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Updated Iron Guard Theme?

Posted by Herja on 10/13/22
Updated Iron Guard Theme?
Category: Legal Matters
Question: With the changes to the Iron Guard, I was hoping staff could provide clarity about how player characters (or standard NPCs) might perceive them. I know back in the day there was a theme file somewhere describing some abusive practices enacted by the Iron Guard on the Lowers, and I know there are a lot of characters from the Lowers who play that stuff as still happening. I also remember Sparte's player once mentioning that he'd tried to reform the Iron Guard, but had been told by staff that it was intended to stay a 'lowest common denominator' kind of institution, unable to attract really high quality recruits. This is also something that I think a fair number of people heard, either from him or from elsewhere, and may be playing it as still being the case.

Has the Iron Guard changed? Are they still beating up people from the Lowers because they can? Are they still uninterested in learning how to subdue people without seriously hurting them? Or should we all be playing the fact that a corner has been turned and the new police force has become evenhanded and equitable?

In addition, if it's the case that the previous status quo is still the way things are, would it be possible for staff to make some kind of post to alert the playerbase if our characters would start to see a marked change in the Iron Guard's behavior? Obviously, none of this would force a character to have one opinion or another about the Iron Guard, but it would be nice if we, as players, could have a clear understanding of what objectively is the case.
Answer: I will eventually be posting a Vox Populi post or an emil regarding the reputation of the Iron Guard and how its changes are viewed by the various types of NPCs, which should help clarify things. I don't ever want to dictate what a PC should think, so take this more as my commentary as to how NPCs would probably view the Iron Guard's increased presence in the city. So, the Lowers and commoner NPCs are still very wary of the Iron Guard. The new leader has a good reputation, but there have been years of abuses, which cannot be undone and overcome quickly. The nobles think the increased presence of the Iron Guard is great because they never really had to deal with their shadiness in the past! Until they are the one detained or asked to be searched. Then, this is an outrage and how dare a member of the peerage be treated with suspicion when we all know that the shavs and Prodigals are the REAL threat.

As I said, there will likely be something put up IC regarding the Iron Guard as this latest round of crisis actions are resolved.