Harpers
Human Faction
The Harpers, or Those Who Harp, were a semi-secret organization dedicated to promoting good, preserving history (including art and music of old), and maintaining a balance between civilization and nature by keeping kingdoms small and the destruction of animal and plant life to a minimum. They considered the elven empire (Dominion of Light) to be the pinnacle of civilized history and strove to recreate the world in that image.
Those Who Harp have disbanded several times, but after each time they eventually reformed one way or another.
The idea behind the Harpers was first conceived by several Elven military leaders in collusion with a few trusted human rangers and druids. They took for their symbol Mistwinter's family crest—a silver harp between the horns of a crescent moon—and met at twilight at secret locations in the Elven Courts.
However, the Harpers at Twilight dwindled in number over the next two Eras, victims of attrition at the hands of their enemies: bandits, slavers, drow and evil spellcasters attracted to success. By the end of the conflicts, most Harpers were dead and only a few remain in the Dominion of Light.
Beliefs:
1. One can never have too much information.
2. Too much power leads to corruption.
3. No one should be powerless.
Goals:
To gather information throughout the world, discern the political dynamics within each region or realm, and promote fairness and equality by covert means. Act openly as a last resort. Thwart tyrants and any leader, government, or group that grows too powerful, and aid the weak, the poor, and the oppressed.
Structure
1: Watcher
2: Harpshadow
3: Brightcandle
4: Wise Owl
5: Archivist
Public Agenda
To gather information throughout The Gentle Vales, discern the political dynamics within each region or realm, and promote fairness and equality by covert means. Act openly as a last resort. Thwart tyrants and any leader, government, or group that grows too powerful, and aid the weak, the poor, and the oppressed.
Political Influence & Intrigue
The Harpers are known for their informative skills and cunning infiltration, they can have sleeper cell operative in other governing bodies for years before even having need of them and only disclose sensitive information to opposing governments or people of power if they absolutely have to. Everyone is entitled to knowledge however it can be withheld until the right time of reveal.
Equal Knowledge Distribution
Type
Information Network
Alternative Names
Those that Harp
Legislative Body
Archivists maintain what their predecessors wrote before them.
Judicial Body
All members.
Location
Allied Factions
Due to their incredibly similar goals and beliefs these two factions are each a side to a single coin - one more inclined to civilization and the other more inclined to nature. Both with a respect for the other and the knowledge that their main striving factor is to keep civilization and nature from destroying one another.
Neutral Friends
Due to the Lord's Alliance liking the 'fame' of being the faction that saves towns, cities, royalty and the general populous from danger the diplomacy between these two factions isn't the greatest but also isn't the worst. The Harpers believing that each individual should have the ability to access the knowledge of how to defend oneself whereas the Alliance believing that they should be the ones to handle all situations thrown at them, tends to lead to some disputes between the more hotheaded members however these factions are friendly enough to one another.
Neutral Friends
Due to the Bracket's methods of experimentation and research tending to be quite...explosive, means the Harpers don't trust having Artificers come into their places of research as the individuals can be quite dirty and flammable. The Bracket respects the Harpers for their endless supply of previous knowledge of the world, allowing them to research arcane abilities and ancient ways of magic to possibly revitalize their creations with a different approach.
Allied Factions
These two factions are known for their commitments to knowledge, the Harpers known for keeping an archive and the PT for keeping Arcane Scrolls. The PT don't utilize the Harpers very often or directly, unless under an immeasurable need to access public records. The Harpers are very fond of the PT as they allow them access to the knowledge of the arcane to keep in the restricted section of their archives and libraries.
Friendly Factions
The Guard and the Harpers are nearly comrades when it comes to members. Harpers being based within cities and towns across the realm means their archives are in constant need of protecting and the Royal Guard offers that. The Guard also have access to the archives should they wish to expand their knowledge, just like every other civilian.
Utility Pact
The Thieves Guild can easily attain any information that the Harpers possess, obviously without the knowledge of the Harpers. This makes it difficult for the Harpers to trust the Guild as they are a faction of order and going through the right policies to attain such information. The Guild hold no grudges against the Harpers however that cannot be said if the roles are reversed. Most Harpers, if they interact with a Guild member, will be blunt and dismissive.
Neutral Friends
Both being uncorrupted and lawful factions, they remain friendly towards each other however hardly interacting due to the sparse membership of the Harpers and the uncommon need for a military unit to have access to such vast amounts of knowledge that the Harpers hold.
Neutral
The Order of the Gauntlet, not needing the Harpers for information due to their members being 'of-the-divine', allowing themselves to tap into their deity's knowledge of the realms, tend to not interact with the Harpers as much as the Harpers would like them too. Due to the OG having this tappable knowledge, the Harpers are known to pester the paladins and clerics for their help in recording this information within texts and scrolls. The OG doesn't take too kindly to this as they view their divine insight to be above the arcane and so should not be questioned, analyzed or recorded as fact.
Neutral
The Harpers, not being of noble blood, are neutrally aligned when it comes to the Battalion - neither bothered nor concerned about them however do understand that the King does need his own safety net for attempts on his life and other family members. The Battalion know about the Harpers and can respect that they are a incredibly lawful and incorruptible faction.
Utility Factions
The Harpers are known for their preference of being within the middle to higher tiers of society whereas the Union is known for representing the lower tiers and sometimes even the slums. The Harpers sometimes require the Union to recreate weaponry, armor, artifacts, misc etc. using older metals and ancient ways of forging so as to pull information from the items on how they were utilized in previous eras or even pre era. The Union doesn't usually take kindly to the Harpers thinking they are above them however and if two members were to meet, there would possibly be some frustration within conversation.
Utility Factions
Both factions know each others main purpose and for this reason they are mostly neutral even if the Harpers disagree with the way the Graycrawlers go about things. They utilize each other when the time is right or needed however the Graycrawlers do keep an eye on them in case of any sort of corrupt or power craving individuals. They are very aware that the power that comes with information and knowledge can lead to its abuse.
Neutral
Though some members of the Harpers dislike and are reluctant to be helpful to the members of the Zhentarim they are completely neutral to them, understanding where their want for power comes from however not seeing how they refuse to share it outside the walls of their guild. The Zhentarim members only really rely on the Harpers for their access to information, if the Harpers don't have it they don't bother with them.
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