The Guilds

Guilds:
Guilds are the primary social structures in this society, and as a result, determine much of an individual's social status and behavior in the world. An individual's public behavior is governed by thier declared guild memberships, and if they violate the rules of any of thier orders in public, they may be held accountable.

Guild members are widely expected, though not required, to show a public sign of membership. Usually this is shown as a talisman commonly carried on a chain around the wrist or neck, or displayed prominently on a piece of traveling garb such as a staff or cloak. Undeclared guilds may not be honored in negotiations regarding any infraction. A thief, hiding his status as a thief, may pay a price for picking a pocket, where as, if he declared it, he would not.

Some guilds have made the arrangement to hide behind others, such as the thieves and assasins. An assasin may be backed by the thieves, when bearing thier logo as a proxy, provided he kept to thier treaties, and those of the other marks he declared. Hence a lawful neutral assasin, identified as a thief, might be well within his right, once hired, to kill a chaotic neutral fighter who decided to rampage through a pub full of innocent people last week, while if he were only a thief, such acion would amount to murder.