Greetings, Lodge Sisters and Brothers! Please excuse the assumed name above, but I thought it best to travel incognito. I am Pathfinder Aram bin Kaleel, of Katheer, and I beg your indulgence this day on a matter of import to the entire Society.
“Explore. Report. Cooperate.” These are the three Core Tenants of our Society, drilled into the heads of every Initiate that passes through the doors of the Grand Lodge. Yet when they leave again, their training complete, how many Pathfinders are actually qualified to carry out those core tenants?
- To Explore, a Pathfinder must possess more than lethal skill with a single weapon: one must possess curiosity and skill, self-sufficiency and courage in equal measure.
- To Report, a Pathfinder must be at the least literate, and able to express themselves coherently in more than monosyllabic grunts.
- To Cooperate requires a certain level of social grace and tact, which seems largely absent in many Pathfinders today.
In my experience, many Pathfinders seem to be either highly-specialized killers or common thugs. On a recent assignment to represent the Society at the marriage of Michellia Blakros, I shudder to think of the damage that could have been caused by a group of brutish oafs with no use beyond murder. Pathfinders are increasingly being used as nothing more than an army against the Society’s enemies, because that is all many of them are suited for. This intolerable situation is an affront to the memory of those who have gone before, whose tales are immortalized in the Chronicles. So: what can be done?
In my country, we have a saying: “It is better to light one lamp, than to sit and curse the darkness.” To do my part in restoring the honor and traditions of the Pathfinder Society, I have decided to become a Lamplighter, and I invite other Pathfinders of like mind to join with me.
I propose the formation of a voluntary, informal organization within the Pathfinder Society, to be known as the Lamplighters, with membership open to any Pathfinder who meets the minimal requirements outlined in the attached Creed. The Lamplighters will have no hierarchy and no leadership; anyone who meets the qualifications may purchase and wear the Lamplighter’s badge upon showing proof of qualification to the vendor.
Benefit of membership in the Lamplighters is intangible, but significant. When you see another agent wearing a Lamplighter badge, you know that you can count on their support and trust them with your life. Similarly, by identifying yourself as a Lamplighter, you will instill confidence in your companions that you can be trusted to complete the mission at hand. Lamplighters will remind other agents, new and old, what it once was to be a Pathfinder, and put the proper emphasis on resourcefulness and versatility outside of just the combat arena.
Let me emphasize: the Lamplighters are not a “shadow Society” trying to change the Pathfinder leadership or mandate. Neither are we a political faction seeking to twist the Society to our own uses. No Lamplighter will ever ask another to obtain a bauble for their upcoming party or to assassinate a personal rival while on Society business. The Lamplighters exist solely as a positive exemplar of the resourcefulness, wit, and skill that built our Society’s glorious history. As such, it operates above such individual agendas. Membership is open to all Pathfinders who honor the Lamplighter's Creed regardless of other political or social affiliations.
I believe that if more agents were as versatile, resourceful and adaptable as our predecessors, then our leadership would see more use for us than as foot soldiers against the Aspis Consortium and other rivals. Join the Lamplighters, and together we will serve as a guiding light for the Society's future.
With humble thanks for your time and consideration, I remain,
Your comrade,
Aram bin Kaleel of Katheer,
Pathfinder
In order to codify the qualifications to become a Lamplighter, I have set down my thoughts in this matter. I propose that those who yearn as I do for the Society to return to its glory days, offer their own suggestions, so that we may quickly agree upon a list of minimal requirements.
* A Lamplighter is sound of mind and body, with no physical, mental, or social deficiency which would interfere with their duties.
* A Lamplighter is skilled in diplomacy, tact, and effective communication.
* A Lamplighter is well-trained, knowledgeable, and resourceful.
* A Lamplighter is always ready for combat, and is trained and equipped for both hand-to-hand and ranged fighting.
* A Lamplighter is well-equipped for any eventuality, and ready to travel at a moment’s notice.
* A Lamplighter puts the success of the mission and the well-being of her comrades ahead of personal gain.
* A Lamplighter keeps no knowledge secret from their Venture-Captain or their comrades.
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* A Lamplighter is skilled in diplomacy, tact, and effective communication.
You make an excellent point, Pathfinder bin Kaleel. I have often found that the right word, spoken at the right time, can accomplish as much as violence. However, different people have different manners of wielding words - sometimes it is best to to speak the truth, with proper courtesy and eloquence, and other times it is best to tell your audience what they want to hear. There are even those who use threats and bluster to accomplish their goals, though I personally feel that is just a step away from actual violence.
[ooc: Depending on how selective you want to make the Lamplighters, you could make a case for Bluff, and maybe Intimidate, as Diplomacy substitutes.]
* A Lamplighter is well-trained, knowledgeable, and resourceful.
I could not possibly do my job without a good eye for the value of things, and some knowledge of the places I must travel, and the people I must do business with. I'm not the sort of lady to let a trap or locked door stand between me and something I want, and I have just recently begun my studies in arcane theory.
(She proceeds to list several other qualifications, for which she has more bluff skill than actual talent.)
* A Lamplighter is always ready for combat, and is trained and equipped for both hand-to-hand and ranged fighting.
* A Lamplighter is well-equipped for any eventuality, and ready to travel at a moment’s notice.
(Katarina looks remarkably unthreatening until, with a barely perceptible flick of the wrist, a dagger appears in her hand. She continues to produce several other daggers, which were hidden about her person.) These are flexible weapons, allowing me to strike at enemies, both near and far away. I have a silver one, and an iron one, for special cases. (She pauses for a second before pulling a club out of her bag and placing it besides the daggers with a "thunk".) And I have this, for bashing skeletons. It's really hard to sneak into places where I shouldn't have weapons, though . . .
* A Lamplighter is sound of mind and body, with no physical, mental, or social deficiency which would interfere with their duties.
I think you'll find my mind to be quite sharp. I am quick with my words, and also with my hands, equally graceful on the dance floor and diving for cover when the wizards start throwing fireballs. I may not be built like my friend, Kakau the Barbarian, but I am in reasonably good health. Now, you're not going to make me lift anything heavy to qualify for your Lamplighters, are you?
Are you sure that's necessary? It is rather unbecoming for a lady of my position . . .
(She bats her eyes at the barbarian) Kakau, you handsome fellow, would you come lift this large rock for me?
What do you mean, that doesn't count? There was a heavy object that needed to be lifted, and I made sure that it got lifted.
[ooc: This character is going to trip over the stats qualification, and would probably balk at the not keeping secrets part, as well. That's not necessarily a complaint, but it made me realize that the Lamplighters are actually kind of a difficult group to get into. Any one qualification, by itself, won't rule out a ton of characters but it may be sort of rare to find someone who fits them all. I guess this all depends on how exclusive a group you were aiming for.]
You honor me with your response, Princess. You are correct, I have perhaps been thinking more of a goal for a new Pathfinder recruit, rather than criteria for already-established agents who may have already made up for any natural deficiency with training and hard work. I will consider your words carefully.
Until we meet in person, I have the honor to remain,
Your humble servant,
Aram bin Kaleel
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
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Speaking as Bartlebee Esquire, a half-orc cavalier who wears bifocules and is impecibly well-bred:
"I do say that I agree with many of your philosophies, and humbly take on many party negotiations myself when my background in serving high-society can be of use. However, my time in servitude has left my muscles lax and my face disfigured - one hardly gets the chance to display my verbal eloquence due to this handicap, compounded with the rampant class-ism and race-ism that I've encountered throughout the Inner Sea.
My deficiencies aside, this now-free Axe Beak rancher, prides himself on making these 'thugs' look presentable, taking fall and folly upon myself to do so. I have protected my wards on and off the battlefield, and on one occasion visited Pharasma in their sted. I would gladly join the ranks of your Lamplighters... if merit can bypass requirements"
We shall keep our eyes on this group. They have drawn our......interest.
Mr. Bartlebee: many have pointed out this weakness in my proposal, and so I have convened a meeting in Absalom to discuss ways to refine it. I pray you and many of your colleagues will join us.
Meeting in Absalom: link
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A red-haired, halfling pied like a piper somersaults through the door and across the floor chanting:
"Fool me once, shame on thee,
Fool me twice shame on me.
A fool I am, a jest, a scamp,
But where stands the lighter of the lamp?
Only the shadow knows."
and tumbles hand over hand out the opposite door.
