[Wids]

Harpers do have a promotion system like the guilds. However I think depending on your alignment maybe or which Harper group you belong to determines the task? Also Harper tasks a bit tricky as if you are sent some where dangerous you have to determine if you can solo, if you can trust people you ask for help or you just bite the bullet and buy it if available.

Eilbren was an elven Chaotic Good Bard/Ranger, and she got into the Harpers through what I assumed was the usual route: Talk to a certain colorful midget in Bezantur, then talk to one of the Harpers' lieutenants, complete a quest for them (in her case, fetching a buttload of portal stones) and get a Key to the Veiled Tower. I don't think it matters which lieutenant you talk to, as they all have their own rooms in the Veiled Tower (so they're all part of the same Harpers faction).

Maybe they just have very high standards for promotion...that or they caught on to how Eilbren was getting so many slaves out of Thay with their lives (Cast Invisibility on the slave, stalk around the countryside in Stealth Mode (Thanks, Trackless Step) while VEE'ing repeatedly every time you see something hostile, persist until you find the portal.) and decided that Bard/Rangers are honorless cheaters undeserving of advancement.

To advance in temples you really need to be a cleric as lay people only go two levels.

Not just clerics. Divine Champions (Champions of Torm) can advance to any rank in a temple, just as clerics can. Certain temples also accept paladins, druids and/or blackguards as clergy, and one or two temples will accept any class as clergy; you could be a Fighter/Sorcerer/Gruel Chef and still reach Respected Clergy in the Temple of Entropy.

You might be confusing "cleric" with "clergy" here.

Temples are two parts- one recruiter and at least one priest or priestess. You can tell who is a recruiter when you have not joined anything as yet and they tell you of the temple and god.

I know. I've been to enough temples to buy stuff or get diseases cured ("Oh...you're that guy. Okay, where's the one who sells all the bandages?"), and my various characters have worked for Loviatar's Manor, the Temple of Sharess (briefly) and the Temple of Leira. Pain Tiana of the Shards, being the "mean-spirited Prada bitch" type, was a pretty cool questgiver to work for, but she still never made me laugh like the Priestess of Leira does.

Or was that comment meant for everyone who didn't already know?

Only Thayan knows note. :)

This is true.