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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 4036328" data-attributes="member: 2012">Borrowed (and renamed/reworked) from the Shackled City Adventure Path!STRIDERS OF THE DAWNSymbol: The horizon at dawn.PurposeThe Striders of the Dawn is a loosely run organization of adventurers (and ex-adventurers) who watch the horizons for signs of great turmoil, and who strive to preserve the Tenets of the Balance throughout the Lands of Harqual.Leaders: Alexandre Theobald [NE male human, Sco14]; Cezar Threlfall [N male human, Drd15 (the Daghdha)]; Darara Balderama [CN female human, Clr14 (Sanh)]; Meerthan Eliothlorn [NG male half-elf, Wiz16]; Shensen Tesseril [LN female half-elf, Mnk3/Brd3/Drd10 (the Daghdha)]*.*DM's Note: Since there aren't any drow on my world, I changed Shensen's race to a standard half-elf.Famous Members: Fario Ellegoth [NG male half-elf, Rog7/Ftr7]; Fellian Shard [NG male half-elf, Rog5/Clr9 (Brenna)]; Gavin Vasswind [LN male halfling (hairfoot), Rog2/Wiz7]; Marta Stangassinger [NG female dwarf (hill), Sen10]; Pan Mirelic [NE male half-orc, Brd4/Ftr6]; Riannon Havard [CN female human, Bbn6/Sor6]; Shadlor Zimmel [N male desert elf, Clr5/Rgr5 (Bast)].Notable ActivitiesThe Striders of the Dawn are always looking for that next crisis. The group seeks out troubles regardless of where it is happening. As an organization dedicated to the Tenets of the Balance, its idea of “trouble” doesn't always correlate with the goals of good organizations. Evil groups almost always work against the Striders, but there have been exceptions. The harsh neutrality of the Tenets don't always endear the Striders to governments or a government's citizens.For example, the Striders oppose slavery as general rule, which makes the group unpopular in places like the Chara Cities. However, it also oppose the clear-cutting of forests, which makes the group unpopular in places where timber is part of a region's economy (i.e. Stonn). Usually, if something protects the sanctity of life (including non-humanoid life) then the Striders are for it. Some monsters fall into this category, but only if they have a true ecological niche. So, a dragon that lives within the Balance is to be protected, but a dragon that turns “rogue” is often considered a threat to the Tenets. Creatures like the undead and aberrations are considered to be destroyers of the natural world, so they are always destroyed by the Striders.Note that the Striders tend towards protecting those that are good-of-heart, but the group will fight to protect fringe-races (and creatures) like lizardfolk that are part of the natural world. The group rarely fights for the lives of evil races (and creatures), but when such beings are vital to balancing out good then the group will support them. This has caused conflict between the Striders and such races as the elves and dwarves, as the organization has protected evil humanoids from being wiped out. These foes of elves and dwarves, sometimes, balance out the activities of the demihuman races.It's rare, but it does happen.Note that the Striders don't hate civilization. Civilization has its place in the world, just not at the cost of the natural world. For example, the Striders have never agreed with the location of the City of Cauldron. Building a city in the bowl of an dormant volcano is not a good idea, in the group's opinion. However, the group won't work to destroy the city, as the people who live there are relatively benign. Cauldronites are strong supporters of the natural world, and they work towards protecting the land around Cauldron — now, due to recent events, even more than before.The Striders, more often, oppose the construction of cities without consideration to the people and creatures that might be living nearby. The City-state of Caloric is such as city. It was built quickly, using magic, and is considered by many to be an eyesore on the edge of the Great Expanse. It is also filled with many immoral people who have no regard for the natural world or even their own neighbors. There are good people in Caloric, but they are not the norm. Thus, the Striders would like Caloric to disappear under the sands of the desert.The Striders can also be found anywhere that one facet of alignment (or sometimes two) has gained too much strength. If a community or kingdom has become entrenched with evil (or good) or affected by rigid laws (or uncontrolled chaos), then the group acts to return the region towards the Balance. Since many of the Striders are good-aligned they are more likely to turn a blind-eye towards governments that are extremely benign. Good is almost always better than evil, in the minds of most members of the Striders. (Views on law vs. chaos tend to divide evenly amongst them.)Both the Kingdom of Thallin and the Kingdom of Navirosov are two good examples of this. Thallin was always known as place where new ideas were welcome, but always had a strong controlling center to it government. Now, it has fallen into chaos and decadent evil in just a few years. Meanwhile, Navirosov has been strongly lawful and good for so long that the island kingdom is at risk of become dull, stagnant and, annoyingly priggish. Change must become a vital part of Navirosov's political climate, in order to protect its amazing civilization.The most important thing to remember about the Striders of the Dawn is that the group is as diverse as the many sides of the Balance. Any character who is partially neutral and believes in the Balance could find a place for him or herself in the organization. However, characters with one of the extreme alignments could find him or herself as a member of this group, but they would have a hard time justifying the behaviors of some of their fellows. Since the organization is made up of mainly adventurers and ex-adventurers it tends to have a lot of rollover. Striders come and Striders go, but the organization outlasts all those who have tried to change it.Campaign NotesThe members of the Striders of the Dawn are wanders, for the most part. They come and go as they please and one could argue that the group is highly chaotic. However, there are just as many lawful Striders as there are chaotic ones. The people of the Lands of Harqual simply hear more about the wild, unruly ones than they do about the law-abiding ones. The Strider named Darara Balderama is a good example of the latter.Born in the city-state of Halandra, Darara discovered at a young age that she was free spirit. The citizens of the city-state learned it too, as she often ran around the streets naked. When she was still a child, this was seen only as being naive and childish. However, after she blossomed into her womanhood, and continued to behave the same way, it became to much for some of the more prudish citizens to bare... I mean, bear. She soon was exiled from the city-state, which suited her just fine. She took up the faith of Sanh and let her wild spirits roar. She fell in with the Striders several years later and is considered one of the group's greatest leaders. And yes, she still prefers to roam around naked.Another famous Strider is the half-elf wizard Meerthan Eliothlorn. He is famous for being an ally to the Order of the Silver Hand, without overshadowing them. In fact, he is in semi-retirement in Cauldron City and is beginning to wonder if it might be time to pass his place of leadership to another. This other is the half-elf woman named Shensen Tesseril. She is quickly becoming a favorite ally of Lord Mayor Hezekiah Grofus, and is beloved by the populace of Cauldron. She is already a leader in her own right, but her place amongst the upper echelon of the Striders would be assured if Meerthan endorsed her.Every member of the Striders has a story to tell, and a goal in life. Whether it be to bring down the Mad One of Thallin or to reform the political structure of Navirosov. However, the Striders of the Dawn is at its best when the group works together and forms alliance with others. The Cagewright crisis in Cauldron was one of these events, and the Tabaxi War is becoming another. The Striders hate slavers, and the tabaxi are becoming the worst slavers on the continent. The Striders are working diligently to bring down as many of the cat-men as possible, but they'd prefer to change the tabaxi from within, if possible. Its a tough idea to put into the minds of the tabaxi, as well as those the cat-men have been enslaving.The whole Storm Peninsula is a hotbed of turmoil to the Striders. There aren't any bans on the cutting down of the trees of the Storm Jungle, tabaxi are hunted as animals by the ignorant and ruthless, and the tabaxi don't help matters by being egotistical marauders out for blood and vengeance after being banished from the world. The Striders have learned that not all tabaxi are evil, and many of them wish to live in peace with their human and demihuman neighbors. The Striders believe that it isn't fair to judge an entire race on the anger and frustration of its oldest citizens. Yes, the strongest tabaxi deity is a vicious entity, but not all tabaxi believe in the Doctrines of Tu.If there is one place where the Striders believe that evil must be put down, it is on the Ragik Peninsula. The Old Sword Lands have remained oppressive since the time of the Empire of Swords. In places like Transformation Kingdom of Ahamudia and the reformed Sword Protectorate there is a new hope blossoming. However, the rest of the peninsula remains a dark place full of evil men and women of every sort. Dark, twisted creatures roam the lands, and only those with power are safe (and only some of the time). Evil undead and werebeasts are commonplace throughout the region. Only the stalwart courage of the barbarians of the Northlands, dwarves of the Greystone Mountains, elves of the Great Forest, and the druid enclaves of the Hallowed Lands keeps the evil at bay.Many a Strider, near the end of his or her life, has traveled to the Old Sword Lands to cleanse as much darkness from the region as possible before dying a bloody death.[ATTACH]156517[/ATTACH][HR][/HR]Also, see this post...<a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=3687976#post3687976" target="_blank">3E/3.5 - Kulan: The Lands of Harqual</a></blockquote>

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