Nightblades in broad daylight

The Templar network of agents allows them to recruit “local assets” and enroll them in their indoctrination program.

Rumors abound about a secret training track with a notoriously low survival rate that produces a handful of elite Black Ops operatives.

Nightblades

The Nightblade's captain was held in the Order’s dungeon for a month. He was charged with organizing his elite assassins into squads that were robbing small merchants at night. The charges were dropped after all three witnesses were found dead at first light.

Unlike the charges, the nickname stuck. As did the captain, who liked the Order’s dungeon so much, he moved his headquarters there. His assassins’ lair is now a sanctified place, ideal for Aguta worship.

The Order of Aguta’s Temple is an ancient organization indigenous to Manirak. Recently though, it was taken over by Riftforge. Even with new management, the Templars continue to look at the Sisterhood and the Guild as insolent upstarts.

From time immemorial, the Order has been taking care of the mortally wounded and terminally ill in an efficient, if not always a very humane manner.

Yet, the Templars’ primary focus remains thwarting the heretics. The most grievous affront to Aguta is creating constructs, organisms patched together from different creatures.

Wreckers on patrol

When it comes to equipment, the Mercantile Guild has access to the best of the best.

It is no surprise that the best loot ends up in the Guild's vault, considering they control all imports from Manirak.

Bridgeburners

These elite grenadiers have built a fearsome reputation, despite the fact that ice bridges on Manirak are rather slow to catch a flame. They argue the name comes from their complete dedication to the Guild, which requires them to sever all family ties.

Bartenders disagree. If you ask them, the bridgeburners party like their days are numbered, which leaves no time for family duties.

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. It always pays off 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.