Pathfinder Society

Authority Figures: High Captain Melkkis Chevoran
Important Figures: The Council of Chroniclers
Seal/Standard: Stylised compass rose
===History===
The Pathfinder Society was founded by Sir Oref Corelbek, a member of the Tormite order the Knights of Maximillian. Oref, a native of Altathair, traveled with other members of the order to fight the Dark Cabal of Sephir during the Pelurian Crusade. In UC 508, when the conflict ended, Corelbek settled down in the area, purchasing a tract of land to call his own in a small town affiliated with the Maximillian Confederation. It was shortly after he began his new life that he met Unca, a Sephiran slave that had been brought to the mainland by the Dark Cabal. Smitten by her, the two were quickly wed. Oref not only found himself in love with her, but he also found himself in love with her culture. On at least two different occasions, the Tormite knight traveled with his Sephiran wife to her wartorn homeland, looking to recover fragments of her life before it- and the continent- was shattered.
Over the years, the married couple recovered various archeological artifacts from Sephir, and became known in the area as experts on the subject. When Unca died, Oref shifted all of his attention and wealth to keeping her memory alive by keeping the memory of Sephir alive. He would take in and teach any students and scholars who were willing to listen about his explits during the Crusade, and about Sephir. When he eventually died, he left his considerable wealth to a select group of his most trusted students, to continue the tradition of keeping the past alive. Their exploits would eventually expand from just Sephir to any lost culture or ancient secret, and the tract of land that Corelbek lived on eventually became the House of Lore. Thus, the Pathfinder Society was born.
The venerable society has grown exponentially larger and more powerful since it’s birth. Asides for recovering all kinds of ancient secrets and chronicling lost knowledge, the Pathfinder Society is best known for helping develop the Unified Calendar, along with the Brotherhood of Magi.
There have been many bumps in the road. Recently, in 1,145, the House of Lore was attacked by hordes of Goblins from the Underdark, acting on behalf of the enigmatic Brotherhood of Darkness. Count Vendril Hadramar, the High Captain of the Pathfinder Society, was killed in the attack, and centuries of work was lost. Melkkis Chevoran, the current High Captain, has relocated the organization’s main lodge to Louisa, and slowly but surely is financing operations to recover the knowledge lost when the House of Lore was attacked. The Goblins that spearheaded the attack are claiming the ruins and the surrounding environs as their own, as the ‘Bluescale Kingdom’, so the prospects of recovering the physical House of Lore remain up in the air.
Attitude
The Pathfinder Society operates by promoting its three key operating principles: inspiration, exploration, and documentation. Members are to be inspired by the world around them. Members are to explore the world around them. Members are to document and record their exploits, to further inspire others to explore, continuing the cycle.
Organization
The day-to-day activities of the Pathfinder Society take place, primarily, in lodges, accommodations with the specific purpose of housing members, their research, copies of the Pathfinder Chronicles, and providing room for formal meetings. Each lodge is independent of each other, and as a result, a great deal of variation exists from lodge to lodge. Urban lodges are often larger, and provide more services- places to sleep, or libraries, for example- while rural lodges are often simply the bare necessities.
The organization is very decentralized. Formal orders come far and few in-between, but when they are issued, each lodge carries them out differently, according to their own needs and assets. Individual lodges often cooperate with each other, and traveling members of the society who travel to lodges that are not their own are treated as if they did belong.
Regions of Influence
The Pathfinder Society wields both a great deal of influence over the entire continent, and very little influence. That is, the organization is not a governmental entity, and as such, remains under the whims of the law of whatever country operations are taking place in. At the same time, the organization counts so many members in it’s ranks, is highly wealthy, and is quite adept at collecting hidden information that few governments dare to harass and harangue it, for fear of reprisals- despite the fact that the Pathfinder Society formally has never operated in such a manner, and is a wholly academic and scientific organization. Because the Grand Lodge of the Pathfinder Society is based on Louisa, the organization enjoys it’s closest relations with the Louisan government.
Leadership
Leadership of the Pathfinder Society is very decentralized. The organization is headed by one individual, known as the High Captain. Currently, the High Captain is Melkkis Chevoran, a Human male from Louisa. Beneath the High Captain is a four-person council known as the Council of Chroniclers. The council acts as a cabinet for the High Captain, giving him/her advice and aiding him in ensuring that the overall goals of the Pathfinder Society are met. Members of the group are selected by the High Captain, and can be removed from their post at the bidding of the High Captain. Members of the council generally are highly respected and highly knowledgeable members in good standing of the Pathfinder Society, but can be anybody trustworthy. High Captains in the past have sometimes appointed family members and friends, or low ranking members who seemed to have a special quality enjoyed by the High Captain.
Beneath the Council of Chroniclers are Venture-Captains. Venture-Captains are in charge of each individual lodge. They act as intermediaries between the High Captain and the Council of Chroniclers and the rest of the rank and file in the organization- they receive orders from the council and have those orders carried in whatever way they see fit, varying from lodge to lodge, and they report back to the council. Beneath Venture-Captains are Field Commissioners. Field Commissioners are members in good standing who have been given the title as a distinction for an act, deed, discovery, or some other action that brought accolades to his/her lodge, and the Pathfinder Society as a whole. Field Commissioners technically do not have any special authority, but are generally deferred to by the rank and file because of their past accomplishments. 
Recruiting
The Pathfinder Society is not shy about recruiting potential members. Indeed, the size of the group might be one of its greatest strengths, especially considering what it’s mission is. Anyone is welcome to join the group, provided they can read and write Common, pay entrance fees, and that they pass an interview conducted by the leader of the lodge they apply to. The organization does not discriminate against race, age, homeland, political affiliation, or any other factor. In fact, these factors strengthen the organization, as they lend it a more unbiased source of information and motivation.
Allies
Because the Pathfinder Society has lodges all across the continent, the leaders of both individual lodges and the organization itself do all they can to ensure that the group has a steady working relationship with their host countries. In many cases, these associations are simply political facades instead of actual working relationships, but on the surface at least, the Pathfinder Society counts most governments as allies.
The strongest alliance the Pathfinder Society has is with the Brotherhood of Magi. Both groups have a similar structure, deal with the similar political realities of being an organization spread across the continent, and share with similar interests. The working relationship between these two groups are strong, with the development of the unified trade calendar, the Calendar of Eos, being their greatest product of their partnership together.
Enemies
The screed of the Pathfinder Society is to uncover secrets and knowledge. As a result, individuals and groups that seek to keep knowledge concealed and secrets hidden often come into conflict with the group. Elves in particular have been known to clash with the organization, as their desire to keep ancient Elven knowledge, lore, and ruins hidden from the world runs in direct opposition with the desire of the Pathfinder Society to discover and publicize such relics of the ancient world. Similar conflicts periodically pop up between the Brotherhood of Magi and the Pathfinder Society, various churches and the Pathfinder Society, and various governments and the Pathfinder Society.
Joining the Pathfinder Society
Joining the Pathfinder Society is as easy as apply at the nearest lodge, being interviewed by the lodge captain and/or other members of the lodge, and passing the interview. The interview is to determine the personality of the candidate and to get a sense of whether or not the candidate is truly interested in the principles of the organization or not. Once a candidate passes the interview, and pays his/her dues, they are a considered an initiate. For a period of time that varies from lodge to lodge, the initiate must attend formal training seminars held at the lodge. When the designated period of time is over, and initiate ‘graduates’, and becomes a member in good standing with the Pathfinder Society.
Costs and Benefits of Membership
There is no real cost for joining the Pathfinder Society. Membership dues vary from lodge to lodge, but are relatively minimal. Every year, members are expected to submit to their lodge some kind of original research. Articles that pique the interest in lodge elders, or contain important information, or are simply good stories, are published in the Pathfinder Chronicles, a peer-reviewed journal that the society publishes to keep members abreast of new discoveries, and theories.
===Appearance===
There is no set appearance for members of the Pathfinder Society. Because membership draws from such a large pool, members of the organization are extremely varied. The most telltale mark of a member of the Pathfinder Society is their Pathfinder Society compass, awarded upon membership into the group. These compasses, known as wayfarers, are enchanted to always find north and emit light upon command, useful magical enhancements to explorers. Because of their usefulness, and the fact that they are seen almost as calling cards for the group, most members have these items on their person at all times.