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Post by DEV Jlf2n on Jun 23, 2008 13:50:14 GMT -5
The Harpers are a secret society dedicated to holding back evil, preserving knowledge, and maintaining the balance between civilization and the wild. The organization is often times believed to be lead by Elminster the Mage. The Harpers usually operate in secret, alone or in small groups. The Harper Code * Harpers work against villainy and wickedness wherever they find it, but they work ever mindful of the consequences of what they do. * All beings should walk free of fear, with the right to live their lives as they wish. * The rule of law aids peace and fosters freedom, so long as the laws are just and those who enforce them lenient and understanding. * No extreme is good. For freedom to flourish, all must be in balance: the powers of realms, the reaches of the cities and the wilderlands into each other, and the influence of one being over another. * Whatever it takes, a Harper will do. Pride never rules the deeds of a true Harper. * Freedom is a multiversal right, though Harpers can spare themselves less freedom than those they work to protect when the need presents itself. * Harpers police their own. A Harper who hears the call of personal power can no longer hear the sweet song of the harp. A Harper who seizes power, and holds it above all else, is a traitor to the harp. Traitors must die for freedom to live. * Without a past, no being can appreciate what they have, and where they may be going. Notes on Becoming a Member - Obviously, characters of evil alignment are out of luck. - The Harpers value people of all skill sets, and as such have no real class restrictions, other than the ones as a logical consequence of the first point (no evil-only classes). Keep in mind, however, that the code of honor that is followed by many paladin orders will make membership a problem. Harpers are often required to, metaphorically or literally, lie, cheat and steal to further their goals. Also, many paladin orders are actually opposed to the Harpers, since they tend to conflict directly with point 4 of the Harper code above. Paladins of deities other than the following list will find membership to be difficult, but not directly prohibited (though you're likely not going to be trusted with important information any time soon ): Azuth, Deneir, Eldath, Mielikki, Milil, Mystra, Shiallia or any Seldarine deities that permit paladins. Similarly, clerics of strongly lawful faiths (Tyr, Torm, Helm and the likes) will also have a very hard time getting along with the Harpers as a whole. - Finally, the DMs who are involved with inducting new members (basically, me and Cephas) have decided that the Harpers will require total secrecy. All members are required to not divulge any information about the Harpers, ICly or OOCly, to anyone under any circumstances, other than to fellow Harpers and to DMs who require the knowledge. Furthermore, if you have a character who is part of or who might cooperate with any organization the Harper considers enemies (the Zhentarim, Red Wizards, and Shadow Thieves are a partial list, but by no means exhaustive) you cannot also have a character who is a member of the Harpers. We realize that these are very harsh restrictions to put in place, but experience has taught us that when dealing with organizations who have many enemies, we cannot risk the meta-leaks, nor take the risk of the members being constantly assaulted for reasons that are not perfectly explainable with character knowledge. Players of the Flaming Fist - the rightful authority of the region - are already subjected to extensive attacks. Imagine, then, how bad it could get for secretive meddlers like the Harpers. - Prospective Harpers go through a number of trials and tests; usually unwittingly. These test a character's compatibility with the Harper code, as well as their ability to keep important secrets. This carries the distinct possibility of failure; if the Harpers consider your character unsuitable, then that's it I'm afraid, unless you can then show active player Harpers (no, you'll not get to know who they are ) that you might have redeeming qualities after all. The process is quite arduous and extensive, and I can only run them when you and I are both online. Keep this in mind, if you ever feel that the process seems to be very slow. - The Harpers are strongly player-driven. Much of their work involves gathering information about the evils that plague their appointed area so as to be best able to combat them, so for Harpers to have anything to do you must actively be out there and do their work. The local leader will of course advise on request, but will rarely give you direct tasks. If you rarely get any letters from above, don't worry. They're still out there, but for you to be given tasks you must first get information to work with. You are encouraged to pass on any potentially valuable information to the DMs that lead the Harpers, so that we can keep track of what the organization knows and what potential operations they might plan.
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Post by Iceshard on Jun 29, 2008 22:03:15 GMT -5
A member has been inducted, but his identity is kept secret -Ice
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Post by gwydion669 on Jul 11, 2008 10:31:33 GMT -5
Christof, a young ranger fresh from the Dales, dreams of becoming a harper.
Until he grows in experience, he is seeking information mostly concerning Mieliki's Thorns, but his ultimate goal is to wear the pin of the Harpers.
There are several benevolent factions that interest him, but he seeks guidance in how the how the various responsibilites might juggled.
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Post by norikcain on Jul 11, 2008 10:35:14 GMT -5
Dont know about you, but I would think that by posting your name here declaring that you want to be a harper might just let people know you want to be a harper.....and being that its meant to be secret and all.... Probably best to mail the DM privately instead
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Post by gwydion669 on Jul 11, 2008 10:53:05 GMT -5
Not really sure about this. It's a valid point, but I would hope that it could be treated as "out of game" information.
I like reading stuff on the boards. My characters would try their darndest to not act on any of the information (beyond what could have been picked up in taverntalk), but it would give an extra chuckle to be "in on the joke" when you encounter some person or situation in game.
For instance, my character Maurice is NE. Every player is welcome to know that. I would hope that every character does not. He's not going to backstab a party member screaming "Boogah, boogah! I'm EVIL." As far as he's concerned, he's not. He wouldn't even try to slip extra gold into his pocket when opening a chest. That's not his "style."
I view it like "breaking down the 3rd wall." Just because the actor turns to the camera and explains his actions, it doesn't mean that the other characters standing around him heard anything he just said.
Statements that other characters shouldn't know in game, will allow other players to go "Ahhh ... so that's why he's doing that!"
To return to Maurice, he's not going to tell anyone his background, but I posted his biography so that people interested in him could get a good chuckle ... and smile knowingly if they should encounter the little nutcase.
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Post by gwydion669 on Jul 11, 2008 11:17:55 GMT -5
Despite all of the above ... Christof. A young ranger from the Dales. Always trying to do the right thing and help others. Thinks some rules are good, but some can inadvertantly harm and should be ignored and/or fought. How many players out there aren't gonna automatically scream "Harper!" even if he's not. If it quacks like a duck ....
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Post by norikcain on Jul 11, 2008 18:48:32 GMT -5
Yeah but some people dont have good character seperation And rpwise, it kind of ruins the whole secrecy even if people know ooc that you are a harper And are you saying that any character that is good must be a harper? not sure i get that logic
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Post by gwydion669 on Jul 11, 2008 21:19:12 GMT -5
Grrr ... here's hoping that the third time's the charm. I've written this twice and had the transformer at the condo blow up each time before I could hit "submit." I know I tend towards necro-equine-flagellation, so excuse me if I sound a bit terse. I'm racing the next power outage. RP separation: valid point, but I'm not personally overly concerned. I'm not a DM NPC, so see not much shock value in the revelation. Also "all" DM's should know of my aspiration ... not sure if I email one if they swap notes. Further reasons for seeing nothing wrong with announcing desire: 1) RP heavy people would (mostly) have no prob separating 2) Lite-RP encounters, no big deal ("You're a harper, so what?" Light chat, chat. "Let's check out that haunted house in the Cloakwood.") 3) XP Grinders: rush past in silence. My character says, "Sorry, wrong dungeon. I'll go elsewhere so you may whack in peace." 4) XP Grinders that roleplay "I'm a Zhentarim .... boogah, boogah! You're a harper! I smack you with my sword in the middle of the city!" I just log off until Mr. Twinkie is gone. If they try to smack me everytime I log on and can't be avoided ... sorrowfully, I know of several RP heavy servers where this kind of nonsense is not tolerated. Good = Harper logic. You're right, come to think of it. I couldn't understand this before the first power outage. I'm showing my age again. I've been following the Forgotten Realms since before TSR purchased the world. I've been reading of harpers and their ilk since Ed Greenwood was writing "Ecology of" articles in Dragon Magazine. My logic is as follows: 1) The Dales (mostly) have always been favorable to harpers and their outlook. In Shadowdale reside two of the major harper figures. Elminster helped form the group and Storm Silverhand trains their brightest and/or their most problematic. Several other major harper figures hail from the Dalelands. 2) Rangers and bards have been the classes most associated with the harpers since PnP 1st edition. And in the sourcebooks and novels, harpers as "secret organization" should be taken with a grain of salt. When a character is looking for a harper, it is difficult to find/identify one (see Olive Rustkettle and the Moonblade novels). When that is not the case, it seems almost every king's chambermaid and half the festhall dancers in Faerun are harper agents (books too numerous to list and a good portion of the time, the dancer is one of the seven sister's in disguise). But this still fits in with Christof's character concept. He grew up in the Dales. He WANTS to be a harper and prove himself able. He thinks of them as heroes and sees no stigma attached to that desire. It would be akin to the simple fighter who lets everyone that will listen know that he wants to be a paladin. To hide that fact would be completely beyond his comprehension. Ask him if he's a harper. He'll sigh and say no. Then he'll tell you that he wishes to be and asks if you know of any he could talk to. Assume that he is a harper and he will swell with pride. "They think I'm a hero!" Hey, power still on ... quick HIT THE SUBMIT BUTTON! Huh ... wait a sec. **Note to moderator. So far, the Faction threads are being used to discuss anything relating to that faction (and so far, I may be the worst offender ;D). Is this okay, or would the PTB prefer these threads to be used for DM to faction players info only? Should discussions like the above be moved to their own thread? Should all responses TO the DM's be by PM's so that everyone outside of a faction is out of the loop?
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Post by norikcain on Jul 11, 2008 23:51:38 GMT -5
Difference being that Paladins are not a secret society
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Post by gwydion669 on Jul 12, 2008 2:18:48 GMT -5
Having travelled far from home on his quest to gain experience, Christof Haloman currently spends most of his time cutting down the ogre population near Candlekeep and investigating rumors of strange migratory patterns around the Cloakwood.
Knowing that he will somehow have to prove himself to the harpers (after gaining their notice if there are even any in the area), he endeavors to investigate activities that he feels may be of interest to the group.
When in Baldur's Gate, he is often seen talking with bards and paying to hear old and new tales or songs that might be about harpers (if not mentioned outright then of heroic woodsmen, druids, and the like who fought for the common good). He can also be found in many taverns listening to old tales from the surrounding area from the aged and drinking with off-duty guardsmen in order to get a feel for the views of the nearby political powers. He hopes to one day further his research by enterring the halls of Candlekeep. He feels that his personal charisma and glib tongue will help him in acquiring the information he seeks. Not limiting himself to the taverns, he can often be found seeking out the company of the clergy and druids of the good nature deities and the other gods and goddesses held in esteem by the harpers.
Of course, he is not quite sure yet of what he seeks. At this point in time, his thoughts are to rescue/reclaim some item or piece of lore once thought lost that would have significance to the harpers while in general building a personal reputation as a person dedicated to protecting people and the Balance.
While on his trips outside the city, he seeks out druids, huntsman (not obviously of Malar), and settlers to gather even more knowledge which may one day help him in attaining his goals ... or at the very least, attract the attention of an established Harper who might be willing to mentor/sponsor him.
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radium
Active Member
... ON THE DARKNESS!
Posts: 169
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Post by radium on Jul 12, 2008 10:38:00 GMT -5
You'd expect most RPers to not metagame, but I'd keep The Harpers very secret.
For the record, Harpers aren't always of good alignment, they're just against evil. Many harpers also have neutral alignments.
Here's some more information for all of those wishing to know about the faction:
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Excerpt Taken from Forgotten Realms Adventures - 2nd Editon Sourcebook:
The Harpers
One of the most extensive of the goodaligned societies in the Realms, the Harpers can be found throughout the Heartlands from Waterdeep to Ilpiltur, with agents ranging even further into the lands of Thay, Calimshan, and the barbarian lands to the North. They are a loose, though powerful, organization devoted to the idea of maintaining peace between the various cities of the Heartlands and protecting the land and its people from goblins, gods, and the greedy.
The Harpers found their origins in an adventuring company several hundred winters ago. It was made up primarily of bards, druids, and rangers. Since that time its members have aged (and many have died) and new members have joined so that now it is widely spread throughout the North. Even without any central control, however, its members maintain close adherence to the overall goals and philosophies of the group.
Harper aims are many, but can be summarized in the following informal code:
* The Harpers work to protect the peaceful nations and cities of Cormyr, Sembia, the Dales, and the Trade Cities from danger.
* Such dangers include the goblin tribes, foreign operations such as those of Amn and Thay, and the operatives of such evil groups as the Zhentarim and Cult of the Dragon.
* The Harpers seek to maintain the balance between wild and civilized, between settled and natural, and between man and nature.
* The Harpers preserve the tales of those who passed before, so that those who come after may learn from their experiences.
* Members must place the good of the Harpers and advancement of the Harpers' aims over personal achievement. Though many of the Harpers have risen to positions of power throughout the Realms, the raw acquisition of temporal power is not their main effort. Khelben Arunsun, the Blackstaff of Waterdeep and its main wizard, will tell all that his main purpose in attaining his position is to be better informed and more capable of protecting the city from outside attacks.
* The Harpers police their own: A Harper who behaves in a harmful manner or violates the ideals of the Harpers will have the support of the Harpers removed. If necessary, he will be imprisoned or even slain.
The Harpers are meddlers by nature. This is apparent from the approximately half-dozen plots, plans, and situations they are involved in at any one time. Usually they are occupied with finding out what everyone else is up to and, if it disturbs the relative peace and tranquility of their part of the world, moving (as secretly as they can manage) against it. They can be subtle, but often blunt attacks deserve blunt ripostes in order to prevent future attacks.
The Harpers prefer small government to large nations and free men to despots. They work with King Azoun of Cormyr when it suits them, but sometimes (as in the long-term takeover of Tilverton) will frustrate and delay his forces. Azoun's wizard Vangerderhast has a long-standing grudge against the Harpers, though this may be a personal rivalry with some of the powerful wizards who are allied with the Harpers (in particular Elminster and Khelben).
The Harpers' greatest strength is not in armies, but in individuals (including some who have armies at their disposal). Talent is the Harpers' greatest asset. Most Harpers are active or retired adventurers who have either attained or can attain great power through their natural abilities. Their numbers include the elders listed above as well as a large group of agents scattered throughout the Heartlands. Those with known bases in various parts of the Heartlands are listed in the Cities chapter.
The Harpers also have a number of powerful allies throughout the Heartlands and the North. They include The Simbul, Elminster the Sage, Mourngrym Amcathra, Randal Morn (Lord of Daggerdale), and Lord Peirgieron of Waterdeep.
Leaders
Long-term Harpers include such notables as the Wizard Khelben of Waterdeep, Storm Silverhand of Shadowdale, Belhuar Thantarth of Berdusk, the High Lady of Silverymoon Alustriel, and Finder Wyvernspur, said to be one of the original Harpers. The Heralds of Holdfast in the North are also Harpers, but they have since left the official (such as it is) Harper organization and pursued their own, more neutral, agenda.
Bases
The Harpers have no official base of power, no place that is to them what Zhentil Keep and Darkhold are to the Zhentarim. They do have two locations that act as gathering spots and safe havens. The larger, more well known of the two is Twilight Hall in Berdusk. Officially this is the temple of Milil, but the church offices are only a small part of this sprawling complex of buildings. The bulk of the complex is used for training, instruction, libraries, and quarters for various members of the Harpers. It is said that a secured room buried far beneath its center is where the various elders and other involved Harpers may converse freely and magically without danger of eavesdroppers. The second hotbed of Harper activity is in Shadowdale. This village is often a way station for travelers, making it an excellent spot for gathering information and meeting contacts. Many of the Harpers (Dove Falconhand, for example) come from Shadowdale. As an added bonus, the town is watched over by close allies— the powerful Elminster and the redoubtable Mourngrym. Harpers will often meet at the Old Skull in an informal atmosphere to have a mug of beer and swap stories (and tell extensive lies as well, should they think that the ears of other agents are upon them).
Getting In
Joining the Harpers is relatively easy, though living up to their code is not. To become a Harper, a character must find a long-term Harper in good standing and sufficiently impress him with the character's abilities and intentions.
Those who purposely seek membership in the Harpers are usually disappointed. The few who show promise are assigned a series of tasks to forward Harper policy and test their mettle. Only the elder Harpers have the official power to admit new members. Acceptance usually involves nothing more than bestowal of a pin with a silver moon and silver harp, the symbol of the order. The new Harper, until he has fully established himself, can count on the elder Harper vouching for his legitimacy. There have been numerous attempts to infiltrate the Harpers by other organizations. Since the Harpers are non-evil in nature, most of these attempts are quickly uncovered. Once a Harper is discovered to have worked for other secret organizations, gone rogue, or engaged in actions which might endanger the group, he is mercilessly hunted down and removed as a threat, using whatever methods seem necessary (this is not an automatic death sentence, the Harpers are good, after all). Even the most powerful elders will become involved in this hunt if the need arises.
The ranks of the Harpers include characters of all non-evil alignments and all classes. A large number of thieves and bards have been admitted, so that the Harpers are the closest thing to a goodaligned Rogue's Guild in the Heartlands. The Harpers are mainly, though not exclusively, human.
The Harpers are neither all-wise nor allpowerful, and in fact their greatest errors usually occur when they try to take direct control of a situation instead of working behind the scene. Regardless, the Harpers are a recognized force which is widely trusted and respected, and a haven for the threatened. The fact that they make mistakes proves that they are human.
Which is just what they want to be.
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Post by whenwizardswar on Jul 13, 2008 0:08:28 GMT -5
Those who purposely seek membership in the Harpers are usually disappointed. This should be burned into the minds of anyone who hopes their character will become a Harper. You dont seek the Harpers, they seek you. If I am ever running a plot with the Harpers and they catch wind of you asking about them you'll probably be taken in, but as a suspected spy. Thats just me though.
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Post by Iceshard on Jul 13, 2008 0:12:10 GMT -5
Well to some degree we as DM's need to know the players intentions, we dont just want to spring in on them in the middle of the night.. "Surprise! you have just won an invitation to the Harpers!" and they really wanted to join the Church of Bane or Zhentarium.. that would be all kinds of bad lol. Unless of course we are refering to IC asking to join the harpers..in that case, then yes they would really hate you -Ice
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Post by whenwizardswar on Jul 13, 2008 0:24:40 GMT -5
Well to some degree we as DM's need to know the players intentions, we dont just want to spring in on them in the middle of the night.. "Surprise! you have just won an invitation to the Harpers!" and they really wanted to join the Church of Bane or Zhentarium.. that would be all kinds of bad lol. Unless of course we are refering to IC asking to join the harpers..in that case, then yes they would really hate you -Ice I, myself was refering to a few people who were asking me about an individual who was ICly asking about the Harpers. I told them I wasnt going to really say anything to the person seeking admitance until I see them actually asking IC either on the forums or In-game. I agree that the forum for secretive guilds should be used for discussion, or for players to let the DM's know out of game that they wish to join said secretive guild, so we then know to keep an eye on them in game. I was initially told that someone had made IC posts on the forum asking about the Harpers, but reading the Forums I see nothing that would scream out "I'm looking for the Harpers!" Personally I think the Harpers would catch the hidden messages if someone is subtly looking for them, as they would probably realise the individual in question realises the need for subtly. I would think the Harpers would pay attention to someone asking about tales or stories about people -like- the Harpers, with out saying "Hey, do you know any Harpers?" I agree whole heartedly with Ice's statment, my previous post was based on something I had heard from several players about individual(S) who were looking for the Harpers in an unrealistic manner IC, in hopes of joining them.
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Post by gwydion669 on Jul 13, 2008 10:52:01 GMT -5
I love a good argument ... <cough> ... excuse me, discussion. But I personally think the "secrecy" issue has hijacked this thread long enough. ;D This thread was originally meant for Harper Faction communication. The way I see it, it has gotten more general and can now apply to any secret faction.
And I think it's a fun topic which bears further examination (when I don't have access to NWN2).
I hope no one gets offended if I try to let the Harper Faction have their thread back and move this to another one. Please join me for Fun and Flames (nah, just kidding about the flames) on a new topic entitled something like "Discussion: Secret Factions Online." I'm gonna set it up and as soon as I figure out how, I'll modify this post for a direct link.
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