Belonging to a faction sometimes means having responsibilities, but it also carries with it support and rewards for service. If you ever switch factions or leave a faction, you lose all ranks and renown with the old faction, and must start at the lowest rank with zero renown with your new faction. For simplicity purposes (especially for adapting published Dungeons & Dragons adventures for the Iorth setting), here are the rough equivalents of the five Forgotten Realms factions in Iorth.
Harpers → Silver Hammer
The closest equivalent to the Harpers in Iorth is the Silver Hammer. A scattered network of agents and spies who advocate equality and covertly oppose the abuse of power. The organization is benevolent, knowledgeable, and meritorious. The Silver Hammer try not to disturb the balance of power too much, but they actively work to thwart evil, utter chaos, and unrestrained tyranny throughout Iorth.
Goals
- Gather information throughout Iorth.
- Promote fairness and equality by covert means.
- Thwart tyrants and leaders, governments, and organizations that grow too powerful.
- Aid the weak, poor and oppressed.
Beliefs
- One can never have too much information or arcane knowledge.
- Too much power leads to corruption. The abuse of magic must be closely monitored.
- No one should be powerless.
Member Traits
Agents of the Silver Hammer are trained to act alone and rely on their own resources. When they get into scrapes, they don’t count on their fellow agents to rescue them. Nevertheless, the Silver Hammer are dedicated to helping one another in times of need, and friendships between agents are nigh unbreakable. Masterful spies and infiltrators, they use various guises and secret identities to form relationships, cultivate their information networks, and manipulate others into doing what needs to be done. Although most agents of the Silver Hammer prefer to operate in the shadows, there are exceptions.
Member Ranks of the Silver Hammer
- Keeper (rank 1)
- Protector (rank 2)
- Defender (rank 3)
- Warder (rank 4)
- Guardian (rank 5)
Order of the Gauntlet → Cloister of the Chalice
The closest equivalent to the religious Order of the Gauntlet in Iorth is the Cloister of the Chalice. An organization sworn to protect a potent artifact known simply as the Chalice Celestial, the clerics, monks, paladins, and other faithful of the faction work to eradicate the wicked and chaotic in the world, using honorable, just, and noble means. The organization is honorable, vigilant, and zealous.
Their faith extends not only to their beliefs, but also to the fellow members of the Cloister, and the bonds formed by members of the closer are as strong as those of a family, if not stronger. Whether alone or with other members of the Cloister, members seek to be pure exemplars of their faith and their beliefs.
Goals
- Be armed and vigilant against evil.
- Identify evil threats such as secretive power groups and inherently evil creatures.
- Enforce justice.
- Enact retribution against evil actions—do not strike preemptively.
Beliefs
Faith is the greatest weapon against evil—faith in one’s religion, one’s friends, and one’s self.
Battling evil is an extraordinary task that requires extraordinary strength and bravery.
Punishing an evil act is just. Punishing an evil thought is not.
Member Traits
The Cloister of the Chalice is a dedicated, tightly knit group of like-minded individuals driven by religious zeal or a finely-honed sense of justice and honor. Friendship and camaraderie are important to members of the order, and they share a trust and a bond normally reserved for siblings. Like highly motivated soldiers, members of the Cloister of the Chalice seek to become the best at what they do and look forward to testing their mettle. There are few, if any, “lone wolves” in this organization.
Member Ranks of the Cloister of the Chalice
- Acolyte (rank 1)
- Ovate (rank 2)
- Initiate (rank 3)
- Disciple (rank 4)
- Justiciar (rank 5)
Emerald Enclave → Golden Hart
The closest equivalent to the Emerald Enclave in Iorth is the Golden Hart. Protectors of the wilderness and aides to those seeking to survive the wild, the barbarians, rangers, druids, and other wilderness folk of the faction seek to keep the wild and civilization in balance, and enable all to live in harmony with the natural forces which surround them. The organization is decentralized, hardy, and reclusive.
Goals
- Restore and preserve the natural order.
- Destroy all that is unnatural.
- Keep the elemental forces of the world in check.
- Keep civilization and the wilderness from destroying each other.
Beliefs
- The natural order must be respected and preserved.
- Forces that upset the natural order must be destroyed.
- Civilization and the wilderness must learn to coexist peacefully.
Member Traits
Members of the Golden Hart are spread far and wide, and usually operate in isolation. They learn to depend on themselves more than others. Survival in a harsh world also demands great fortitude and mastery of certain fighting and survival skills. Members of the Golden Hart who dedicate themselves to helping others survive the perils of the wilderness are more social than others who are charged with defending sacred glades and preserving the natural balance.
Member Ranks of the Golden Hart
- Runner (rank 1)
- Strider (rank 2)
- Courser (rank 3)
- Tracker (rank 4)
- Pathfinder (rank 5)
Lords’ Alliance → Circle of the Crown
The closest equivalent to the Lords’ Alliance in Iorth is the organization known as the Circle of the Crown. Consisting of agents from various nations around Iorth, the Circle works to bring about alliances between nations, and ultimately, bring about the return of the Great Empire. The organization is secretive, militant, and political. The Circle of the Crown argues that only allegiances and unity can prevent the threats to civilization and prosperity from destroying communities and nations.
Members of the Circle consist primarily of minor nobles, wealthy merchants, and their family and loyal servants. They often come in conflict with loyalists of each nation’s liege, as well as those opposing schisms within their own organization.
Goals
- Ensure the safety and prosperity of cities and other settlements of Iorth.
- Maintain a strong coalition against the forces of disorder.
- Proactively eliminate threats to the established powers.
- Bring honor and glory to one’s leaders and one’s homeland.
Beliefs
- If civilization is to survive, all must unite against the dark forces that threaten it.
- Fight for your realm. Only you can bring honor, glory, and prosperity to your lord and homeland.
- Don’t wait for the enemy to come to you. The best defense is a strong offense.
Member Traits
To seek out and destroy threats to their homelands, agents of the Circle of the Crown must be highly trained at what they do. Few can match their skills in the field. They fight for the glory and the security of their people and for the lords who rule over them, and they do so with pride. However, the Circle of the Crown can only survive if its members “play nice” with one another, which requires a certain measure of diplomacy. Rogue agents within the Circle of the Crown are rare, but defections have been known to occur.
Member Ranks of the Circle of the Crown
- Aide (rank 1)
- Deputy (rank 2)
- Envoy (rank 3)
- Legate (rank 4)
- Consul (rank 5)
Zhentarim → Lordless Legion
The closest equivalent to the Zhentarim in Iorth is the Lordless Legion. It is an unscrupulous coalition of mercenary companies, thieves’ guilds, assassin cabals, freelance sorcerers, and other individuals concerned with expanding its influence and power throughout Iorth. The organization is ambitious, opportunistic, and aggressive.
- Goals
- Amass wealth.
- Look for opportunities to seize power.
- Gain influence over important people and organizations.
- Dominate Iorth.
Beliefs
- The Lordless Legion is your family. You watch out for it, and it watches out for you.
- You are the master of your own destiny. Never be less than what you deserve to be.
- Everything—and everyone—has a price.
Member Traits
A member of the Legion thinks of himself or herself as a member of an elite society, and relies on the organization for resources and security. However, members are granted enough autonomy to pursue their own interests and gain some measure of personal power or influence. The Lordless Legion sees itself as a coterie of the elite. It promises “the best of the best,” although in truth, the Legion is more interested in spreading its own propaganda and influence than investing in the improvement of its individual members.
Member Ranks of the Lordless Legion
- Bravo (rank 1)
- Rutterkin (rank 2)
- Waghalter (rank 3)
- Filcher (rank 4)
- Sharper (rank 5)
Iorthbound 