#harboson

Downstairs my family slept, a half dozen siblings packed atop a straw-filled mattress - all trying to get a deserved rest before the demanding chores of the farm life resumed before the sun broke. My father had been blessed and cursed with a room of his own, a mattress for two where he'd instead lay alone - an arm wrapped over the spot where Mother used to be before winter had taken her. I remained in my claustrophobic crawl space that made used both as my sleeping space and as additional storage; as the eldest I was granted the luxury of sleeping on my own.

For many years now, I have spent my few moments of self by reading by candlelight the one water-damaged book I had found by the local creek; a historical book regarding the notable Eastern Kingdoms that made up the Alliance during the first war. The stories of grandiose kings, brave knights, and influencing merchants had infiltrated and influenced my mind. I craved - needed to join their ranks in the halls of history. I would not achieve that toiling in the mud and pig stool of this Light forsaken farm; complete with overbearing Nobleman looking down his nose and eager to crack his whip to make the additional copper while we struggle on.

I must break the chains of serfdom, cut the heartstrings attached to family, and abolish the fear of failure and bubbling anxiety. It is time for me to leave and start a life I can truly call my own - a life of independence that I shall guard with tooth and nail. A life of sacrifice and suffering is my exchange for the life as a King. It is known that I will die, but I should be damned if I'm to be buried at this farm... I will die on a hill, fighting for what I value, and will be laid to rest with a crown on my brow.

Gift commission for @harboson-c and @scassira-harboson

From @Magical-mcarthur 

Of course the rabbit and its young were not enough for the both of them to truly satisfy their aching bellies but nevertheless they had something to at least dampen the constant gnawing of starvation. It had been a few days now that Elstine had barely managed to capture but a few fleeting hours of rest - what kept his eyes so pried, he was unsure. Moon after moon, he’d remain sitting offering to take the first watch of their makeshift camp - not bothering to wake her up for her own shift. She needed the rest, he’d reason. The mind was too busy fluttering into the future for him to truly receive any restful sleep. 

Where would he be in a few years? Where would they be? Who would remain loyal? Who would remain alive? Would he die in the mud, or would he live long enough for a golden crest above his brow? Failure was not an option - death could not come, not yet. When his lands and influence stretched further than the eyes could see... Then, maybe, he could pass. 

Before the sun could bother the poor girl’s eyes, Elstine hovered overhead. Coffee-tinted eyes peering down at her sleeping form as a sense of satisfaction settled in, glad she could get some decent rest. With a soft smile, he’d proceed to prod at her side with his finger.

Hello, hello folks! Yes, yes it is true - the Harboson Company is turning into a ‘house’ of sorts through a long-term storyline. We’ve been gathering land, resources, and the support of various respected Noble Houses to advance forward with our storyline; so why the change? Well, let's get into it!

1. What is the difference between the Harboson Company and the Harboson Chronicles?

An excellent question; the primary thing is that the Company isn’t the main focus anymore - rather more of a side product. We still own our storefront, we’re still running the trade routes, running the GSC, etc, etc. Now, the Harboson Chronicles will be focused on Politics, Intrigue, Strategy/Tactics, IC Growth, Wargames, and Land-Management. If you’re familiar, think Crusader Kings but with your friends, Azeroth as the theme, and more in-depth character progression.

In addition, the Harboson Chronicles is made up of more than one guild. We intend to partner with any and all interested in this new direction. One does not have to join the guild to be involved, but all those involved will be required to follow the same rules and act as decent human beings.

2. So, what’s to be expected if we decide to sign up with you?

There are three separate paths to be included within the guild. A Knight-Inspired path, a Mercenary path, and Partisan path. That being said there are a series of Noble Families with different cultures/customs to sign up with - all the current Noble Families are vassals, or loyal to the Harboson Family. So, one Noble Family might have more of a Gypsy-ish culture focused on trade and exploration, while another might be more Scandinavian-ish focused on raiding and warfare.

The ‘Knight’ path will require one to start as a ‘Squire’ sworn to an already established Knight. The Squires will of course be trained in warfare, tactics, politics and so forth; while generally aiding the Knight in their day to day task. Life in general will vary depending on which Knight you decide to swear yourself to as people will have different values and customs depending on their House. After you’ve proven yourself, your Knight or Lord may grant you some land in which case, you will become a Knight.

The Knightly Path primary consist of politics, intrigue, engaging in battles, and in general trying to expand your influence/wealth/land.

The Mercenary Path is primarily focused on combat-only and suggested for those that won’t be able to be on as often. Folks within the Mercenary Path will be here in a more casual setting generally speaking, hopping on to aid in combat events, get paid and then head off; though not necessary. With time, a Mercenary can be granted the role of Captain, taking on a series of Mercenaries under their wing - increasing their own pay as well. Mercenaries will not be typically be awarded lands.

The Mercenary Path can be used as a trial/introduction rank until you’ve made your decision to stay or leave - a Mercenary can be allowed to become a Squire as a long as a Knight is willing to take them in.

The Partisan Path is not focused on things like blacksmithing and the like, but more on the Noble-Court roles fulfilled by non-Nobles. Such as Stewards, Viceroys, and so forth. Partisan roles are typically things of management, business, and intrigue. Trying to maintain your position and grow your influence while the Nobles squabble over one another. A Partisan Role can be anything from a servant to the Viceroy of the entire Harboson Company; undoubtedly a potentially powerful route.  

Partner guilds will be able to generally structure however they choose to; though strictly OOCly rank titles such as Count, Duke, and King will remain for ease of OOC understanding. For example, someone titled ICly as “Matriarch” would OOCly be listed as a Queen/King.

3. The chance to win land? Sounds too good to be true.

Not at all, that is the primary resource of reward really. The whole point is to follow along with a Feudal-Style system complete with ‘Counts’, ‘Dukes’, ‘Grand Dukes’, and even ‘Kings’ though these are all just OOC ranks designed for simplicity and ease to follow. It’s rather simple once you think about it. A Count runs a County, several Counts work under a Duke who owns a Duchy that typically consist of several county-sized territories. A Grand Duke runs a Grand Duchy, which has two Dukes/Duchies, and upwards of six Counts/Counties.

(Please note; ranks such as Count to King/Queen are considered OOC Ranks used to detail general power for ease of understanding. ICly there can be no one with a real title of King/Queen or higher.)

The beauty of the system is one does not have to be good at politics or intrigue to do well; simply serving your Lord or impressing the right people can grant you more land. More land means more resources, more resources means more units for combat. On the other spectrum, a person that is piss-poor at combat can be incredibly sneaky - making alliances and deals, trying to forge land deeds, so on and so forth to gain land in a less direct way.

Upon gaining a certain amount of land and becoming a County you can name your County, describe your culture in as much detail as you’d like - IE: “Western European, Traditional Knights. -- Holy Roman/Gothic styled armor and weaponry. -- Eastern European, light armors, heavy weapons.” Etc, etc -- and if you’d like, even make a family crest and flag for your county using a heraldic system. At that point, you’ll be able to make a lot of choices that’ll affect your county. IE, you can choose to focus on growing your food stocks, focus to train more soldiers, focus on making the best weapons possible, focus on making gold, etc, etc.

4. This sounds like a lot... It seems complicated.

TLDR: We promise it isn’t really. I do not like math, and I do not like homework so I made management as meaningful as possible with the least amount of math and work possible.

On paper, it is - yes. In reality, and once you start getting into it and roleplaying with it - not at all. It typically seems to flow naturally and gives you feeling of what a King back in the day likely felt like. Do you trust that your Allies will come and aid you when your arch rival comes to attack your lands? Or in your paranoia will you rely on your soldiers, constantly drilling them potentially to the point of exhaustion. Do you want to have a smaller elite team of Soldiers, or are you going to attempt to use horde tactics and swarm the enemy with superior numbers? Perhaps you’ll focus on technology like cannons and rifles over the more traditional Knights and Footmen. The choice is up to you.

If you like tactics, even just a little this system will likely be a lot of fun for you - but if you have no interest in even the smallest bits of tactics, politics, or intrigue - then the Mercenary Path is for you; engage in our fun combat-oriented events and still be engaged in the story.

5. You can’t own land.

Ah, that’s weird because I kind of do. But fret not, the land we’re using while based in Azeroth have no exact location nor particular position in which we’ll constantly be flooding and claiming ‘you can’t roleplay here, because this is ours.’

The most detailed one should ICly get is “I own some/lots land in Redridge.”

6. Ahaha, calling yourself a King seems like a quick way to be called a traitor and executed.

TLDR: There will be no IC titles equal to that of a king/queen. Anyone called a King/Queen is done in an OOC sense to easily distinguish ranks.

Typically, yes - but the term is used OOCly for ease of understanding ranks and chain of command; even though by all technical means the ‘King of Stormwind’ is actually an Emperor considering they own several Kingdoms; in reality it wouldn’t be uncommon for there to be several Kings under said emperor - but that’s just plucking at straws. So, for example my character may be the OOC rank of a Grand Duke. with 2 Dukes Under him, and a total of say 12 Counts. But, ICly, I may refer to myself still as Patrician (A more accurate term anyway.)

7. Idk, it seems too ambitious - I’ve seen groups try to do Kingdom RP before.

Ambitious is a rough term, especially since it’s something we’ve been doing amongst ourselves for an extended period now with a series of other organizations and guilds through Discord. (Which we will continue to use as well.) This is not an announcement stating we are ‘trying’ this, this is an invitation stating ‘Hey, we’re doing this. We’re having a good time, you’re welcome to join us.’ And yes, others have done (And are still doing.) styles of roleplay ‘like’ this... Though nowhere near as structured I’d argue.

8. I have seen this before; you just want to control things. This is just a power play!

While I understand your concern all too well, I will have to disagree with you strongly. We are not here to rule over other groups, we will not be prewriting stories or the outcomes. (except for maybe, you know, agreed upon storylines with agreed upon results.) We are here for one simple purpose; having fun. One thing many of us enjoy but can rarely get at a satisfactory level without a butt-load of OOC drama is Politics, Intrigue, and War. We are here as an OOC collective working together with the goal of not winning at a board game, but rather having a good time with all those present. There are rules and limitations in place that add a sense of realism, immersion, and balance that will prevent a lot of potentially upsetting happenings. (Ie, someone steamrolling through all the groups in a day.) We just want to have fun, and more over we want you to have fun.

So fear not, if you want politics, intrigue, strategy, wargames - or just want to give it a shot, give it a try.

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All in all, we’re extending a hand to folks that think they’d like to be involved. Rather you want an immersive experience as a Knight/Squire/Mercenary, want to be involved in intrigue and politics, or you think you’d really enjoy our detailed wargame system involving several guilds and actual players rather than just NPCs, and on top of it all enjoy solid storylines then this is something you’ll want to look into my dudes. Leave a message on the post, send us a message on Tumblr, or contact Elstine or Quiinn in-game.  Reblogs are appreciated. 

Hello, hello everyone!

It has been long while, perhaps even too long since we have posted a Misconceptions post but surely the wait is worth it. We have been very busy with all the inter-guild stuff, in particular the Gold-Stone Concordance... But that is in part why now is a good time to throw this gorgeous information out there.

It has been a good time researching all of this, and so without further pause let us jump into..

(Please note, the following is a matter of opinion (except for the facts, obviously) and is presented as suggestions, and an attempt at providing a different perspective)

Haha, how does a store owner have anything to do with politics or power?

Well, I am glad you asked Tom, my consistently inquiring friend. It is fairly simple, it comes down to only a handful of general factors. One being the idea of capitalism; is it a free or heavily regulated market? As a business owner, we would obviously want lower taxes on trade goods, and less red-tape to go through to set up a store and sell various goods so, we would influence politicians, Noble families, advisers, officials, etc to vote or act in such a way. With gold for days, arguably sometimes more than even the Nobles we can bribe like there is no tomorrow - there is even stories of entire Noble families having their wealth being made primarily from bribes, or “donations”.

When Civil War, political strife, conflicts, etc arise gold is what keeps things turning, making or breaking empires and kings. Gold has got Popes, and other religious figures elected/chosen - and has won entire battles, such as when Cesare Borgia’s army of mercenaries famously betrayed him and turned him over to the opposing army when the mercenaries were offered gold. It would be in our best interest typically to support a candidate in whatever situation that is in favor of the free market.

In addition, businesses like Nobles have money to spare and can typically make a positive name, and impact for themselves such as donating to the common folk and hosting public events to get their image out; much like running a political campaign it's powerful to have your name plastered everywhere.

Moreover, lets not even consider gold for a moment and instead thing about Trade, and Trade Routes. For example, if Business X is the -primary- supplier of medical goods and supplies to a Military Organization that’s currently in a war and/or warzone; what do you think happens if Business X decides to stop supplying that Military Organization? Clean bandages will be scarce, infections will rage, pain killers will be few and far in between, so on and so forth - not to mention food shortages. One of the primary ways to end a siege, or to siege successfully is simply to starve out your adversary.

Oh, hrm... Well, those are all very good points. But it also seems a bit overlooked, and powerful.

Well, yes - they are good points, and yes it is overlooked - that’s why we’re here, and yes it can be powerful, that’s also kind of the point. For too long, I believe it’s just been president burned into the minds of I’d dare say the majority of folks that if you’re not a Noble or a larger military group, then, there’s essentially no hope for power, no hope for political intrigue, and all you’re going to do is run a shop and sell things like an NPC. Selling items can be fun, a lot of fun - especially for folks that enjoy being charismatic, or enjoy practicing psychology and sociology. But, there is just so much more that can be achieved.

I think for one people generally are very, very, very, very, very, (very.) unwilling to even fathom the idea of losing, or hitting any kind of roadblocks. I, personally, have seen it many, many, many times - in both advisory roles, working with other groups on storylines, and even myself. Humans, people are not inclined nor wired to like the idea of defeat, or losses. However, I think it’s a very crucial step in adding a robust depth to any storyline, personal or guild wide. Does this mean we should just, lose all the time? Let folks roll over us? No - not at all; what I recommend and have always recommended and will continue to recommend is STRONG communication between X and Y parties. The Dungeon Masters of each group should communicate their ideas and workout an -overall- storyline that only they are aware of, and you can be as general or detailed with one another as you’re both comfortable with - but understanding who is winning and who is losing behind the scenes, while keeping everyone ICly out of the know is crucial. It creates suspense, and draws the crowd into an immersive situation. As much as you may think you, or your group would enjoy winning every time for months at a time - let me assure you, it gets old; it gets stale.

For your viewing pleasure, and just to get the ol’ brain oiled up and thinking; please look over these two short stories and tell me which of the two are more appealing, intriguing, and immersive:

1) “Yestermorn we approached the County of Duchem, we vastly outnumbered their army that had come to meet us out on the field. Their young king was bold, I’ll give him that much - standing out in the open with a flat-lined formation of the few hundred soldiers he had, holding their ground in the sight of our massive army ahead of them. Finally, we descended upon them but as you’d expect my Liege, they were no match for our armies and we quickly overwhelmed them, killed their King and took their Lands, while also killing all his heirs and supporters by daybreak. “

2) “My liege, your infiltrators were successful. They managed to kill the elder King of Mercia, leaving the inexperienced Lord to fend for the realm. In their weakness, we did as you asked and marched our forces to meet their army at the County of Duchem. But... The young Lord found evidence of your involvement in the murder, and subsequently rallied the local peoples to fight with him on the field. Fortunately, we still outnumbered our foes two to one... The young Lord kept most of his forces within the nearby forest, eager to be rid of him we attacked foolishly - learning quickly that he had kept half his units hidden, and flanked behind us - we were shaken by the sudden pincer maneuver. But, your skilled generals managed to hold the lines and push the the young Lord’s forces back... However, in the dust of the battle the young Lord managed to retreat from what was a looming defeat, we fear now that he is free he will have more time to rally a larger army against your rightful rule, my Liege.”

I see, so defeat can be a good thing? Who would have thunk it. So what do you suggest?

Well, I think one of the best things that we can do is treat the Merchant class like we treat the Nobility and Soldiers. Many, if not most folks do a decent amount of research into the lore and culture, and also do research on historical encounters or take influence from modern interpretations such as Game of Thrones. Why not treat the Merchants the same way? Venice, Genoa, the Silk Road countries, Moscow, and even the Vikings are all related to trade and merchant-oriented details; Moscow was just a small trade city when it first started. The Vikings were more interested in trading than they were raiding; they were -infamous- on all historical accounts for their Midas touched ways of Trade; not just raiding. Don’t even get me started on how fascinating Venice, a small island nation with practically no dry land, managed to influence most of Europe for a very long time.

You can see a lot of influence of such things within our own guild, such as the Patrician rank and Viceroy rank.

But, other than that I think it’s really important to not see competition as some OOC clause to dislike folks, to OOCly try to break up guilds or harm people OOCly. IC competition is good, OOC competition gets you on WrAsecrets; and no one wants to be on that place. But, if you see a fellow merchant guild pop up, why not say hi? Why not see if they’re interested in creating a Trade League, or opening a store together, or just trading, or creating a storyline. There’s so much potential out there it just hurts me.

So, so, so often I see shops, stores, merchants, etc pop up and disappear within a week and the majority that I’ve spoken to have said that it’s largely because they got bored of trying to sell things. To that, I’ll point to the above - expand your horizons, being a merchant is never just about selling things.

Hrm, this is quite a bit to take in... But, I do like what you’re saying.

I hope you do like it, otherwise this is a bit pointless - if not, I hope it’s at least informative. But, I want this to remain as an OPEN INVITATION to ANY, and ALL merchants, store-keepers, traders, business folks, etc - if any of you need any help, support, just want to vent, or bounce ideas; we will always be here to support the Merchant Community the best we can. It’s a small platform that a lot of folks don’t even consider, and we’d like to change that - and we can do that together a lot better than we can on our own. On top of all that, Tideguard (Co-GM) and I are obsessed with creating storylines that’ll never get used; so if you’d ever just like to talk to get a free storyline idea, again just hit us up and lets talk.

Thank you all so much for the read; I want to stress that this is all very opinionated and just suggestions. We have no intention to say this is wrong, and this is right - we just like to discuss things that folks may not have originally considered.

Thank you for all the likes, reblogs, comments, and feel free to hit us up on Tumblr or in-game at (Elstine.)

I hope you all learned something new!

Hello, hello and thank you for reading our newest Misconceptions post. This time we will be going over a widely-discussed topic that can be narrowed down to the simple and common phrase: dual-classing. What does it mean? Why can it be a good thing, why can it be a bad thing? How can you dual-class? Why should you duel-class, and how can you get started? 

This and much more will all be up for discussion!

1. What even does dual-classing mean? 

Well, I am glad you asked! I think it is important for us to first mention that this is of course opinionated – what my definition is, may not be another person's definition. That being said, to us a dual class is simply defined as: a character that uses abilities, traits, equipment, and general skill-sets from two or more Classes; such as a warrior using magic.

By our definition, unless you are 100% full, sword and board, plate-wearing Soldier dominating the battlefield only with your physical prowess and unbridled strength – you just might be dual-classing. Even if it is a skill-set kept primarily hidden… Such as perhaps you are a warrior that uses his sword most of the time, but when in trouble you have enough comprehension and training to use magic ability; we would still call that a dual-class.

Arguably, by our definition, most people are dual-classing.

2. Alright, so why is this important?

Well, for a few reasons in our opinion. For one, I think it provides a breath of fresh air for many who felt pressured to conform to an archetype because they played as a certain class in-game. Let me assure you, there is no need to roleplay as a pure, by the book Mage because you’re a mage. Your character can use a sword, can wear armor, hell - even use a bow. It doesn’t matter, as long as it makes sense to you and the character’s own story.

That being said, it is important to realize two things.

Don’t try to dual-class just to be more ‘powerful’ if not simply because it's arguably in poor taste, then because most will find it rather irritating. Very few want to be playing with a God, and to be overshadowed consistently - but there are cliques. If that's your thing, to it with full consent on both sides. Much like the Archetype, never dual-class just to dual-class... it's by no means a requirement for your character to learn more than one skill-set, and there are also benefits to mastering one path just as there are benefits to learning several paths.

Otherwise, I think it's just a matter of saying: it is okay, and makes sense for a character to have various skill-sets. It is not cheating, it is not edgy, it is not OPed, it is simply roleplay and the progression of the character itself. (Hopefully.) It shouldn't be looked at as a RP taboo.

3. Okay, so why does dual-classing make sense?

Entering the Military does a soldier learn strictly how to shoot? No, they learn a variety of skill-sets, and some specialize into various talents - but they always retain things from their previous experiences. A combat-engineer for example doesn't just have C4 and Grenades on them, they will likely have a gun and know how to shoot sufficiently with said gun on top of their skill-set with explosives (and other things.)

So, why would a soldier of the alliance Military be any different? A sword and shield is only efficient in close ranges, what about prior to engaging? Well, though not exclusively stated in canon lore... Most Guards and soldier units have rifles, crossbows, or bows on their person. Even if they typically wield a melee weapon. It would make sense; engage from afar with a volley and switch to your melee before the enemy is upon you.

Now then as a more specialized, experience soldier... I think most special operations units IRL, from my studies, would agree that they have been successful in their careers and have come out of a lot of bad situations not because they can shoot better than the average soldier - but because they have a varied skill-set, and have had more experience; or character development. A Special Operations unit or even just an experienced soldier i would argue, in Azeroth and elsewhere would thus be efficient not because they're the best marksman, but because they're the most flexible and adaptable.

That being said, sure there will be a few cases where someone is just super specialized and that is more than fine! Sometimes you need a specialist, a master lock-picker for your heist, or a long-range specialist, or a master toxicology! All those things are great tropes for great stories, and have their place in character progression as well. There is nothing wrong with either method of progression, that is the point.

4. What does this have to do with RP?

Well, part of our goal - and my goal specifically is to build more onto the community of roleplayers. From inspiring more shops, merchants, and business-oriented folks, to a realistic version of Knights and Warriors; this is no different. It is a job for all of us to expand the community, to inspire more roleplay, and to grow the bonds between us. That being said, I will provide a handful of roleplay scenarios that you all can use as a basis to get started down the road of a new story line!

Examples:

Your Mother and Father had both served the Alliance either in the Military or through the City Guards. (Praise be to the Percy.) All your life you have lived under a strict set of laws similar to your parents occupational rules, and with these rules also came training in various combat methods. Learning to fight hand-to-hand, and defend yourself - all skills your parents thought as necessary as you’d surely join the Military. But, you had other dreams - one day on your way home you happened upon an elderly Wizard, and after some time talking, you decided this was your path; learning the mythical ways of Arcana. (Easy set to a Spellblade, Battlemage, War-Mage scenario!)

You spent most of your life in the deep woods with your family. Surviving off the land, learning to hunt, and how to avoid danger. You learned what plants you can, and cannot eat, and you learned how to work a rifle (or bow) to take down prey and to defend yourself. Now an adult, you have decided to give your life structure and discipline; signing up with the Alliance Military. There you're trained vigorously in the routine of hand-to-hand combat, outfitted with mail armor, and taught how to fight effectively as a unit. (An ideal plot for a Special Ops unit, mercenary, or experienced soldier.)

You were orphaned as a young child, taken up by a local tower of Magi who have taught you the basic uses of the Arcane. Knowledgeable, wise, and quick-witted through your harsh, and long nights of near consistent study. Finally an adult, you have decided to leave the tower and move to the forest, secluded and alone except for your collection of books. Using your wit, you’ll have to learn how to build shelters, hunt for animals using various methods as your casting is simply too slow and obvious. But over time, you’ll master the use of both your magics and the art of survival. (Quick and easy route to a Magic bow-user.)

Now, the great thing about all this is it includes more than one person. A great thing about dual-classing is typically you need an instructor to teach you such skills. You'll have to go out and find that seasoned mage to teach you, or find that master swordsman; vice versa if you’re a wise old mage - you can open your horizons to not just fellow Mages, but any class.

So, there you have it folks. Three quick and easy opening scenarios you can take as inspiration and build off of. I hope this inspires at least one of you to try something different or at the very least gives a few of you a different perspective on the sometimes infamous dual-classing.

Thank you so much for reading, reblogging, commenting, and liking!

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions - please contact Elstine in game, leave a message here, or message me. I try to read all the feedback, and keep the discussions going, as well as answer any questions and edit the work as much as possible!

Sub-Title: Nobility 

Hello, hello folks! Elstine here again to provide you all with another bit of information; granted this topic is a little more left-field than what we’re typically going over - such as armor and weaponry. However, with our recent recruitment for the business roleplay scene I thought this would be a good time to bring up some of my favorite subjects.

 In particular the struggle of power between religious leaders(the Cloth), nobility, the military, and what I would say is often the most overlooked faction: the merchants.

((Disclaimer; I already know this won’t stop at least one angry message, but understand I am acknowledging this as largely an opinionated piece (Other than the large factual parts!). This is merely suggestions, things that perhaps folks have not considered. There is no right way to RP; do not take it as such. Suggestions are suggestions, not demands.))

You mention four factions, what exactly do they consist of and how are they important?

Well, I am glad you asked mythical stranger! Let's break it down together!

The Nobles

The Nobility generally consist of powerful, land-owning families or simply individuals related in some degree to the Head of State; whomever that might be, no matter the region - from east and west Europe through the Middle East, all the way to Asia... This is generally a consistent. Now, Nobility has this nice little thing where generally speaking those of Noble-Heritage own land. Land means they can plant crops - more than what they can consume, which means they can sell said crops... But that’s a lot of land to work, so why don’t we get a bunch of peasants to do the field work for us, give them some food to barely scrape by and -still- sell the rest of the food supplies! - That’s generally how Nobility/Feudalism got its roots. (Get it, farming, hah.) But, of course as time went on the Nobles got more and more wealthy and of course more and more land, so that’d create specialized goods such as wine, blacksmiths, stables, etc!

So now you have a small group of -very- wealthy individuals that make a living in owning land and having ‘lesser’ folk work for them. If all the Nobles banded together, or even a third or so - they could heavily damage the tax supply to the king, as well as hamper the supply of soldiers and various other supplies! Not to mention Nobles has trained men on retainer, or had enough coinage to pay off hefty mercenary armies - together, they could, and have opposed kings! Not to mention Nobles are typically in the Court of the Ruler; meaning they’re well informed and have influence. 

The Military

A fantastic, if not basic example of the Military’s political power would simply be that of Julius Caesar. Essentially the idea is that if a General of the Military fights well and wins many battles with his men, essentially... Doing his job well! - The fear is that the men will gain more and more respect and more loyalty to the individual rather than the State itself; whom are at home doing their cushy day jobs. It’s not uncommon for Generals to rouse the men during King/Emperor deaths and try to storm the Capital and install themselves as the new Ruler; for Julius Caesar... This worked.

Throughout history you’ll see the best of Kings consistently swapping in and out generals to prevent the men from gaining too much loyalty to one individual; hopefully preventing any potential rebellion. But, I shouldn’t have to spell this out much further for you; very well trained men + power vacuum = not a good time!

The Cloth

Many, many, many times throughout history have Religious Heads and Heretics alike caused rebellions and outright wars with their influence. When the vast majority have the belief that one particular man is the -literal- voice of their omnipotent god, well... That person is going to have a huge influence. For example with the Tudors; the King of England wanted a divorce, couldn’t get one because the Pope denied it - so the King was like, well, we’ll just make our own religion! People -flipped- out, there was open rebellion, assassination plots were rampant, many people thought it was the -end- of England one of the world’s super-powers at the time. Another example comes from books involving Jesus Christ; the Romans knew the power of religion and they absolutely feared what would could potentially happen with yet another Religion springing up. More religions = more internal fightings = more military crackdowns = resentment to the government = rebellion; such as the Jewish Rebellion against the Romans (1st Jewish-Roman War.)

Not only did the Religious Heads have great power from their religious influence on the general public; but they were -loaded- tithes were common place for most major religions - Europe for example had entire -armies- built around their religion that were sworn to the Pope, the Teutonic Order became so powerful that they threatened to nearly conquer all of Poland - which, was a -major- feat for the time; something not even Russia (Russia didn’t exist technically.) or the Holy Roman Empire could handle.

The Merchants

Finally, the piece that you’ve all been waiting for! How in the world were the Merchants and Entrepreneurs of the world a Political Power? Very, very simple... They’re the ones making all the gold. The Merchants are going out there trading supplies, bringing back rare resources such as silk and spices that make not only the general public happy but also the Cloth, the Military -and- the Nobility who all purchased their supplies frooooom... The Merchants. Not only that but Trade Leagues, which were essentially large-scale, multi-national monopolies, could host entire fleets of ships to block trade ports, fight off invading armies, or perhaps provide much needed transport ships such as the case with the Crusaders and Venice! (First Crusade, and technically all the others!) The end all be all of wealth were the Merchants; in fact places like Florence, Venice, Ragusa, Genoa, and other major-trade ports often had their Nobility practically the same -as- the Merchants; there were very thin lines if they existed at all. If there was no trade, there was no taxes, if there were no taxes there was no gold, with no gold the State could not afford its soldiers, it could not afford to feed itself, etc! -- Some of the few times Nobility ever actually struggled was when Trade was cut off from them; because everyone suffers without trade - such is the power of Merchants! Not to mention, for example with Venice... Merchants in some cases could afford entire armies that rivaled -much- larger forces such as Venice VS Austria.

 (We will break these factions down in more details in later parts!)

 Oh, alright. So what does this have to do with anything?

Ah, another good question my invisible and quite possibly non-existent friend!

I think it’s important that we realize, notice, acknowledge that there is more in the political slogging fest then Knights and Nobles, and more over you don't need a popular T.V. show to make your particular field important or fun.

It’s important for those interested in the make-believe power dynamics to acknowledge and consider the abilities of the other factions around them; not just the Noble families worrying about Noble families. Thinking about it, if you are in House Bob and you are roleplaying a power-grab with House Ron; why would you not extend your resources and look outside for alternative solutions?

EX: Maybe House Bob should contact the local monopoly and have the vast majority of medical supplies delivered to their own House and starve out House Ron.

EX: Or maybe House Ron goes to the Cloth and convinces a High Priest that House Bob is working with the Legion and now their reputation is ruined and no one wants to work with them.

EX: Maybe House Bob gets the support of a Military Captain who is able to supply them with weapons, armors, trained soldiers, or superior military strategy.

The options are endless, and I for one think all our horizons can be expanded if we think outside our circle and try to think like all those famous characters we see on our T.V. It doesn’t always just have to be black and white, upfront conflict situation. That’s arguably not intrigue, it’s just... idle conflict.

 Alright Elstine, but a lot of people don't want to be involved in intrigue or politics! Or some folks might meta-game or god-mod!

Well, meta-gaming and god-modding are the two primary issues I have personally faced throughout my various IC political careers and such things can definitely make stuff difficult as I am sure we have all experienced... When you claim to only have 20 soldiers, and 100 gold - while your opposition claims to have endless mounds of gold and armies that could solo Argus... Well, it makes things hard. But I suppose that is why I recommend thinking logically and realistically with such things; which we will hopefully get into.

In terms of folks not wanting to be involved in politics, I’d argue 90% of RPers do want to be involved in politics - even if they aren't fully aware of such. For example: what is the typical trope in the ageless D&D?

EX: Count Bob has Overthrown the King!

EX: Duke Ron swore allegiance to the Devil and had a Demon Army to take over the Kingdom!

EX: A Military General assassinated the King and has staged a coup!

To name a few, even WoW and the lore we all love is primarily political. Gul’dan sold out his people for self-gain. Arthus was out in the field to train and prepare himself to take his Father’s place. Illidan trade his reputation and respect to save his people, tired of being in the shadow of his respected brother. Don't even get me started on the Quel and Sin dorei.

Usually the moment you say the word politics- people begin to squirm; but people also squirm from the word ‘moist’ I mean really, what is so bad about moist, I say moist all the time. Moist.

My point being, if you engage people just as you would in any other scenario and just... Roleplay rather than mentioning politics, nine times out of ten no issue.

 Alright, so why is logical and realistic thinking so important?

If you are fighting a foe that has no weakness, how can you hope to win? How can you celebrate a victory if there never are any? Even the most intense and brutal roleplayers don't want to lose -all- the time; it’s just... silly. Moreover, it’s even more so to try to -win- all the time.

If you are that type of person who has to win all the time; first ask yourself why. Then inquire, is it really winning if there was never a chance of losing? No, no it is not. It’s a security blanket, and quite frankly it is holding you back - and limiting others as well. I believe truly, the only folks that don't want to do political roleplay are those that refuse to lose.

What would House of Cards be if Frank just won over all the votes he needed all the time? Sure, he wins a lot and can pull some miracles - but he does lose, or consistently remain closer to the side of losing rather than winning. His loss doesn’t show weakness or a lack of skill, or experience rather it shows how good he is in his victories; as it shows that he is engaging people with their own minds and agendas.

Steamrolling through everything and everyone, giving yourself unlimited resources, and unbreakable defenses only shows disrespect to those you are Roleplaying an engagement with, and shows some serious self doubt.

 If the banks can fail, if nations can fail, so can one Noble family.

 Alright cool, this is all stuff I have not considered how can I get started?

(Tldr: Establish finite resources, establish goals, wants, and needs to fix resources. There is rarely a group that has -everything- in abundance.)

Well, what we have done for organizations in the past is look over what they claim to have as a family and add some realistic elements to it. If your House is claiming to be masters of Calvary, then it’d only make sense that said house has a stable of well-trained war-horses, which are insanely valuable. Horses were often traded to folks, and horses were highly valued; thus the armor.

Maybe your family is stinking rich, okay... but, why and how? You can't really be rich without reasoning, even Rockefeller had a business empire to amass his wealth; and as mentioned Nobility usually were Nobles to begin with because they owned land, when you own land you can make wine, grow wheat, make goods, etc - so figure out how and why you have wealth. I think you’ll find it'll at a flair and a depth to your roleplay; IE being well known for your supplies of wheat or lumber.

When making deals with Noble families there were many things on the table for grabs. Land, resources, soldiers, training, soldier gear, marriage, horses, land, maybe some land, boats, trade routes, etc. There are many examples and many things that can be done when negotiating, but the only way two sides can negotiate in an entertaining and thoughtful way is by having both sides having finite resources.

It is -vital- I would say for any group to have needs due to their finite resources. 

EX: Maybe you have a lot of gold, but your lands had the plague so you need troops.

EX: Maybe you have a lot of restless soldiers and you need gold; hire them out to another force.

EX: Maybe you're in need of transporting goods, but you have no ships.

EX: Maybe you have too many ships and not enough trade; so lease your ships out.

 The key is establishing finite resources, and trying to fill said resources. Fix your wants and needs as any character would; most simply default to gold. Gold does not fix all the problems.

 Many businesses want to hire people but can't find anyone to work.

 Okay, okay - you mention winning; that seems like a bad thing to encourage!

In most cases, yes. The goal of RP is not to ‘win’ - becoming the most popular kid in WrA isn’t the end goal, or at least it shouldn’t be for anyone. Winning in roleplay is a dangerous mindset; but there are other ways of winning.

The way we win, the way I win, and the way I encourage you all to win is rather simple. All parties involved in the roleplay, enjoy and enjoyed the roleplay experience, with no regrets or feeling forced moments. When everyone is having fun with the roleplay -that- is winning. At least on an OOC level.

On an IC level, it is important to realize that losing is normal, and only fair. Most guilds, groups, or individuals will simply start to avoid you if you decide your character, group, or guild is always the top dog - unless there is some odd agreement going on.

It is only fair and right for everyone, every group, and every guild to have the spotlight or victory; unless all agreed upon with all the parties for story elements. But, perhaps next time offer a storyline allowing the losing side a victory.

 Alrighy folks, thank you very much for the read, reblog, and likes - if you have any feedback, comments, questions, suggestions, please leave me a message!

There will be additional parts in the future hopefully delving into the Factions on an individual basis.

 Thanks again!

Elstine

Hello, hello folks! As some of you know, we’ve recently made a series of post looking for the above mentioned: resources, traders, crafters, & merchants!  While we still can’t get into details just yet, that time is quickly winding down and within the next 48 hours all our decisions will be finalized. Those that choose to get in contact now will have offers and benefits not offered at a later date for IC reasons; with that said it’s strongly encouraged that if you have any interest at all on using your resources, skills as a crafter, or buying/selling items - then please leave a message in this post or previous posts, or direct message us on Tumblr or in-game at Elstine or Quiinn. After the mentioned 48 hours (at most) we’ll reveal more details to all those involved and begin planning IC meetings with each individual and group that still retains an interest once details are released. Q/A 1. We’re a Trader/Crafter/Merchant and/or have resources and are interested! How do we get on the list of contacts? Simply leave a message on this post, a previous appropriate post (There are several; you’ll know when you see it.) contact us on Tumblr, or contact us in-game at Elstine or Quiinn.

2. What’s with all the secrecy? Seems fishy! Well, there might be a few fish-traders involved, I’ll give you that. The reason for secrecy is simply to prevent any meta-gaming for the time being; we want everything to be ready before release any OOC information and we don’t want to say X is true OOCly, and it ends up not working out ICly. There is no fishiness, no politics, etc - all I can say is it’ll be good bit of long-term roleplay for a large portion of the community. As Martha Stewart once said: “It’s a good thing!”

3. What is your definition of resources? Well, have you ever played Warcraft? You know, wood, stone, food, etc. I wish that was a simplification, but it’s really not. Resources could be described simply as a raw material that can/should be transformed into a finished product, IE silk/wool being woven into clothing.  We’ve stressed in other post the importance of organizations and even individuals to take a realistic approach on resources; understanding what they have or at the very least would be able to produce. If you’re a Noble House based out of Northrend for example, you might consider rather than just having gold for the sake of having gold because... Nobility; that you got said gold due to vast supplies of lumber! 

4. What do you mean ‘crafters’? Pretty simple, anyone that’s able to take a raw resource and produce a finished product would be considered a crafter; essentially think of WoW Professions - blacksmithing(Silver/gold smithing as well), tailors, engineers, etc, etc. There are of course many more professions that aren’t used through in-game mechanics, but if you roleplay such then you might just be what we’re looking for! That being said, there’s not really a wrong answer. There’s never just one needed blacksmith, and I’d also argue that one blacksmith cannot possibly master -every- smithing style, so of course there’d be a need for more than one. Whether you’re a fletcher, goldsmith, or a specialty clothes crafter for gnomish sizes, we’d probably want to be in touch!

5. What about Merchants and Traders? Do you take X resources from Y location, and bring them to Z location to sell as a profit or perhaps trade them for more valuable resources? Well, you might just be a trader! Essentially a trader is simply someone that actively trades which is a pretty general term... But, we’re looking for general traders, so. If you’re interested in transporting resources, or just want to try to run the market by bringing cheap items to another area and selling for a profit - we’ll probably want to hear from you; land or sea based as well!

Now as for merchants, if you sell things either with a storefront, cart, back alley, etc - we’ll probably want to speak with you. If you’re -INTERESTED- in becoming a merchant with a storefront or location, we can also help out with that. A merchant’s life is an interesting one, trying to buy supplies at a lost cost and using your sales techniques to sell the items at an increased price to make a profit; requires skill and patience for sure - and that’s why we’d like to help, or get in contact with an already existing merchant!

6. You mention 48 hours, and offers, and what’s the deal? Why don’t we get the same thing if we sign-up later on? It’s not to say you -won’t- it’s just to say it’s unlikely. Things change ICly and OOCly - we can’t promise we can, will, or are offering the same thing a week from now. That’s just how things work, unfortunate I know.

Thank you all so much for reading, reblogging, leaving us messages, etc! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us - we’ll do our best to answer what we can until the 48-hours is completed; I imagine most questions will be answered then.  Please be mindful, you’re not signing your life away - we just want a list of contacts for now so we know who all we can contact. Thank you again, Elstine and Harboson Co.