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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RealAlHazred" data-source="post: 6748728" data-attributes="member: 25818">Originally posted by Madfox11:While comparisons between Phiarlan and the Shadow Broker make sense to me in regards to what they do with the information, in my mind the working methods and ultimate goals differ a lot. Phiarlann is a family operation whose members have a talent with shadows and an ingrained sense of history and lore. They descend from the Aerenal clans/families whose purpose was preserving the stories of the ancestors. I distinctly remember reading that they still place great value on performing those ancient elf ritual performances and that being named a keeper of one is one of the greatest honors within the house. Keith also hinted that they don't keep the balance to make more money. They do so because they see it as their duty to preserve that balance, or maybe they even still operate for Aerenal's prophecy. They sell information with an overarching goal that goes beyond mere profit. In this regards, the likely operate much more like other organized based on (religious) ideals. It is just that those ideals are lot less violent and brutal and a lot more subtle than say the Templars of the Silver Flame or the agents of the Emerald Claw. It is also possible that the whole split of the house was actually planned and that the hostilities between the two is just an act. As for individual agents, I see them as excellent thieves, cat burglars, saboteurs and performers, likely some of the best of Khorvaire. The active branch is goal orientated: steal x, spy on that meeting between Y and Z, break the axis of that wagon so that the cargo does not arrive on time and so on. They are not good at long term infiltration, sleeping agents, spreading misinformation and the like. Of course, most of the House belongs to the reactive branch. They are the performers who send whatever they accidentally overhear/see while working on stage to the leaders of the house and which intel is used by the active branch.</blockquote>

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