Will and retirement

Will represents a mercenary’s desire to remain in the guild, starting at 5 to 10 years on recruitment. Active service can preserve will, while an ordinary year reduces it and neglect or discontent costs more. They announce retirement at year end if will runs out.

Open a mercenary’s "Growth" tab under "Mercs" to check will and the current year’s assessment. In "Thinking of Leaving", choose "Let them go" or "Promise".

A mercenary left out of combat for 26 weeks counts as neglected, while morale below 40 counts as discontent. Stat losses after a mercenary's prime can count as decline, so review deployments and morale as you prepare a successor.

A promise commits you to giving that mercenary combat opportunities; missing the deadline shown on screen makes them leave that week. Use it for someone you intend to deploy, allowing for injury recovery. Races that do not age lose will even in a year of active service.

Rules in detail

Active year. A year counts as active when the mercenary deploys 8 or more times and keeps morale at 60 or higher. Members on rear duty do not count as neglected.

Promises. You can promise the same mercenary up to 2 times, or 3 with the abyss perk "Veteran's Reserve". A promise resets will to one year and lasts 52 weeks. If more than 4 weeks pass after their last deployment during that time, they leave that week. Rear duty does not count as a deployment.

Prime. A mercenary's prime starts the year they join the guild, whatever their age. Once it passes, one physical stat drops each year, and two a few years later. Mercenaries recruited as Gem, Genius, Star or Elite keep their prime longer, and paid named heroes never leave it. Ageless races never lose stats, but their will still drops by one even after a strong year.

Race	Prime	Faster after
Human	8 years	12 years
Elf	does not age
Dwarf	15 years	21 years
Beastkin	6 years	10 years
Abyssal	does not age
Drakekin	does not age
Fae	does not age

Oath of Fellowship. Sworn by clearing the floor 700 personal trial. A mercenary under the oath no longer loses will at year end or stats after their prime. See the Oath of Fellowship

Elixir of Youth

An Elixir of Youth takes 5 years off a mercenary's age and gives back that much prime. It also restores stats lost in that time. Will stays the same, so it does not change what triggers retirement.

Where to use it. Tap "Use elixir" on the sheet of a mercenary whose prime is fading. One mercenary can take 2 in a lifetime, you can use 4 per in-game year, and you can hold 3. It does not work on a mercenary whose prime never ends.

How to get one. Beat the boss at every 100th floor for the first time to receive one, unless your stock is full. The Alchemy Table makes them too.

Alchemy Table. It opens with an alchemist on the roster, at the bottom of the Stash tab. Add one Time Sand, one World Tree Dew and one Boss Trophy to make an elixir, once per real day. World Tree Dew comes in any week a fae member finishes rear duty, and a Boss Trophy comes from every boss floor you win. You can hold 3 of each.

Spring of Time. It opens under "Adventure" once your highest floor passes 300 and a member's prime is fading, and it stays open. Beat its final stage boss for 3 Time Sand. A ticket refills every 7 real days.

Marks on this screen

Will and retirement warnings. Will tracks the mercenary’s remaining resolve to serve. A retirement warning prompts you to check Will and promise conditions in the details.

Promise and year status badges. The week count beside a promise shows the remaining deadline. Year status badges such as decline or neglect warn of Will loss; tap one for its meaning.

Ageless and Oath of Fellowship. Ageless identifies a racial aging trait. The Oath of Fellowship label marks an oath sworn with that mercenary in a personal trial; review it alongside the Will information.

Count on the Base tab. The count on the bottom Base tab shows mercenaries nearing retirement. Review their Will and year status.

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