### CHURCH ↔ DOCTORS
Status: Moral Conflict (Resource Competition)
Nature:
- Church views Doctors as immoral (contraception, abortion, poison)
- Doctors view Church as authoritarian (forbidden knowledge, unnecessary suffering)
- Both serve poor; compete for patient loyalty/donations
Flashpoints:
- Contraceptive access (Church forbids; Doctors provide)
- Abortion cases (Church opposes; Doctors offer dangerous assistance)
- Poison knowledge (Church views as evil; Doctors see as legitimate medicine)
- Patient recruitment (Church hospitals vs. street clinics)
Hidden Truth:
- Church quietly funds certain Doctors to prevent worse alternatives
- Some priests secretly consult Doctors for medical knowledge
- Doctors provide Church with contraceptive knowledge for controlling population
### CHURCH ↔ RUH
Status: Heresy Suspicion (Cultural Tension)
Nature:
- Church views Ruh as heretical (pagan stories, ungodly wandering, no fixed community)
- Ruh view Church as oppressive and culturally insensitive
- Mutual tolerance masked as mutual contempt
Flashpoints:
- Ruh preaching (Church forbids without approval; Ruh refuses Church authority)
- Story content (Church objects to "pagan" elements)
- Child apprenticeship (Church claims Ruh neglect; Ruh claims cultural independence)
- Charity expectations (Church demands Ruh tithe; Ruh refuses)
Hidden Truth:
- Ruh preserve pre-Tehlin knowledge; Church fears this
- Some Church officials secretly listen to Ruh stories (forbidden)
- Ruh may carry Chandrian knowledge in encrypted song/story form
### AMYR ↔ DOCTORS
Status: Unwitting Tools (Manipulation)
Nature:
- Amyr doesn't care about Doctors individually
- Amyr uses select Doctors (poison masters, herbalists) as intelligence assets
- Doctors don't know they're being used
Flashpoints:
- Poison research (Amyr acquires through intermediaries)
- Rare ingredient access (Amyr controls black market sources)
- Patient information (Amyr bribes Doctors for intelligence on targets)
- Forbidden remedies (Amyr prevents certain knowledge from spreading)
Hidden Truth:
- Several "independent" Doctors are Amyr agents
- Amyr controls key poison masters without their knowledge
- Amyr suppresses dragonroot distribution to maintain rarity
### AMYR ↔ MAER'S COURT
Status: Secret Patrons (Hidden Control)
Nature:
- Amyr funds Maer's power; Maer is their political proxy
- Maer suspects Amyr control but tolerates it for stability
- Both benefit from arrangement; neither fully trusts other
Flashpoints:
- Policy decisions (does Maer serve Amyr or his own interests?)
- Noble succession (Amyr influences who becomes Maer)
- Military campaigns (Amyr coordinates war goals)
- Chandrian response (Amyr dictates Maer's magical defense strategy)
Hidden Truth:
- Amyr has groomed Maer since childhood; high control
- Maer is aware of manipulation but sees no alternative
- Some nobles work directly for Amyr, bypassing Maer
### AMYR ↔ TARBEAN UNDERWORLD
Status: Occasional Tools (Transactional)
Nature:
- Amyr uses criminals for dirty work (assassinations, theft, intimidation)
- Underworld uses Amyr protection for specific operations
- Relationship is transactional and deniable
Flashpoints:
- Hit contracts (Amyr orders targets eliminated)
- Intelligence gathering (Underworld reports on civilian activity)
- Magical artifact theft (Underworld steals; Amyr retrieves)
- Police interference (Amyr prevents prosecution of useful criminals)
Hidden Truth:
- Several major crimelords are Amyr assets
- Amyr uses Underworld to eliminate their own agents (plausible deniability)
- Underworld leadership rotates partly based on Amyr preferences
### AMYR ↔ RUH
Status: Monitored (Surveillance)
Nature:
- Amyr views Ruh as knowledge carriers and cultural spreaders
- Amyr monitors Ruh movements and story content
- Ruh largely unaware they're being watched
Flashpoints:
- Story censorship (Amyr prevents certain tales from spreading)
- Ruh movement restrictions (Amyr detours Ruh away from sensitive locations)
- Recruitment attempts (Amyr tries to embed agents in Ruh caravans)
- Knowledge protection (Amyr forbids Ruh access to certain information)
Hidden Truth:
- Ruh carry some Amyr-approved stories that spread propaganda
- Several Ruh are known Amyr agents; others are unknown
- Amyr fears Ruh may know Chandrian truth; actively prevents it
### AMYR ↔ ADEM
Status: Respect/Distance (Uneasy Détente)
Nature:
- Amyr respects Adem martial prowess and independence
- Adem respect Amyr intelligence and discretion; avoid them
- Both avoid direct conflict; maintain distance
Flashpoints:
- Hiring disputes (Maer/Amyr vs. independent Adem mercenaries)
- Territory control (Adem land; Amyr operations)
- Cultural friction (Adem ethics vs. Amyr pragmatism)
- Knowledge exchange (both respect other's expertise; don't share)
Hidden Truth:
- Amyr may have Chandrian connection; Adem know this
- Adem actively avoid Amyr; possible historical grievance
- Both are hunting different aspects of same cosmic threat
### AMYR ↔ CHANDRIAN
Status: Eternal War (Cosmic Opposition)
Nature:
- Amyr's existence is defined by opposition to Chandrian
- Chandrian erase Amyr; Amyr hunt Chandrian
- Supernatural conflict; more than political
Flashpoints:
- Researcher disappearances (either side eliminating threats)
- Magical events (Chandrian interference vs. Amyr counter-action)
- Name hunting (both seek Chandrian true names)
- Apocalypse prevention (Amyr's ultimate goal)
Hidden Truth:
- Amyr may be partially Chandrian-created (a trap, a tool, a nemesis)
- Amyr's power comes from Chandrian opposition; ending them weakens Amyr
- Chandrian fear Amyr more than any other mortal faction
### DOCTORS ↔ MAER'S COURT
Status: Secret Clients (Profitable Discretion)
Nature:
- Nobles secretly employ Doctors for delicate health issues (poison, pregnancy, disease)
- Doctors provide absolute discretion; silence is their business model
- Mutually beneficial; neither wants relationship public
Flashpoints:
- Assassination by poison (Doctors unknowingly assist nobles)
- Illegitimate pregnancies (Doctors handle abortions/adoption)
- Addiction management (Doctors supply pain-management substances)
- Venereal disease (Doctors treat without judgment)
Hidden Truth:
- Maer may be secretly treated by Doctors for health condition
- Several Maer's physicians are actually top street Doctors
- Doctors hold blackmail material on every noble family
### DOCTORS ↔ TARBEAN UNDERWORLD
Status: Profitable Clients (Mutual Benefit)
Nature:
- Underworld employs Doctors to treat wounded, poisoned, or infected
- Doctors earn well; ask no questions; maintain absolute confidentiality
- Symbiotic relationship; both benefit
Flashpoints:
- Wound treatment (gang fights, assassinations)
- Poison preparation (hitman contracts)
- Antidote provision (protection against rival poisons)
- Information trading (Doctors hear all criminal gossip)
Hidden Truth:
- Some Doctors are de facto gang members
- Underworld protects Doctors from law enforcement
- Doctors may poison people on underworld commission
### DOCTORS ↔ RUH
Status: Trade Partners (Mutual Respect)
Nature:
- Doctors and Ruh trade knowledge freely
- Both are wanderers/outsiders; cultural kinship
- Both serve common people; mutual professional respect
Flashpoints:
- Herb sourcing (Ruh gather rare plants; Doctors buy)
- Knowledge exchange (healing techniques, folklore)
- Apprenticeship sharing (Ruh learn medicine from Doctors)
- Community healing (Doctors travel with Ruh caravans)
Hidden Truth:
- Some Doctors are part-Ruh or married into tradition
- Ruh teach Doctors non-standard healing techniques
- Joint knowledge preservation against Church suppression
### DOCTORS ↔ ADEM
Status: Respect/Learning (Professional Admiration)
Nature:
- Adem healing knowledge is superior; Doctors study it
- Adem respect Doctor craft; view them as kindred practical artisans
- Limited direct interaction; mutual professional regard
Flashpoints:
- Dragonroot sourcing (Adem control supply; Doctors negotiate)
- Healing technique exchange (Adem teach advanced surgery)
- Mercenary care (Doctors treat Adem warriors; earn respect)
- Knowledge preservation (both fight for access to healing truth)
Hidden Truth:
- Some Doctors were trained by Adem; carry forbidden knowledge
- Adem may employ Doctors for specialized work
- Dragonroot distribution may be partly controlled by Adem-Doctor alliance
### MAER'S COURT ↔ TARBEAN UNDERWORLD
Status: Underworld Tools (Exploitation)
Nature:
- Maer uses criminals for dirty work, espionage, and enforcement
- Underworld pays Maer protection money in exchange for freedom
- Maer extracts maximum value; Underworld benefits from reduced competition
Flashpoints:
- Enforcement contracts (suppress rival gangs on Maer's behalf)
- Espionage (steal information/artifacts for Maer)
- Tax evasion (Underworld pays Maer, avoids legal system)
- Police corruption (Maer provides cover for specific operations)
Hidden Truth:
- Maer controls Underworld more than it knows
- Several major crimelords are Maer appointees
- Underworld fear Maer's power; may be planning escape
### MAER'S COURT ↔ RUH
Status: Entertainment (Utilitarian)
Nature:
- Ruh provide entertainment and stories; Maer pays for performances
- Ruh benefit from patronage; Maer enjoys cultural prestige
- Relationship is transactional; limited true connection
Flashpoints:
- Censorship demands (Maer forbids certain stories)
- Performance control (Maer decides which Ruh perform)
- Apprenticeship (Maer claims right to select talented Ruh youth)
- Storytelling restrictions (sensitive topics forbidden)
Hidden Truth:
- Maer censors stories about his family/Court
- Some Ruh are Maer spies; travel to gather information
- Ruh may know Court secrets; forbidden from speaking them