Harpers

The Harpers are a semi-secret organization dedicated to promoting good, preserving history (including art and music of old) and maintaining a balance between civilisation and nature by keeping kingdoms small and the destruction of plant life to a minimum. They consider the Elven empire of Myth Drannor shortly before its fall to be the pinnacle of civilised history and strive to recreate the world in that image.

Those Who Harp are are lead by a council of seven High Harpers, who are responsible for most of the long-term planning for the organization. High Harpers are elected through the means of secret ballots among the other High Harpers, with the criteria being long time service, and discretion in the implementation of the Harpers' plans. Most members are either good/neutral-aligned Rangers or Bards, though most wizards and druids are also their willing allies. Five prestige classes are tied to the Harpers, Harper agent, Harper paragon, Harper mage, Harper preist and Master Harper.

They operate mainly in the north of Faerun, along the Sword Coast, Western Heartlands and the Dalelands. The group itself is extremely decentralized and the nearest thing they have to a base of operations is Twilight Hall in Berdusk. An often employed means of achieving their goals is assisting adventurers who are on quests that would further Harper interests.

Powerful individuals support the Harpers, but equally powerful forces oppose the Harpers, such as the Cult of the Dragon, the Dark Dagger, the Malaugrym, the Rundeen, the Eldreth Veluuthra, the Iron Throne, the Twisted Rune, the Knights of the Shield, the Red Wizards of Thay, the Zhentarim, and many of the churches of dark gods, in particular the revived church of Bane, Lord of Strife. The Harpers also oppose any who would forge an empire through conquest or use the weave without thought to the consequences.

Many Gods support the organization Azuth, Deneir, Eldath, Lliira, Mielikki, Milil, Mystra, Oghma, Selune, Shiallia, Silvanus, Tymora and the entire Seldarine all contribute clerics to become members of the Harpers and many of these also lend divine aid to the members of the group on a regular basis. This can cause tensions between individual clerics of different faiths but never between deities or between the society as a whole and deities.

A schism formed in the group after Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun's methods were frowned upon by the other High Harpers. He left the organization and formed a like-minded group based in Waterdeep known as the Tel Teukiira (Elven for "the Moonstars"). The Blackstaff and Lady Arunsun lead this faction of the Harpers in a much more focused effort than the High Harpers are comfortable with in their own organization, although the two groups' goals remain largely interchangeable.

Harper Code
''Harpers work against villainy and wickedness wherever they find it, but they work ever mindful of the consequences of what they do.

All beings should walk free of fear, with the right to live their lives as they wish.

The rule of law aids peace and fosters freedom, so long as the laws are just and those who enforce them lenient and understanding.

No extreme is good. For freedom to flourish, all must be in balance: the powers of realms, the reaches of the cities and the wilderlands into each other, and the influence of one being over another.

Whatever it takes, a Harper will do. Pride never rules the deeds of a true Harper.

Freedom is a multiversal right, though Harpers can spare themselves less freedom than those they work to protect when the need presents itself.

Harpers police their own. A Harper who hears the call of personal power can no longer hear the sweet song of the harp. A Harper who seizes power, and holds it above all else, is a traitor to the harp. Traitors must die for freedom to live.

Without a past, no being can appreciate what they have, and where they may be going.''

Being a Harper
What a Harper is in the words of Mirt the Moneylender of Waterdeep, explaining to Shandril:

''"Right, then, good Lady Shandril, I shall try to tell thee something of what it is to be a Harper." ... "A Harper holds peaceful sharing of the lands above all other goals." ... "By sharing, we mean all the races living in and under the land, where each prefers to live, trading together where desire and need stir them to, and respecting each other's holds and ways -- without the daily bloodletting that all too often holds sway in the Realms today." ... "True, we must fight, it seems often enough to keep our swords and our tempers both sharp enough. Yet, know ye; all of us fight when we must, or die. Moroever, ye only hear of blades drawn and death and spells hurled, and never know of the many, many times that a quiet word or a skillful deal has turned enemies aside from each other, forced a way clear where none was before, or distracted foes from the eager task of tearing each other's throats out. That is the true Harper way: subtle and quiet, behind the shouting. Trust and wisdom, and outfoxing others is what we deal in."''

-Crown of Fire by Ed Greenwood.