Faction Agent

From the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, page 147; and Basic Rules, Appendix C.

Overview
Many organizations active in the North and across the face of Faerûn aren't bound by strictures of geography. These factions pursue their agendas without regard for political boundaries, and their members operate anywhere the organization deems necessary. These groups employ listeners, rumormongers, smugglers, sellswords, cache-holders (people who guard caches of wealth or magic for use by the faction's operatives), haven keepers, and message drop minders, to name a few. At the core of every faction are those who don't merely fulfill a small function for that organization, but who serve as its hands, head, and heart.

As a prelude to your adventuring career (and in preparation for it), you served as an agent of a particular faction in Faerûn. You might have operated openly or secretly, depending on the faction and its goals, as well as how those goals mesh with your own. Becoming an adventurer doesn't necessarily require you to relinquish membership in your faction (though you can choose to do so), and it might enhance your status in the faction.


 * Skills: Insight and one Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma skill of your choice, as appropriate to your faction
 * Languages: Any two of your choice
 * Equipment: Badge or emblem of your faction, a copy of a seminal faction text (or code-book for a covert faction), a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp

Feature: Safe Haven
As a faction agent, you have access to a secret network of supporters and operatives who can provide assistance on your adventures. You know a set of secret signs and passwords you can use to identify such operatives, who can provide you with access to a hidden safe house, free room and board, or assistance in finding information. These agents never risk their lives for you or risk revealing their true identities.

Suggested Characteristics
Use the tables for the Acolyte background in the Player's Handbook as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a faction agent. (For instance, consider the words "faith" and "faction" to be interchangeable.)

Your bond might be associated with other members of your faction, or a location or an object that is important to your faction. The ideal you strive for is probably in keeping with the tenets and principles of your faction, but might be more personal in nature.

Factions
The lack of large, centralized governments in the North and along the Sword Coast is likely directly responsible for the proliferation of secret societies and conspiracies in those lands. If your background is as an agent for one of the main factions of the North and Sword Coast, here are some possibilities.

The Emerald Enclave

 * "The natural order must be respected and preserved."

The Emerald Enclave is a collection of druids, barbarians, rangers, and other wilderness survivalists who seek to preserve nature and help others survive in the wild. People of good and neutral alignment tend to be drawn to it. Members live in the wild and usually work alone, relying on themselves to get by. While they appreciate nature, they don't oppose civilization; they work to ensure the two don't end up harming each other.

Masters of survival and the wild, they are proficient in Nature.

Beliefs
The Emerald Enclave has the following beliefs:


 * The natural order must be respected and preserved.
 * Forces that upset the natural balance must be destroyed.
 * The wilderness can be harsh. Not everyone can survive in it without assistance.
 * Civilization and the wilderness must learn to coexist peacefully.

Goals
The goals of the Emerald Enclave include:


 * Restore and preserve the natural order.
 * Destroy all that is unnatural.
 * Keep the elemental forces of the world in check.
 * Keep civilization and the wilderness from destroying each other.
 * Help others survive in the wilderness.

The Harpers

 * "Down with tyranny. Fairness and equality for all."

The Harpers is a group of spies and spellcasters like wizards or bards who work to uplift the oppressed and destroy evil. This ranges from acts such as overthrowing corrupt rulers or stopping evil groups to keeping powerful items out of the wrong hands. The members of the Harpers, while considering each other to be close friends, rarely contact one another. When they do, it's typically to exchange information. They work primarily alone, from the shadows, and rarely come out in the open. Their members are good-aligned and pride themselves in being incorruptible. They also highly value knowledge, believing it to be power. The Harpers is one of the oldest factions in Faerûn, having been founded more than a millennium ago.

A large-scale information network, Harpers agents are proficient in Investigation.

Beliefs
The Harpers has the following beliefs:


 * One can never have too much information or magical secrets.
 * Too much power leads to corruption, and the possible abuse of magic must be watched.
 * No one should be powerless.

Goals
The goals of the Harpers include:


 * Gather information on the politics and happenings throughout Faerûn.
 * Promote fairness and equality through covert operations. Act openly as a last resort.
 * End tyrants and any leader, government, or group that grows too powerful.
 * Aid the weak, poor, and oppressed.

The Lord's Alliance

 * "Threats to home must be terminated without prejudice. Fight for the security and glory of your people!"

The Lord's Alliance is a loose organization of rulers, lords, and other political powers who agree that they need to come together to protect their cities from threats. While they're in an alliance, each member tends to work toward what most benefits their land. The members of the Lord's Alliance are lawful and neutral bards, paladins, fighters, sorcerers, and others. They can be overly prideful and competitive among members from other cities, but understand that there must be some sort of diplomacy if they want to get anywhere. When at work, they look like commoners, but carry fine equipment supplied by the wealthy leaders of the alliance.

Having to work with so many cities, the Lord's Alliance members are proficient in History.

Beliefs
The Lord's Alliance has the following beliefs:


 * Civilization must unite against the dark forces that threaten it if it hopes to survive.
 * Fight for your homeland and lord, and bring honor, glory, and prosperity.
 * Be bold and strike first. The best defense is a strong offense.

Goals
The goals of the Lord's Alliance include:


 * Protect the cities of Faerûn and ensure their prosperity.
 * Maintain the alliance against that which threatens Faerûn.
 * Eliminate any threats to established powers without hesitation.
 * Be the champions of the people, and bring honor and glory to your leaders.

The Order of the Gauntlet

 * "When evil strikes, we strike back."

The Order of the Gauntlet is comprised of zealous seekers of justice who hold a thunderous presence. Good-aligned, often lawful good, clerics, monks, and paladins are many members of the order. They are dedicated to rooting out and crushing evil as soon as it appears. As a result, many of its members are autonomous, trusted to do what must be done in quick time. It strictly acts only when things emerge though, as to not be bullies. They also believe that evil is in everyone, but dedication to not acting on it and getting rid of it defines if a person actually is evil. As a result, they only deal with acts of evil, not thoughts. They hold a very strong sense of honor and code.

With their dedication to crushing evil, members are proficient in Religion.

Beliefs
The Order of the Gauntlet has the following beliefs:


 * Faith is the greatest weapon against evil — faith in one's god, one's friends, and one's self.
 * Battling evil is an extraordinary task that requires extraordinary strength and bravery.
 * Punishing an evil act is just. Punishing an evil thought is not.

Goals
The goals of the Order of the Gauntlet include:


 * Be vigilant of evil, and armed to smite it.
 * Enforce justice.
 * Identify evil power groups and creatures, and monitor their actions.
 * Only strike in retribution. Do not strike before evil is proven.

The Zhentarim

 * "Join us and prosper. Oppose us and suffer."

The Zhentarim is a faction that walks the line of the law. It's also known as the Black Network, and rightfully so. It attracts rogues and warlocks of neutral and evil alignment, and regularly employs mercenaries and other sort of folk. In the past, it worked in the shadows, but has become more public in recent times by putting on a cleaner face of just offering the best warriors money can buy for protection and other sorts. The Zhentarim strive to make themselves an omnipresent monopoly and seek wealth to make themselves powerful.

The slick-tongued members of the Zhentarim are proficient in Deception.

Beliefs
The Zhentarim has the following beliefs:


 * The Zhentarim is your family. You watch out for it, and it watches out for you.
 * You are the master of your own destiny. Never be less than what you deserve to be.
 * Everything — and everyone — has a price.

Goals
The goals of the Zhentarim include:


 * Amass wealth.
 * Look for opportunities to seize power.
 * Gain influence over important people and organizations.
 * Dominate Faerûn.