The Ruinwood notice arrived while rain entered Blackforge through three holes Vell had not purchased knowingly. Yenna moved a collection bucket beneath the worst leak, then opened the trial terms across their only dry worktable.
The headline promised three hundred twenty thousand credits to the winning new guild. The smaller print demanded money from every team before anyone reached the forest.
A six-person permit cost four thousand credits even when the team brought only two hunters. Mandatory extraction coverage added five thousand, while approved field gear had to come from three Association suppliers.
The judges also kept thirty-seven percent of every salvaged core or organ. Losing teams could leave Ruinwood owing more than they earned inside it.
Yenna requested quotes from the approved suppliers while Vell checked the required item codes. A guild team received bulk rates, but Blackforge's new-team status increased every harness, tent, plus emergency flare by half.
