Affiliation Rules

# Affiliations

Only the
bravest, or perhaps the most foolhardy, adventurer seeks fame, glory, and
wealth on her own. Most join parties, supporting each other with a diverse
array of abilities and tactics, but even these groups often need to call upon
the aid of experts. Presented in the pages of this book are 18 groups of such
experts-a mix of organizations with access to powerful abilities, magic, and
secrets that can bolster the effectiveness of any adventurer. These
organizations can be your party’s guide to success!

The
information presented at the start of each section is not intended to be
comprehensive, but rather to give basic information regarding the group in
question.

The
organizations are presented with the assumption that the events of the
Adventure Path in which it was introduced have already come to pass, and that
the PCs of that Adventure Path were victorious.

**Full Access**: The
simplest solution is to allow full access to all of the options in these rules,
regardless of characters’ affiliations or lack thereof. This has the advantage
of allowing all characters a wide range of new options to choose from, but
dilutes the flavorful aspect of having these options define specific in-world
organizations. Some of the options here require sponsorship or similar support
from an established member of an organization before a character can select the
option-for full access, ignore these requirements.

**Limited**
Access**:**
At the opposite end of the scale from full access is limited access-in this
approach, only members of the specific group can ever have access to the
options associated with that group, and before a character can select one of
that group’s options, the character must be accepted into the group. This
preserves the strong themes and identifiable rules elements that are iconic to
each group, but it limits player choice. Access to a group should be awarded by
the GM only to specific characters as the result of in-play developments. If a
party already uses a wide range of player options, limiting the options might
be an attractive choice.

**Affiliation**
Access**:**
This is a midway approach between full and limited access, and is the
assumption for how these rules will be used in play. With affiliation access, a
character need only be affiliated with a group to gain access to its
options-the character does not need to be a full member. This approach strikes
a balance between making a wide range of character options available while
preserving the thematic identities of the organizations associated with those
options.

**Discovery**: Many of the
options here can be discovered organically during play. A PC doesn’t need to be
affiliated with the Crimson
Assassins to loot a *mask*
of the mantis*from a defeated NPC, nor does she need to be*
affiliated with the swordlords to learn the spell alacrity from a spellbook she
discovers in a monster’s lair. of course, in such situations, the GM is the
arbiter of what can and cannot be discovered, and for some options (such as
feats or prestige classes), discovery isn’t a logical source.

**Affiliation**
Slots**:**
Each PC has a number of affiliation slots equal to the character’s Charisma modifier
+ 1 (minimum 1 slot). Each time a PC takes the Additional
Affiliations feat, his total number of affiliation slots increases by
2. Finally, a GM can award bonus affiliation slots as rewards for gameplay, but
typically these slots must be spent on specific groups. (For example, after the
PCs successfully undertake a dangerous mission for the Silver Ravens, the GM
may reward the group with a bonus affiliation with the Silver Ravens.)

**Starting**
Affiliation**:**
A player can choose her PC’s first affiliation when she creates the character,
so long as she justifies her choice via the character’s background. For
example, perhaps a PC’s parents belong to the Explorer’s Society, and her
parents’ reputation in that organization could vouch for her own affiliation. A
PC born into a horselord tribe may retain her birthright and history by
belonging to these horse-riding folk despite having since traveled far from
Qadira. Or maybe a PC was rescued from slavery at a young age by members of the
Harvester Network, and has modeled his life upon heroes from that group. This
starting affiliation must be approved by the GM, who may say that certain affiliations
are off-limits or some organizations must be contacted in-play before joining.

**Subsequent**
Affiliations**:**
Once play begins, a PC must seek out and contact agents of an organization
before attempting to join or gain affiliation with it. Upon making contact, she
must convince that agent that she would make a good addition to the
organization. Players should speak with their GM out of the game when they make
the decision to pursue affiliation with a group, since the GM has final say as
to which groups (and thus which options) are available. An affiliation should
never be something players just decide they have on their own-it should be the
result of gameplay and interaction with NPCs associated with the organization.
Additional information on how to earn affiliation is presented in each group’s
chapter, along with a short example encounter GMs can use as inspiration for
setting up the attempt to affiliate with the group.

### Affiliations for Adventuring Parties

At the GM’s
discretion, an entire adventuring party can have a group affiliation. In such a
case, the assumption is that the campaign the GM has chosen to run involves the
whole party being agents of a specific group. Once the GM assigns a group
affiliation, all members of the party are treated as if they were affiliated
with that group. This affiliation does not take up any individual PC’s
affiliation slots.

Alternatively,
a party can use rules for membership in groups, or joining a group could be a
significant part of a campaign, as in the case of the Silver Ravens in the
Hell’s Rebels Adventure Path. In such a case, a character automatically gains
affiliation with a group once he successfully joins the group in question.

### Affiliations for NPCs

An NPC should
typically have only one affiliation (if any), and the GM gets to decide what
that affiliation is. Yet there is no maximum number of affiliations for NPCs-an
NPC can have as many as are needed for the GM to tell the story she wishes to
tell. It’s generally unnecessary to list in an NPC’s statistics what
affiliations he has, since that should be clear from the NPC’s background.

### Rivals

Note that
certain groups presented here have rivals listed in their group stat blocks,
representing long-standing conflicts with other groups. The Consortium and the
Explorer’s Society are perennial enemies, and the Hellknights and the Harvester
Network have long been at odds. There’s no reason that characters of rival
affiliations can’t exist in the same adventuring party (although such a group
will likely be more prone to party strife than others), but a single character
cannot normally have an affiliation with two rival groups.

### Abandoning Affiliations

A character
can abandon an affiliation at any time, but she cannot replace the abandoned
affiliation with a new affiliation until she has gained at least 1 character
level (unless the GM decrees otherwise). Once a character has abandoned her
affiliation with a group, only exceptional circumstances can allow her to
regain her affiliation with that group. Abandoning an affiliation may have
in-game repercussions, as members of the group may not take kindly to learning
that a character has deserted them.

When a
character abandons an affiliation, she cannot gain new options from that group
until her affiliation with the group is restored. However, she does not lose
access to options she already has, and can still gain access to affiliation options
via alternative means. If a character has a prestige class or archetype
associated with a group, she can continue to gain levels in that class or
archetype, regardless of her current affiliation status with that group.

As an
alternative way to gain more affiliation slots rather than abandoning one, a
character could take the Additional
Affiliations feat to expand her set of affiliations without having to
sacrifice existing affiliations. and of course, if a character’s Charisma score
(and thus her Charisma modifier)
permanently increases, she can gain access to new affiliation slots as a
result.

### Prestige Classes and Archetypes

**Spells per**
Day**:**
At the indicated levels, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also
gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the
prestige class. She does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that
class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if
she is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of
spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before
gaining this prestige class ability, she must decide to which class she adds
the new level for the purposes of determining her spells per day. Some prestige
classes limit this ability to specific types of magic (such as arcane, divine,
or psychic);
if this is the case, it is indicated in the text of the prestige class.

**Feats**: Additional
Affiliations

*You have an*
expansive personality and can forge more affiliations than normal.

**Benefit(s)**: Increase
your affiliation slot total by 2.

**Normal**: You have a
number of affiliation slots equal to your Charisma modifier
+ 1 (minimum 1).

**Special**: You can
take this feat multiple times; each time you do so, your number of affiliation
slots increases by 2.

### Example Organizations

#### Crimson Assassins

*Notorious*
Cult of Deadly Assassins

**Scope**: global

**Alignment**: LE

**Values**: deadly
efficiency, discretion, loyalty, professionalism, purity of focus, respect for
the rule of rightful monarchies Goals act as professional assassins-and only
assassins-for any client willing to pay the price of a contract, honor their
god through the sacred rite of assassination, never fail to fulfill an
assassination contract

**Allies**: Gray
Gardeners, pirates, rightful monarchs

**Enemies**: Eagle
Knights, most Hellknightorders,
Explorer’s Society

**Rivals**: none

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
One must seek out a member of the group and apply for affiliation. The Crimson
Assassins accept all such requests if the prospective affiliate is
willing to pay the price. These prices fall into one of two categories. The
most common is the promise of aid in the future tailored to the affiliate’s
capabilities and position in society. This might eventually entail building a
magic item for an assassin, delivering sensitive political secrets to one of
the cult’s agents, or even accompanying a group of Crimson
Assassins on a mission. An alternative price is for the prospective
affiliate to provide a portion of her own body preserved with a dose of *unguent*
of timelessness*(the dose of unguent to be paid for and provided*
by the prospective affiliate). While this body part could well be only a
fingernail or a hair clipping, most Crimson
Assassin agents instead require a fingertip, an earlobe, a tooth, or
another minor but painfully significant excision from the affiliate as a cruel
token of intent. Once harvested, these body parts are placed in storage in the
Crimson Citadel, in an ever-growing collection of parts that can be used as
needed by the Crimson
Assassins for their own needs, be it components for
spells like *clone* or *simulacrum* or
something more eldritch and sinister. In some cases, the affiliate dies before
the body part is used, but in all cases the Crimson
Assassins keep their options open for how to eventually utilize the
offered flesh.

#### Collegiate Arcanists

*Inheritors of*
an Ancient Academy of Arcane Learning

**Scope**: regional

**Alignment**: NG

**Values**: civility
over barbarism, history as a guide for the future, knowledge over ignorance

**Goals**: acquire,
protect, and disseminate knowledge (especially concerning arcane magic,
history, and the natural world); foster peace; oppose evil; recover and restore
ancient relics

**Allies**: Storm
Kindlers

**Enemies**: The
Consortium, cults of demon
lords

**Rivals**: none

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
The college values goodness, respect for the natural world, and honoring
traditions, and any who display these traits are welcome to work with them.
Becoming affiliated with the college is a simple task, as opposed to full membership
in the school.

#### The Consortium

*Profiteering*
Syndicate

**Scope**: global

**Alignment**: NE

**Values**: development
of new revenue streams, elimination of competition, indirect political power,
monopolies, profit

**Goals**: finance new
ventures by securing exotic goods for customers, providing consultation
services, and taking control of rare and profitable resources; maximize
earnings; secure capital

**Allies**: aspiring
tyrants; numerous municipal, national, organizational authorities; sundry
tribes

**Enemies**: competing
mercantile interests

**Rivals**: Explorer’s
Society

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
While demonstrations of loyalty to the Consortium and the ability to maintain
secrecy are important when the Consortium is determining who might make a good
candidate, the group is a mercantile concern above all else. As such, agents of
the Consortium often ask for tithes or -membership dues- from those who seek
affiliation. After displaying his competence, a would-be affiliate can often
expect to pay such dues on a yearly basis to his Consortium contacts, typically
at rates of 50 to 100 gp per character level. of course, should an affiliate at
a later point choose to cease payment, any secrets and techniques learned or
acquired during the time of his affiliation remain-but one should keep in mind
that the Consortium doesn’t always allow affiliates to -retire- without
consequences.

#### Cyphermages

*Inheritors of*
Ancient Arcane Traditions

**Scope**: national

**Alignment**: N

**Values**: ancient
magical artifacts and items, pursuit of knowledge

**Goals**: decipher
and catalog lore, master the mysteries of lost ruins, understand long-lost
magic and developing protective measures against ancient threats

**Allies**: followers
of empyreal lords

**Enemies**: crime lords
and syndicates, thieves and other agents trafficking black-market artifacts

**Rivals**: none

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
As a result of the Cyphermages’ increasing openness, one need only contact one
of the organization’s members to earn affiliation with the group. of course,
whether or not the Cyphermages accept new affiliations depends on the nature of
the request.

#### Eagle Knights

*Vanguards of*
Liberty

**Scope**: regional

**Alignment**: NG

**Values**: community,
equality for all, freedom, justice, personal responsibility

**Goals**: abolish
slavery in all its forms, lead the people into a new era of common rule and
individual liberty, maintain vigilance against all threats freedom via any
means that don’t threaten the core values of the Eagle Knights

**Allies**: Harvester
Network, Guild of Thieves, Spirit Channelers, Silver Ravens, various empyreal
lord cults

**Enemies**: The
Consortium, Crimson
Assassins, slavers

**Rivals**: none

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
Before earning affiliation with a faction of the Eagle Knights, a prospective
ally must first demonstrate his loyalty and patriotism. The prospective
affiliate must then perform one of the following tasks, depending on the faction
he wishes to affiliate with.

**Golden Legion**: Protect a
number of citizens equal to your class level in a single encounter against an
aggressor, be it enemy invaders or a rampaging monster. The protection must be
provided in a public venue, and you must proclaim your allegiance to the Eagle
Knights at the end.

**Gray Corsairs**: Deliver a
number of freed slaves equal to your class level to a Gray Corsair ship or safe
house.

**Steel Falcons**: Provide
shelter in hostile territory for a Steel Falcon agent or group for a number of
days equal to your level.

**Twilight**
Talons**:**
Escort a Twilight Talon operative whose mission has been compromised out of
enemy lands, perhaps including a successful jailbreak or other escape scenario.

#### Explorer’s Society

*Adventuring*
Scholars of Historical Lore

**Scope**: global

**Alignment**: N

**Values**:
camaraderie, cooperation, proper documentation of important findings,
self-promotion though publication, world travel

**Goals**: understand
the past and present wonders by exploring important sites, recovering relics,
chronicling what’s found, and publishing findings

**Allies**: few
steadfast allies; countless minor alliances; Cyphermages

**Enemies**: The
Consortium, Crimson
Assassins

**Rivals**: The
Consortium

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
Most seek affiliation with the Pathfinders via submission of a field report.
Such a report must be detailed and concise, and it must also feature
information of interest to the organization. Any adventure in which a character
gains an unusual magic item, learns of an ancient secret, or explores an
unmapped or deadly region is of interest. The field report must be well
written, and the character submitting the report must succeed at a DC 20 Craft (writing), Knowledge (any), Linguistics, or Profession(scribe) check
to succeed at presenting the report in a way that catches the Society’s
attention enough to earn affiliation. At the GM’s discretion, a particularly
unusual discovery or the donation of an item of interest (such as information
on a missing or dead Pathfinder, or the donation of an *ioun*
stone*) can supersede the need for a successful skill check.*

#### Gray Maidens

*Remnants of a*
Tyrant’s Reign

**Scope**: regional

**Alignment**: LE (Erinyes
Company) or NG (Scarlet Rose)

**Values**:
preservation of their queen’s ideals, service to their nation (Erinyes
Company); the aid, rehabilitation, and protection of each other and allies
(Scarlet Rose)

**Goals**: expand
their own power, reclaim rule their nation (Erinyes Company); oppose tyranny,
recover from their queen’s evil (Scarlet Rose)

**Allies**: followers
of the Queens of the Night (Erinyes Company); Silver Ravens (Scarlet Rose)

**Enemies**: rival Gray
Maidens, Silver Ravens (Erinyes Company); rival Gray Maidens (Scarlet Rose)

**Rivals**: rival Gray
Maiden factions

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
While a character could well seek the approval of an established Gray Maiden
mercenary company to become affiliated with the group, anyone who has undergone
personal trauma, whether physical or mental, only to have come out the other
side stronger and more resolute, has the proper mindset to take advantage of
Gray Maiden options. A character who endures the effects of at least 4 points
of ability score drain or toils under the effects of any mind-control effect
(such as *charm*
person*,*dominate
person*, or geas/quest) for at least a month certainly has not matched*
the torment actual Gray Maidens suffered during their brutal and extensive
indoctrination-but this suffering, combined with an interest in pursuing the
goals of a Gray Maiden faction, is typically enough to allow access to the
options in this chapter. Alternately, any character who takes the Gray Maiden
Initiate feat (see below) is automatically affiliated with the Gray Maidens.

#### Guild of Thieves

*Rulers of a*
Criminal Underworld

**Scope**: national

**Alignment**: CN

**Values**: absorb or
eliminate rival gangs, commit crime with class, kill only when necessary

**Goals**: control
government officials, dominate criminal activity, make money, research and
understand their own history

**Allies**: noble
families, Eagle Knights, insurgents and rebels, Silver Ravens

**Enemies**: city
guards, Hellknights, merchants

**Rivals**:
Hellknights, the Guild of Thieves

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
As with many Thieves’ guilds, the swiftest way to attract the attention of the
Guild of Thieves is to perform an act of thievery on its turf. Recognizing the
right place to perform such an act could well be the subject of several days of
research, as is the fact that the group has recently been reborn in that city’s
now not-so-supernatural shadows. The crime to be performed should be audacious
and obvious, yet not murderous or violent. Balancing the act’s publicity with
the desire to avoid jail time can be tricky, but even if a character serves a
sentence in prison, the Council will take notice and, perhaps, approach the
criminal with an offer to become affiliated once the prison term is ended (be
that end from time lawfully served or as the result of a daring escape). As a
general rule, the crime should be associated with the theft of at least one
object of a gp value equal to the character’s level x 100. In the case of
blackmail or the like, the target of the crime should be of a CR equal to the
character’s level + 2 (if not higher).

A character
who simply asks around about the Guild of Thieves displays a lack of
understanding of the subtleties of membership in a criminal organization. This
ill-informed route won’t attract invitations to join the council-and may well
attract the entirely wrong kind of attention. While the Guild of Thieves would
never stoop to assassinating someone who it fears might attract too much
attention to the Council, the same cannot be said for any number of various
groups the Council could hire to handle the job.

However, if a
character can subtly spread the word that he seeks affiliation with the Council
(something that can be accomplished via the successful daily use of Bluff checks over the
course of several weeks in a region where the Council is active), the Council
could well approach the prospective affiliate with a request. Attracting the
Council’s attention in this way requires a minimum of 12 successful DC 20 Bluff checks, made over
the course of 3 weeks with one attempt per day (these successes need not be
consecutive). Within 24 hours of the twelfth successful check, a Council agent
makes contact with the PC to offer a job to solve a minor problem the Council’s
been having, giving the character the opportunity to prove her skills.
Typically, such jobs involve finding a nonviolent solution to deal with a fool
who’s threatening the Council’s interests-be it a misguided dandy who is trying
to join the Council by asking around in a blatant and embarrassing way; an
ex-member who has attempted to embezzle funds from the group; a visiting thief
operating without permission in the city; or a low-ranking guard, merchant, or
priest whose anti-Council rhetoric has become more than the group can bear.
Murder is almost never an appropriate solution to such a problem, but if the PC
can convince the target NPC to amend his ways, leave town, or otherwise cease
being a source of concern for the Council, affiliation with the Guild of
Thieves is likely.

#### Harvester Network

*Eradicators*
of Halfling Slavery

**Scope**: regional

**Alignment**: CG

**Headquarters**:
decentralized

**Values**: abolition
of slavery, equality between the races, freedom to pursue lives of comfort,
reintegration of escaped slaves into a safe and welcoming society

**Goals**: abolish
slavery, disband organized slavery rings, emancipate slaves (particularly halfling slaves)
from servitude, establish networks of underground routes to help slaves escape,
remove slavers from positions of power

**Allies**: Spirit
Channelers, Silver Ravens, those who oppose slavery

**Enemies**: followers
of evil religions, Hellknights (most orders), slavers

**Rivals**: Hellknights
(most orders)

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
PCs who play out several encounters wherein they defy slavers, free slaves from
servitude, or simply stand up for the rights of a downtrodden or marginalized
group should eventually earn the trust of the Network. If you would like your
character to earn affiliation with the Harvester Network, inform your GM and
then focus your character’s actions on fulfilling tasks and goals that the
Network would approve of without being told to do so. Actions speak louder than
words in this case. If you’re the GM and a player informs you that she would
like her character to earn Harvester Network affiliation, four to five
significant displays of personality and conviction in sync with Harvester
Network interests should be enough to earn the group’s trust, at which point an
agent of the Harvester Network should approach the PC with an offer of support.
Typically, this offer comes with a final task, usually a request to rescue a
slave or group of slaves. The Network is quite well informed, and it should
know what the next adventure is that the PC is heading into-you can then inform
the player that there’s a slave in the upcoming adventure that needs to be
freed, and if this task can be accomplished, affiliation with the Harvester
Network is assured.

#### Hellknights

*Merciless*
Enforcers of the Law

**Scope**: regional

**Alignment**: varies by
order (typically LN)

**Headquarters**: varies by
order

**Values**: enforcement
of Hellknight law;
order-specific values (the Order of the Chain imprisons fugitives and
criminals; the Order of the *Gate* seeks
to prevent disorder through arcane means; the Order of the Godclaw values
religious obedience; the Order of the Nail pushes civilization over barbarism;
the Order of the Pyre hunts heretics and pagans; the Order of the Rack destroys
dangerous lore; the Order of the Scourge fights corruption and crime)

**Goals**: crush chaos
and lawlessness, spread their ideals

**Allies**: followers
of other lawful faiths; lawful governments

**Enemies**: lawbreakers
and rebels; varies by order

**Rivals**: varies by
order

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
Just as those who seek to become actual Hellknights or signifers must pass the
Test, in which the initiate defeats a powerful devil before a Hellknight witness,
so too can those who seek affiliation with a Hellknight order
undertake a similar test. It is not enough to merely defeat a single devil with
more Hit
Dice than oneself for a nonmember to earn the respect of a Hellknight’s order,
though. In addition to defeating such a devil while
under observation, a character must also demonstrate her adherence to that
order’s virtues. Typically, this requirement can be met by handing over a
criminal or law-breaker whose crimes are among those the order in question
seeks to punish. Most Hellknight orders
maintain relatively extensive lists of bounties, so those who seek affiliation
can focus their hunt on known criminals.

#### Horselords

*Deep-Desert*
Traditionalists

**Scope**: national

**Alignment**: NG

**Values**: ecological
integrity (both protection of existing desert and prevention of
desertification), hospitality to travelers, isolationism, resistance to assimilation,
secrecy, tradition

**Goals**: breed
superior horses, eliminate evil outsiders,
preserve traditional lifestyle, prevent corruption of the faith, protect
business interests, shore up border

**Allies**: genies,
empyreal lords

**Enemies**:
cultists, demons, devils,
divs, horse Thieves, qlippoth,
raiders

**Rivals**: none

#### Houses of Perfection

*Trio of Elite*
Mystical Monasteries Inspired by the Elements

**Scope**: national

**Alignment**: LN

**Values**: the
elements as expressions of nature’s perfect forms, improvement through
competition, pursuit of perfection (even if one does not reach it)

**Goals**: defend
their island, develop new methods of purifying and enhancing mind and body
alike through study of the four elements, overcome the weaknesses of mind and
flesh, train the finest martial artists

**Allies**: genies;
seekers of enlightenment and the perfection of the body and mind

**Enemies**:
asuras, rakshasas

**Rivals**: none

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
Earning affiliation with the Houses of Perfection requires more than merely
studying their techniques. The houses seek potential rather than established
skill, and so are less impressed by demonstrations of power than they are by
demonstrations of passion for learning. A character who takes a level in monk, brawler, or
any occult class and seeks out a representative of one of the houses is
generally granted affiliation automatically-other characters need to impress a
representative of the Houses of Perfection by performing specific quests
(subject to GM adjudication).

#### Lantern Bearers

*A Light*
Against the Coming Darkness

**Scope**: regional

**Alignment**: NG

**Values**: nurture
beauty and those who seek redemption, oppose conspiracies and reveal
destructive secrets, remain pure-hearted, reveal and fight corruption

**Goals**: push back
the darkness (be it literal or metaphorical) and light the way for allies,
redeem corrupted elves (and
in particular, provide drow who
seek redemption a safe venue to escape their society), thwart drowand demon plots

**Allies**: followers
of elven deities and neutral good empyreal lords

**Enemies**: cults
of demon
lords, demons, drow

**Rivals**: none

#### Mammoth Lords

*Beast-Riding*
Barbarian Tribes

**Scope**: regional

**Alignment**: N

**Values**: family;
tribal pride, tradition, and unity; worship of ancestors and natural spirits

**Goals**: develop,
grow, and protect individual tribes and followings; preserve tribal traditions
and culture in the face of the constant encroachment of modern civilization

**Allies**:
enthralled giants,
megafauna, primeval spirits, tribes and followings nativeto
their lands

**Enemies**: aggressive
colonists, orcs, demons, giants,
over-civilized foreigners who scoff at them for being primitive or behind the
times

**Rivals**: none

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
While the surest way to earn affiliation with the Mammoth Lords is to be born
into the society or to be adopted into it, those who come to the land from afar
can earn the respect of the tribes by proving their worth. Approaching a tribe
with a trophy harvested from a demon, dragon, giant,
or other obviously dangerous creature known to the Mammoth Lords can secure an
audience, provided the trophy is from a monster with a CR at least 2 higher
than the level of the character presenting the trophy. Convincing the tribe
that the trophy was legitimately earned requires either a Diplomacy check (if
the character harvested the trophy after defeating the creature) or a Bluff check (if the
character harvested the trophy from a dead creature
or stole the trophy) opposed by 2d4 Sense Motive checks
attempted by the most experienced members of the tribe. Roll all of these Sense Motive checks
at once to determine the highest result, and thus the target DC of the Diplomacy or Bluff check (if you don’t
have stats for the Mammoth Lords at hand, assume all of these Sense Motivechecks have
a bonus equal to the average party level +5). Success earns that character
affiliation. Failure need not result in combat, but the Mammoth Lords
likely *demand* the
character secure another trophy of equal or greater value, but this time with a
few Mammoth Lords as escorts to witness the deed.

#### Silver Ravens

*Rebels*
Against an Oppressive Regime

**Scope**: regional

**Alignment**: CG

**Values**: artistic
integrity and creativity, equality between the races, free trade, freedom of
religion and speech, small government

**Goals**: defend
their land from oppression, support regions oppressed by despotism and tyranny
by providing them with aid and training

**Allies**: Harvester
Network, Guild of Thieves, Eagle Knights, Gray Maidens (Scarlet Rose)

**Enemies**: followers
of archdevils, Gray Maidens (Erinyes Company), Hellknights, slavers

**Rivals**: none

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
In order to earn the trust of the Silver Ravens, a prospective affiliate must
first arrange a meeting with an agent of the semi-secret group. Doing so
requires a successful DC 20 Bluff check
to send a secret *message* in
an area where the Silver Ravens are active; this Bluff check takes 1 hour
to perform and must be done in a public area. On a successful check, the Silver
Ravens send an agent to interview the prospective affiliate within 24 hours,
and the would-be affiliate must agree to imbibe an *elixir*
of truth*during the meeting. The Silver Raven agent uses this*
opportunity to determine the affiliate’s actual interests in the group and
reasons for seeking aid, and the agent also ensures that the prospect is not
secretly an agent of an opposing group, or some other enemy faction. After such
an interview, the Silver Ravens generally accept all who are not obviously
enemies.

#### Spirit Channelers

*Animists*
Harnessing Personal Struggles for Spiritual Growth

**Scope**: regional

**Alignment**: LN

**Values**: acceptance
of others for who they are, open negotiation founded on mutual respect,
personal introspection and growth, preservation of lore

**Goals**: explore
spiritual lore; foster balance between mortal needs and spiritual concerns;
supply resources, information, and encouragement for personal growth

**Allies**: Harvester
Network, deities of the dwarven pantheon, Eagle Knights, followers of empyreal
lords, Hellknights

**Enemies**: Duergar

**Rivals**: none

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
Earning affiliation with the Spirit Channelers is simple for those already
steeped in the spiritual world-shamans and spiritualists,
in particular, need only contact an agent of the Spirit Channeler and convince
the agent of their sincere interest in pursuing the group’s beliefs and
teachings with a successful DC 15 Diplomacy or Knowledge (religion)
check. Other characters can do the same, but the DC for the check rises to 20.

#### Storm Kindlers

*Storm-Seeking*
Devotees of a God of Destruction

**Scope**: regional

**Alignment**: CN

**Headquarters**:
decentralized; dozens of small strongholds and temples spread throughout the
world

**Values**:
enlightenment, fearlessness, freedom, unity of consciousness

**Goals**: merge with
the consciousness of their god, recover and reclaim lost lore from previous
generations of Storm Kindlers

**Allies**: druids of
the Green Faith, hermits, madmen, vagabonds, wanderers

**Enemies**:
heretics, humanoid tribes,
boggards, lizardfolk),
pirates

**Rivals**: none

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
Earning affiliation with the Storm Kindlers can be difficult. Typically, one
must display devout faith in the storm by braving the elements for several days
to earn affiliation. Since such a task requires securing a vessel to enter the
storm, exposure to murderous winds and lightning, and the threat of sea
monsters or other dangers, very few sailors agree to such a journey, leaving
the securing and piloting of such a ship to a small crew of devoted (and
perhaps foolhardy) risk-takers. In game terms, this should consist of 1d4+2
days spent in storm-wracked waters, with at least three encounters with
dangerous sea creatures, each of which should be a significant challenge to the
party (CR equal to the average party level + 1 to 3).

#### Swordlords

*Masters of*
the Clash of Blades

**Scope**: national

**Alignment**: N

**Values**: constant
honing of martial skills, defense of swordlord traditions, duels and honorable
combat, preservation of swordlord traditions and secrets

**Goals**: establish
the dueling style as supreme among all forms of swordplay

**Allies**: various
petty nations

**Enemies**: bandits and
brigands, those who would spread the secrets of the indiscriminately and
without care to the traditions of the technique

**Rivals**: none

AFFILIATION

**Example**
Affiliation Encounter**:**
Even among ex-members who have relaxed their restrictions on teaching secrets
to those from other parts of the world, some display of skill at dueling and
swordplay is required before affiliation with the swordlords is granted. To
earn affiliation, a prospective student must win a duel in which she uses a
sword as her only weapon. The duel need not be to the death, nor need it be
against an swordlord, but a swordlord (or an exile who has the skills to teach
techniques) must witness the character’s success in the duel. You can use the
rules for duels and performance combat to aid in determining the level of
success.

**Section 15: Copyright Notice**

*Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Adventurer’s Guide ©*
2017, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Benjamin Bruck, John Compton, Crystal Frasier, Tim
Hitchcock, Jenny Jarzabski, Isabelle Lee, Joe Pasini, Jessica Price, David
Schwartz, and Josh Vogt.