1117's page

Thank you very much for your thoughts on it all. Deffinitly good points to concider.
Running as written with massacre after vote gives them both some claim, even if both bit muddy and unclear. Works in that light.

In proces of hearing podcast with lead developer Crystal Frasier running GM on Know Direction. Don´t know the long term implications, but she altered the written script by letting the PC´s see the Grand Prince take a crossbow bolt to the chest before being being teleported and later Martella informs them, she saw the Lion Blades run him through!!
So thats a take on, who took him down ...
The Lion Blades serve and protect Taldor, not the (Mad) Grand Prince.

Heard up to episode 16, which is just before the epilog of book 1. Curious to hear, how she runs the rest of it.

Your PC´s prediction and the fact that Crystal has altered/added discriptions on the matter tells me, there are reasons to concider this.

I would love to hear more ideas/opinions.

Oh. If the Grand Prince´s body is found after the attack on the Senete, why don´t they just raise him ... ?

Only to find out, he has gone mad ...

Not an easy situation this ...

Plot holes(?) or misunderstandings on my part ...

I really really like the style of this Path with all the social stuff.

But regarding the major plot, I do have some issues or I have misread/misunderstod some things.
Hope someone can help me make sense of it all.

The Path is War for the Crown - so we need a war for the crown. I get that.

But:
- If the Grand Prince has set up the attack on the Senete and is "guarded by a dozen Ulfen Guards", how does he end up being "killed" in the attack?

- Well he is not actually killed. But why does everyone then think so?

- Is there a fake burrial to make nobles and all the Taldar people think he is dead?

- Why would anyone (Maxillar) do that.

- How does Maxillar get the Grand Prince alive out of the Seneate, without anyone knowing?

Maxillar probably has a great deal of control over the guards of the Senete and the Taldan Phalanx that is also present, so he could pull of many things, but .. ("EDIT": and he does not control the Ulfen Guard surrounding the Grand Prince ..)

- Why would Maxillar do that? He has just been adopted by the Grand Prince. If he wants to be the ruler himself, he does not need the Grand Prince to live. But if he can´t kill him himself, because he is lawful, then how can he keep him prisoner? And to what end?
And still himself make claim to rulership?

I find it really hard to present to my players, that there is a war for the crown, when the Grand Prince is actually not dead. ("EDIT" And I do not see or understand any logic to Maxillars actions. Maybe if he was The Joker.)

As written, nobody knows where the Grand Prince/his body is.
Woulden´t the Ulfen Guard (and everybody else) be all over the place searching for him/the body they have sworn to protect?

Well - the Grand Prince is insane. Wouldn´t the adopted Maxillar, seeming older than the Princess and therefore be next in line, just produce the mad king and then take over rulership?

What are your expiriences with this and players reactions to the setup?

As it is, Maxillar is actually the rightfull ruler (being adopted, prof or not) and the players are supposed to be helping a usurper!
They might be in for that.

I am considering solving my issues with having the Grand Prince actually killed in the attack on the Senete. Not yet sure, who would/could kill him there. Maybe an agent from the Circle, who knew about the plan for the massacre and use it as a cover. Because the Circle have a puppet-ruler getting ready... The Grand Prince being alive and mad does not really play any active part later on in the Path.
Also not having the Grand Prince adopt Maxillar and execute the attack before the vote.
Then neither Maxillar nor the Princess have any legal claims to the throne and the "war"/struggle between them is more legit to support.

Can anyone see any problems down the line in this approch?

Does the Grand Prince have any male cousins anywhere, who would then have claim to the throne?

Please help me out on this. I might have misunderstood the Path as written, but I really would like to have a solid story to take my players through in this Path.