| orangefruitbat |
I've got a bit of a problem with my game. The party has never been aggressive about expanding their kingom, resulting in it being only 34 hexes in size (ranging from Tatzleford, to Oleg's to the Staglord's keep to Varnhold). Before starting WoRK, I'd like their kingdom to expand considerably (but without overt metagaming) so that they can build the larger military units needed. (Our group likes to play RAW, so I don't want to modify the mass combat rules signficantly).
I thought that the logical way to encourage my players to expand their kingdom was to arrange events so that when the PCs complete BfB, they would annex Fort Drelev (and all territories inbetween). This would ahve placed their kingom over 50 hexes, and a decent starting place for WoRK.
To my surpise, the PCs have decided that they want to keep Baron Drelev in power (I suppose they felt sorry for him?). I even had the wizard Stroon secretly approach the party and try to sell the baron out (and set them up for the sudden-yet-inevitable betrayal). Rather than confront the weaselly Collin Farrel-wannabe (look at that pic!) or his trecherous wizard and liberate the suffering people of Drelev, the PCs snuck out of the city and headed out to find Armag.
Our last session concluded with the PCs wiping out his campsite followers, and entering the cairn. Since the PCs will soon remove the barbarian threat, destroy the cultists and rescue the hostages, their plan will almost certainly work. What should I do? Should I arrange events forcing the PCs to annex Fort Drelev? (and if so, how?) Or should I just let things happen and let the events of WoRK happen?