House Eldorin

House Eldorin (Country: Eldorin)

  The Eldorinians proved themselves early on as survivors on a hard frontier. Even before they won their independence they were an impressive people. Brave explorers, loggers and canny merchants, they were the first to sail beyond The Outer Sea. They settled distant colonies, hewing a life from wild lands and an inhospitable coastline fraught with peril. The power of House Eldorin’s navy rested on the shoulders of capable Eldorinian commanders whose skill at arms, fiery tenacity, and naval puissance was unrivaled in the empire’s glory day.    

Economy and politics

Today, House Eldorin owes its power to a consortium of political radicals, wealthy merchant lords, and sympathetic aristocrats. They seek to spread the political philosophy of Common Rule and open new markets and safe havens throughout the world. Much of the House's impressive wealth comes from precious antiquities raided from distant, unmapped lands, and from the discovery of trade routes, economic deals or treaties, and their own natural resources.   House Eldorin shrugged off an invasion from Eledar in the east. Shortly thereafter they shattered what they uncovered to be several slaving camps and compounds along the Eledarian western border. Now House Eldorin holds the reins of its own destiny in the strong hands of its people. They are the first government of the Outer Sea to entrust its power to its own citizens as the bloodline were severed when the King and Queen were assassinated. But still the people of Eldorin wait for a worthy individual to be crowned king. Someone to lift up the Griffin banner once again, and restore the nation to it´s former glory.   The weapons of house Eldorin are innovation, a stubborn dedication to idealism, and a firm belief in the potential of humanity. The Eldorins are a hard people, dedicated to freedom for all, and unable to sit by and watch as the world around them submits to savagery and tyranny.  

Goals: Common Rule for All

House Eldorin would see the tyrannic empires who once ruled them brought down. They would see slavery abolished and those who would buy and sell people punished in the extreme. They would bring the torch of freedom to the world’s darkest places and banish mysticism, diabolism, and fear. The Eldorinian people seek not just to transform their homeland, but to export their cultural, philosophical, and mercantile beliefs to the world.            

Methodology: Ignite the Beacons of Liberation

  “Our greatest weapon is the people enslaved by tyranny.” — Duke Seraphus Dawnheart, Griffin Knight of House Eldorin   The Eldorin faction attacks its enemies from within. They find dissidents, freedom fighters, and revolutionaries among the populations of their foes and offer them covert aid, equipment, intelligence and the funds they need to topple the tyrants. Missions assigned to House Eldorin faction members tend toward helping dissident groups within the other factions, though anything that shakes these tyrants’ power is a worthy cause for an House Eldorin to lend himself to.   Years ago, the heroes of House Eldorin emptied the prisons of Siria, and freed all its slaves in an attempt to bolster the strength of the Revolt. Agents provocateurs dispatched from the capital city of Siria actively seek to undermine the Outer Sea slave trade and those nations that support it, which is nearly all of them. The world thus views Eldorinians as troublemakers and unwanted ideological imperialists.    

Eldorin Wayfinders

Eldorinians are particularly suited to the nomadic lifestyle. Natural explorers, with the bravery to face ominous frontiers of mystery and danger, these sons and daughters of freedom are perfect candidates for travelling the dangerous countrysides and other unexplored landmarks. Wayfinders not raised in Eldorin, yet still loyal to the Faction House Eldorin in Siria, typically support the fledgling democracy’s values of freedom and the destruction of tyranny. Regardless of where they came from, non-Eldorians in service to House Eldorin generally hold these ideals above all others.    

The Classes

Barbarians: The freedom fighter tradition is a long and gloried one in House Eldorin. Past freedom fighters prowled hard stony hills and dense forests, striking out against Eledari oppressors in brutal, guerilla assaults. Freedom fighter tactics are a point of honor among the old revolutionary families, and training in these warrior traditions have passed from father to son over many generations. Also found among the Eldorinian ranks are former gladiatorial slaves, refugees from less enlightened regions of Astraeegis Prime. These peerless warriors embrace the dogma of freedom and Common Rule, and lend their ferocious fighting skills to the defense of their new home.   Fighters: House Eldorin's military traditions are myriad. Before their independence, Eldorinians often served as the vanguard in the armies of Eledar. The finest naval captains and dragoons of Eledar's armada were also largely Eldorinian, and the tradition of excellence in combat on land and sea persists now that the nation's independence is won. Brave, intelligent, and tactically-minded warriors serve in House Eldorin's modern military, and the best among them eventually earn the mantle of the Griffin Knights. The threats against House Eldorin's fledgling democracy are very real, and only the best, most highly-trained military men and women can keep the armies of darkness at Eldorin's borders at bay.   Rogues: There is a saying among House Eldorin's thieves: "You can't eat freedom." While liberty is the right of every citizen, House Eldorin was forged by the mercantile class and is fueled by gold and silver. In the teeming cities of Augustana, Carpenden, and Oregent, the unwashed masses are slaves to poverty instead of a dictator's lash. The burning desire for freedom instilled in all Eldorinians may often manifests as a complete disregard for law and order resulting in outbreaks of larcenous behavior. A great number of the privateers in service of His Excellency are little more than pirates granted letters of marque to prey on the nation's many enemies and the host of slaver ships sailing the Outer Sea. Merchant consortiums and patriotic nobles maintain circles of spies to pry into the affairs of the nation's enemies as well as rival groups inside House Eldorin's borders.   Wizards: The musty tomes and old ways of wizardry are unpopular in House Eldorin, as the fledgling democracy is more concerned with the bright prospects of the future than they are the clouded secrets of the past. Wizards in Eldorin are confined mostly to large cities. A small order of mages called "The Enchanters" reside in Siria, led by Archmage Valerian the white. Some remote training academies exist in the wild frontiers where research into fel magics can be conducted without interference. Many wizards of House Eldorin focus their studies on breaking enchantments and liberating the minds and souls of those oppressed by evil magic.   Necromancy and any magic that enslaves others are widely frowned upon, and the open practice of either can earn one a prison sentence. Beyond these taboos, magical research is fairly restricted to the Mages´ College. While it may be unpopular, the right of membership gives every wizard the freedom to delve into any studies they wish so long as they do not harm others.    

Faction Feats (Eldorinians only)

  CAPTAIN’S BLADE   You were born ship-board and learned to walk and fight alongside the sailing men and women of the Eldorian fleet.   Benefit: While on board a ship, you get a +2 bonus on Balance and Climb skill checks. In addition, you receive a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made while flanking on board a ship.     EXPLORER   A proud Eldorinian explorer heritage runs in your veins and you are a natural wayfinder.   Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Knowledge: Local and Survival skill checks. In addition, when traveling through the wilderness, you and your allies can move faster through trackless land. When calculating your overland movement rate, increase your hourly and daily travel rates by 25%.     FREEDOM FIGHTER   Your family has long battled the foes of freedom and you are skilled in waging guerilla campaigns against oppressors.   Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on stealth skill checks. In addition, you receive a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls when you attack a flat-footed foe during the surprise round.     HUNTER’S EYE   You are especially blessed by the forest spirits and a prodigy with a chosen ranged weapon, except Early firearms.   Benefit: You do not suffer a penalty for the first range increment when using a longbow or shortbow. The penalty for attacks made at targets within the second range increment is –4 as normal. In addition, you can draw a longbow or shortbow as a free action. Normal: Drawing a weapon is a move action or (if your base attack bonus is +1 or higher) as a free action as part of movement.     INDOMITABLE   Your strong, self-determined swagger has made you more resistant to domination and control.   Benefit: You get a +1 bonus on saves against enchantment spells and effects. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on opposed level checks to avoid being affected by an Intimidate skill check.     LIBERATOR Your people have worn shackles and you swear to never let it happen again.   Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Escape Artist checks and can attempt to escape from rope-binding, manacles, and other nonmagical restraints as a standard action. You also receive a +2 bonus on Strength checks made to break bonds or when using sunder.   Normal: Using Escape Artist to attempt to escape from rope bindings, manacles, and other nonmagical restraints takes 1 minute.