The Guild started with the claimed "discovery" of a major religious artefact – Tornar’s hammer. As the hammer became a reason for a pilgrimage, the Guild soon found itself in the middle of a flourishing market of all things Manirak – from cheap religious reproductions to rare goods and resources.

The Guild exercises tight control over all Manirak artefacts through their version of a Customs House. Good relations with the Guild ensure that Manirak loot is processed in a quick and efficient manner.

Naturally, each Guildsman is a certified craftsman and a professional trader. Jewelers and goldsmiths are especially common, as the need to identify precious items is paramount.

A winged Reaver vanguard

The Sisterhood spares no expense to get their hands (fingers or no fingers) on the best battalions Riftforge has to offer.

The harsh reality is that on Manirak, even the most formidable Sisters live and die by the sword. Sometimes it helps to have the best swords by one's side.

Reavers

The Reavers are a female-only battalion of elite raiders recruited directly from the Sisterhood’s acolytes. They are often credited with the initial introduction and subsequent perfection of hit-and-run tactics.

The flip side is that the Sisterhood is flooded with complaints from regular troops claiming that when the battle heats up, the Reavers focus on the running part a lot more than they do on hitting the enemy.

The quintessential "people" person, every Sister specializes in the subtle (bribery, intimidation) and not so subtle (extortion, kidnapping, murder) art of persuasion.

The Sannah priesthood goes through ten ritual promotions. With each ritual, the priestess loses a finger through exposure to the cold. Sisters take precautions to hide their rank by wearing gloves at all times.

Only sisters of the lowest five ranks make their way into Manirak on errands. Rumor has it the current Mother Superior has achieved the highest rank only recently, which very nearly precipitated a crisis of confidence within the organization.

Dambuster (left) and Firesmith (right)

These elite Grenadiers form the last and oftentimes the only defense for key strategic objectives.

Their ability to cause carnage on a massive scale serves as an effective deterrent even against the most dogged and determined enemies.

None of the elite grenadiers complains, when every so often an especially bold (and stupid) enemy commander sends his troops in a full frontal assault. The “fireworks” can be seen for miles, so the message remains painfully clear.

Juggernaut (left) and Impaler (right)

Elite Chargers form the vanguard of Riftforge invading force. Their shock tactics break the defensive formations of even the most determined of enemies.

Commanders tend to mass their heavy cavalry in tight squadrons. Riding hard, boot to boot, against the enemy spear wall time and again has created quite a bond between the veteran chargers.

When looking for a new mount, the elite chargers spare no expense to get the biggest, ugliest brutes. Rather surprisingly, breeders now demand a premium for all ugly mounts. This fact amuses Raider quartermasters to no end. It also helps them drive down the price of beautiful snow lions and tigers quite significantly.

Bodybuilding is now available!
(Race restrictions may apply)

Playtesting has confirmed something game designers have feared all along:

Traditional RPG professions like mining, blacksmithing, armorcrafting, etc. are often as repetitive and boring as a real job!

Effective immediately, all Riftforge professions are superseded by hobbies. If you have any questions about the implications for your particular profession, please refer to your Guildmaster.

Gutripper (left) and Executioner (right)

The elite Assassins form a rigid order where secrecy, deception, and stealth are taken to the extreme and beyond.

The adverse weather conditions on Manirak allow these assassins to remain concealed until they are ready to strike. Often, the mark is “terminated with extreme prejudice” in mere seconds.

Not all elite assassins take pride in this deadly efficiency. Some are more image-conscious than others, so they insist on being referred to as “operatives”. As long as military planners make sure each operation contains plenty of blood and gore, the difference between assassins and operatives remains very, very subtle.

Marauder (left) and Warhound (right)

The taming of the agile and ferocious rock lions has given rise to a new force within Riftforge – elite cavalry.

The lion mounts are bred for speed and speed alone and the elite Raiders get first pick from the best animals.

The Raiders sacrifice armor for speed. Even their precious mounts have no barding. The Raiders rely on common sense: “The best protection is not to be where the enemy wants you to be.”

Bloodhound (left) and Nightrunner (right)

Recruits new to the Rangers have tremendous respect for these veterans because all drill sergeants come from the elite battalions. It is no surprise that the Ranger indoctrination program has a higher mortality rate than most combat missions.

A testament to the Rangers' survival skills, the elite Ranger battalions are the only Riftforge formations with troopers over the age of forty.

Captain Galheen often jokes that he is sending them to certain death, in order to make sure he is the oldest Ranger on record.

Shieldmaiden (left) and Ironbreaker (right)

Veterans from a dozen battles, these elite foot soldiers have the best equipment money can buy.

Much of the training is done in "wall" formations, so the Guardians are firm believers that discipline is the best defense.

The camaraderie in the elite battalions is very high. These veterans have been fighting shoulder to shoulder for years.