Hey Ed. Since my digging hasn’t revealed much past 1375 DR, I thought I’d ask the Master Sage. Is there still an official process for joining the Harpers in the 1490s? And who, if any, are the active Senior/High Harpers on…..the Sword Coast in the 1490s?
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 26, 2020
1)
It’s never been “official” in the formal public ceremony sense. What usually happens is that the Harpers spy on likely candidates for some time, and if they think at the end of that time that someone is suitable (senior Harpers have a veto over this), a senior… 2)
…Harper will approach the candidate in private (usually trying to arrange circumstances where no one will observe the Harper approach or depart the meeting, so it’s often at night, wherever the candidate is sleeping, or returning from a privy) and ask them if…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 26, 2020
3)
…they’re interested. If they want time to think it over, any later approach will have the same privacy but the Harper will bring reinforcements, nearby but usually hidden, to deal with any ambushes. On acceptance, the candidate is given a Harper pin and a… 4)
…Harper mentor, who gives them their first mission, accompanies them on it (often spied on by another Harper), and answers any questions the candidate may have/renders them aid/becomes their once-a-tenday-or-a-month contact.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 26, 2020
Would the process be any different if the candidate was infamously competent and experienced, for instance Drizzt Do’Urden?No. It's still a one-on-one, in private (in front of
Guenhwyvar counts as private) ask, and there's still a mentor and a spy. How CLOSE a role a mentor plays is always up to the candidate.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 26, 2020
So it’s essentially about seeing the candidate’s performance first-hand and verifying its level of competence, regardless of their No, the competence of the candidate has been determined long before they're approached.
It's about their loyalty to the idea/aims of the Harpers, and helicoptering so as to swoop in and prevent their first Harper foray/mission being a fatal one for them.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 26, 2020