving as a vital outlet for law enforcement, monster hunting, or other odd jobs where existing forces cannot or will not act.
The Job
Whilst some bounty hunters operate in groups, for most it is a solitary lifestyle. The lifestyle is often nomadic, uncertain, dangerous, with many hunters living from contract to contract. A successful bounty hunter is not necessarily a rich bounty hunter, but an old bounty hunter, as is it is a dangerous profession. People very rarely accidentally become a bounty hunter. Bounty Hunters often come from some other martial discipline first. Whether they leave of their own volition, or are kicked out, it generally means it is wise to give a seasoned Bounty Hunter a wide berth, lest you upset them and learn precisely what their skillset contains.
Organisations
Hunter's Guild
The Hunter's Guild exists across Essidon. It started in the Dwarven controlled East Essidon, but its methods spread across the spine of the frosty continent into West Essidon. A strict colour coded system of bounties that can be taken on by any willing hunter are posted in their lodges. The Hunting Lodges of Essidon abide by simple but firmly enforced rules. This, combined with in-house notaries that maintain excellent records, mean the Hunting Lodges are well-oiled machines. The Lodges served as a central hub for people in desperate need of services, and the people who are desperate enough to take on those challenges. Some bounties are easier than others, of course, and one can typically be found regardless of one's competency level. These bounties can range from merely keeping watch for a night, to the collection of claws of some the world's deadliest creatures.
The Lodge
Stonwin Endelson, West Essidon-born, brought the concepts of the Hunting Lodges with him to Calzamara after The Cataclysm War. The Lodge, as it is simply titled, quickly became a stabilising force in a settlement infamous for blurred lines of legality. In Calzamara, where danger is prevalent, and the law is often more pragmatic than idealistic, the Lodge provides structure to an otherwise chaotic bounty ecosystem. It regulates the contracts, mediates disputes, and ensures that sanctioned hunts remain with agreed boundaries - and do not interfere with the local Zurkali grove.
To Voi Technia
Technically a charity, rather than a commercial business, To Voi Technia in Ialos is a place that operates on a similar system. The participants aren't strictly speaking Bounty Hunters in name, but had they plied their trade anywhere else, it is very likely they would have been. Jobs are collected from the public and assigned to their operatives.
Pirates of Ilhon
In Isles of Ilhon, The Pirates of Ilhon unsurprisingly have a bounty system. Though theirs is a little less structured. Pirates of suitable notoriety make their way onto a universal bounty board for the region, with increasingly high gold rewards depending on their infamousness. They are typically worth more alive, than dead.
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