Ortho: The Beginnings

And I notice that the "old nations" of Ortho aren't going to correspond exactly to the provinces that were established after the Schism. So I should have said "nations" instead of "provinces," and there should be something about breaking the rebel nations by splitting them into provinces - particularly Thaera, with its three parts.

I'm not sure I like the idea that three of the Councilors are subordinate to three others. Yet, I don't like the idea that the Composer's second-in-command (a Mover 5) is equal to the Composer, either. Also, which Mover 5 would it be? There are two in The Factol's Manifesto: Killeen Kaine and Tovat Shar, and they were supposed to be equal in status, each of them equally likely to become factol after Sarin (of course, the factolship went to Faith instead, a defiance against the established hierarchy which represented an open revolt against Ortho by the planar faction).

I think overall I prefer a single Harmonium Councilor and a single religious Councilor.

I think that's what the factol of the Harmonium does, though, at least in the Outer Planes.

I guess the other Councilor could be responsible for the other material planar worlds.

So would that make one Harmonium member on the Octave Council and twenty-seven on the Council of Ortho or can the other Composers on the Octave Council or Councilors of Ortho also be members of the Harmonium?...Are those in the Churches or those in the State apparatus not allowed to be members of the Harmonium?...
Kwint

About a century, I think. Much less than their time in the planes (two centuries as colonizers, though they may have had some contact with them before that). At some point, more than a century ago, they were approached by a representative of the mercanes, who sold their government some spelljamming helms. Things were slow going for them at first, as the other planets in their system are unpopulated, but eventually they found a way to begin becoming a power among the spheres.

I had more ideas, including the name of the mercane trading cartel and the first experimental Harmonium spelljammer, but I've forgotten them.

It's very effective, and they would. The only limitation is the number of spelljamming helms they have. Those can only be purchased from the mercanes.

A few thoughts:
- The first meeting of the Harmonium Space Navy with the Elven Imperial Fleet is probably a disaster waiting to happen. In spite of the fact that they're probably very similar under the skin. This on its lonesome would serve to keep the Harmonium a lesser power that stays on the fringes of known wildspace.
- The Harmonium probably serves as a good customer for the mercane, but aren't necessarily trusted by them. The mercane do business with everyone, after all, and don't really cotton to a top-dog Harmonium Space Navy shutting down the neogi, lizardmen and such. Of course, if news of the Astromundi Deal* ever got out the Harmonium would probably declare a whole 'nother crusade...
- As part of the above point, it's on the outside end of possible that the Harmonium gets mostly crud equipment from the mercane. Furnaces and a few minor helms, second-rate hulls without any upgrades, no magical equipment... if the Harmonium can be limited to a sizeable number of small, lousy ships, they won't be a threat to the established (lack of) order in wildspace. Or that's the Plan, anyway.
- Nobody in wildspace is likely to appreciate the Harmonium that much. Like the elves, they're just too polarizing and self-righteous - and mostly groundlings, to boot. Expect them to get a lot of bad press wherever they've chosen to make waves - which expresses itself in bad starcharts, lousy repair and supplying jobs, frequent bar brawls that their sailors always get blamed for, et cetera.

In short, there are probably a lot of reasons why the Harmonium hasn't really done much with spelljamming, even given fifty or a hundred years' progress. They stick to their own territories, expand into the unknown reaches of space, and try to avoid starting new squabbles with neighbors they'd just as soon like to be at peace with.

* No, I'm not giving away any details on this. In fact, I've probably already said too much. Those who've read the DM's notes will understand exactly what is meant here. Fnord.

The government in general is the Harmonium. One of the councilors of the Octave is the Factol of the Harmonium; "Factol" of course is a planar title and not an Orthoan one. His official title is Governor-General of the Planar Colonies.

Planars see things differently; they see that the planar colonies are (before the war) administered from Sigil, and that the Harmonium has as great or greater an influence over the planes as any planar faction. From their point of view, the Hardheads are a faction and Sarin is their factol. He controls the important part of the faction, the part that struggles daily in the kriegstanz trying to shape the planes to his philosophy. What do they care about the politics of one little Prime world?

Probably a lot of planar Hardheads feel the same way.

So, then, what is the Harmonium on Ortho actually?...Are they the Federal Military?...The Thought Police?...A Political Party, one that folk need not join, but the only one that is guaranteed a place in the federal government?...An Overt (as opposed to Secret) Society that controls the world, advancing its members up the social ladder faster than those who don't belong...All of the above?...Some, but not all of the Above?...
Kwint

ps-Clueless, I'm kinda confused by your response above, the grammar and/or syntax confused me...

We also need a few examples of lawful good nations who wouldn't swear allegiance to the Knights of Harmony, so the Knights had to fight them. They could be small nations almost anywhere.

The Factol's Manifesto makes a direct parallel between Ortho and Athas. Does anyone want to go further with that? Maybe Ortho's starting to get less fertile and its deserts are expanding.

PS3e chapter 3 mentions a recent attack by the Saltie faction of the Doomguard on the Harmonium. Where did this take place? Arcadia? Ortho itself?

Continent names: Athra, Thaera, Mot?

I think I can use this for a few of the colony worlds. Esp, Fallia the oceanic world divided between Sahuagin and Aboleth with a contingent of sea-elf serfs. While the elves are free on paper the Harmonium would be willing to overlook the treatment and practical enslavement of the elves due to past blood and anger for elves as well as the need for the food produced by the worlds vast fish and kelp farms.