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*SPOILERS*
The characters in my campaign have successfully driven the Kreegs from Fort Rannick. None of the three rescued Black Arrows survived: Kaven was killed by Jakardos for his treachery, Vale fell in the battle and Jakardos disappeared in the Shimmerglens after leading two PCs on a side quest to reincarnate a friend.
The mayor of Turtleback Ferry has presented the PCs with a writ of title, ennobling any who choose to sign. Only two of the party, both of Varisian, declined.
Now they own a keep that seems superfluous. It and Turtleback Ferry are vassals of Magnimar, and it's (supposedly) strategically placed, but what does that mean for the characters?
- Who was the lord of the keep previously? The leader of the Black Arrows? Was it held in a stewardship under the city of Magnimar?
- Why did Magnimar forge an alliance with Turtleback Ferry in the first place? Were they afraid of ogres that were two weeks away by horseback? Did Turtleback Ferry join for protection?
- Magnimar has no sovereign, so how are nobles granted peerage? Are all the existing Magnimar nobles just hereditary, from before the exodus from Korvosa?
- Who was financing the fort? On a shoestring budget it would be around 400 gp a month to maintain.
- Do they own the land around the keep?
- Do they collect taxes from Turtleback Ferry?
- Do they own Turtleback Ferry?
I have no idea how this military fort ties into the political framework of Magnimar.
Any groovy answers/guesses? I'm looking for ideas to make Rannick gel with the players.
Creative Director
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- Who was the lord of the keep previously? The leader of the Black Arrows? Was it held in a stewardship under the city of Magnimar?
The previous lord of the keep was a ranger named Lamatar Bayden. He got turned into a wight and lives with some hags up on Hook Mountain now (see area D7 of the adventure). He was also the leader of the Black Arrows. Magnimar did indeed fund the Black Arrows and encourage them to take up residence there, mostly so that they'd keep the indigenous ogre and troll and ogrekin population of central Varisia under control.
- Why did Magnimar forge an alliance with Turtleback Ferry in the first place? Were they afraid of ogres that were two weeks away by horseback? Did Turtleback Ferry join for protection?
Partially because civilized Varisia wants there to be less ogres & trolls & ogrekin raiding the lowlands, and the region around Turtleback Ferry is sort of the heart of where those two societies clash. Partially because if Magnimar didn't move in to sponsor Turtleback Ferry, Korvosa eventually would have, and Magnimar would rather have a remote interest and influence over a far-flung outlying village than have Korvosa have the same. Varisia's not quite yet an honest to goodness nation, but it's poised to become one in the near future, and whether that nation is ruled by (Magnimar's new blood or Korvosa's traditional old blood) will, in some part, depend on which of the two cities has more outlying areas under their control.
- Magnimar has no sovereign, so how are nobles granted peerage? Are all the existing Magnimar nobles just hereditary, from before the exodus from Korvosa?
Magnimar has a council and a lord-mayor, and they certainly have a say in who is "noble," but for the most part in Magnimar, it's self-made nobles. If you have the money, put some of that back into the city, and act the part, you can pretty much be a noble in Magnimar. Some of the nobles there are certainly ex-Korvosan nobles, but most of them are new blood.
- Who was financing the fort? On a shoestring budget it would be around 400 gp a month to maintain.
Magnimar finances the fort.
- Do they own the land around the keep?
The Black Arrows (and if they take over, the PCs) own the land around the keep.
- Do they collect taxes from Turtleback Ferry?
The rulers of the fort (be they Black Arrows or the PCs) collect the taxes. They can collect however as many taxes as they want from Turtleback Ferry, in theory enough to pay taxes to Magnimar, who in turn uses some of that tax money to finance Fort Rannick and other forts and stuff throguhout Varisia.
- Do they own Turtleback Ferry?
Nope; Turtleback Ferry pays taxes to Magnimar, but the town itself is its own entity. The rulers of the fort don't own it either, but they ARE supposed to protect it from ogres and the like, and that's why the town pays their taxes to the Fort.
I have no idea how this military fort ties into the political framework of Magnimar.
See above, but basically it's another chit on the table for Magnimar when the final reckoning against Korvosa for who's really in charge of Varisia ever comes around.