> Again I think that most of their food comes from local donations,
> again more likely to be from the Esvulari who've converted.
I don't see the Heortling society as giving donations to any person or organisation "not of us".
My thought was: a weak local mercenary organisation or safehouse, a Malkioni mercenary analogon to Geo's inns. The local chapter would hire out for minor guard or warfare services when at sufficient strength, but most of the time they'd rather run a supply base for Malkioni mercenaries.
> I don't think there's a lot of members in the order, probably no
> more than 50 tops.
50 sounds more like full strength to me in a not-quite-city like Whitewall. Now, during the siege, they have full strength because of the contingent of the Army of Tomorrow.
> They may have had local serfs as well doing some sad farming
> in the area before the seige.
Possibly the best approach.
> Now why does Broyan allow them to stay?
They are well-behaved, useful, make a good embassy for the Trader Princes of Wenelia (since Tarkalor brought trade to Whitewall), and might therefore be a token of status for a barbarian king.
> Are they anti-Lunar because of the Lunar's embrace of
> Nysalor? Could be.
Quite possibly.
>> The scenario question is the impact the Order's existence would
>> make on the local magical ecology. The Order's ability to detect
>> Illuminati could be a scenario buster or a scenario driver
>> depending on how it was weaved into everything else. If a Lunar
>> spy agency doesn't know about this Order and is in the habit of
>> using Illuminati to do their infiltrations then they're going to
>> be losing agents like flies without ever knowing why. ("Good
>> Morning, Your Majesty! Is there a particular reason why the new
>>merchant you're talking to is Illuminated?"). Finding out why
>> their agents are being lost might be an interesting mission for
>> Lunar players. Trying to discreetly stop a spy that the Order
>> has spotted might be an interesting mission for Orlanthi. ("Get what
>> information you can out of him but don't let him ask you
>> questions!"). Later on, when the Lunars get wise to what's
>> happening trying to keep the assasinations of Order members down
>> to a minimim might be an interesting job for any Orlanthi who wants
>> to play bodyguard.
> They can detect Illuminates!?!
I doubt they can point out Illuminates that easily, but their guardian might warn them. By "triangulation" they might identify a set of suspects, who could then be brought before their guardian.
> I guess that is sort of implied by
> their guardian's abilities isn't it. Hadn't made that connection
> myself. That might be too gross an ability though (would a PC want
> to give up sex to get something that may never be useful?:->)
This requirement could easily explain why most of the order's membership are elderly or maimed...
> They're on the Tor because they've been there for over 13 centuries.
> They've stayed there through thick and thin and the Vaulted Hall is
> lousy with wards and magic.
I'd suspect that now and then they'd get unfriendly visits using up some of the warding magics. I'm also somewhat dubious about the continuity of the chapterhouse - at least I'd find it likely that they spent a couple of times in exile, e.g. during the Machine Wars.
> But why do the Volsaxi kings allow them
> to stay? Do they have some sort of charter that granted them the
> right in perpetuity?
It is quite possible that they have a charter signed by Arkat and Hendreik among their holy relics.
> Are they respected/tolerated because they don't
> interfere in local politics (other than to root out suspected Gbajian
> influences which probably goes over quite well).
Tolerated at least. I think that respect is given only on an individual basis.
> I quite like the
> thought of them being some archaic leftover from the First Age.
> Makes 'em kind of poignant.
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