Greetings, friend. You have found your way to the Archers' Guild. Do you seek to uncover the secrets of our art?
Ah, now that I think on it, you have the look of one who has received Mother Miounne's “gentle” instruction. Very well, I shall give you a brief introduction to archery and the Archers' Guild.
The skills practiced by our archers allow them to gauge an enemy's weaknesses from afar, and turn the tide of a battle with a single, well-placed arrow. Should you join us, you will be taught to do the same.
Archery as practiced in Gridania was born of two distinct styles of bowmanship.
The first was devised by the longbow sentries of the Elezen who once ruled the lowlands, while the second belonged to the shortbow hunters of the formerly nomadic Miqo'te. As you will doubtless be aware, both races ultimately came to call the Twelveswood home.
Though the two peoples began as rivals, they gradually learned to live together in harmony. During this time, they learned from one another, their two schools of archery intermingling to give birth to the art as it is known today.
For a time, the bow was used primarily for hunting. But as the hunters vied with one another to prove who was the better shot, there emerged a group of archers whose ultimate goal lay not in the practical pursuit of prey, but in perfection.
Thus was the Archers' Guild born from the ranks of the Trappers' League.
It is the way of the guild to promote greatness in archery through friendly competition. And the results of our methods can be seen in the vaunted archers of the Gods' Quiver, many of whom spent their formative years loosing arrows at the guild's practice butts.
I hope this gives you a better idea of who we are, and what we do here. Oho, did I see the spark of ambition flare within your eyes?
If you wish to draw a string with the finest archers in Eorzea, look no further than the Archers' Guild.
Before you can enlist, however, you must gain the approval of the guildmaster. Once you are ready to proceed, speak with me again and we can begin seeing about your enrollment.