Hammersong's Legacy: The Circle of Mithril and the Covenant of the Wild...

Good Afternoon, All:

For those interested in another taste of Hammersong's Legacy, here are two more organizations from the campaign setting.

The first, the Circle of Mithril, is intended to provide an overarching organization for mercenaries to join. The Circle could be used as a patron (particularly if the campaign takes on a military bent) by providing sources for adventure. They could also provide training or serve as the only available resource for some particular piece of military equipment. The inner politics, given its loose structure, could also provide some interesting adventure material for the enterprising Referee. Finally, I wanted to provide a nice background piece for martial characters, and the Circle of Mithril offers a nice possibility for that.

In contrast, the Covenant of the Wild is essentially a druidic organization. Although a majority of its members perform good works in the name of the Green Lord, I took a cue from today's world and introduced the concept of militant environmental zealots as one of the factions within this particular group. I can see a number of adventure possibilities, ranging from a simple negotiation between loggers and Covenant members to a more complex scenario where the work of Covenant members is being undermined by the almost terroristic activities of the zealous eco-terrorist faction. Almost any late Stephen Segal film could be converted to an adventure using this group, as well as many of the B Grade monster movies on SyFy.

Circle of Mithril
Within the Duar Protectorate, the Circle of Mithril serves as a guild that unites many respected mercenary bands under a single banner. While other mercenary bands exist in the Protectorate that are not members of the guild, employers are guaranteed of an exceptional level of service from members of the Circle.
Headquarters: The Circle of Mithril is based out of Balmordak, the City of Cliffs. The guild does maintain training facilities and guildhalls in other major cities and townships under the Duar Protectorate as well.
Members: The Circle of Mithril boasts a membership of over three thousand mercenaries from more than a hundred different mercenary bands. In order to join the Circle of Mithril, a mercenary band must contain at least twenty members and provide a petition for acceptance that contains letters of recommendation from two different employers.
Organization: Within the Circle of Mithril, all bands are considered equal. Only the guild's representatives have higher status within the Circle itself. The Circle of Mithril maintains public records of its membership, which are kept in the main halls in Balmordak itself. Regional offices maintain localized lists for potential employers.
Goals: The goals of the Circle of Mithril are to provide minimum standards for service, maintain competitive rates and provide for arbitration between members in dispute. In addition, the Circle of Mithril provides access to equipment and training for its members at reasonable rates, as well as other services intended to support mercenary bands in the pursuit of their goals.
Symbol: The symbol of the guild is a silver circle on a black background, which is displayed at guildhalls throughout the Duar Protectorate. Mercenary captains that are members of the guild wear silver signet rings bearing this symbol. A few recognized and exceptional members bear mithril rings with the guild's device upon them, a symbol of their exalted status.

Covenant of the Wild
The Covenant of the Wild is a religious order of priests, warriors and others devoted to protecting the creatures of the Plane Prime from the encroachment of civilization, in honor of Verdantis, the Green Lord. While a majority of its membership are active defenders of the local environment, a fanatical minority has earned a dour reputation for their zealous stance against the intrusion of civilization on the wilderness that has reclaimed the land in the aftermath of the War of All Gods.
Headquarters: There is no one single location that boasts itself as the headquarters for the Covenant of the Wild. Each year, on Midwinter's Eve, representatives from various membership chapters meet as a Conclave of the Covenant in a location determined through divination, where matters of great importance to the society are discussed and debated.
Members: It is difficult to determine an exact number of members within the Covenant of the Wild, but it is estimated that over five hundred devotees of Verdantis are members to this society. Those who perform exceptional service in protection of the local fauna in the name of Verdantis are often approached for membership.
Organization: The Council of Nine, consisting of nine high priests of Verdantis, provide direction for the Covenant of the Wild. Individual chapters are lead by High Shepherds, who watch over their congregations and the lands of their region much as sheepherders protect their flocks.
Goals: The Covenant of the Wild sees its role as the shield that stands between the uncontrolled and devastating expansion of civilization and the unsuspecting and natural world that Verdantis, the Green Lord, himself has asked his followers to protect. Some have taken that sacred duty too far, and have taken the offensive against those people that have transgressed against nature. The actions of these zealous few have tainted other efforts the order has attempted to achieve, and still continues to cause conflict as matters continue to escalate.
Symbol: The symbol of the Covenant of the Wild is a golden sickle on a green background, a reminder that those who cross Verdantis, the Green Lord, will reap what they sow.

Enjoy,
Flynn