Organization

Organizations Index

Collections are not really organizations, in that they do not reflect a number of people who are centrally organized, instead the people are simply being proximate in some way, or have a common characteristic.
The crucial difference to a character between a collection and an organization is that being a friend/foe of one person in a collection, does not impact the relation with other members of the collection - the two 'members' may be completely unaware of each other. Members of an organization may not consider themselves such - a village for example could be described as an organization but the villagers would not see it in that manner - but they will know about and react to the way a character interacts with another villager.

• Creatures of the Misty Woods
  
• Mages of Cerilia
  
• Master Craftsmen of Cerilia
  
• Rogue Mages of the Imperial City
  
• Sin Mages of the Anuirean Colonies
  
• New_Collection1
  
• New_Collection2
  

Ranging from a collection of childhood friends, to the staff of an inn, to an elite unit of troubleshooters reporting directly to the crown; bands can have an influence that crosses the kingdom or be unknown outside the street in which they live.
When creating a band try to give some background color - a history, an idea of the areas in which the band may be found, the purpose for which they are together, their goals and tactics; a band which is simply a collection of statistics is of little use to others.

• Fred/The_Sons_of_Katie_Younger
  
• New_Band1
  
• New_Band2
  

For advice on creating an adventuring party in a Birthright campaign go to DM Hints Party Formation.

Factions are organizations of a reasonable size that can influence hundreds of people (note that a small group of wealthy nobles would properly be described as a faction not a band as through their wealth they can employ dozens of laborers, a double hand of men-at-arms, etc)
Factions include military units, the occupants of a reasonable size monastery or Abbey, an assassins guild, members of a gentleman's club, etc.
Factions are almost always well known in their area of operations, those who avoid publicity may avoid public knowledge, but will still be known to the wise. Factions may amount to a level 0 holding.
Factions typically needs an activity to generate income on an ongoing basis, an internal set of rules, have some means of identifying one another (i.e. a uniform, badge, etc). They may well have a fixed base of operations, possibly secondary sites in which they gather, may have connections in local politics, etc. A faction typically has a single strong leader, with perhaps one or two potential rivals/heirs, and either a detailed history, a strong ethos which caused rapid growth, or both, it will typically have a few major long term goals and several minor short term goals.

• House of Hollenvik
  
• PBEM:Lands apart/Knightly orders
  
• PBEM:Lands apart/Imperial Senate
  
• Fred's New Faction
  

Orders will often be represented by a L0 or L1 holding in domain play, or be part of a larger holding. These include mercenary groups that can muster a unit or two, a priestly order within a larger church, inhabitants of a village or even residents of a city street who have a strong sense of community.
An order is so substantial in size and influence that it is always known of in its areas of operations, even if details are misunderstood or the facade presented to the outside world truly believed. Only a pathologically secretive order could escape the attention of the authorities - although if its goals do not seem to be objectionable it may be overlooked so long as it is careful. For example the local sheriff would know that the hunters lodge is 3 leagues upriver, have an idea of who is a member or not, but would not know of its secret worship of Belinik and moonlit hunts of young maidens through the forests until the sheriff came across the hunt in full cry, similarly the folk of Talhundt in Danigau will know 'all about' the independent church of Sera to which they go each godsday, but know nothing of the Ice Lady of Kriesha who secretly controls the church.
An order is so large that most members know only a small number of the other members well, making some means of identification necessary, encourages subsets to form with potentially divergent philosophies. Orders frequently have several potential leaders although only one or two recognized leaders.
An order has a single very substantial base or several lesser bases - each of which will have its own internal politics. An order will typically have a few clear common goals, with each area having local goals and methods, these will generally support the longer goals but may conflict with another element of the order if local politics over-ride the orders general aims. An order generally has a long and detailed history - the firebrand preacher who raises the masses into a fanatical church being one of the few exceptions.

• The Red Hand
  
• Fred/Fred's_New_Order1
  
• Fred's New Order 2
  

Regent Organizations are large gatherings of power, typically having influence over at least a thousand people.
Regent organizations are typically based around a single type of holding, although various areas tend to ignore this rule, for example most province rulers also own Law, although to a lesser extent in Rjurik, while in Brechtür Guilders often control law and in Khinasi the province holder may control sources but leave law to their underlings.
For example: The Red Kings of Aftane.

Some named units, or all units in a finely detailed realm, might be described as organizations.
Such organizations are primarily military companies and support their members in large scale battles.

• Frontier Thunderers
  
• Spears of Cuiraécen
  
• Haelyn's Warriors
  
• Watch
  
• Schaefrich Welchen
  
• Doomwarden
  
• Imperial Legion
  
• Wolf Guard
  
• Slekazniy Guards
  
• Hogunmark Dragons
  
• Chimaera Constabulary
  
• Müden's Royal Guards
  
• Black Arrows
  
• Graybolts
  
• Stille Wächter
  
• Kvigmar Guardians
  
• Knights of Cuiraécen
  
• Blackgate Stormlords
  
• Lluabraight Gheallie Sidhe
  
• Mhoried Guardians
  
• Hammers of Moradin
  

These are more commonly called realms or nations. Counter to common misconception being ruler of a realm does not necessarily give the ability to have much impact over peoples lives, the ruler can set tax levels, control the mustering of troops, arrange or bar the construction of roads, bridges, ports and other major works, but otherwise must leave the micro-management to others.
This is the place to enter your own realm write-ups, either as replacements for the existing realms, or for 'off-map' areas such as Aduria, Djapar, the Dragon Isles, etc.

• Skyewode
  
• Legion of Blood
  
• Vorostokov
  
• Fred/Fred's_New_Realm
  

An organization based around law holdings could range from a legal institution, to a pirate band, they are noted for their ability to influence other holdings and have a substantial effect on the minutiae of peoples lives.

• Ylvarrik Castle, the anti-Royalist faction in Stjordvik
  
• The Watch, Guardians of the Rjurik settlements of the Giant Downs
  
• The Imperial Legion, the long arm of the law in the Imperial City
  

Temples are holdings which have reasonable, albeit not spectacular income, but have a true influence over the people they influence - commoners will shift allegiance to a guild as their fortunes wax and wane, but a temple is for life - and beyond.
Temple holdings could include actual church-based organizations, wide-spread philosophies, or even certain sports clubs!

• The Church of Storms Height
  
• White Hand of Kriestal, the secret temple of Kriesha in Danigau
  
• Dragonsea Temple of Haelyn
  

Money talks, in these organizations it talks very loudly. Guild based organizations make reasonable income, but can make extra-ordinary amounts by the creation of trade routes.
Guild based organizations include trading guilds, merchant co-operatives, labor collectives, spy networks, crime rings, Viking raiders, etc.

• Fred/Fred's_New_Guild_Org1
  
• Fred/Fred's_New_Guild_Org2