This thread is dedicated to discussing Prince Zeech and how he is going to be portrayed in the campaign, as well as ideas about how to use him properly.
Specifically, I have some questions about his depiction in the AoW Overload. I notice the Overload refers to him as a fallen paladin, yet the only 3rd edition reference to Zeech (LGG) has him as a Ftr/Clr of Hextor, not a fallen paladin. Is it a design issue that he needs to be a fallen paladin to satisfy the storyline, or is it an intentional deviation from the LGG for reasons unspecified? I'm thinking it's possible that he is listed as a fallen paladin in a previous source (there was a really old dragon magazine that details on the bandit kings, but I don't know how specific it got) but that seems unlikely; being a fallen paladin 2nd edition was suicide! You were totally hosed.
Good point, Ab. On another note, can we be expecting the same effete personality Zeech is so well known for?
, can we be expecting the same effete personality Zeech is so well known for?
Whatch'you talkin bout Willis?
Is this stuff Living Greyhawk? I've never heard of this guy ever, nor of Redhand. Don't make me crack open my Iuz the evil
supplement to see if I totally missed something.
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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There's really almost nothing on Prince Zeech. Here's the relevant info from the LGG, which summarized all pre-existing material on him (which largely consisted of his name and levels from an old one-page Dragon article).
"The Combination's [of Free Lords, a euphamism for the Bandit Kingdoms] only coastal "kingdom," Redhand holds a section of the north coast of the Nyr Dyv, from the old Shield Lands to the mouth of the Artonsamay River. "Prince" Zeech (LE male human Ftr8/Clr4 of Hextor), an effete renegade Shield Lands lord who broke with his nation in 577, swiftly allied himself and his kingdom with the forces of Iuz in 583. The alliance saved his realm from destruction, though the old lords and soldiers of the realm chaged at taking orders from half-orcs and worse. Redhand's capital is Alhaster, but Zeech must report to the clerics of Iuz at Balmund, which he hates. Deadly conflicts between "Reyhu" orcs in the north and the Redhand humans in the south are becomming common.
"Now that most of the Old One's demonic officers are gone from the land, many believe Zeech and his men are set for a rebellion. Word of his surely has reached Dorakaa, and all eyes watch the debased prince with grotesque curiosity, guessing at his fate should he defy Iuz. Zeech would get no help elsewhere, as he is greatly hated in Urnst and Furyondy."
It's worth noting that the current year in Age of Worms is 595, which is four years after the current year of the LGG. Things have changed in Redhand, including the fact that Iuz is much less powerful in the region due to setbacks elsewhere. This subplot will not be very strong in the Age of Worms, although the Greyhawk conversion notes might eventually provide some info for DMs hoping to tie the campaign closer to the World of Greyhawk.
--Erik Mona
When I ran my "Wars" campaign, 582-583, the party had some dealings with Zeech.
I modelled him after Tim Roth's character from Rob Roy, Archibald Cunningham. I thought it gave him the right amount of pomp and pragmatic viciousness.
Of course the 'duel' at the end of AoW would be a lot more noble then the one at the end of that movie.
I am running my AoW campaign set in Eberron and I read about the Prince in the Overload PDF. I immediately began pondernig where to place this kingdom in the world and if the Prince would stay that character. Hopefully Keith will continue to provide conversions in the supplements as he had for issues #124 and #125. Any light that can be shed on this Eric?
There's really almost nothing on Prince Zeech. Here's the relevant info from the LGG, which summarized all pre-existing material on him (which largely consisted of his name and levels from an old one-page Dragon article).
Also, there is a mention of him in the entry for the County of Urnst, apparently he sacked their Naval Base (High Mardreth) a few years ago.
A friend of mine and I are both starting campaigns soon and we each gently guided players into being from Redhand... Might also be fun having a player from High Mardreth now that I think about it.
I have played LG in the Bandit Kingdoms (Texas) for the past year and Zeech has shown up several times. Adventuring in the BK is an interesting thing and I'm curious what is in store for AoW as it enters the area. Hopefully it won't just be "you teleport in, do your business, then get out". Though that is probably the SAFER route. :)
It's worth noting that the current year in Age of Worms is 595, which is four years after the current year of the LGG. Things have changed in Redhand, including the fact that Iuz is much less powerful in the region due to setbacks elsewhere.
So other than Living Greyhawk, what information are you basing this on seeing how there has otherwise, to my knowledge, been absolutely NO development of Greyhawk officially? Hmm, that sounds kind of flippant. I'm really not, just a curious little Greyhawk fan wondering how your mind works.
We do have a spot picked out for Redhand in Eberron. It's somewhere in the Lhazaar Principalities, but I don't have Keith's notes handy at the moment.
--Erik
THat's kinda of what I was thinking. It lent itself as a location that made the most sense.
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There's really almost nothing on Prince Zeech.
Erik and James are correct - before Age of Worms there are three minute bits of information on Zeech. And the "biggest" entry on him is in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Namely, they are in Dragon issues 56 and 63, and Living Greyhawk Journal 1.
Here is a timeline based on these minimal works:
575 CY - Zeech assumes control of the Shield Lands province of Redhand. It is unknown if his assumption of leadership is dynastic, a royal or noble assignment or otherwise.
577 CY - Zeech secedes from the Shield Lands and aligns Redhand with the independent freeholds of the Bandit Kingdoms. His reasons for doing this are unknown.
578 CY - Redhand sends troops to assist General Hok and Baron Oltagg (of the Bandit Kingdom freeholds of Warfields and Wormhall, respectively) in joint military efforts with the Horned Society against the Shield Lands.
578 CY - Lake-faring raiders and buccaneers from Redhand, certainly under the direction of Zeech, loot and pillage western hamlets and villages of the Duchy of Urnst.
583 CY - Zeech allies himself and Redhand with the Empire of Iuz, saving his realm from occupation and possible destruction. He sends tribute and reports to imperial leaders in Balmund.
590 CY - High Mardreth in the Duchy of Urnst is attacked by lake-borne raiders thought be from Redhand. It is uncertain if this activity is a continuation of raiding begun in 578 CY, or if there was a lull in the raids until the attack on High Mardreth in the summer of 590 CY.
The rest of Zeech's tale we know from "The Prince of Redhand", "Backdrop: Alhaster" and "Dawn of a new Age".
I think Zeech and his city of Alhaster were perfect elements for Age of Worms. It seems like he was more of a naval type. I did not get that feel for him as presented in Age of Worms. There is a lot of language about ships and galleys and "plied the waters" in the brief information we have on him. And, Alhsater is on the shore of the Nyr Dyv and Redhand abuts the Artonsamay River. Perhaps, if we're gonna bring Zeech into the multiverse of 3rd Edition, some swashbuckler or dread pirate may have been appropriate. Or, sailor type skill progression with whatever class levels. That is just being knit-picky two years later, but just a thought. It does not matter which was Zeech's preferred route of banditry - sea or land - in Age of Worms. His treatment in Age of Worms is satisfactory for the adventure path's purpose and needs. Anyone who seeks to further development Zeech may want to consider his shipborne proclivity, however.
The bigger story about Zeech, I think, is what brought him low. Unlike the debacle swirling around Thrommel, we know that Lashonna directly influenced Zeech. Thankfully, "The Prince of Redhand" and "Backdrop: Alhaster" make it abundantly clear that Lashonna (interesting that she herself is a fallen paragon of good - a whole other Greyhawk yarn to spin) manipulated his heart and mind for a long time, possibly for over two decades.
Anyway, I'll return you to your regular browsing on the Paizo boards. Sorry about the long treatise and for resurrecting an old, old thread. This is just good stuff.
Don Kenneth Brown
West Jordan, Utah
Don, interesting point you raise there.
Peruhain had a lenghty and excellent (IMHO) thread about Redhand found here. Peruhain interprets the information available on Redhand and elaborates on it.
About Zeechs marine ambitions: It was said somewhere that he fought against pirates and won (even if these fights were mostly staged), so a little proficiency in water-borne combat might indeed be called for. One or two levels of a fitting prestige class should do it, if we talk 3e here.
Stefan
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I wrote up a stat block for Zeech not so long ago, using feats and spells from the Complete Warrior and the Spell Compendium. Here it is:
Zeech, Prince of Redhand
Dungeons #131 & 135
hp 154 (16 HD) ; DR 3/–
Male human fallen paladin 8/blackguard 8
LE medium humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses Listen +4, Spot +4
Auras evil, despair (enemies within 10 ft. receive a -2 penalty on all saving throws)
Languages Common, Old Oeridian, Celestial, Orc, Infernal
AC 39 (+1 Dex, +13 armour, +7 shield, +4 deflection, +4 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 38
Fort +28, Ref +18, Will +21
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee +4 unholy keen bastard sword +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d10+11/17-20)
Base Atk +16; Grp +23
Atk Options Cleave, Divine Might, Improved Sunder, Power Attack
Def Options Divine Shield, Divine Vigor
Special Actions rebuke undead 11/day (+10, 2d6+14, 6th), lay on hands (128 hp/day), smite good 4/day (+8 attack, +8 damage), sneak attack +3d6, spells
Combat gear potion of bear’s endurance, potion of displacement, wand of cure light wounds
Blackguard spells prepared (CL 8th)
4th — freedom of movement, summon monster IV
3rd — mantle of evil*, protection from elements
2nd — hand of divinity*, zeal*
1st — corrupt weapon, divine sacrifice*, resurgence*
* from Spell Compendium
Spell-Like Abilities At will - detect good
1/day — summon monster I (CL 16)
Abilities Str 24, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 26
SQ poison use, dark blessing, fiendish servant
Feats Cleave, Divine Might (CW), Divine Shield (CW), Divine Vigor (CW), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Improved Sunder, Power Attack
Skills Bluff +17, Diplomacy +28, Hide +0, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (nobility & royalty) +8, Knowledge (religion) +22, Listen +4, Profession (sailor) +9, Ride +12, Sense Motive +22, Spot +4
Possessions combat gear plus +5 moderate fortification adamantine spiked full plate, +5 heavy steel shield, +4 unholy keen bastard sword, ring of protection +4, amulet of natural armour +4, belt of giant strength +6, cloak of charisma +6, vest of resistance +5
Hook By Hextor's law, the strong shall rule.
Height 6'2"; Weight 196 lbs.; Hair brown; Skin tan; Eyes brown; Age 42; Patron Deity Hextor
I gave Zeech better equipment than the standard 16th-level NPC, as befitting a ruler. Zeech also got better stats since he's an important NPC and I wanted his skill checks to be the same as those presented in Prince of Redhand. When I get a chance, I'll probably change him a bit using feats from the Complete Champion. I might even replace the blackguard levels with the ordained champion of Hextor.
Zeech as a pit fiend, Lashonna as a paeliryon demon, Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, Masque of the Red Death... It's long, but hopefully it inspires someone to use Expedition to Castle Ravenloft in conjunction with "Prince of Redhand." I explain below:
I made some huge changes to "Prince of Redhand." I made Zeech a pit fiend wearing a ring of polymorph and renamed him "Prince Prospero." His consort, Lashonna, is a paeliryon devil (Fiend Folio), also polymorphed to resemble a beautiful elf sorceress. ;-) They are the new lords of Castle Ravenloft, and these changes make it unlikely that the PCs will be able to ruin things by attacking either of the new lords.
I also desperately wanted to use Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, so I made Prospero's palace Strahd's castle. The three hags from Expedition, hating Strahd, used their powers to summon Prospero (the pit fiend) to their aid, and together Prospero and Lashonna destroyed Strahd (making him a ghost, actually, who still haunts the castle and will harry the PCs should they explore) and claimed his castle as their own, employing the erinyes mortal hunters as castle guards.
Now, the hags despise the new lord and lordess of Barovia, realizing that they made things worse in their meddling, so when the PCs show up inquiring about Balakarde, the hags will, possibly, beg the PCs to undo their foul work, giving them one more reason to approach the castle.
As the PCs explore the village and battle mobs of Kyuss spawn (saving a few stragglers along the way...making heavy use of the encounters in Expedition to Castle Ravenloft), they'll discover one of Prospero's dubious invitations, and they'll have to make their way to Castle Ravenloft in an effort to inquire about the party. Of course, wanting to talk to Lashonna will also give them cause to approach the castle.
Further, it was Lashonna herself who taught the hags about the secrets of the Kyuss worm, and through them (and Lashonna's careful manipulations), the entire village of Barovia has been infested with Kyuss worms, turning the village into a Night of the Living Dead/28 Days Later scenario that the PCs will be horrified to discover when they arrive. I simply turned the zombie infestation in Expedition into a spawn of Kyuss infestation. Before the PCs can listen to the pleas of the hags, they may have already slaughtered them for what they did to Barovia, and Lashonna, perhaps, will go unsuspected. ;-)
For those of you who are familiar with Poe, the name Prince Prospero should ring some bells. I wanted to work in Poe's story "The Masque of the Red Death," turning Prospero's banquet/party into a morbid way of removing and protecting the powerful members of the region from the outside world while Lashonna's Kyuss worms destroy Barovia's "expendable" inhabitants. All of the guests of Prospero's party will be locked away inside the castle, hiding from the scourge outside, some vaguely aware of the reality of the situation, some just hoping they live, others secretly hoping to perhaps strike out against Prospero and Lashonna. The arrival of the PCs will certainly stir things up.
As world-renowned champions of the arena games, Prospero and Lashonna will eagerly allow them attendance, but if they (or any of the guests) step out of line, Lashonna will use blasphemy and render everyone who isn't killed paralyzed and dump the PCs (and perhaps other "unsavory" guests) into the castle crypts for her amusement. If the PCs survive, perhaps she'll appear and ask if they'll behave long enough to talk about Dragotha.
The party will go off just as it does in "Prince of Redhand," just that it will also incorporate updated encounters from Expedition to Castle Ravenloft with a slight nod to Poe's "Masque of the Red Death."
I'm excited.
Thanks, Greyson, for sharing the results of your combing through resources unavailable to me. I think I can incorporate them into my still provisional timeline and revise it to make it even more "canonical."
I, too, had envisioned Zeech as having somewhat of a nautical background. However, I'm casting him as member of a noble family who have ruled over Redhand for generations. If he's a pirate, he's in the vein of Sir Francis Drake, a bloodthirsty villain but also an accomplished, courtly man. He would have all the general upbringing and education of a Shield Lands nobleman, which probably includes at least a modest proficiency in horsemanship, jousting, swordplay, and so forth, as well as some skill in diplomacy. Having retired from direct command of the Redhand fleet when he became ruler, his seagoing skills are modest (I'd say around 8 ranks in Profession sailor) and a bit rusty.
As for the idea of grafting Castle Ravenloft into this adventure, well, sounds kind of cool. Masque of the Red Death is one of my favorite short stories ever, so evoking that kind of flavor is really cool if you can pull it off. I'm going to stick to something that fits Greyhawk canon a bit more, but there are virtues in departing from canon, too. If you're trying to fit that idea into the Greyhawk setting, you could use Castle Dahlvier (sp.?), which is an obscure locale in the northwestern part of the Bandit Kingdoms with a vampiric ruler. Might work.
And, Alhsater is on the shore of the Nyr Dyv and Redhand abuts the Artonsamay River.
The Artonsamay is a few leagues east of Redhand. IIRC, Redhand's river is the Eel River, which may well be a distributary of the Artonsamay.
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Hey, all. Thanks for the replies. I thought this thread would drift back to obscurity. It's cool to see interest in this subject. I'm glad Stebhil pointed out Perhain's Zeech write-up. I had no idea it was here, so thanks. Peruhain, you did a terrific job on that Zeech treatment. Did you happen to do THIS, too? It lines up nice and tight with your Zeech treatment on these boards. Both are great pieces. And, I do like the notion of Zeech retiring from direct involvement in his seafaring banditry. He does have other issues to worry about - like Marionnen, the Iuzian lords in Balmund and perhaps efforts from the Urnst states.
The Artonsamay is a few leagues east of Redhand. IIRC, Redhand's river is the Eel River, which may well be a distributary of the Artonsamay.
I thought the same thing initially, Rob. But the Bandit Kingdom map that accompanies the "Where the Bandits Are" article in Dungeon 63 changed my mind. It uses the Darlene map and shows that Redhand borders the last seventy-five or ninety miles of Artonsamay River. That is why I think Trallant is in Redhand, too. I don't think the Eel River is a thoroughfare of any appreciable magnitude. It seems more like a muddy stream draining local coastal wet lands. Check out Living Greyhawk's Bandit Kingdom (a modified Anondson map) MAP if you have time. It offers some perspective on Redhand.
Anyway, this is a great thread. I have a group playing Expedition to Castle Ravenloft now. I want to get their characters into the second half of Age of Worms. So, I'll certainly entertain some Lashonna/Strahd connections or relationship.
Don Kenneth Brown
West Jordan, Utah
The Artonsamay is a few leagues east of Redhand. IIRC, Redhand's river is the Eel River, which may well be a distributary of the Artonsamay.I thought the same thing initially, Rob. But the Bandit Kingdom map that accompanies the "Where the Bandits Are" article in Dungeon 63 changed my mind. It uses the Darlene map and shows that Redhand borders the last seventy-five or ninety miles of Artonsamay River. That is why I think Trallant is in Redhand, too. I don't think the Eel River is a thoroughfare of any appreciable magnitude. It seems more like a muddy stream draining local coastal wet lands. Check out Living Greyhawk's Bandit Kingdom (a modified Anondson map) MAP if you have time. It offers some perspective on Redhand.
Y'know, I knew all that--I was reading "Alhaster" (which does border the Eel) where I saw "Redhand."
Greyson: In answer to your question, I wasn't directly involved with the wiki you linked, but it appears that the authors incorporated the chronology I posted here, since some of the verbiage and NPC names that are not in the AP reappear there. I guess I've become semi-canonical.
I guess I've become semi-canonical.
Heh. As long as you don´t get canonized :-)
Stefan
Yes, for now I'd prefer to remain apocryphal! ;)
<casting resurrect thread>
A little off-topic, strictly speaking.
My PCs are about to reach Alhaster in a few days play time (late 576 CY, see the story so far). I´m not sure I want to let them into Alhaster and the whole story right now, so I´m thinking about holding them a little, perhaps having their ship put under quarantine because the Red Plague runs its course in Alhaster at the moment.
Any comments or ideas ?