In the last article, we developed the embryo of our faction system, and how it would help our game to have a more personal touch. Today we’re going to expand on that concept.
At this point in the creative process, I have the general theme of the adventure (a gold rush to the north) and my factions sorted out, so I decided to mix both concepts and see what would come out of it. That’s how the Company of Dawn was born.
The Company of Dawn
The Company of Dawn was a group of adventurers that, while the Worldwound was still open, explored this region and found the first orichalcum deposit. I’ve chosen their classes to be Paladin, Rogue, Sorcerer, Cleric and Druid, somewhat based on the factions I’ve created. I also wrote down one or two phrases about them:
Paladin: Adaril Godstan, a female dwarf, leader of the group and founder of the Village of Thir, the first settlement sanctioned by Mendev’s Crown. She died under mysterious circumstances a year prior to the events of the campaign. Her squire, then a 17 year-old human boy named Vladmir, believes that her death was perpetrated by Dwarvin Lockster, one of the other members of the Company. Vladmir fled Thir to form the group known as The Shadow Dragons.
Rogue: Darwyn Lockster, a man in his late twenties, with long, dark hair tied in a ponytail. He took over as the appointed Governor of Thir to supervise the mining operation. He did not kill Adaril, and in fact has grown paranoid at the recent death of three members from the Company (the other being Oran and Cherrin).
Sorcerer: Oran Sangrinis, a half orc that had his mind set on amassing power to fight demons. He founded the Burning Gauntlet, an order of explorers and researchers that patrol the region. A month before the events of the campaign, his death turned the Order into a powder keg. The Burning Gauntlet is now under the leadership of Jarlak Blackscale, a warrior with dragon’s blood.
Cleric: Cherrin Bombican was a friendly, male Halfling, and a moral compass for the Company. In Thir, he created the House of the True Way, a religious order that preaches that individual freedom is the key to ascend to Godhood. He died six months prior to the events of the campaign, and his post as leader was taken by Sinrah Salensong, a half-elf priest.
Druid: The Drow Kalynshir Halfmoon noticed something wrong in the region, something dangerous that should be kept in the dark. When the rest of the Company returned to Mendev to report their discovery, she chose to remain behind to learn. Thus when Adaril came back and founded Thir, Kalynshir started working in the shadows to sabotage the mining operations through the Primordial Society, a secret group of scholars, researchers and spiritualists.
Now that I know how each faction came to be, I can write more about them. Think of this process as a feedback loop: I’ve used the factions to create the NPCs, and now those NPCs can give more substance to the factions themselves. This is something we’ll be doing a lot.
Faces and Shadows
A faction is a group of people organized around one or more goals, with a modus operandi and distinctive symbols, rites and creeds. But when you say that the Church of the Righteous is a chivalrous, just and noble organization, that doesn’t mean anything if the player only finds corrupt, petty members of the order. You need a Face.
Faces are NPCs that encompass the values (or apparent values) of an organization, and their primary function is to present the organization to the players. They’ll leave a first impression that you can use later to subvert or reinforce their bonds with the organization itself. In a game about moral dilemmas, having memorable Faces has special weight, since we want the players to identify their values, even if only on a subconscious level.
But an organization is not homogenous, and most of them have hidden agendas or an unpleasant side that most people are not aware of. As with the Faces, we need an NPC to be the embodiment of this facet. I call these NPCs Shadows.
In the first module, the PC’s will have a chance to interact with all the Faces, and maybe hear about some of the Shadows. So let’s start working on them.
FACTIONS
The Government
Thir must prosper, for the good of the Kingdom and its people.
The Royal Mining Expedition of Thir is an operation sanctioned by the Kingdom of Mendev and has the titular village as its administrative center. Founded in 4712 by the Dwarven Paladin Adaril Godstan, she and her dwarven allies helped the first settlers build roads, buildings and, of course, in excavating the mine’s first shafts. With Adaril’s passing, the Crown appointed Darwyn Lockster as Governor, giving him powers of Magistrate and Administrator over the Kingdom’s subjects in the region.
The Governor rules the region with the aid of a Council. Even though they do not have veto powers, the Governor often consults them to gauge the overall mood and mediate conflicts before they explode.
The Council members are Fausto Fanarix, a noble administrator, Jarlak Blackscale, bearer of the Burning Gauntlet, Merida Greenwind, representing the common folk, Sinrah Salensong, Visionary of the House of the True Way, and Ulumek Flintocrast, wizard of the Astronomy Tower.
Face: The face of the Government is Rurok Dullar, Captain of the City Watch. He is a stern, hard working Dwarf who wants to keep the city organized and at peace, making things operate as smoothly as possible. If you think the players are causing a lot of problems, he can become an obstacle, but he can also recognize the value of heroes.
Shadow: Counselor Fausto Fanarix is a human noble, member of a family of high prestige, but that became impoverished during the last crusades. This middle-aged clean shaved man saw an opportunity to rise in power and stature by becoming an administrator of this new settlement. He has no qualms about manipulating the city council for his personal benefit.
The Burning Gauntlet
We must prevent the world from being torn apart. Whatever the price may be.
In their quest, the Company of Dawn chased the Orcs of the Blackmaw Tribe to the Crown of the World Mountains. There, they found a dark portal where the orcs performed dark rituals in exchange for magical powers. They named the place as The Caves of Agony, for the endless screams that could still be heard even after the orcs were gone.
Oran Sangrinis, the half-orc sorcerer, believed the situation could be even direr. He deduced that a portal of that nature could eventually grow to be another Worldwound, and that the border between the planes was thinner in the region. Other tears in reality could appear at any time, and such portals should be seized and tamed before they could become a threat to the world.
When Adaril was given the title of Governor and power over the region, Oran came with her, bringing with him a group of warriors and casters to protect the land. The Order of Burning Gauntlet had a mission to hunt and destroy the orc cultists, and amassed a considerable collection of magic items and symbols with it. Oran was also granted permission to build a fortress in the mountains, The Red Keep.
Face: The haughty and proud Captain Quora is a dark-skinned woman fighter and the Pointer of the Gauntlet, one of its five high-ranked members. She leads a troop of nine human warriors, and she’s considered the bravest of them. Quora can be arrogant sometimes, thinking that she’s stronger than others, and her sword has in more than one occasion vouched for her tongue. When in Thir, she hangs out in the Lynx Café, which she turned into an adventurer's guild. She likes cats.
Shadow: The mysterious female sorcerer Xian Zhu was Oran’s best apprentice. Ambitious and cruel, she has no qualms imprisoning and subjugating demons, devils and other creatures to accomplish the Gauntlet’s goals. She’s been researching how to create super soldiers.
The True Way
Our master has seen the truth, and so will we.
The House of the True Way started as a congregation led by the Halfling Cherrin Bombican and those willing to hear his stories and reflections on life. He preached that mortals should always be honest with each other, and with themselves, and that following their heart desires is of vital importance. In a town where people came looking for riches and freedom, his words struck a chord, and soon the True Way became the dominant spiritual doctrine in Thir.
The house became a powerful organization by embracing members of all creeds, and founded a great temple in the village main square, where all who are true to their hearts can commune in peace. They’re also patrons of arts and archaeology, having a special interest in the mysterious civilizations that once lived in the region.
Half a year ago, however, the halfling went missing. His lover, the half-elf Sinrah Salensong, took over as the House’s Visionary. A woman of great beauty and charisma, Sinrah has since expanded the Way’s influence, organizing charities, dances and an assortment of other cultural events.
Face: A 16 year-old girl known as Helen of Flowers is a collaborator at the House. She helps manage the Sunshine Orphanage, a safe haven for children of Thir, having herself been raised there since she was 13. She’s well liked by the locals, and has a lot of suitors that fight for her attention, but she dismisses them all with grace.
Shadow: The Halfling Lipek Shadowbeard is an investigator and informant to the House. A known figure in the taverns and brothels, his friendly face hides a hedonistic - and sometimes cruel - personality.
Shadow Dragons
They’ve taken everything – our hopes, our dreams, our lives. But we’ll make them pay!
When Adaril Gosdtan was killed, her squire, the human lad Vladmir, was found by her side covered in blood. He, however, insists that he didn’t kill the Paladin, and that he heard Darwyn Lockster talking with her moments before entering her chamber and finding her dead. When Rurok Dullar, the dwarf captain of the guard, arrived at the scene, the two of them clashed, and the squire sliced the dwarf’s belly open with his sword, while the captain’s axe left him missing an eye.
Vladmir left the village that night, swearing to take revenge for his master, helping the locals fight what he considers an usurper. He became known as The Shadow Dragon, a hero that fights for the common people and asks nothing in return, and is seen as a beacon of hope by the rural folk. His fame attracted some followers, and they’ve taken their leader’s moniker as the group’s identity.
Face: The Ranger Merida Greenwind is an informant for the Shadow Dragons, and Vladmir’s girlfriend. She’s beloved by the local folks for sharing the results of her hunts with the less fortunate. She has a cart pulled by her animal companion, a black bear named Cupcake.
Shadow: The barbarian veteran Narok the Fat is considered the Shadow’s right hand. He’s an implacable man, and has little mercy of his enemies.
Primordial Society
There’s a powerful, ancient presence in this land. We need to know what it is, before it devours us all.
When the Company of Dawn first came to this region, the druid Kalynshir Halfmoon decided to not return to the civilization that had shunned her for so long. She studied the eastern region known as the Moonscape, a barren land filled with dangerous monsters. There, she learned of legends and strange phenomena, and she quickly realized that some places are better kept undisturbed.
Conscious of her heritage as a Drow, Kalynshir uses her powers to secretly keep the new settlers safe, protecting them from exploring the primordial secrets that dwell in the region. The ones that she has makes contact with know her only as The First. They call themselves the Primordial Society, fated to keep its secrets beyond mortal grasp.
Face: the kind woman known as The Gardener is an alchemist and botanist, with a tragic past of grief and blood. She’s always listening to rumors and evaluating newcomers as potential tools for the Society.
Shadow: A Brass Dragon named Kumra is the Society's strongest member, excluding maybe Kalynshir herself. If he feels like the characters are meddling with things beyond their stature, the majestic creature can take matters in his own claws. He’ll refrain from killing them once, but not twice.
What 's next?
We now have a better understanding of the Factions and how we’re going to present them. We can now build a system for the players to interact with, and it will have a direct impact on the adventures we design for the first arc of the Adventure Path. That’s what we’ll be doing next week. And I’m thinking of throwing the complete entry for the Face NPCs as well.
Also, I would like to thank the amazing community on Reddit that has taken the time to read these words. The response was incredible, and it really motivated me to write this follow up. Special thanks tosteelbro_300 who helped me proofread and edit not only this article, but also the last two. Thanks!