FormerlyHemlock
Hero
Inspired by the alignment thread(s), I've decided to bring factions into my Spelljammer game and flavor them as "temples" a la Saberhagen's Red Temple/Blue Temple/White Temple. That is, "temple" in the sense of "united in common beliefs and ideals" and not as in "worshipping a particular god". (I run an atheistic D&D universe. That isn't to say that everyone in it is atheistic, but as creator of the universe I the DM say "There are no gods beside me", and clerics are just a deluded kind of intuitive/planar-oriented wizard to the extent they exist at all.)
So anyway, here are the major factions I'm planning to introduce my players to next week, or the week after that if they go monster-hunting instead of landing at a port:
Temple of Order
Symbol: Ball and chain
Based on: Chainmen
Ideal: Only through law and order can evil be punished and society progress.
Subtext: Of course I should be in charge. Do what I tell you.
Attracts: Lawful evil individuals, lawful neutral stooges. (LE will be at the top of the hierarchy due to the Iron Law of Bureaucracy.)
Affiliates: Illithids, slavers,
Temple of Might
Symbol: Pointed tooth
Based on: Long fangs.
Ideal: Nobody can tell me what to do. Don't tread on me.
Subtext: I deserve nice things. Even if they're your things. My priest told me so.
Attracts: Chaotic evil/neutral individuals, neutral evil.
Affiliates (of necessity): Neogi, some beholders.
Temple of Freedom
Symbol: Torch
Based on: Pragmatic Order of Thought
Ideal: Self-determination is a natural right.
Subtext: Rule one is "don't be a jerk." Rule two is "don't make me make any more rules." Also, free the slaves!
Attracts: Chaotic good, neutral good individuals.
Affiliates: Elven Imperial Navy. (Elven Prime Directive: Don't interfere with groundling cultures. Which is why goblins were not exterminated everywhere after the Unhuman Wars.)
Temple of Mercy
Symbol: Open Hand
Based on: Paladin of Devotion
Ideal: Work together for the common good of all.
Subtext: It takes a village to raise a child.
Attracts: Lawful good, neutral good individuals
Affiliates: Enlightened rules everywhere. (If they weren't comfortable with giving orders they'd be Freedom-affiliated POTs instead, but then they also probably wouldn't be rulers.)
For the most part, neutral individuals will tend not to be idealistic enough to affiliate with any of the temples, so the temples are more strongly aligned than purely pragmatic organizations like The Trading Company.
So anyway, here are the major factions I'm planning to introduce my players to next week, or the week after that if they go monster-hunting instead of landing at a port:
Temple of Order
Symbol: Ball and chain
Based on: Chainmen
Ideal: Only through law and order can evil be punished and society progress.
Subtext: Of course I should be in charge. Do what I tell you.
Attracts: Lawful evil individuals, lawful neutral stooges. (LE will be at the top of the hierarchy due to the Iron Law of Bureaucracy.)
Affiliates: Illithids, slavers,
Temple of Might
Symbol: Pointed tooth
Based on: Long fangs.
Ideal: Nobody can tell me what to do. Don't tread on me.
Subtext: I deserve nice things. Even if they're your things. My priest told me so.
Attracts: Chaotic evil/neutral individuals, neutral evil.
Affiliates (of necessity): Neogi, some beholders.
Temple of Freedom
Symbol: Torch
Based on: Pragmatic Order of Thought
Ideal: Self-determination is a natural right.
Subtext: Rule one is "don't be a jerk." Rule two is "don't make me make any more rules." Also, free the slaves!
Attracts: Chaotic good, neutral good individuals.
Affiliates: Elven Imperial Navy. (Elven Prime Directive: Don't interfere with groundling cultures. Which is why goblins were not exterminated everywhere after the Unhuman Wars.)
Temple of Mercy
Symbol: Open Hand
Based on: Paladin of Devotion
Ideal: Work together for the common good of all.
Subtext: It takes a village to raise a child.
Attracts: Lawful good, neutral good individuals
Affiliates: Enlightened rules everywhere. (If they weren't comfortable with giving orders they'd be Freedom-affiliated POTs instead, but then they also probably wouldn't be rulers.)
For the most part, neutral individuals will tend not to be idealistic enough to affiliate with any of the temples, so the temples are more strongly aligned than purely pragmatic organizations like The Trading Company.
