Harpers - Revision history

imported>Administrator: 26 revisions imported

2023-06-21T14:48:23Z

26 revisions imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 14:48, 21 June 2023
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imported>Administrator: 1 revision imported

2023-06-19T02:03:29Z

1 revision imported

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1d4chan>SpectralTime at 21:08, 1 October 2022

2022-10-01T21:08:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:08, 1 October 2022
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	Unfortunately, they've gotten a bad rap for even more unfortunately well-justified reasons. [[Grognard]]s hate them because they were "meddlesome:" that is, the rails in most railroads during the nadir of adventure design in the AD&D days. While perhaps originally intended to be a group for high-level players and parties to join (after all, their symbol is a harp and the first edition made [[bard]] the ur-prestige class, and their fluff seems to suggest that a high-level group could set up local chapter houses), this quickly degenerated into the party either being shanghaied against their will by or forced to act as glorified bodyguards for the Harpers in many adventures. It's notable that nobody's favorite Gandalf clone [[Elminster]] is a member, for instance, and that many adventures boiled down to following him around while he actually solved the plot and did cool things while the party watched. The Avatar Trilogy was the nadir ''of'' this nadir, by the by, and it came around right at the beginning of second edition being a thing.		Unfortunately, they've gotten a bad rap for even more unfortunately well-justified reasons. [[Grognard]]s hate them because they were "meddlesome:" that is, the rails in most railroads during the nadir of adventure design in the AD&D days. While perhaps originally intended to be a group for high-level players and parties to join (after all, their symbol is a harp and the first edition made [[bard]] the ur-prestige class, and their fluff seems to suggest that a high-level group could set up local chapter houses), this quickly degenerated into the party either being shanghaied against their will by or forced to act as glorified bodyguards for the Harpers in many adventures. It's notable that nobody's favorite Gandalf clone [[Elminster]] is a member, for instance, and that many adventures boiled down to following him around while he actually solved the plot and did cool things while the party watched. The Avatar Trilogy was the nadir ''of'' this nadir, by the by, and it came around right at the beginning of second edition being a thing.

	Lore nerds hate them because, far from their ambition of being a force for good, the balance of nature and civilization, and the preservation of art and beauty in the world, they're actually agents of the [[Medieval Stasis\| status]] [[Advancing the Storyline\| quo]]. No shit; their dogma is that the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor was a perfect society and their long-term aim is to recreate the world in its image. Thus, it logically follows that every single good idea anyone's ever going to have has already been had, and every single new idea anyone has or will ever have is automatically bad. Also, they're outright ''working'' to prevent Faerun from moving beyond the city-state level, ostensibly to protect nature from civilization's encroachment. Collectively, this means that any time someone ''tries'' to come up with a new idea, like, say, advanced farming techniques, gunpowder weaponry, or democratic, nationalistic, or simply unified government over large regions, they get them to stop, first with honeyed words, then with veiled threats, then, if that fails, with brute force. Seriously, an early example of some of their actions in one of the video games involves murdering a benevolent monarch who was uniting too much of the continent for their liking under his rule, and it's noteworthy that in, say, [[Al-Qadim\| the southern continent where their reach is limited]], advancements in science, magic, politics, and culture have resulted in a generally higher quality of life for the inhabitants in a harsher environment without sacrificing good, art, ''or'' nature.		Lore nerds hate them because, far from their ambition of being a force for good, the balance of nature and civilization, and the preservation of art and beauty in the world, they're actually highly reactionary agents of the [[Medieval Stasis\| status]] [[Advancing the Storyline\| quo]]. No shit; their dogma is that the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor was a perfect society and their long-term aim is to recreate the world in its image. Thus, it logically follows that every single good idea anyone's ever going to have has already been had, and every single new idea anyone has or will ever have is automatically bad. Also, they're outright ''working'' to prevent Faerun from moving beyond the city-state level, ostensibly to protect nature from civilization's encroachment. Collectively, this means that any time someone ''tries'' to come up with a new idea, like, say, advanced farming techniques, gunpowder weaponry, or democratic, nationalistic, or simply unified government over large regions, they get them to stop, first with honeyed words, then with veiled threats, then, if that fails, with brute force. Seriously, an early example of some of their actions in one of the video games involves murdering a benevolent monarch who was uniting too much of the continent for their liking under his rule, and it's noteworthy that in, say, [[Al-Qadim\| the southern continent where their reach is limited]], advancements in science, magic, politics, and culture have resulted in a generally higher quality of life for the inhabitants in a harsher environment without sacrificing good, art, ''or'' nature.

	Interestingly, the whole "keep Faerun at city-state level or lower to preserve nature and ensure humanity doesn't wipe out [[demihuman]]ity" thing is a viewpoint shared by [[Seven Sisters\|the Simbul]], although in ''her'' case, her writeups tend to admit that she's arrogant and self-righteous, whilst sometimes suggesting that she's more than a little insane.		Interestingly, the whole "keep Faerun at city-state level or lower to preserve nature and ensure humanity doesn't wipe out [[demihuman]]ity" thing is a viewpoint shared by [[Seven Sisters\|the Simbul]], although in ''her'' case, her writeups tend to admit that she's arrogant and self-righteous, whilst sometimes suggesting that she's more than a little insane.

2601:646:9500:3260:5421:4D26:B9AE:3A20: Bolded titles of the organization

2022-09-29T01:36:12Z

Bolded titles of the organization

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:36, 29 September 2022
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	[[File:Harpers 5e.webp\|thumb\|right\|150px]]		[[File:Harpers 5e.webp\|thumb\|right\|150px]]
	'''The Harpers''', or more properly Those Who Harp, are a semi-secret society ostensibly dedicated to the cause of good in the [[Forgotten Realms]] of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. The ''Forgotten Realms'' video games seem to love them and they likely started Bioware's uncontrollable sexual fetish for tying their player characters to some manner of secretive pseudo-spy organisation with a basically blank check to get the job done no matter what it takes.		'''The Harpers''', or more properly '''Those Who Harp''', are a semi-secret society ostensibly dedicated to the cause of good in the [[Forgotten Realms]] of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. The ''Forgotten Realms'' video games seem to love them and they likely started Bioware's uncontrollable sexual fetish for tying their player characters to some manner of secretive pseudo-spy organisation with a basically blank check to get the job done no matter what it takes.

	The foundations for the modern Harpers were laid in the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor, where a general wanted to create something like them as a mixture of state security and a time capsule in case things went wrong. A decentralized, grassroots organization, the Harpers operate on a local, cell-based structure, like [[ninja]], or terrorists. Theoretically self-sufficient, they are supposed to handle threats on their own while still having the ability to call on their fellow secret society members when necessary. Their famous "Harper pins," silver harps surrounded by the moon and four stars of the Myth Drannor, have, unfortunately, become too famous to ignore, much like the other secret society logos memorabilia that inspired them. (Freemasons anyone?)		The foundations for the modern Harpers were laid in the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor, where a general wanted to create something like them as a mixture of state security and a time capsule in case things went wrong. A decentralized, grassroots organization, the Harpers operate on a local, cell-based structure, like [[ninja]], or terrorists. Theoretically self-sufficient, they are supposed to handle threats on their own while still having the ability to call on their fellow secret society members when necessary. Their famous "Harper pins," silver harps surrounded by the moon and four stars of the Myth Drannor, have, unfortunately, become too famous to ignore, much like the other secret society logos memorabilia that inspired them. (Freemasons anyone?)

2601:646:9500:3260:74C2:E33D:582B:DB9E at 08:09, 28 September 2022

2022-09-28T08:09:23Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:09, 28 September 2022
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	[[File:Harpers ~~symbol~~.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|right\|~~200px~~]]		[[File:Harpers 5e.webp\|thumb\|right\|150px]]
	'''The Harpers''', or more properly Those Who Harp, are a semi-secret society ostensibly dedicated to the cause of good in the [[Forgotten Realms]] of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. The ''Forgotten Realms'' video games seem to love them and they likely started Bioware's uncontrollable sexual fetish for tying their player characters to some manner of secretive pseudo-spy organisation with a basically blank check to get the job done no matter what it takes.		'''The Harpers''', or more properly Those Who Harp, are a semi-secret society ostensibly dedicated to the cause of good in the [[Forgotten Realms]] of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. The ''Forgotten Realms'' video games seem to love them and they likely started Bioware's uncontrollable sexual fetish for tying their player characters to some manner of secretive pseudo-spy organisation with a basically blank check to get the job done no matter what it takes.

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	<gallery>		<gallery>
	IHateTheHarpers.png\|An average day's work for the Harpers.		IHateTheHarpers.png\|An average day's work for the Harpers.
			Harpers symbol.jpg\|Third Edition banner
	</gallery>		</gallery>

1d4chan>PrivateerMan at 22:05, 11 May 2022

2022-05-11T22:05:42Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:05, 11 May 2022
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	Interestingly, the whole "keep Faerun at city-state level or lower to preserve nature and ensure humanity doesn't wipe out [[demihuman]]ity" thing is a viewpoint shared by [[Seven Sisters\|the Simbul]], although in ''her'' case, her writeups tend to admit that she's arrogant and self-righteous, whilst sometimes suggesting that she's more than a little insane.		Interestingly, the whole "keep Faerun at city-state level or lower to preserve nature and ensure humanity doesn't wipe out [[demihuman]]ity" thing is a viewpoint shared by [[Seven Sisters\|the Simbul]], although in ''her'' case, her writeups tend to admit that she's arrogant and self-righteous, whilst sometimes suggesting that she's more than a little insane.

			<gallery>
			IHateTheHarpers.png\|An average day's work for the Harpers.
			</gallery>

	{{Forgotten-Realms-Factions}}		{{Forgotten-Realms-Factions}}
	[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]]		[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]]
	[[Category:Forgotten Realms]]		[[Category:Forgotten Realms]]

1d4chan>SpectralTime at 15:06, 17 October 2021

2021-10-17T15:06:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:06, 17 October 2021
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	Unfortunately, they've gotten a bad rap for even more unfortunately well-justified reasons. [[Grognard]]s hate them because they were "meddlesome:" that is, the rails in most railroads during the nadir of adventure design in the AD&D days. While perhaps originally intended to be a group for high-level players and parties to join (after all, their symbol is a harp and the first edition made [[bard]] the ur-prestige class, and their fluff seems to suggest that a high-level group could set up local chapter houses), this quickly degenerated into the party either being shanghaied against their will by or forced to act as glorified bodyguards for the Harpers in many adventures. It's notable that nobody's favorite Gandalf clone [[Elminster]] is a member, for instance, and that many adventures boiled down to following him around while he actually solved the plot and did cool things while the party watched. The Avatar Trilogy was the nadir ''of'' this nadir, by the by, and it came around right at the beginning of second edition being a thing.		Unfortunately, they've gotten a bad rap for even more unfortunately well-justified reasons. [[Grognard]]s hate them because they were "meddlesome:" that is, the rails in most railroads during the nadir of adventure design in the AD&D days. While perhaps originally intended to be a group for high-level players and parties to join (after all, their symbol is a harp and the first edition made [[bard]] the ur-prestige class, and their fluff seems to suggest that a high-level group could set up local chapter houses), this quickly degenerated into the party either being shanghaied against their will by or forced to act as glorified bodyguards for the Harpers in many adventures. It's notable that nobody's favorite Gandalf clone [[Elminster]] is a member, for instance, and that many adventures boiled down to following him around while he actually solved the plot and did cool things while the party watched. The Avatar Trilogy was the nadir ''of'' this nadir, by the by, and it came around right at the beginning of second edition being a thing.

	Lore nerds hate them because, far from their ambition of being a force for good, the balance of nature and civilization, and the preservation of art and beauty in the world, they're actually agents of the [[Medieval Stasis\| status]] [[Advancing the Storyline\| quo]]. No shit; their dogma is that the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor was a perfect society and their long-term aim is to recreate the world in its image, ~~and thus~~ that every single good idea anyone's ever going to have has already been had, and every single new idea anyone has or will ever have is automatically bad. Also, they're outright ''working'' to prevent Faerun from moving beyond the city-state level, ostensibly to protect nature from civilization's encroachment. Collectively, this means that any time someone ''tries'' to come up with a new idea, like, say, advanced farming techniques, gunpowder weaponry, or democratic, nationalistic, or simply unified government over large regions, they get them to stop, first with honeyed words, then with veiled threats, then, if that fails, with brute force. ~~No shit;~~ an early example of some of their actions ''involves'' murdering a benevolent monarch who was uniting too much of the continent for their liking under his rule, and it's noteworthy that in, say, [[Al-Qadim\| the southern continent where their reach is limited]], advancements in science, magic, and culture have resulted in a generally higher quality of life for the inhabitants in a harsher environment without sacrificing good, art, ''or'' nature.		Lore nerds hate them because, far from their ambition of being a force for good, the balance of nature and civilization, and the preservation of art and beauty in the world, they're actually agents of the [[Medieval Stasis\| status]] [[Advancing the Storyline\| quo]]. No shit; their dogma is that the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor was a perfect society and their long-term aim is to recreate the world in its image. Thus, it logically follows that every single good idea anyone's ever going to have has already been had, and every single new idea anyone has or will ever have is automatically bad. Also, they're outright ''working'' to prevent Faerun from moving beyond the city-state level, ostensibly to protect nature from civilization's encroachment. Collectively, this means that any time someone ''tries'' to come up with a new idea, like, say, advanced farming techniques, gunpowder weaponry, or democratic, nationalistic, or simply unified government over large regions, they get them to stop, first with honeyed words, then with veiled threats, then, if that fails, with brute force. Seriously, an early example of some of their actions in one of the video games involves murdering a benevolent monarch who was uniting too much of the continent for their liking under his rule, and it's noteworthy that in, say, [[Al-Qadim\| the southern continent where their reach is limited]], advancements in science, magic, politics, and culture have resulted in a generally higher quality of life for the inhabitants in a harsher environment without sacrificing good, art, ''or'' nature.

	Interestingly, the whole "keep Faerun at city-state level or lower to preserve nature and ensure humanity doesn't wipe out [[demihuman]]ity" thing is a viewpoint shared by [[Seven Sisters\|the Simbul]], although in ''her'' case, her writeups tend to admit that she's arrogant and self-righteous, whilst sometimes suggesting that she's more than a little insane.		Interestingly, the whole "keep Faerun at city-state level or lower to preserve nature and ensure humanity doesn't wipe out [[demihuman]]ity" thing is a viewpoint shared by [[Seven Sisters\|the Simbul]], although in ''her'' case, her writeups tend to admit that she's arrogant and self-righteous, whilst sometimes suggesting that she's more than a little insane.

1d4chan>The Hat That Was at 05:03, 7 September 2021

2021-09-07T05:03:42Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:03, 7 September 2021
Line 2:		Line 2:
	'''The Harpers''', or more properly Those Who Harp, are a semi-secret society ostensibly dedicated to the cause of good in the [[Forgotten Realms]] of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. The ''Forgotten Realms'' video games seem to love them and they likely started Bioware's uncontrollable sexual fetish for tying their player characters to some manner of secretive pseudo-spy organisation with a basically blank check to get the job done no matter what it takes.		'''The Harpers''', or more properly Those Who Harp, are a semi-secret society ostensibly dedicated to the cause of good in the [[Forgotten Realms]] of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. The ''Forgotten Realms'' video games seem to love them and they likely started Bioware's uncontrollable sexual fetish for tying their player characters to some manner of secretive pseudo-spy organisation with a basically blank check to get the job done no matter what it takes.

	The foundations for the modern Harpers were laid in the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor, where a general wanted to create something like them as a mixture of state security and a time capsule in case things went wrong. A decentralized, grassroots organization, the Harpers operate on a local, cell-based structure, like [[ninja]], or terrorists. Theoretically self-sufficient, they are supposed to handle threats on their own while still having the ability to call on their fellow secret society members when necessary. Their famous "Harper pins," silver harps surrounded by the moon and four stars of the Myth ~~Drannorr~~, have, unfortunately, become too famous to ignore, much like the other secret society logos memorabilia that inspired them. (Freemasons anyone?)		The foundations for the modern Harpers were laid in the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor, where a general wanted to create something like them as a mixture of state security and a time capsule in case things went wrong. A decentralized, grassroots organization, the Harpers operate on a local, cell-based structure, like [[ninja]], or terrorists. Theoretically self-sufficient, they are supposed to handle threats on their own while still having the ability to call on their fellow secret society members when necessary. Their famous "Harper pins," silver harps surrounded by the moon and four stars of the Myth Drannor, have, unfortunately, become too famous to ignore, much like the other secret society logos memorabilia that inspired them. (Freemasons anyone?)

	Their creed sounds reasonably on the surface: promote freedom, equality, and decent treatment for all peoples, balance the power of civilization and nature, and protect and create beauty and art in the world.		Their creed sounds reasonably on the surface: promote freedom, equality, and decent treatment for all peoples, balance the power of civilization and nature, and protect and create beauty and art in the world.

85.203.27.156: Draenor to Drannor

2021-09-07T02:44:24Z

Draenor to Drannor

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:44, 7 September 2021
Line 2:		Line 2:
	'''The Harpers''', or more properly Those Who Harp, are a semi-secret society ostensibly dedicated to the cause of good in the [[Forgotten Realms]] of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. The ''Forgotten Realms'' video games seem to love them and they likely started Bioware's uncontrollable sexual fetish for tying their player characters to some manner of secretive pseudo-spy organisation with a basically blank check to get the job done no matter what it takes.		'''The Harpers''', or more properly Those Who Harp, are a semi-secret society ostensibly dedicated to the cause of good in the [[Forgotten Realms]] of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. The ''Forgotten Realms'' video games seem to love them and they likely started Bioware's uncontrollable sexual fetish for tying their player characters to some manner of secretive pseudo-spy organisation with a basically blank check to get the job done no matter what it takes.

	The foundations for the modern Harpers were laid in the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor, where a general wanted to create something like them as a mixture of state security and a time capsule in case things went wrong. A decentralized, grassroots organization, the Harpers operate on a local, cell-based structure, like [[ninja]], or terrorists. Theoretically self-sufficient, they are supposed to handle threats on their own while still having the ability to call on their fellow secret society members when necessary. Their famous "Harper pins," silver harps surrounded by the moon and four stars of the Myth ~~Draenor~~, have, unfortunately, become too famous to ignore, much like the other secret society logos memorabilia that inspired them. (Freemasons anyone?)		The foundations for the modern Harpers were laid in the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor, where a general wanted to create something like them as a mixture of state security and a time capsule in case things went wrong. A decentralized, grassroots organization, the Harpers operate on a local, cell-based structure, like [[ninja]], or terrorists. Theoretically self-sufficient, they are supposed to handle threats on their own while still having the ability to call on their fellow secret society members when necessary. Their famous "Harper pins," silver harps surrounded by the moon and four stars of the Myth Drannorr, have, unfortunately, become too famous to ignore, much like the other secret society logos memorabilia that inspired them. (Freemasons anyone?)

	Their creed sounds reasonably on the surface: promote freedom, equality, and decent treatment for all peoples, balance the power of civilization and nature, and protect and create beauty and art in the world.		Their creed sounds reasonably on the surface: promote freedom, equality, and decent treatment for all peoples, balance the power of civilization and nature, and protect and create beauty and art in the world.
Line 8:		Line 8:
	Unfortunately, they've gotten a bad rap for even more unfortunately well-justified reasons. [[Grognard]]s hate them because they were "meddlesome:" that is, the rails in most railroads during the nadir of adventure design in the AD&D days. While perhaps originally intended to be a group for high-level players and parties to join (after all, their symbol is a harp and the first edition made [[bard]] the ur-prestige class, and their fluff seems to suggest that a high-level group could set up local chapter houses), this quickly degenerated into the party either being shanghaied against their will by or forced to act as glorified bodyguards for the Harpers in many adventures. It's notable that nobody's favorite Gandalf clone [[Elminster]] is a member, for instance, and that many adventures boiled down to following him around while he actually solved the plot and did cool things while the party watched. The Avatar Trilogy was the nadir ''of'' this nadir, by the by, and it came around right at the beginning of second edition being a thing.		Unfortunately, they've gotten a bad rap for even more unfortunately well-justified reasons. [[Grognard]]s hate them because they were "meddlesome:" that is, the rails in most railroads during the nadir of adventure design in the AD&D days. While perhaps originally intended to be a group for high-level players and parties to join (after all, their symbol is a harp and the first edition made [[bard]] the ur-prestige class, and their fluff seems to suggest that a high-level group could set up local chapter houses), this quickly degenerated into the party either being shanghaied against their will by or forced to act as glorified bodyguards for the Harpers in many adventures. It's notable that nobody's favorite Gandalf clone [[Elminster]] is a member, for instance, and that many adventures boiled down to following him around while he actually solved the plot and did cool things while the party watched. The Avatar Trilogy was the nadir ''of'' this nadir, by the by, and it came around right at the beginning of second edition being a thing.

	Lore nerds hate them because, far from their ambition of being a force for good, the balance of nature and civilization, and the preservation of art and beauty in the world, they're actually agents of the [[Medieval Stasis\| status]] [[Advancing the Storyline\| quo]]. No shit; their dogma is that the ancient elven empire of Myth ~~Draenor~~ was a perfect society and their long-term aim is to recreate the world in its image, and thus that every single good idea anyone's ever going to have has already been had, and every single new idea anyone has or will ever have is automatically bad. Also, they're outright ''working'' to prevent Faerun from moving beyond the city-state level, ostensibly to protect nature from civilization's encroachment. Collectively, this means that any time someone ''tries'' to come up with a new idea, like, say, advanced farming techniques, gunpowder weaponry, or democratic, nationalistic, or simply unified government over large regions, they get them to stop, first with honeyed words, then with veiled threats, then, if that fails, with brute force. No shit; an early example of some of their actions ''involves'' murdering a benevolent monarch who was uniting too much of the continent for their liking under his rule, and it's noteworthy that in, say, [[Al-Qadim\| the southern continent where their reach is limited]], advancements in science, magic, and culture have resulted in a generally higher quality of life for the inhabitants in a harsher environment without sacrificing good, art, ''or'' nature.		Lore nerds hate them because, far from their ambition of being a force for good, the balance of nature and civilization, and the preservation of art and beauty in the world, they're actually agents of the [[Medieval Stasis\| status]] [[Advancing the Storyline\| quo]]. No shit; their dogma is that the ancient elven empire of Myth Drannor was a perfect society and their long-term aim is to recreate the world in its image, and thus that every single good idea anyone's ever going to have has already been had, and every single new idea anyone has or will ever have is automatically bad. Also, they're outright ''working'' to prevent Faerun from moving beyond the city-state level, ostensibly to protect nature from civilization's encroachment. Collectively, this means that any time someone ''tries'' to come up with a new idea, like, say, advanced farming techniques, gunpowder weaponry, or democratic, nationalistic, or simply unified government over large regions, they get them to stop, first with honeyed words, then with veiled threats, then, if that fails, with brute force. No shit; an early example of some of their actions ''involves'' murdering a benevolent monarch who was uniting too much of the continent for their liking under his rule, and it's noteworthy that in, say, [[Al-Qadim\| the southern continent where their reach is limited]], advancements in science, magic, and culture have resulted in a generally higher quality of life for the inhabitants in a harsher environment without sacrificing good, art, ''or'' nature.

	Interestingly, the whole "keep Faerun at city-state level or lower to preserve nature and ensure humanity doesn't wipe out [[demihuman]]ity" thing is a viewpoint shared by [[Seven Sisters\|the Simbul]], although in ''her'' case, her writeups tend to admit that she's arrogant and self-righteous, whilst sometimes suggesting that she's more than a little insane.		Interestingly, the whole "keep Faerun at city-state level or lower to preserve nature and ensure humanity doesn't wipe out [[demihuman]]ity" thing is a viewpoint shared by [[Seven Sisters\|the Simbul]], although in ''her'' case, her writeups tend to admit that she's arrogant and self-righteous, whilst sometimes suggesting that she's more than a little insane.

1d4chan>SpectralTime at 18:44, 16 August 2021

2021-08-16T18:44:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:44, 16 August 2021
Line 6:		Line 6:
	Their creed sounds reasonably on the surface: promote freedom, equality, and decent treatment for all peoples, balance the power of civilization and nature, and protect and create beauty and art in the world.		Their creed sounds reasonably on the surface: promote freedom, equality, and decent treatment for all peoples, balance the power of civilization and nature, and protect and create beauty and art in the world.

	Unfortunately, they've gotten a bad rap for even more unfortunately well-justified reasons. [[Grognard]]s hate them because they were "meddlesome:" that is, the rails in most railroads during the nadir of adventure design in the AD&D days. While perhaps originally intended to be a group for high-level players to join (after all, their symbol is a harp and the first edition made [[bard]] the ur-prestige class), this quickly degenerated into ~~them~~ either being shanghaied against their will or forced to act as glorified bodyguards for the Harpers in many adventures. It's notable that nobody's favorite Gandalf clone [[Elminster]] is a member, for instance, and that many adventures boiled down to following him around while he actually solved the plot and did cool things while the party watched. The Avatar Trilogy was the nadir ''of'' this nadir, by the by, and it came around right at the beginning of second edition being a thing.		Unfortunately, they've gotten a bad rap for even more unfortunately well-justified reasons. [[Grognard]]s hate them because they were "meddlesome:" that is, the rails in most railroads during the nadir of adventure design in the AD&D days. While perhaps originally intended to be a group for high-level players and parties to join (after all, their symbol is a harp and the first edition made [[bard]] the ur-prestige class, and their fluff seems to suggest that a high-level group could set up local chapter houses), this quickly degenerated into the party either being shanghaied against their will by or forced to act as glorified bodyguards for the Harpers in many adventures. It's notable that nobody's favorite Gandalf clone [[Elminster]] is a member, for instance, and that many adventures boiled down to following him around while he actually solved the plot and did cool things while the party watched. The Avatar Trilogy was the nadir ''of'' this nadir, by the by, and it came around right at the beginning of second edition being a thing.

	Lore nerds hate them because, far from their ambition of being a force for good, the balance of nature and civilization, and the preservation of art and beauty in the world, they're actually agents of the [[Medieval Stasis\| status]] [[Advancing the Storyline\| quo]]. No shit; their dogma is that the ancient elven empire of Myth Draenor was a perfect society and their long-term aim is to recreate the world in its image, and thus that every single good idea anyone's ever going to have has already been had, and every single new idea anyone has or will ever have is automatically bad. Also, they're outright ''working'' to prevent Faerun from moving beyond the city-state level, ostensibly to protect nature from civilization's encroachment. Collectively, this means that any time someone ''tries'' to come up with a new idea, like, say, advanced farming techniques, gunpowder weaponry, or democratic, nationalistic, or simply unified government over large regions, they get them to stop, first with honeyed words, then with veiled threats, then, if that fails, with brute force. No shit; an early example of some of their actions ''involves'' murdering a benevolent monarch who was uniting too much of the continent for their liking under his rule, and it's noteworthy that in, say, [[Al-Qadim\| the southern continent where their reach is limited]], advancements in science, magic, and culture have resulted in a generally higher quality of life for the inhabitants in a harsher environment without sacrificing good, art, ''or'' nature.		Lore nerds hate them because, far from their ambition of being a force for good, the balance of nature and civilization, and the preservation of art and beauty in the world, they're actually agents of the [[Medieval Stasis\| status]] [[Advancing the Storyline\| quo]]. No shit; their dogma is that the ancient elven empire of Myth Draenor was a perfect society and their long-term aim is to recreate the world in its image, and thus that every single good idea anyone's ever going to have has already been had, and every single new idea anyone has or will ever have is automatically bad. Also, they're outright ''working'' to prevent Faerun from moving beyond the city-state level, ostensibly to protect nature from civilization's encroachment. Collectively, this means that any time someone ''tries'' to come up with a new idea, like, say, advanced farming techniques, gunpowder weaponry, or democratic, nationalistic, or simply unified government over large regions, they get them to stop, first with honeyed words, then with veiled threats, then, if that fails, with brute force. No shit; an early example of some of their actions ''involves'' murdering a benevolent monarch who was uniting too much of the continent for their liking under his rule, and it's noteworthy that in, say, [[Al-Qadim\| the southern continent where their reach is limited]], advancements in science, magic, and culture have resulted in a generally higher quality of life for the inhabitants in a harsher environment without sacrificing good, art, ''or'' nature.