Wee Jas, the First Lich

[LudicSavant]

I find it amusing that I will probably find Grummsh the most agreeable of the Three Kings.

Corellon:
NOBLE BREEDING FOR THE BLOOD GOD
EXOTIC GARDENS FOR THE SEED THRONE



Okay, so, a quick update. I'll try to have either Corellon or Hextor up by Monday.

Here's a preview! (Note: May not match final posted version. I'm slightly concerned by the fact that this turned out longer than the previous longest organization entry, the Disciples of Yuehai)

Corellon's theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_otf-mQyL0

Spoiler: Preview: The Heralds of Glory

Show

Organization: The Heralds of Glory

"The time has come! Great Corellon calls for all of noble heart to rise against the forces of Evil!"
- Admiranda Silverfrond, a Herald of Glory

The Heralds of Glory are not so much a single cohesive organization so much as they are a time-honored bardic tradition. It is they who ride into the countryside, rallying the populace to the call of nobility and glory. They trumpet warnings of incursions, shout royal decrees, or stir up the people to join a crusade. But they are far more than simply messengers carrying news.

Heroes live or die by their reputations. In a world of swords and sorcery, people want to know who can actually take a fire giant, and where to find them. Not to mention that if somebody finds an ancient dragon slain, its hoard of dangerous treasures looted, and nobody's taken credit, people are going to freak out and the powers that be are going to have to invest in finding out who's responsible and what the heck went down. That's time, resources, and manpower that could have been spent on, well, anything else. That's just bad news for all involved... and can sometimes put would-be-heroes on the wrong end of an ugly misunderstanding. Thus, part of the idea of chivalrous honor is taking credit for your deeds and amassing glory. (Chivalry and bushido both include ideas about formalized bragging, advertising your actions, etc. "Live by honor and for glory." See also stuff like the Beot).

This is where the heralds come in. In addition to spreading the word, the heralds also gather it. They journey the land in search of glorious deeds, and chronicle them. Sometimes, this means they serve as the heralds and historians of noble houses. Often, it means that they accompany adventuring parties, serving them by chronicling their adventures and maintaining their reputations and connections with society. This also serves the people, the church, and the nobility by keeping them abreast of the movements of such power players.

In some cultures, etiquette demands that a heroic feat be followed by a gloryfeast, a somewhat ritualized occasion at which a herald should ideally be present, if possible. Kinda like how a marriage is required by etiquette before consummating a relationship, and you need a priest. The gloryfeast is traditionally staged by those indebted to the heroes. Adventurers who save a king's son might be the toast of a city-wide gloryfeast, whereas adventurers who defend starving refugees from goblin raiders might see a gloryfeast consisting of a loaf of fresh bread and half a wineskin, consumed while huddled under a roadside tree for shelter from the rain.

In noble houses, heralds often serve the role of recording family trees, a crucial service that makes it difficult for pretenders to a title to claim legitimacy. Heralds can be requested to testify on matters of disputed succession, making them key factors in cloak and dagger affairs. This reflects a larger role of Larethian bards as official witnesses.

Those registered as Heralds may check in at least once a month at local Larethian temples or outposts for a stipend, food, amnesty, and any new messages that Heralds are to spread. They aren't super organized; that's kind of the point. They are supposed to obey church elders but some are pretty carefree about following orders to the letter. Others are fanatically devoted and spend all day ranting on street corners. Many heralds know other heralds they can't stand, though they'd never show disunity to an outsider.

Some heralds show initiative, acting as agitators in the name of Corellon. For instance, a herald might take it upon herself to call for everybody to go do something about all the goblin refugees in the slums, or to go show the clerics of another deity whose local influence is getting too high who the people really hold highest. The church or nobility may not actually directly sponsor such heralds, but they are quick to punish a herald who rallies the masses against, say, the social order or church hierarchy. Of course, this also means that if the church was to give instructions to such a herald, they can maintain plausible deniability.

Still hoping to hear more thoughts and suggestions on Wee Jas, too.