Iconic Relationships in the Barony

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.