For awhile I have been tinkering with making it known how the party is doing relationship-wise with certain factions in the known world that is the Kingdoms of
Kalamar.
What this does is map out what the party's decisions have on neighbouring city-states, cabals, and other would-be benefactors and allies.
This list is not exhaustive due to the many, many organizations in the world at large, but can and may show the trends of your adventures and their outcomes...
(Rules-wise, certain opportunities will present themselves due to paths taken and not. Stay tuned for more info!)
Amid the populace of Tellene operate several independent organizations. These groups have specialized (and often illegal) goals that range from preparing for the return of the Creator to world domination.
Typically, their influence on society varies with the strength of the local government. While many of these groups interact with religious organizations and may have similar goals, they are unaffiliated with the churches of Tellene.
The Blackfoot Society
The Blackfoot Society is a loose-knit group of antimonarchists. They dispute the popularly held belief
that royal families have the divine right to rule. The Society's goal is the overthrow of all monarchies, whether oppressive or benevolent.
The Society enjoys its largest support in the Kalamaran Empire, Eldor, Meznamish and Shynabath. Even in countries where the regime is especially oppressive, and the environment is ripe for dissent, the Blackfoot Society has been unable to foster much of an uprising, largely due to weak and ineffective leadership.
Secret Network of the Blue Salamander
The largest secular organization on Tellene, the Secret Network of the Blue Salamander has as its goal nothing less than world domination. The Network regularly infiltrates governments and guilds, rising to positions of power through skullduggery, ranging from blackmail to assassination. Its agents come from all levels of society, from servants and laborers to Guildmasters and nobles. The Network's members are also active in military insurrections, piracy, and terrorism in nearly every region of Tellene.
Brotherhood of the Broken Chain
A relatively new, but quickly growing organization, the Brotherhood is dedicated to the elimination of slavery on Tellene. Either by fomenting and aiding rebellions among slaves, or ambushing caravans of slave-traders, they have freed many captives, and also added to their organization's strength and numbers.
As a last resort, the brotherhood will purchase slaves for the sole purpose of freeing them. But in all cases they would prefer to deny any profit to slave merchants.
Disciples of the Creator
After the Creator disappeared, her temples, shrines and altars were desecrated, burned and destroyed by agents of those who opposed her. Her priests and followers were hunted down and sacrificed to other gods. The few believers that escaped these purges kept their faith alive in secret, passing the faith down to their children, cautiously recruiting new followers and awaiting the creator's return. They continue to do so.
The Golden Alliance
The largest merchant's guild on Tellene, the Golden Alliance seeks to dominate and control all trading in all areas. Its members disregard ethics completely, even financing brigand activity and piracy to weaken other guilds. They have also secured, through lucrative deals and outright bribery, the protection and advocacy of many high-ranking public officials, although their political philosophy really amounts to the idea that trade should be unfettered by both laws and taxation in the quest for ever-higher profits.
Guardians of the Hidden Flame
The Guardians are a clandestine group of Kalamaran dissidents loyal to the Inakas Dynasty, and a thorn in the side of the Bakar family, current rulers of the Empire. They fund and train groups of seasoned freedom fighters for guerilla strikes against the Empire.
They also preach opposition to Emperor Kabori's regime, and in the past have tried to encourage peasant uprisings. Very little is known about the actual activities of the Guardians, but they have for centuries remained stalwart in both their opposition and their efforts.
Sentinels of the True Way
Mainly Fhokki in membership, with some halflings and dwarves, this group is dedicated to the elimination of magic and a return to a simpler way of life.
They seek to destroy magic items and creatures, and tend to be distrustful of priests, druids, rangers, bards and paladins.
Vessels of Man
Founded by a disillusioned Basiran cleric, the Vessels of Man are dedicated to the elimination of godly influence on Tellene. They are fairly few in number, and believe that to deny the gods power, the clerics who spread their faiths must be destroyed. Merelor, their founder and leader, is hunted, and is very rarely seen. He now surrounds himself with a small, intensely dedicated and extremely competent group of followers.
Pirates
Piracy is fairly common on the seas of Tellene, both in the form of privateers and buccaneers, who are sanctioned by a specific country in return for a percentage of their booty, and independent outlaws who operate without even that thin veil of legitimacy. There are pirates of nearly all races and from all regions on the crews of these ships.
Pirates of Reanaaria Bay
By far the most organized and devious pirates of Tellene are those of Reanaaria Bay. They are organized almost like a guild, and presided over by the Captains' Table of 13, made up of the thirteen most powerful captains of the region. Their network of spies, the Friends of the Coin, gather information on shipping and pass along news of any desirable targets. Perhaps most valuable are the large number of safe (some even fortified) ports available to ships among the pirate controlled islands of Reanaaria Bay.
Pirates of the Straits of Svimohzia
Although less organized and less sophisticated than the Reanaarian pirates, these are the most dreaded of all the pirates of Tellene. This is for one simple reason, the fact that these pirates are known to be slavers, and do a great deal of business with Pel Brolenon and Vrandol, among others. Currently led by two brothers, one a wizard and one a cleric, although at least three other factions are currently trying to wrest power away from them.
What this does is map out what the party's decisions have on neighbouring city-states, cabals, and other would-be benefactors and allies.
This list is not exhaustive due to the many, many organizations in the world at large, but can and may show the trends of your adventures and their outcomes...
(Rules-wise, certain opportunities will present themselves due to paths taken and not. Stay tuned for more info!)
Amid the populace of Tellene operate several independent organizations. These groups have specialized (and often illegal) goals that range from preparing for the return of the Creator to world domination.
Typically, their influence on society varies with the strength of the local government. While many of these groups interact with religious organizations and may have similar goals, they are unaffiliated with the churches of Tellene.
The Blackfoot Society
The Blackfoot Society is a loose-knit group of antimonarchists. They dispute the popularly held belief
that royal families have the divine right to rule. The Society's goal is the overthrow of all monarchies, whether oppressive or benevolent.
The Society enjoys its largest support in the Kalamaran Empire, Eldor, Meznamish and Shynabath. Even in countries where the regime is especially oppressive, and the environment is ripe for dissent, the Blackfoot Society has been unable to foster much of an uprising, largely due to weak and ineffective leadership.
Secret Network of the Blue Salamander
The largest secular organization on Tellene, the Secret Network of the Blue Salamander has as its goal nothing less than world domination. The Network regularly infiltrates governments and guilds, rising to positions of power through skullduggery, ranging from blackmail to assassination. Its agents come from all levels of society, from servants and laborers to Guildmasters and nobles. The Network's members are also active in military insurrections, piracy, and terrorism in nearly every region of Tellene.
Brotherhood of the Broken Chain
A relatively new, but quickly growing organization, the Brotherhood is dedicated to the elimination of slavery on Tellene. Either by fomenting and aiding rebellions among slaves, or ambushing caravans of slave-traders, they have freed many captives, and also added to their organization's strength and numbers.
As a last resort, the brotherhood will purchase slaves for the sole purpose of freeing them. But in all cases they would prefer to deny any profit to slave merchants.
Disciples of the Creator
After the Creator disappeared, her temples, shrines and altars were desecrated, burned and destroyed by agents of those who opposed her. Her priests and followers were hunted down and sacrificed to other gods. The few believers that escaped these purges kept their faith alive in secret, passing the faith down to their children, cautiously recruiting new followers and awaiting the creator's return. They continue to do so.
The Golden Alliance
The largest merchant's guild on Tellene, the Golden Alliance seeks to dominate and control all trading in all areas. Its members disregard ethics completely, even financing brigand activity and piracy to weaken other guilds. They have also secured, through lucrative deals and outright bribery, the protection and advocacy of many high-ranking public officials, although their political philosophy really amounts to the idea that trade should be unfettered by both laws and taxation in the quest for ever-higher profits.
Guardians of the Hidden Flame
The Guardians are a clandestine group of Kalamaran dissidents loyal to the Inakas Dynasty, and a thorn in the side of the Bakar family, current rulers of the Empire. They fund and train groups of seasoned freedom fighters for guerilla strikes against the Empire.
They also preach opposition to Emperor Kabori's regime, and in the past have tried to encourage peasant uprisings. Very little is known about the actual activities of the Guardians, but they have for centuries remained stalwart in both their opposition and their efforts.
Sentinels of the True Way
Mainly Fhokki in membership, with some halflings and dwarves, this group is dedicated to the elimination of magic and a return to a simpler way of life.
They seek to destroy magic items and creatures, and tend to be distrustful of priests, druids, rangers, bards and paladins.
Vessels of Man
Founded by a disillusioned Basiran cleric, the Vessels of Man are dedicated to the elimination of godly influence on Tellene. They are fairly few in number, and believe that to deny the gods power, the clerics who spread their faiths must be destroyed. Merelor, their founder and leader, is hunted, and is very rarely seen. He now surrounds himself with a small, intensely dedicated and extremely competent group of followers.
Pirates
Piracy is fairly common on the seas of Tellene, both in the form of privateers and buccaneers, who are sanctioned by a specific country in return for a percentage of their booty, and independent outlaws who operate without even that thin veil of legitimacy. There are pirates of nearly all races and from all regions on the crews of these ships.
Pirates of Reanaaria Bay
By far the most organized and devious pirates of Tellene are those of Reanaaria Bay. They are organized almost like a guild, and presided over by the Captains' Table of 13, made up of the thirteen most powerful captains of the region. Their network of spies, the Friends of the Coin, gather information on shipping and pass along news of any desirable targets. Perhaps most valuable are the large number of safe (some even fortified) ports available to ships among the pirate controlled islands of Reanaaria Bay.
Pirates of the Straits of Svimohzia
Although less organized and less sophisticated than the Reanaarian pirates, these are the most dreaded of all the pirates of Tellene. This is for one simple reason, the fact that these pirates are known to be slavers, and do a great deal of business with Pel Brolenon and Vrandol, among others. Currently led by two brothers, one a wizard and one a cleric, although at least three other factions are currently trying to wrest power away from them.


