Ortho: Adventurers & Ortho

As I recently mentioned to Duckluck, I think we should concentrate for a while on getting out cultural information - what its like to live and die on Ortho in various roles. And since I can't complain if I don't produce something myself, here's something.

Last Edit 20 Feb 08

Adventurers and Ortho

[i]“Great Darho’s ghost!”
- Common freeblade’s expression

Regardless of their moral and ethical sensibilities, most adventurers take great pride in their relative freedom and independence; the idea of both settling down to a quiet life or marching rank on rank in uniform is equally anathema to more than a few. Nevertheless the OCA has a home for adventurers who know where to look – and a place for those who refuse to work within the system.

Ortho has had a turbulent relationship with its adventurers. Romhel and the original Knights of Harmony were adventurers, and small roving bands of dedicated men and women had always formed the basis of resistance to Alzrius and the excesses of Pan Thaera. On the other hand, adventurers were all too often at the forefront of resistance to the Harmonium’s spread both on Ortho and in the Planes, and afterwards became the mainstay of many criminal organisations. It seems that sometimes adventurers are the champions of harmony, but at other times they seem worse than fiends. This love/hate relationship has continued for generations, swinging first in one direction then the other.

Romhel’s Quest

Before the rise of Romhel, Ortho’s adventurers were indistinguishable from those on countless other worlds: Small bands of mercenaries and crusaders; some good, some bad, unified only by their wandering lifestyle. They had many names in local parlance, but most called themselves “freeblades”, or “the Freefolk” and these terms eventually entered the trade tongue.

The original Knights of Harmony were well known and well thought of among the Freefolk, for they were fellow adventurers and self-made heroes after all. The Knights also brought many adventurers into their crusade, especially at its beginning when resources were relatively few and evil the clear enemy. In the beginning, even heroes of a ‘chaotic’ bent joined with Romhel’s cause; moved by the paladin’s passionate rhetoric, direct action, and clear good heart.

All that changed once the cause began to take on a life of its own. Suddenly the Knights didn’t need adventurers anymore - they had whole armies marching with them instead. Loyal followers that had been involved from the beginning found themselves awarded land to govern or permanent positions in the growing force – but others were marginalised and abandoned when they refused to be tied down. Harmonium scholars now site this feeling of redundancy as the prime motive for freeblades deserting the Knights of Harmony, although many actually stayed the course in new roles. They also admit that the so-called ‘Adventurers Revolt’ wasn’t the coordinated effort it was originally thought to be, merely a string of high-profile incidents that seem to have had common cause.

The last blow for many was when the Knights turned their attention from those who were evil to anyone who wouldn’t sign up with the cause, and the somewhat dubious methods that occasionally followed to bring countries into the fold whether they liked it or not. Things came to a head when the newly formed Harmonium toppled King Darho of Olmieer, a former adventurer and committed supporter of democracy and meritocracy, in favour of an alliance of old nobles families who had not prospered under his progressive regime. The coup was almost entirely bloodless, but many adventurers saw their own fate looming in the removal of a kind, good, and lawful man who simply refused to fall in line. Word quickly spread of Darho’s fall and of other Harmonium ‘injustices’ perpetrated against the Freefolk, especially after every adventurer in the Olmieeran occupation force left to join the local resistance.

In the space of only two more years over 70% of adventurers abandoned Romhel’s crusade. Some went peaceably or just slipped away in the night, some only after wreaking as much havoc as they could. And with every freeblade who turned traitor or abandoned his post, the Harmonium’s opinion of those who remained soured even further, leading to yet more trouble. This was the time of the so-called Adventurer’s Revolt, which has tainted the Harmonium view of them ever since.

The First Harmony

The Harmonium has never forgotten the betrayal of the adventurers, but for many years after their revolt they were busy pacifying other enemies, whose armies and resistance groups had suddenly swelled with Freefolk (often powerful individuals with resources and tactics far beyond the common soldier). The new Beholder alliance helped shore up the armies of Harmony magically and for mundane tasks they had manpower to spare, but after they’d recovered from the desertions and eliminated the rebels, the Harmonium refused to trust even loyal and peaceful freeblades, actively pursuing and persecuting every such group they encountered.

“Want to do good? See the world? Live a life of excitement and adventure? Good: Join the Harmonium.”

- Measure Yhemiel, Recruitment Officer

Adventurers were swiftly demonised by both the Harmonium and the new ‘Orthorian Central Authority’ portrayed them as rogues and bandits preying on the vulnerable – criminals hiding behind the euphemism of their name. Prominent former adventurers (and monstrous former opponents) were endlessly rolled out to proclaim support for the new system, while every genuine villain captured was held up as a ‘dangerous adventurer’ to the populace. Even those who knew that demon-summoning maniacs weren’t representative of most freeblades were eventually persuaded that with the Harmonium protecting the land, adventurers simply weren’t necessary anymore.

This was a dark time for the Free. Many gave up their craft and retired for good; others formerly broke up their groups and hid their skills behind more legitimate professions. Those who persisted in openly flouting the OCA were eventually arrested on some legal pretext and forced to desist one way or another. More than a few escaped persecution by vanishing entirely, joining the underworld or =going beyond civilisation, where they often joined up with the very monsters they had once fought against.

Several respectable adventurers also used their wealth and expertise to join the emerging venture companies at this time. For some this was a cover that became a real profession, but others went straight into piracy and smuggling. Their actions earned the venture companies a bad reputation with the Harmonium, giving legitimate enterprises a rough ride for several decades. Once the pirates, smugglers, and rebels had been dealt with however, the Harmonium had bigger fish to fry. As years passed the adventurer problem just seemed to go away.

But with typical practicality and tenacity, the Freefolk quietly survived.

The Schism

The civil war produced increased tolerance and plenty of opportunities for work. Mercenaries and experts were required on both sides, although rarely with official sanction. More than a few former adventurers from long-lived races came out of retirement, mostly to aid the rebels but a few had been persuaded by the Harmonium’s success and sided with Julhien. Adventurers were especially welcome in Julhien’s forces, which often lacked adequate clerical magic. Small teams of experts were also simply less costly in flesh and blood, and both sides enjoyed the plausible deniability that adventurers gave: Freeblades emerged from the woodwork in strifetorn Iironda, Thaera, the Isles, Motmurk, and Hazhkan; all eager to rebel against the central authority. A new generation of adventurers also sprang up, inspired to make a name (or a fortune) for themselves in the conflict.

Both sides turned to the venture companies for aid during teh Schism; past sins were forgiven in exchange for supplies and soon after for work as spies, saboteurs, and privateers. Piracy became rampant in all disputed seas, and brigands and underworld gangs interdicted supply lines on land. Many organisations profited immensely from the civil war, and from a state too weakened to fight both its political enemies and lurking rogues.

On the whole however, the venture companies acted with honour regardless of whose side they were on – and many even cleaned up their own compatriots during and after the war, getting rid of the criminals that had given them a bad name previously. Through these actions they gained a reputation for expertise and trustworthiness that ensured prosperity and official support after the war.

The Harmonium did not forget or forgive the Freefolk and after the war adventurers found themselves still watched suspiciously, but at least less actively harassed than before. It was a time for healing rifts across all of Ortho and adventurers were no exception.

The War of Iron

In the years of the Second Harmony, Freefolk were slowly able to carve a niche for themselves in society. The OCA was now simply a fact of life, as unavoidable as night and day, and the freeblades simply had to adapt to a more ordered world. Many simply stopped calling themselves adventurers and continued much as normal, especially in far-flung areas where the Harmonium weren’t ever-present. Adventurers found work as specialists and experts for merchant cartels and private citizens, in local militias, and in the prospering venture companies. More lawful types often simply signed up to a Harmonium that was finally appreciating their talents again.

The War of Iron saw yet another wax in the fortunes of the Free. As the Abyssal campaign ground to a bloody halt of mounting corpses, the Hardheads made increasing use of small specialist units rather than legions of common soldiery, virtually begging the Freefolk to serve on the font lines. After the war more adventurous hardheads continued in a similar role under the Bureau of Exigencies - the ‘Crisis Teams’ of popular myth.

Haigar's Revival

Haigar of Xaric was an monk of the Monastery of the Seven-Fingered Palm, who discovered a number of chaotic texts in the hands of former-adventurers near Thorkold; grimoires that had been passed down secretly from father to son. Clearly dangerous, they had nevertheless been kept away from the Harmonium eyes, just on general principles.

Haigar acquired the documents peaceably and turned them over to the Harmonium, where their blasphemous verses were eventually found to contain Abyssal secrets useful to the cause. When Haigar learned of this he had a revelation: That if one group of former adventurers had documents and artefacts useful to the War of Iron, then others probably did as well. Their owners might not talk to the hardheads about such things, but maybe they’d talk to him?

Haigar spent three years travelling Ortho, visiting various former adventurers and inspiring others to join his quest. In that time he and his followers delivered many items to the Harmonium. The usefulness of them is somewhat debatable, but the good will fostered by Haigar helped to mitigate the poor reputation of adventurers with the general populace – and removed a number of potentially dangerous items from the world.

The Modern Age

These days the standard adventurer as seen on other worlds is a rarity on Ortho, and still not a very welcome one. The Free are present in many other forms however, one just has to know where to look. They are simply known by other names when they work within the system – and as criminals if they do not.

In general, adventurers only crop up when and where they are needed, and for most of Ortho that’s nowhere. But those with an adventuring spirit can find outlets within the system: The OCA has learned their usefulness and finds a place for them if it can.

Adventurers & Where To Find Them

To an outsider, the standard adventurer seems to have disappeared. Itinerant wanderers and travellers are seen as rogues who should be gainfully employed - by force if necessary. The OCA mildly discourages travel; in their view everywhere is the same and there’s no reason to journey far from home just to see the world or look for a better life. Characters who want to travel a lot without (in the Harmonium's opinion) a good reason will have a difficult time getting their papers verified, and find themselves constantly detained and questioned at boundaries, crossroads, and checkpoints. Soldiery generally assume that such travellers are fleeing justice; such characters with the slightest irregularity in their papers are immediately arrested until the matter is clarified, but these investigations are not a priority and PCs may find themselves detained for several days... possibly weeks. Any attempt to resist arrest quickly sees the adventurers classified as criminals.

The way to get around this of course is to have legitimate business and a reason to travel. Most of the remaining Freeblades of Ortho live very similar lives to their historical counterparts; they’ve just got themselves official jobs and paperwork to go with it.

[b]Within the Harmonium [/b]

“Good morning students. Today we shall examine the protocols against mass intrusion by proactive non-conformist shapeshifers. Open your Crisis Grimoire to page 318, and let’s begin...”

- Overheard at an Training Campus

For some, adventuring is just wanderlust and a search for excitement. While the Harmonium would certainly prefer for such individuals to settle down and live a quiet productive life, they provide several options within their own ranks for just such individuals.

All they have to do is sign up.

Characters with appropriate potential - or ‘problems’ - are usually identified during basic training and the initial assignment that follows it. Soldiers can also volunteer for specific assignments (such as work off-world or for the Bureau of Exigencies), but this is mildly discouraged: A good Harmonium does what he’s told and stays where he’s put. The best way to get transferred to more adventuresome work is to have an outstanding exemplary record – or ironically a troublesome one. Catching the eye of an appropriate sponsor (senior officer, diplomat, Exigency Liaison, etc) is also a good idea, as higher ranks often request a specific noteworthy soldier to be transferred to their command.

The Bureau of Exigencies

The road repair was essential, but this was little comfort to the legionaries who toiled in the broiling heat, sweat soaked and aching. The clerk in pristine uniform was an unwelcome intruder as he carefully picked his way through the half-dug trenches and piles of stone, wood, and earth.

“Officer Thatchworthy?” He asked, and a burly digger looked up. The clerk held out a scroll of rolled up paper. “I represent the local exigency liaison. You’ve been activated.”

Officer Thatchworthy read the paper and without a word saluted, grabbed his kit, and sprinted from the dig. The clerk struggled after him as fast as he could.

“What was that about?” asked Notary Raegin, new to the service.

“He’s Crisis Team,” a colleague replied, and moved to take Thatchworthy’s place in the line.

The Bureau of Exigencies was once an obscure part of the great Harmonium infrastructure, charged with expediting the movement of men and supplies. They were relatively small corps of specialists – men and women who obtained hard to find supplies, greased the wheels of reluctant bureaucracies, and opened new travel routes. Their work was hardly glorious and most people were hard pressed to remember that they even existed.

The civil war changed their function completely: Juhlien assigned the Bureau of Exigencies to unofficially dispatch, control, and support the Freefolks’ secret contribution to the war effort. Officers in the oft-overlooked corps now had responsibility for smuggling supplies (and spies) through enemy territory, slyly courting new allies, various acts of espionage, and other tasks suited to adventurers. Many of the Free were recruited directly into the bureau, their paperwork 'creatively filed' and their history hidden from more respectable troops.

After the war the Bureau was reformed to do these duties in a more official role. Acting alongside the regular army, the Bureau was to keep records of all Harmonium (both active and retired) with unusual talents and abilities. Should the need ever arise for such talents to be used by the cause of harmony, then the Bureau was empowered to requisition whatever personnel they thought was necessary to get the job done quickly and quietly.

Crisis Teams

Over the years more than a few crises have arisen on Ortho and beyond – some minor and easily dealt with once the situation was understood; others wide-ranging and dangerous to the whole world. Like any very large organisation, both the Harmonium and OCA as a whole don’t react swiftly to such unexpected events, but they do have a set of protocols for dealing with unforeseen circumstances. Officially they are known as Exigency Squads, but common parlance and playhouse dramatics almost always refer to them as ‘Crisis Teams’ – and this name (and the romanticised image that accompanies it) has stuck firmly in the public mind.

The Bureau of Exigencies is assigned to provide a speedy resolution to the odd, the unaccountable, the strange, or anything else with potential to disrupt the forces of harmony - nipping problems in the bud before they can grow into a major danger to society. Rather than respond with the often unwieldy full might of Harmonium legions to rumours, reports, and suspicions, the Bureau sends in small teams of specialists selected by a local liaison officer. The team’s duty is to investigate the matter at hand and either resolve it or return with enough information that the local soldiery can be mobilized to neutralize the threat (if any). In this way the Harmonium preserves its resources and can attack problems directly long before a military force could be on the scene.

Often the matter turns out to be a false alarm. There’s no dishonour in this – they’ve saved a lot of time and money by revealing it as such. At other times the problem is a beast or monster, a misunderstanding, or a local dispute that the squad can deal with. Crisis Squads also deal with trouble that the army would be ill-equipped to handle, such as rogue enchanters, elven ghosts, infiltration by doppelgangers, demons, and devils, and unexpected portal activity – including the accidental or deliberate arrival of planars. In short anything that seems odd, out of place, or unusual.

A Crisis Team consists of a small group of individuals, all volunteers. Standard unit size is a squad of four to eight, who use specialist skills and equipment to resolve whatever situation they're thrown into. They may be full time team members or regular Harmonium who are “on-call” for emergency situations. A few have even retired from active service, but answer the call when summoned.

All major settlements and Harmonium campuses have an officer assigned to the Bureau - known as the Exigency Liaison Officer - who spends most of his or her time reading countless reports for unusual circumstances or other signs of trouble; ELOs are correspondingly among the best informed Harmonium officers.

Because of the nature of their work, Exigency Squads are given significant authority and latitude in their decisions while on the job, and they are among the most free to act anywhere in the service - providing they make sure that the paperwork is all in order when they return home.

Expeditionary Forces

“Day 157 - We finally penetrated the interior and made contact with the natives. They fell to their knees before us and welcomed us as gods – beings of living steel and lobster’s skin. They offered us fruit wine, idols, their sons and daughters, even their own lives. Their adoration washed over us like a wave. It was a moment of supreme pride, of supreme power, of supreme temptation. So I opened the Book of Harmony and began to read aloud… ”

- From the Account of Notary Fulgrim Livingstone, of the 12th Meteran Expeditionary Force

Another good occupation for adventurous Harmonium is to volunteer for an expeditionary force or assignment to one of the new colonies. In theory the authorities only allow members with spotless records to move to the colonies, but demand for bodies is sometimes so great that a whole regiment-worth of troops are dispatched together to troublesome or dangerous areas. Senior officers also sometimes recommend troublemakers for such duty, in the hope that hard work and danger will sort them out one way or another.

Colonies that retain a great deal of wilderness have many opportunities for adventure, from mapping to prospecting, taming the wilderness, and subduing hostile natives. Hardheads of a more authoritarian bent can find employment on a troublesome colony or holding enforcing the way of Harmony on its resistant populace. There are also many opportunities for profit off-world in illegal and immoral ways.

Getting off-world is harder than looking for work on Ortho’s own few remaining frontiers: The jungles of Hazhkan for example, or the wilds of Bafatai and Gelidahl – even certain of the Thaeran Isles. Volunteers will still be marching in a regiment of fellow-Harmonium, but life is certainly more interesting on the frontier than guarding a grain store in Harmony’s Glory. Soldiery can engage in clearing land, removing dangerous beasts and monsters, protecting colonists, and building roads and settlements. Traditionally such work is rewarded with a small land grant at the end of a soldier’s service. Here Harmonium adventurers can become part of the very communities that they helped build and protect.

Local Militias

Even with millions of soldiers at their disposal, the Harmonium can’t be everywhere. Far-flung settlements in quiet rural areas can have as few as only a single Harmonium officer assigned to them. Such officer’s are authorised to raise and train militias from the local populace in time of need. These ‘apprentices’ receive basic training and induction, and must sign and swear an oath of loyalty and obedience for the duration of their service. The commanding officer is responsible to the conduct of those beneath him, and they must be firmly guided towards the ideals of harmony. Of course places aren’t supposed to be out of touch for very long, and militias are usually temporary affairs raised to support local officers against specific threats. Militias that last a long time are often inducted wholesale into the Harmonium when the recruitment officer next comes round, but in isolated areas this can sometimes be years.

Outside the Harmonium

For Freefolk who want nothing to do with the Hardheads, options are a lot more limited. The commonest Harmonium response to independent adventurers is that if you want to make a better world, join the Harmonium. Want to change the Harmonium – join the Harmonium. Want to travel the world, fight for what’s right, and protect the people? Join the Harmonium. And if you don’t have one of those motivations for becoming a freeblade... Why then your really just a shiftless rogue, aren’t you? As private citizens, adventurers are very limited in what they can do – or at least what they can do with official sanction.

Harmonium officers who have retired or who are on extended leave are encouraged to continue working towards harmony as civilians: By joining residential committies, veterans associations, and other programs sponsored by the state, church, or Harmonium. There are plenty of ways to get involved in supporting the local community, but few outlets for the kind of action that adventurers want. Most of the action here is social or political; parties can involve themselves with Ward Elections, with huihui and slum lords, or can run a business – but these are hardly ‘heroic’ endeavours.

Merchant Cartels

Whole generations of freeblades have been embraced by the cartels, who enjoy having skilled individuals on staff without Harmonium or OCA allegiance. They act as bodyguards, negotiators, caravan masters, and trailblazers. There are also less savoury (and outright dishonest) jobs available for those of that taste. Although Free Folk can make a reasonable living in legitimate roles, the cartels are renowned for their use of the Free to give them an underhand edge against the competition: Surveillance, dirty tricks, espionage and counter-espionage, all carried out away from the watchful eyes of the Harmonium – or at least, that’s what the rumour say. Those who please their masters can amass a fortune.

Each cartel jealously guards its personnel, and although well paid they reserve the right to monitor those they provide 'patronage’ to by magical spying and enforcement. The cartels pay for all a freeblade’s needs, but in exchange they demand total loyalty.

Venture Companies

Ventures take just about anybody into their ranks, no questions asked. More than one fugitive has found a home here, as long as he can keep his head down and not cause trouble in his new life – the companies have had a turbulent ride through the OCA's history, and learned the hard way to play nice with their rulers. They work with the Harmonium as much as possible, and work hard to maintain the reputation for honour they gained during the civil war. Ortho’s last lingering respect and affection for adventurers finds its home among these people.

In the backwater places they frequent, Harmonium presence may be minimal so the venture companies have a reputation for dealing with problems for their customers – for a fee of course. This kind of extra work is common where the company has members who are former Harmonium, who often feel honour-bound to help those they encounter. Companies without such connections keep their occasional mercenary work quiet and ‘off the books.’

Aside from the paperwork that’s required just about wherever you go on Ortho, the life of a venture company man is one of travel, freedom, and pure adventure: exploring the wilderness, opening up new trade routes, protecting goods and personnel from monsters and the occasional bandit, making new friends, and drinking with like-minded companions in taverns and inns across the world.

The Underworld

The underworld of course, is always welcoming, and Freeblades can make a decent living if they’re not overly troubled by a conscience. Each adventurer sits at the centre of a web of contacts, who pass the word on their skills, arrange meets with potential employers, and help keep them one step ahead of the law. Aliases are common, so actions and reputation must buy respect instead, which in turn buys safety and future employment.

Many more powerful adventures become the heads of criminal gangs, but success has its own dangers: Criminals with special abilities frequently find themselves all too visible to the watchful authorities, and any gang that grows too large and too successful becomes a Harmonium priority for destruction. Freefolk have built countless alley empires only to have them torn down, and today’s thief lord may be tomorrow’s beggar back on the bottom rung of life.

The Carnival

Closely related to the underworld, but of less scope and often more light-hearted morals are the Free who choose to travel in the guise of entertainers. Life can be boring on provender farms and in isolated villages, and even the most devout follower of Order likes a change of pace now and again.

The Free often wonder the world in travelling carnivals, providing entertainment, news, and gossip in exchange for a place to camp and a few coppers appreciation. Circuses, musicians, storytellers, phantasmogologists, mesmerists, hedge wizards, astrologers, troupes of theatrical players, and other wanderers often band together in carnivals for mutual profit and protection. Swindlers, charlatans, con-artists, pick-pockets, and other rogues complete the roster, usually travelling alongside them; their profession often well known, but disguised from the outside world as entertainers, roustabouts, and jesters.

The Wilderness

For those Freefolk unable to stand even the merest whiff of Harmonium ways is to head for the open wilderness; places so far-flung and remote that they’ll never have to see another red-armoured lawboy again. Although that’s rarely a literal truth, there are places where a man or woman of independence can live out a decent life within minimal interference. They’re often among the most inhospitable and dangerous places on the planet – but to some people that just means more of a challenge for their blades and spells.

Outside the Empire

The final recourse of the independent minded is to strike out for lands completely beyond the reach of the OCA, but this is often easier said than done. There are an infinite number of outside territories and worlds as yet untouched by the Harmonium crusade – and even other Planes if the Prime Material isn’t far enough away. Once free of the Orthorian super-state, a character theoretically need never worry about the Hardheads again.

Getting there of course, can be a strenuous challenge. For those born in recently pacified territories, there’s at least a theoretical ‘frontier’ that the character can cross to escape the OCA , but these do expand and its possible for the reluctant citizen could be chased by and expanding world-state their whole life. Harmonium expeditions are usually actively working beyond a colony’s borders as well, so outside doesn’t necessary mean free of interference.

The OCA also maintains active border control, and employs a number of methods to ‘persuade’ people from leaving their empire without a very good reason. Harmonium troops maintain numerous checkpoints and the use various bureaucratic entanglements to catch those who’d rather live elsewhere. People who abscond without permission (and it is possible to get authorisation, for trade missions for example) find themselves classed as Recanters should they ever re-enter the OCA.

For those on a world without a physical border, the task is even more difficult. As above, citizens who wish to leave the OCA are clearly insane and classed as Recanters - oftening they find themselves confined to a workhouse for no more reason than that. The underworld or rebel groups like the Burrowdogs are the only means to truly escape an OCA world: for a price they can arrange for spelljamming smugglers or disreputable wizards to get you off. The cost is exorbitant however, and even if the migrant can pay, where they actually end up is often a place far worse.