Iconic Relationships
Heroic Icons:
The Baron, The Dwarven Ally, The Hero!
Ambiguous Icons: The
Elven Lord and Lady, The Wisest Wizard, The Librarian, The Wanderer
Villainous Icons: The
Prince of Demons, The Warlord, The Nathair-Sgiathach
Can’t we all just get
along?
When push comes to shove, many of the Icons would rather
align themselves with each other, rather than face the consequences of not. One
hundred years into the fourth Age, the primary sources of power and most active
representations of the Icons are related to the Baron, the Dwarven Ally, the
Wanderer, and the Warlord.
Representatives of the Baron Icon are pushing society in a
direction aimed to improve the quality of living for the nobility. . . and
perhaps, the lower class, as well. In the barony of Tamaris, it is a solid push
in the direction of betterment for everyone. In the barony of Polworth,
everyone only includes the major households, such as Cinderfell. Polworth
actually fits better with a different Icon – more on that later. The Baron Icon
is one of two serving as the primary Icons for humans.
The Baron’s primary allies include the Dwarven Ally and the
Hero. The Baron Icon grew out of the end of the third Age when the Hero and
Dwarven Ally Icons overthrew the Elven Lord and Lady with their stalwart ally,
the Prince of Demons. People representing the Baron and the Hero often clash
over ideals and methods. The Hero wants to improve things for everyone,
especially the lowest of the low. The Baron wants to improve things for the baronial
community. In places like Polworth, the representatives of the Hero and the
Baron may actually be at odds with each other. The Baron and the Dwarven Ally
Icons represent many of the same ideals, simply delivered with a different
flavor.
As my current game is
very human-centric due to half the party being human and the campaign being
based out of a human barony, I have left the Dwarven Ally as he appeared at the
end of the third Age. In truth, he may have changed since then.
At the end of the third Age, the Wanderer helped broker a
peace agreement between the Elven Lord and Lady, the Dwarven Ally, and the
Hero. The Prince of Demons refused to participate as his minions were under the
control of the Elven Lord and Lady. The Wanderer is often seen meandering the
realm, investigating causes in the change of balance in the world. The Wanderer
is very interested in maintaining the balance of the realm. This includes
allowing representatives work with the evils machinations of the Warlord and
the Prince of Demons.
The Elven Lord and Lady are learning their new place in the
world. In the third Age, they represented an eccentric people from a bygone
time. With the rise in power of the humans and dwarves, they have taken a
backseat in their relationship with the world. In the past, they very much
aligned themselves with the Prince of Demons and his minions, while facing the
Dragon as the great enemy. In the fourth Age, they sit quietly behind the Baron
and Dwarven Ally, hoping for the best, while glowering across the way at the
Hero and the Wisest Wizard.
The current representatives of the Elven Lord and Lady seek
to bring a balance of sorts to the politics and life of the realm, as a whole,
while not intruding upon the humans’ newfound place in it. An example would
include the constant back and forth between the forces of Navea versus the
Haunted Wood.
The Wisest Wizard was taught his powers by the Elven Lord
and Lady during the war with the Dragons. He was left alone to continue
developing his ideal of colleges and learned magical arts during the third Age.
During the war which ended the third Age, many representatives of the Wisest
Wizard sided with the Hero and the Dwarven Ally. They remembered the tortures
inflicted upon them by the Elven Lord and Lady in the earliest days of the
half-elves. In the fourth Age, the Wisest Wizard is somewhat aligned with the
Baron, but still recalls his friendship with the Hero and the Dwarven Ally. The
Wisest Wizard, the Librarian, and the Wanderer are prone to sharing of gossip and
tea late into the night. The Prince of Demons is not counted as an ally, but
rather a tool to be used – the same as how the Elven Lord and Lady saw the
Prince of Demons.
The representatives of the Wisest Wizard still seek
knowledge and learning related to the magical arts. The five magical colleges
are not aligned as one organization. Each of the different schools have their
own methods for teaching, spell-casting, and expectations. While this is not
completely unexpected, the end of their rule by the Tuathanas as a whole has
resulted in more divergence in practice. The existence of the human
hedge-wizard cults have done nothing to add stability to the relationship
between the Wisest Wizard and the Elven Lord and Lady.
The Prince of Demons could be the most powerful of the
Icons. However, the rules set in place for beings to enter the realm’s plane
keep his people in check. If and when they finally find a way to break the
barrier into the realm, the work accomplished by the Baron and his allies will
be in jeopardy. The Prince of Demons finds himself without allies in the
current Age. The Elven Lord and Lady have quietly snubbed him and the Wisest
Wizard is nothing but condescending. While the various demons in place serving
around the realm do the bidding of their masters, the Prince of Demons casts a
baleful eye in the direction of the void left by the Nathair-Sgiathach. His
demonologists around the realm appear to have latched onto something that could
bring forth new fruit.
The Librarian Icon sits in her corner, cataloguing the
world. He has no care for the power plays or alliances in the world. The
Librarian’s only concern is ensuring everything is logged. While the Librarian
has no true allies, as she does not put herself out into the world in that manner,
she can often be found with the Wisest Wizard and the Wanderer. Representatives
of the Librarian Icon seek knowledge for knowledge’s sake.
The Warlord is the second most powerful Icon in the fourth
Age. The Warlord and the Baron Icons sit on opposite sides of the table. His
representatives are those seeking power, including gang leaders, ship reavers
roaming the seas, and barons who want more than just one barony. When needed,
the Warlord’s representatives will ally themselves with the Dwarven Ally and
the Hero. Most who follow the ways of the Warlord do so with an iron fist and
have no qualms showing their true colors. The barony of Polworth is fully under
the sway of this Icon. Even now, the baron of Polworth is gathering his
banner-men and counting his troops before they are marched!
The Dwarven Ally seen as a dwarf is disappearing from sight.
Very few dwarf representatives of this Icon wander the halls of the realm. Most
think he is encountered in the Barony of the Mountains and the fortress city of
Stonehaven. The representatives of the Dwarven Ally believe in helping others,
as only when the community succeeds, can the Dwarven Ally succeed. So, in
truth, the Dwarven Ally can be found all across the realm. They supply food and
clothing to those in need. They fortify neighbor’s homes out in the wild. They
are the do-gooders in the world with a primary concern of helping their
brothers and sisters.
The Dwarven Ally primarily works with the Hero and the
Baron. As of late, he has been sneaking into the home of the Warlord and the
Elven Lord and Lady.
NPC Representatives in
the Realm
The Baron
·
Baron Galen of Tamaris
The Dwarven Ally
·
Baron of the Mountains
·
Balboshin Koberdawa of House Carnock
·
Dillon Byrne on a good day
·
Galton Sharp on most days
The Hero:
·
Baron of Caerlaverock
·
Luthais Einruig (historical; led the human and
dwarf armies against the Tuathanas)
The Elven Lord and Lady
·
The Lord and Lady of Lanark
·
Baroness Kellie of Navea and her husband Anthony
·
Baroness Kellie of Navea vs. the Haunted Wood
The Wisest Wizard:
Most any wizard taught by the chantries of the realm
The Librarian
·
Sable
·
Lamont the Loremaster of Navea
·
Gerec the Elven Lostfinder
The Wanderer
·
Lord Scuttlebutt or servant Quincy
·
Adok Dragovich of Stonehaven
The Prince of Demons
·
Elves and wizards who perform regularly perform
summoning spells
·
Diabolists worshipping and practicing the dark
arts
The Warlord
·
Baron of Polworth
·
The Devils of Agony mercenary unit
·
Dillon Byrne on a bad day
The Dragon: none
Don’t put that on my
plate! (Direct Relations)
Positive – The Icon is favorably inclined towards you.
Conflicted – The
Icon harbors both favorable and unfavorable inclinations towards you. This
conflict is often due to two or more different level of social interactions.
However, it can also be due to you possessing an Elven-giver additude.
Negative – For one
reason or many, you have gained the wrath of this Icon.
Icon
|
Positive
Relationship
|
Conflicted
Relationship
|
Negative Relationship
|
Heroic Icon
Usually
The Baron
The Dwarven Ally
The Hero
Sometimes
The Librarian
|
Spend 1, 2, or 3 points
You are a white hat, riding in
to save the day. Authorities are more likely to listen to your side of the
story and the people are more likely to trust you. Do not be surprised if
their representatives call upon you for aid – or if the opposite Icons’
representatives target you for some nefarious purpose!
|
Spend 1, 2, or 3 points
Likely, you are one of the good
guys. However, something you have done or been involved with (that old gang
from school, perhaps?) leads to some distrust from the Icon. While you will
have allies related to this Icon, enemies representing the Icon will also
come about.
|
Spend 1 point
You represent a rivalry or an enemy.
Goodly authorities likely consider you a criminal, a thief, a ne’er do well.
|
Ambiguous Icons
Usually
The Elven Lord and Lady
The Wisest Wizard
The Librarian
The Wanderer
Sometimes
The Hero
The Wanderer
|
Spend 1, 2, or 3 points
In the eyes of the Icon, you
are a hero, be that an Elven leader, a wizard of high regard, a cataloguer
beyond all cataloguers, or the gnome with the most miles traveled. To others,
you may be an enemy or friend, depending on the day and the need.
|
Spend 1, 2, or 3 points
Some days are good, some are
bad. You tread the water between the two of them, never sure what awaits you
with the representatives of this Icon.
|
Spend 1 or 2 points
You are an enemy or dire threat
to the Icon. Perhaps, the Tuathanas in your blood is too strong to accept the
“elves” place in this world. You could be a wizard who has turned to join the
diabolists serving the Prince of Demons. Maybe you burned down a library as a
child.
|
Villainous Icons
Usually
The Prince of Demons
The Warlord
The Dragon
Sometimes
The Wanderer
|
Spend 1 point
Your connection to this Icon brings
you forbidden secrets, hidden knowledge, and danger. You are hated and hunted
by the Heroic Icons. You must be prepared to defend yourself against false
(and sometimes true) allegations of heinous deeds.
|
Spend 1 or 2 points
You are cursed with your
connection to this icon. Try as you might, you can never sever this relationship.
Perhaps, it is due to a relative or personal past transgression. Followers of
the other Icons will always be wary of you, no matter what your intentions
may be.
|
Spend 1 or 2 points
This foe is out to get you and
depending on the number of points you spend, you could be seen as an
arch-rival worthy of hunting and slaying. On the other hand, it makes you one
of the good guys and you should be able to find allies in the most desperate
of times.
|