You see in your hands a small leather bound book. Embossed in the leather is the Guild of Rangers insignia, and in the background is the Vallenwood tree that serves as the headquarters for the guild. As you open the book, you see the table of contents.

1. The Ranger and the Guild
2. Entrance Requirements and Procedures
3. The Pledge System
4. Rules of the Guild
5. The Guild - Ground/First Floor
6. The Guild - Second/Third Floor
7. Councils
8. History of the Guild of Rangers
9. Miscellaneous/Things You MUST Know
10. Changes and Updates/Version History

Originally written by: Siporta <Head, Ranger Quest Council><Council of Rangers><Emissaries>

The Ranger and the Guild

The Ranger:
A Ranger is a hunter and woodsman who lives by not only his sword, but also by his wits. A Ranger should be kind and helpful, willing to help his comrades and those in need in times of trouble.

The Guild of Rangers:
"With arrows nocked and silent steps, we blaze the trail where none dare tread."
The Guild of Rangers boasts a band of avid explorers who encourage the unique combination of camaraderie and independence. These hapless rogues and wanderers of the Realms fight with honor and skill for the sake of adventure.

The Ranger and the Guild: What makes a good Ranger Guild Member?

1. Honorable -- speaks for itself.
2. Independent -- Ability to look after yourself and adventure the Realms with minimal assistance.
3. Adventurous -- willingness to explore new areas and attack new mobs.
4. Reliable -- is prepared to help out Guild members in dire trouble.
5. Polite -- Shows respect for all people of the Realms, Guild or Non-Guild, Ranger or Non-Ranger.
6. Participation -- Willingness to share information and just generally chat and be social on Guild chat.
7. Generous -- Be willing to put back into the Guild as much as you get.

It is EXPECTED that all Guild Rangers are ambassadors for the GoR and follow our code of honor and courage outlined in not only the Guild rules, but the rules of the Realms as well. Deviation from these rules will be met with swift retribution and dishonor.

Entrance Requirements and Procedures

1. You are required to be level 20 and peaceful to join. If you are not yet that level or you are a deadly, you will not be quested or interviewed.

2. After you reach level 20, you may request an audience with a member of RQC (Ranger Quest Council). The members have this in their titles.

3. An RQC member will do an interview. If they feel you may be guild material, they will give you a quest, which shall be posted on the RQC board.

4. After you finish your quest, you must have it checked in, preferably by another member of RQC. If one of them is not available, a leader may be asked.

5. After you quest has been verified, you will have to have a final interview with a leader, after which you may be inducted.

If you cannot find a member of the RQC, post a note on the Recruiting Office board with the following information and someone will contact you as soon as possible:
To: RQC
Subject: <Your Name - Interview Request>
Body:
Name and Level
Time and days you are on

Entrance Requirements and Procedures: The Quest Rules

If you are caught cheating on a quest or breaking these rules, you will be denied entrance and possibly banned from the guild.

1. During the interview, you must answer truthfully all questions asked. If you are caught in a lie, your interview/quest will be stopped and you will be denied and banned from the guild.

2. All items on you quest must be room repop items or fought for. You CANNOT get/buy the items from other people. You CANNOT buy the items off auction, traffic, or from any shops. The only exceptions will be if the RQC member states otherwise on your quest note.

3. You CANNOT use your other characters (if you have any) or friends (if you have any) to get or search for the items for you. This quest is for ONE character only.

4. You CANNOT have help from other players when fighting mobs. They may cast pre-fight spells only. They CANNOT cast spells on the mob for you, and the only heals you will be allowed are in potion or pill form.

5. You MUST walk to the mob to fight it. You can get directions to the area and the name (not directions) of the mob ONLY from anyone except guild leaders and the RQC member who wrote the quest. You may NOT have someone portal or summon you to the mob, summon the mob for you, or lead you to the mob.

6. There is a time limit on quests. It will be assigned by the RQC member that writes up you quest. If you have any problems that arise and force you to take longer than the given time, talk to the RQC member that gave you the quest. If they are not available, speak to any other RCQ member. If you have any other problems or cannot find an RQC member, contact the Head of the Ranger Quest Council.

7. If you have a problem with the quest, or think the quest is much too hard for your level, speak with the RQC member who gave it to you. They may have made a mistake on a quest item, but under no circumstances argue with the RQC member. If you argue with the RQC member, your quest is over and you will be denied entrance and possibly banned from the guild.

8. If someone asks you to stop sending them tells (asking too many questions, giving play-by-play announcements of your quest, whining about your quest), and you continue, you will fail your quest and be denied entrance. Spamming public channels with questions and/or complaints about your quest will also cause you to fail and be denied.

9. If you decide to "fail" a quest in order to get a new one because your quest is too hard, your next quest will be much more difficult.

10. You must keep the word "Questing" in your title at all times. If you ask for help on public channels, you must state that you are questing.

11. Use common sense because there is ALWAYS someone watching.

12. Failure to read these rules is NOT an excuse for not knowing them. The RQC note board says to read the guide.

The Pledge System

The pledge system was started by Melian because of Thelas, a new guild member at the time. As a new member, he broke several laws of the realm and did not live up to guild standards. The pledge system judges a person's actions rather than their words in an interview. When the candidate completes the interviews and the quest, they will be inducted. The new member will be required to put "<Pledge>" in their title, and to keep it there at ALL times. This person is basically on review and it is not until final approval by Guild leader that they are allowed to remain in the Guild as a full member and remove "<Pledge>" from their title. Every single member of the Guild is able to contribute to the review of a Pledge, any observations or comments that a Guild member would like to make regarding a new Pledge should be passed on to a Guild leader by posting a note on the Leaders' board (not on Guild note board), or by speaking with a leader. Basically, the idea of a Pledge rank is so we can observe the new member within our Guild and to establish whether or not he or she fits in. A new member must remain a pledge for a minimum of thirty (30) days after induction. At the end of the pledge period, the pledge will have a pledge review.

The Pledge System: The Pledge Review

During the pledge review, the leaders will go over any notes or comments on the board and ask several questions. A pledge will have two chances at the pledge review. If they do not meet our standards or fall short of the legendary Guild Ranger status, they will be outcast. Pledges have a time limit to become full members. You must remain a pledge for 30 days. After this time you have 30 days to find a leader and request a pledge review. If you do not request a pledge review within this time you automatically fail your first pledge review. If you fail your first pledge review, you must wait 30 days before you can request another. If you fail your second pledge review or go past 30 days without requesting another review you will be outcast. You have a total of 120 days to request a pledge review before being outcast.

Once you have signed up for an account on the guild forums, you will be able to see the first day you can take your review and the day that you will autofail it.

If circumstances will prevent you from taking your review on time, it is your job to inform a leader of it by any means. Leaders will not seek you out and remind you of your review. It is your duty to remember.

The Pledge Review Study Guide

Here are some topics that you can study. This is not a comprehensive list.

- Current Leaders and council members and what their duties are.
- Former GoR Leaders.
- Names and functions of the 4 mobs in the guild HQ.
- What is the name of the highest ranking ranger in the game?
- Former Imms now members of GoR.
- Current Imms that were former GoR.
- What can be bought at GoR Store?
- Highest HR/DR weapon name and the numbers.
- Best type of weapon for a ranger.
- Name 5 mobs mortals cannot kill.
- What is the guild motto and what does it mean to you?
- Name 5 major Dragons in the game.
- What Mob and Area did each piece of equipment you have came from?
- Why was the pledge system started?
- Who are the members of different councils?
- History and jobs of the councils.
- What unique items can be bought in the guild store?

Rules of the Guild

These are the general rules for conduct within the Guild. Any violation of these rules is grounds for being outcast from the Guild. If you witness a violation of these rules, do not begin an argument with the person. If you wish to say anything to them, politely remind them of the rule(s) they are violating and leave it at that. If the behavior continues, report it to the Leader, First or Second, and allow them to handle the situation accordingly. If the behavior violates a rule of the Realms of Despair, it may be reported to an Immortal. We understand that sometimes mistakes happen, and everyone is entitled to a second chance.

Rules of the Guild: General Guild Rules

It is illegal to sell, trade, auction or give away Guild items, including potions, pills, scrolls, equipment and containers. Anything you can buy in a Guild house is off limits for selling. If you are found to be trading in these illegal items, you stand the chance of not only being outcast from your Guild, but your Guild may lose the ability to sell those items.

Please do not engage in buying such items either, as the Immortals reserve the right to remove Guild items from ANY person not belonging to that Guild. Just because you can buy it on the "black market" does not mean the Immortals will allow you to keep it.

If you are in doubt whether an item is a Guild item, you are free to ask an Immortal. Most Guild items have the name "guild" on it when you use identify.

There are rules that are specific to Guilds. If you are not sure if something is legal or illegal within your Guild, please contact a leader.

Rules of the Guild: Guild of Rangers Guild Rules

1. Profanity is not allowed on guildtalk or in titles.

2. Items from the donation room are for GUILDED rangers only. Do not take items for your alts or to sell or auction. Failure to abide by this rule will result in being outcast.

3. Bashing of Immortals or other players, guilded or not, is not allowed.

4. Arguing with Immortals or leaders will result in being outcast.

5. If you are helled, you will be outcast. If any of your alts are Balzhured, you will be outcast.

6. If you are a pledge and you remove "<Pledge>" from your title, you will be reprimanded. This can include being outcast.

7. If you leave the guild for any reason other than selling your char, you will be placed on a 3 month ban from the guild. This is so you cannot leave the guild on a whim and because it takes at least that long to decide if you like the order you have joined or not.

8. You shall uphold the standards of the guild and refrain from activities that would reflect badly on the guild. This includes any actions that are not specifically prohibited by the rules of the realms or the guild. If you do not know if your actions would violate this rule, before you act, think "Would I like to be on the receiving end of these actions?"

9. All information given in guild meetings, on guild boards, or over guildtalk are for GUILD use only. Any guild member violating this rule will receive a heavy punishment.

10. Any member sharing his/her guilded character with someone that is not a guild member will be outcast for a minimum of 3 months.

The Guild - Ground/First Floor

To get to the Guild of Rangers from Darkhaven Square: 2NE, E, NE, E, SE
To get to the Guild of Rangers Recruiting Office, go E once you get to the base of the tree.

Before a Vallenwood Tree
This is the entrance to the guild. It is also a place to meet with friends and people who are not in the guild.

Recruiting Office
This room holds the recruiting board on which quests and important information for applicants are posted. Interviews are also conducted in here.

A Shaded Clearing
This is another room where guild members may meet with friends in a slightly more secluded setting.

A Shady Glade
This is the guild's brew room, where alts can brew potions for guild or personal use.

Halfway Up the Trunk
This room serves as a barrier between the outside of the guild and the inside, keeping people from spamming recall with repeated attempts to get in. Being an outdoors room, rangers have the ability to forage here.

Recall
This is the entrance and recall point for the Guild of Rangers. Please do NOT "supplicate corpse" or drop junk at recall.

The Snared Rabbit (Guild Shop)
This is the Guild store, here Lythia sells the supplies needed for daily life. These items are here for use by Guild members. There are rules regarding the use of these items. If you are unsure of these rules, please read "help guild rules". If there are items that you would like to see in here, or if you have ideas for new items, please talk to one of the Leaders about it, as they know how to handle requests for improvements to the Guild.

All items that can be purchased in the Guild store and are unique to the GoR follow the same rules as donation equipment. They may not be sold, traded, given or auctioned to any character that is not a Guilded Ranger. Violation of this rule will result in punishment, from the Leaders of the Guild, and possibly, from the Immortals. These items are strictly Guild Ranger use only.

The Clearing of Comrades (Donations Room)
There are containers in which equipment is to be sorted according to the level of the item. A chest for equipment levels 15-35 and a crate for levels 36-50, and a rack for potions and scrolls are available for GUILDED RANGER use only! Guild members are asked to use their common sense and not place anti-warrior/ranger gear, trash or items that are too low level and generally of no use to the Guild in these containers. The equipment found in this room is NOT to be sold, auctioned, traded, or given to any character who is not in the Guild. The donation room is for Guilded Ranger use ONLY.

If you go down from the Donation room, it will take you to Landris, the Guild repairman.

One other thing, NEVER "supplicate corpse" in the donation room!!!

The Vale of the Elders
This room is for the Leader, First and Second of the Guild. It also holds the Leaders' board. This board is only readable by the Leaders and Immortals. You can post notes on this board that you want only the leaders to see. To get to the Vale from recall, "open thorns" and go SE.

The leader offices are located off this room. No one is allowed in the offices without a leader's request or permission.

Chamber of Solitude (Noteboard)
A note board has been placed in this room for all Guild members. Please feel free to make good use of this board. It may be used to post notes with your concerns, questions, requests for information, or with information that may be of benefit to other Guild members.

Going up from the Chamber of Solitude will lead you to the Kinship of the Guilds. This room is the gathering place for interguild activities such as IGQs and IGPKs. There is a noteboard that details the rules and notes on the various activities. To return to the guild, type "leave".

To the South of the note board is the Abode of the Wise. This room was to be used to hold Guild history but is now just a general room.

The Clearing
This room is for general discussion and for rest and relaxation. Going up from this room will lead you to the Guild Healer.

The Guild - Second/Third Floor

Tracking the Prey (Trainer)
This room is here for aspiring Guild members to practice new skills and spells. The only things that Iridor will not teach here are fighting styles. To learn those, you must return to the Halls of Knowledge. This room allows foraging.

The Crooked Path Lodge
The lodge is a place of merriment and joy for the Guild. It is a place to gather and to celebrate. To order any of the many foods or drinks, type "look menu". All food and drink is free to Guilded Rangers.

The Gathering Hall
The Gathering Hall is used for Guild meetings. If a Guild meeting is called, this is where you need to go. This room allows foraging.

The Cubiculum of Regeneration
This room holds Lirkaneri, our sacred healer. Please feel free to make use of this room as needed.

Please do not go link-dead or AFK in this room as the program includes you in the spell cycle and may take away from other Guild members who need the spells sooner.

Encircled by Leaves
This room is just another gathering place to sit and talk.

A Leafy Lookout (Auction Room)
This is the guild's auction room. You can come here if you want to buy or sell something rather than going to the auction house in Darkhaven. This room allows foraging as well, and can be used for sitting and talking.

Councils

Many of the jobs and responsibilities that it takes to run a guild are split up into different councils.

History of the Guild of Rangers

History of the Guild of Rangers: Leaders

History of the Guild of Rangers: Firsts