[GM Question] Pactmasters of Katapesh

[Bram van den Hazelkamp]

Hello All,

Spoiler alert, some questions might not be suited for players of this adventure path, hence the actual questions being in a spoiler tab.

I got a few small questions about the Pactmasters of Katapesh that play a role in the Legacy of Fire adventure path. For information, I am starting this adventure path next week with a group of five players all of them experienced roleplayers.

Spoiler:

What is known of the Pactmasters to the average population? Do they know of their existince?

Is Almah public about her connection to the Pactmasters?

What is the general thought about people about Pactmasters (in case the first question is answered with that general knowledge about the Packmastesr is known by the players)? Are people scared of them, stuff like that.

[Lord Pel]

Bram van den Hazelkamp wrote:

Hello All,

Spoiler alert, some questions might not be suited for players of this adventure path, hence the actual questions being in a spoiler tab.

I got a few small questions about the Pactmasters of Katapesh that play a role in the Legacy of Fire adventure path. For information, I am starting this adventure path next week with a group of five players all of them experienced roleplayers.

** spoiler omitted **

My take on it is...

Spoiler:

+ Average populace know that they are the leaders and every now and then a Pactmaster is seen in the marketplace. Surrounded by guards of course. Day-to-day interaction is done through their agents.

+ She makes no secret of it...after all she has bodyguards dressed in the livery of the Pactmaster guards.

+ They are the mysterious rulers. Their orders are obeyed without question. The Pactmasters motives are known only to themselves and so there is a certain level of nervousness about what they want, but as long as trade continues to line merchants pockets with money then no one seems to mind.

[Thazar]

They are the lords of the city and region and are the reason the gold flows as well as it does. As to who and what they are... that is not really known. But everyone knows the real power and rulers of the city are the "mysterious pactmasters". And the guards and representatives of the pactmasters are a person of authority and they anger or cross them at their own risk.

Before all do no harm to trade. Follow that rule and they will mostly stay in the background in my opinion.

At least that is how I ran it in my LoF game.

[DM Dan E]

Their existence and history is public knowledge.

What they are and their true goals is not. I'd play that up. Everyone the party talks to should have their own personal view. Some might think their demons, some angels. Maybe soul stealing, gold eating metal monsters from outerspace.

Aside from the obvious livery on her guards, Almah's authority as hopeful mayor of Kelmarane derives from her mandate so I'd say she is extremely public about it.

[Akumamajin]

I would also like to point out to the 'Tales of Shahazzared' in the back of book three. I really like how this story gives you some very juicy and equally scary titbits about the pactmasters origins. Of course, it is just hinted at ... but it is hinted at in a way that is hard to ignore.

This is the dark chant in my game: the pactmasters where once ordinary caravan masters till the events in the back of book three happened. To this day they have honored their pact, that is why they call them selfs the pactmasters, and sacrificed a few souls every your, and the youngest of their number, to the mysterious being. The 'youngest of your number' doesn't need to refer to the pactmasters themself, but may be extended to all of the people living under their care.

How knows what else pacts they have entered into over the years, to expand and cement their claim for power and control? And how is the mysterious entity that is handing out pacts? It might be a powerful devil, maybe even one of the riders of the apocalypse. Maybe plague could fill the bill, since corruption can have many faces.

Or, in tune with the setting, how about the Sultan of the City of Brass himself? Revealing or hinting at this facts in the later part of the AP could be fun, but I would not over do it, not to divert attention of the main plot to much.

Hmm ... maybe the players could find one physical pact in form of a document in the vaults of Javhul, that was gifted to his family when it was still high in favor? Just one minor thing like "The pactmasters sacrifice ten pure souls a year for the gift of one powerful fire creature to do their bidding / the gift of unscyability / some similar ". It would be a boon and a responsibility to the family and could use up one of the wishes of the head of the family every day to power it. This way the Sultan could control his minions without castrating them, flavoring the politics of the city of brass a little bit. If Javhuls fathers responsibility was to wish for a powerful fire assassin/minion for the pactmasters, maybe one of the players with ranks in lore: history remembers that an old beast of legend disappeared just about the time Javhul was imprisoned, adding another layer of flavor and continuity to the campaign.

I like to personalize my stuff and this are just some ideas I came up with and am tossing around.