Associations

== Associations== "A pouch full of gold can open a surprising number of doors, there is no question of it. Nevertheless, do not underestimate the value of knowing the right people in the right places."

- Spymaster Elgar Cruick of the Order of Inquiry and Penance

Estia is home to countless variations of culture and faith, and with this comes the natural inclination for groups of like-minded individuals to gather together. These groups can be called cults, unions, guilds, mercenary bands and a dozen other names, but they share a common purpose: to further a goal or set of goals shared by all the members. Adventurers in Estia quickly learn to ally themselves with one or more associations for the benefits this provides; even minor groups provide perks to their members, and the most powerful associations can offer those they favor access to some of the most powerful people, places and relics in existence.

Common Rules
Though individual associations vary greatly in style, goals and expectations of their members, all associations have several features in common: all associations require oaths or vows of fealty of some sort, either to adhere to a certain code of conduct, to protect a person, place or thing, or to advance the agenda of some deity or political body. The penalty for violating such oaths will vary from group to group, but few associations look kindly on members who knowingly betray their values. Second, all associations will reward those members who demonstrably further goals or act as exemplars of their code, granting greater rewards and privelages as the members aid the group more and more.

In game terms, every association will have a number of activities related to their central goal that will earn members Faction Points with that association. These points are tracked seperately for each association the player joins, and are used as a measure of the player's importance within the organization. As the player gains more points, they will unlock greater benefits and privelages that they may make use of.

There is no limit to the number of associations a player may join, but one should keep in mind that many associations are opposed to one another, and joining one group may make other groups hostile to the player. All associations use a common table to display the benefits given to their members: the first column displays the total number of Faction Points with that association the player needs to unlock that rank, the second column shows the title the player may use within that association and among their allies, and the third column describes the benefits the player may call upon. Note that all association benefits are cumulative; a player who reaches the fifth rank in an association has access to all the privelages of the previous four ranks as well as those of his new position

The benefits of joining an association will, of course, vary greatly. The perks offered to members of a noble order of knights errant will differ significantly from those offered to members of an esoteric religious order or a guild of thieves.

Associations by Type
Below is a list of major associations, grouped into four general catagories, based around their primary areas of interest: Political, Military, Magical and Special. Political associations focus their efforts on protecting, installing or removing a particular social order, and are chiefly concerned with threats to or advantages for the specific cause they champion. Military associations are those whose goals focus on martial strength, either to serve a greater power, such as knightly orders, or to accrue wealth and prestige for the members, such as mercenary companies. Magical associations are those whose chief concerns revolve around mysticism, both arcane and divine. While some focus simply on the recording and documentation of magical phenomena, many more actively seek out magical relics and powers to contain and control for their own ends. The final group, Special associations, contains all those whose goals are not so easily summed up: glory seekers, explorers, thieves' guilds and more fall into this group, many of which as ancient and powerful as their more traditional counterparts, and often far more secretive.

Political Associations
The Order of Inquiry and Penance - An order of inquisitors dedicated to stamping out heresy against the Andoran faith and its doctrines, whose agents are feared and respected with almost equal measure.

The Vigil Eternal - An ancient order devoted to undoing the works of Typhon the Destroyer across Estia.

The Scaleguard - A secretive alliance of nobles devoted to restoring the worship of the Dragon Gods and casting out the Andoran Protectorate from Estia.

The Hennathron - Roughly translating to "Children of the Weaver", this Aelfirr group watches for threats to their Empire among the surface races.

Military Associations
The Knights of the Tower - An ancient militia that watches the western coast of Estia for Typhonic invasions, famed for their defensive prowess.

The Sea-Drakes - A feared and admired naval mercenary army supposedly started by a legendary pirate.

The Academy - Officially a military college, The Academy also maintains one of the finest and best-trained mercenary companies on Estia.

Magical Associations
The Aethenium Eternal - One part library and one part museum, the scholars of the Aethenium seek to catalogue all magic in the world.

The Torchbearers - While no longer well-known, this group predates modern history and is devoted to preventing intrusions from Maladach into the material world.

The Exchange - Once mere smugglers and black marketeers, this mysterious group focus all of their efforts on acquiring magical relics of all sorts, though none know to what end.

Special Associations
The Wild Hunt - A loose collective of glory-seekers and adventurers who will hunt anything for anyone, so long as the price is right and the hunt provides an opportunity for the Hunter's fame to spread.

The Godsires - Little understood and secretive to the point of paranoia, the Godsires seek to learn from the failure of the Nephilim and achieve true immortality for themselves and their allies.

The Shademen - Mistrusted for their lack of allegiance to any king, god or master, the Shademen are also feared for the mercilessness with which they hunt the undead and any who would aid them.