What is it mean to be an Adventurer?

[Kuro DCupu]

In certain version, we learn from fantasy series / manga / anime (mostly from isekai genre) about what is called an Adventurer Guild. That's what I wanna talk about first.

Adventurer Guild, a place where an absolute nobody could become somebody by risking their own life. Being an Adventurer would be a dream job which technically doesn't require anything but your own approval. The guild handle common people's request, making extra money through fee, advertise the quest on board, and compensate the Adventurer who did the actual job with rewards. They won't take any request involving politics or against civil right. On rare occasion, the job came from the guild itself (like a raid or something). They provide an organized and polite service, serving the hard-worker Adventurer with a warm smile.

"Look! They even encourage the Adventurer to do better with promotion through ranking system!"
"Yea, mate... Sucks to be me. I'm confident with my ability, but I have to collect mushroom due to my low rank. They said I need to gain the guild's trust through my achievement."

Cool! The guild keep track on each Adventurer for the record and for the Adventurer's own safety as well. Sometimes including protect you from most national law. Wow, ain't that's just way too good to be true?

But that is the whole problem! It's too good to be true for this "modern company" to exist in feudal-fantasy era where monsters lurking around. And how is that so? It's obvious to say, but their influence is already even bigger than the country itself. I mentioned "modern company" because they actually applying constitutional right straight out from modern society while the country is still using the old monarchy.

We would have thought that they are backed by the country, but it seems to be the otherwise. In this type of fantasy world. they have what it takes to even start their own nation. The only reason they don't is that they are just too nice to even think about it. It could have work better if it's exist in modern society though (like Hero Association in One Punch Man).

This version of Adventurer can be summarized as a special force that answer common people call from trouble for rewards, as long as it's not against the law. That's just sounds like a "good people for hire" to me.

Anyway, it's originated from popular game concept which wanted to show adventurer's profession to feel unbelievably rewarding and relate to us as a "player" who live in modern society.

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An Adventurer is a nobody who freely roaming around the world with no goal but wanderlust. Rather than a guild, they headed to a tavern and actively asking around for a job, regardless it's against their moral or not. At most if their existence are recognized, a public board with a wanted-like poster could make it easier.

There won't be much people attracted to become this kind of Adventurer, because it's not even rewarding and not even considered a real job. They are basically a homeless who gamble with their fortune.

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Lastly, the kind of Adventurer who actively seek wealth and fame. Probably because they have nothing to lose to start out and wanted the bard to sing the song of their legend for eternal merry. They brave the unknown dangers and dungeon so that they can boast about it at the tavern. This one came prepared for an expedition to return to tell the tale.

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And that's my opinion. What do you think? If there exist a different kind of Adventurer, I would like to hear about it~

 

[Sauteed_Onion]

Well, I try not to go for the "Adventurer's Guild" types I see in anime so much. Not sure how that works out, but maybe in fantasy worlds people have to 'sign up' at an Adventurer's Guild to get the freedom to um.. Adventure? I dunno.

I try to think more of my 'adventurers' more like people with somewhat relatable personalities in situations that cause them to go on an adventure. So not really adventurers in the guild type of sense. Somebody that lost a relative and has to go on a search and rescue in a time sensitive environment or something. Maybe somebody radically underqualified to do the things necessary to get the effect they are hoping to achieve and stuff happens.

So I guess what I'm saying is , I don't really think of young or seasoned person who just decides to go become an adventurer so blam. I think more about the adventure itself, and how to get people into it. I hope this helps.

 

[VisitorsFromDreams]

Adventure Time,
C'mon grab your friends,
We're going to very distant lands.
With Jake the Dog and Finn the Human,
The fun will never end,
It's Adventure Time!

 

[TheMutantSpaceDancer]

it mean your a bloke who goes on adventures, seems like a pretty simple concept to me.

 

[Shikamon]

But that is the whole problem! It's too good to be true for this "modern company" to exist in feudal-fantasy era where monsters lurking around. And how is that so? It's obvious to say, but their influence is already even bigger than the country itself. I mentioned "modern company" because they actually applying constitutional right straight out from modern society while the country is still using the old monarchy.

cannot agree with this, IRL "guild" system have been exist since medieval era. so it's completely fine if there exist in the fantasy setting. for what i know, adventurer guilds have big influence because their founders or sponsors kinda like famous. they have relation with authority and merchants too.

 

[consolcwby]

It sounds to me like a 'modern-type guild' within a fantasy/medieval setting would be set up as some sort of scam by the monarchy, probably to send 'riff-raff' and 'would-be trouble-makers' to their doom! I actually like this, as it says much about feudal systems in general! xD

 

[Kuro DCupu]

cannot agree with this, IRL "guild" system have been exist since medieval era. so it's completely fine if there exist in the fantasy setting. for what i know, adventurer guilds have big influence because their founders or sponsors kinda like famous. they have relation with authority and merchants too.

What I mean is the kind of guild that explained above. Organized work management, fair human right, compensation, polite service, records on every single person (perhaps each have their own fancy ID card), just like a real modern democracy company. And with them answering common people request will just making a monarch kingdom, where the king are absolute, lose its popularity and purpose.

Furthermore, it's in fantasy setting where monster exist. Soldiers are there for only protecting human civil law. The only force who can keep the monster, the enemy of all mankind in check are only the Adventurer. Once again, the kingdom lose its purpose. They should switch their constitutional law at this rate.

 

[consolcwby]

Soldiers are there for only protecting human civil law. The only force who can keep the monster, the enemy of all mankind in check are only the Adventurer. Once again, the kingdom lose its purpose. They should switch their constitutional law at this rate.

What, no clause containing "provide for the common defense" or anything?? Sheesh, what a country! Lol

 

[Kes]

Soldiers are there for only protecting human civil law. The only force who can keep the monster, the enemy of all mankind in check are only the Adventurer. Once again, the kingdom lose its purpose. They should switch their constitutional law at this rate.

This is true only if you, the developer choose to make it so. You can have soldiers who keep the monsters in check, if you want. If the Adventurers' Guild is like a company in a modern democracy, it will be because you the developer choose to make it so. Just as it is not obligatory to start your game with the hero being woken up by his mother, so it is not obligatory to have soldiers and the Adventurers' Guild portrayed in the way you describe.

 

[Aesica]

I think you might be looking too deeply at it. The way I see it, "an adventurer" is just someone who, for whatever reason, leaves their mundane life behind to head out into the world in pursuit of something: find a lost friend/treasure(s), slay a monster/dictator/misc baddy, save a person/people/kingdom/world, etc.

In my current project, the main character becomes "an adventurer" once she realizes what the leader of her faith is up to and how disposable to that leader she was. In my next project, the main character becomes "an adventurer" against her will when she and her crew end up trapped aboard a vessel they cannot control, bound for an unknown destination.

The whole idea of "I'm an adventurer! I go off into the world to find treasures, slay dragons, and rescue fair damsels in distress!" is hard for me to take seriously or even get into at all. That goes double for the concept of the adventurers' guild.

The same goes for soldiers--in fact, soldiers from Kingdom A might be mere law enforcers that say hello and point you to destinations or scold you if you try to open a merchant's treasure box in front of them, soldiers from Kingdom B might be a heroic force that constantly fights to drive back the tides of evil, and soldiers from Kingdom C might actually be those tides of evil.

- - -

TL;DR: "An adventurer" is whatever the story writer defines it as in their game. Simple as that.

 

[Darth Equus]

I like the concept of an adventurer's guild: Makes me think of the Victorian-era societies and clubs where members went exploring or hunting and brought back trophies, pictures and chronicles of discoveries and what not. (Around the World in 80 Days, anyone?) Though perhaps the OP's description would be more along the lines of heroes for hire/bounty hunters.

Echoing Aesica's post, we can look at Han Solo as a smuggler looking out only for himself and Chewie, but had many adventures; he is an adventurer in it for the money. On the other hand, Indiana Jones was a professor working for the greater good when it came to relics, and of course had a lot of adventures.

Never mind the fact both characters were played by the same actor, but each can be considered an adventurer from a different end of the spectrum.