The Harpers -
A large, moderately to well funded organization. It ranges from being a secret society within a government that promote certain social agendas over others to full blown rebellion against governments. All those within the society must follow its dictates or (at the least) be watched for the rest of their lives.
The Harpers include a few beings of great power, many beings of middling power, a fair amount of beings of lower level of power and a huge support network of those 'helped' by their aims or those able to be manipulated to do so. Their physical and arcane prowess, while significant, is nothing to the political pull they may have. How many politicians or nobles have children saved from evil? Small deeds of 'goodness' that now need to be cashed in for 'the greater good?'. Instead, political leverage against the PC's can be worse than sending two men in the door with wands of fireball.
The Harpers are limited in that while together they would be a powerful, nigh unstoppable force if they organized, their structure isn't formal enough to warrant such a threat.
The Harpers are willing to use dubious means to promote their goals.
I think they are quite a scary organization to cross. I could easily see a good aligned party doing something against their long-term goals that causes the party to be seen a threat. Suddenly bards start singing songs of their evil deeds. People no longer trust them. Politicians are manipulated to have them hunted down. Thieves guilds are manipulated to harrass or assassinate the PC's.
The only 'help' the PC's get isn't going to be from a good source. And if they find the source of the people giving them a bad name? Or find out that the Harpers are willing to work with slavers to catch a cult? The PC's may in fact not enjoy the Harpers goody two shoes style at all.
A large, moderately to well funded organization. It ranges from being a secret society within a government that promote certain social agendas over others to full blown rebellion against governments. All those within the society must follow its dictates or (at the least) be watched for the rest of their lives.
The Harpers include a few beings of great power, many beings of middling power, a fair amount of beings of lower level of power and a huge support network of those 'helped' by their aims or those able to be manipulated to do so. Their physical and arcane prowess, while significant, is nothing to the political pull they may have. How many politicians or nobles have children saved from evil? Small deeds of 'goodness' that now need to be cashed in for 'the greater good?'. Instead, political leverage against the PC's can be worse than sending two men in the door with wands of fireball.
The Harpers are limited in that while together they would be a powerful, nigh unstoppable force if they organized, their structure isn't formal enough to warrant such a threat.
The Harpers are willing to use dubious means to promote their goals.
I think they are quite a scary organization to cross. I could easily see a good aligned party doing something against their long-term goals that causes the party to be seen a threat. Suddenly bards start singing songs of their evil deeds. People no longer trust them. Politicians are manipulated to have them hunted down. Thieves guilds are manipulated to harrass or assassinate the PC's.
The only 'help' the PC's get isn't going to be from a good source. And if they find the source of the people giving them a bad name? Or find out that the Harpers are willing to work with slavers to catch a cult? The PC's may in fact not enjoy the Harpers goody two shoes style at all.
