Making Radiants: Edgedancer

Edgedancers generally subscribe to a philosophy of remembering the ordinary people of the world. The order considers it their solemn duty to remember that the people are the ones they truly serve. They even aspire to remember and hear their enemies, as their stories could provide insight. Edgedancers see it as their duty to care for the common folk and improve their daily lives and are similar to Good Samaritans. They tend to attract religious people and leaders and those who advocate for ordinary people.

Order of Edgedancers - Coppermind

Stay awhile and listen

This resource is designed for game masters looking for inspiration to start their players on their path to swearing the ideals of an order of the Knights Radiant. For each Order, there is a scenario that you might use in your campaign to help inspire your budding Knights Radiant to further their journey.

Scenarios include a basic setup to bring your party into the conflict, recommended skill checks to engage your players, and possible outcomes for you to plan for. Where appropriate, there are potential opportunities and complications to blend these events into the tapestry of your campaign.

Here are some quick reminders, which I explained in more detail in my previous post on Dustbringers.

• Make it your own: Use these prompts as kick-starters for your campaign.
• Complimentary and conflicting viewpoints: Scenarios in which your whole party participates may play out differently when viewed through the lens of different orders.
• The journey or the destination: Whether it’s the pivotal moment where a player swears their first (or next) ideal or a simple skill challenge, you will find plenty of inspiration to keep your players engaged with the storyline.
• Further reading: I recommend the Coppermind to any game master who is not well-versed in each Order's lore.

Scenario: A just reward

The party is invited to attend a celebration held by the local High Prince to celebrate either one of their recent successes or something more personal to the prince, like a birthday or victory. The party is spoiled with exotic entertainment, decadent food, and limitless luxury as they have never before experienced. While celebrating, the Edgedancer will be led by an odd series of vines towards the servant's quarters. Inside, they find the price of the High Prince’s excess. They meet a few local commoners tasked with making the night’s luxury possible.

The group of commoners is overworked and exhausted from the evening’s labor. Adults and children alike have been worked to the bone caring for the guests, preparing and serving food, and cleaning to ensure the High Prince’s party goes off without a hitch. 

When speaking with one of the commoners, the party will learn that, despite the harsh conditions, they aren’t particularly unhappy with their treatment. While the days are long and exhausting, it's better than toiling out in a field or begging on the streets. They admit that the High Prince used to give more to their servants, but with the ongoing chaos of the world, they’re pinching every sphere, and money “wasted” on the servants was the first thing to go. With all this opulence around them, they just wish they could indulge in even a small piece of the luxury, even for one night.

The potential Edgedancer’s spren will help nudge the player in the right direction: maybe it would be a good idea to steal away some of the party and bring it to the people. Here are some ideas on how this could be accomplished: choose an activity that suits the skill strengths of your party:

Resolution

At the end of the evening, the connection that the potential Edgedancer makes with the servants draws a deeper connection between the player and their spren. 

Failure in this case may drive that connection more strongly since it will enhance the drive and need to help people such as these.

Opportunities and Complications

Use these opportunities and complications to enhance this scenario's impact on your party and their future.

Opportunity: The staff is grateful for the party's respite and will act as unofficial informants in that High Prince’s court. Any time the party needs information or a simple favor, the servants will provide it.

Complication: The High Prince learns of the party’s intervention. Depending on the help rendered, they will, at best, think less of the party for associating with commoners and, at worst, punish the servants for acting outside of their station.

A journey's end

The next article will complete the Making Radiants series! That final article should be out sometime later this week, so stay tuned!