I've got a player who currently doesn't know who his father is, and I've made it one of the Meravanchi clan (most likely Manthalay), and he's about to start investigating them to find out whatever he can about them.
So, scouring the books, I can only find three Meravanchi's mentioned by name (Zebula, Avner and Manthalay), and I need to flesh out the clan a little more. Have I missed any others?
Has anyone added others to the clan? Any suggestions about how I can add people and have them tied into both Sasserine and Farshore?
I've got a player who currently doesn't know who his father is, and I've made it one of the Meravanchi clan (most likely Manthalay), and he's about to start investigating them to find out whatever he can about them.
So, scouring the books, I can only find three Meravanchi's mentioned by name (Zebula, Avner and Manthalay), and I need to flesh out the clan a little more. Have I missed any others?
Has anyone added others to the clan? Any suggestions about how I can add people and have them tied into both Sasserine and Farshore?
There is also Major Augustine Meravanchi, commander of Castle Rankin. In my game, she's Avner's cousin, I believe, though she might be his aunt...I can't recall. What little is written about her is found in the Dragon Magazine that has the second Savage Tidings within.
I have given Avner an older brother called Caldric. I needed him as a nemesis for one of the PCs.
In my campaign Zebula is the only living Meravanchi left, and yes, he will soon have a grudge against the PCs (who are more or less responsible for the deaths of all the other family members).
I have given Avner an older brother called Caldric. I needed him as a nemesis for one of the PCs.
In my campaign Zebula is the only living Meravanchi left, and yes, he will soon have a grudge against the PCs (who are more or less responsible for the deaths of all the other family members).
Manthelay Meravanchi became Lord Mayor of Farshore in my campaign. I also made him a Judge (Hellknight PrC). I didn't like that he pretty much seemed to be 'Avner Mark II' in the original campaign when he was described as having a very different personality than Avner. He's been both an ally and an antagonist to my group at times.
Also, coming up, I plan to introduce Talgen and Sharwyn Meravanchi, Manthelay's niece and nephew, as the object of a quest. Those curious about the source of those names (who aren't my players) should look at
(some background first: we play about once every six weeks & even then real life in the way (babys being born etc). Currently, we are in the middle of SWW (but I heavily modified/replaced some of the encounters & names) & plan to end the campaign some time after ToD)
One of my players plays the sorcerer Ezren (indeed named after the iconic), the elder brother of Manthalay Meravanchi, so his backstory elaborated on the Meravanchi family a bit. I did not add many extra family members, though.
Raymondo M.: father of Ezren & Manthalay; head of the family until his death some 6-7 years ago.
After the death of Raymondo, Manthalay was scheming to become the next head of the family. He succeeded in disowning Ezren (including spreading rumors/doubts about Ezren not being a true Merovanchi - given his magic talent), but leadership of the family went to (the decadent) Umberto M., Raymundo’s brother. Manthalay then went adventuring (including with Lavinia’s parents) & made a career in the military (he was the previous captain of Castle Rankin).
Ezren had a hard time after getting kicked out of the family, but recent events brought him back in good standing between Sasserine’s nobility. He mainly wants to get his revenge on his brother (and I will try to make it not as simple as that) and has generally little clue where to find his brother.
Umberto M. is a senile old man, living “Hugh Hefner”-style in an estate outside Sasserine. Zebula M is the acting head of the Merovanchi-clan, living in the estate in Sasserine. (Also, if you google “chris dane owens” (shine on me)” you will find how I pictured Avner for my players - to good effect…)
(future events: I am toying with the idea of Manthalay having a wife & a small toddler in Farshore (Raymondo jr.)... - I see Manthalay as competent & disliking the decadent part of the family, and extremely ambitious: he will make his brother an offer to cooperate to take control of the Merovanchi-clan again)
Hope this helps somewhat
Hagor
Thanks guys, I've pinched a few ideas and settled on the Meravanchi's as follows :
Zebula - Husband to Lissa (deceased), and father to Caldric and Avner
Manthalay - In Farshore as written, husband to Ezren (Elf) and father to Talgen and Sharwyn (half elves)
Augustine - At Castle Rakin, no family.
This fits in with my story quite well, as the PC in question is half-elven (his mother was an elf) and from Greyhawk. Manthalay likes to travel and has a thing for elven women. His reasons for going to Farshore with Lavinia's parents a few years ago will be more along the lines of being cast out as he fell in love with an elf and siring two children with her. My Meravanchi clan (except Manthalay) are going to be moderately racist.
Once Manthalay discovers that the PC is his son, he will be genuinely moved, and will try to make amends, hoping to bring him into his new family. Talgen and Sharwyn, both being around 10 years old, will love the idea of a big brother.
Avner will be pretty much as everyone played him, so if he makes it to Farshore it'll be interesting. I'll run the election as well, Manthalay will want the best for Farshore, but isn't the most intelligent, so if elected he'll make some bad errors of judgement in the defence plans (meaning less VPs during TOD)
My Meravanchi clan (except Manthalay) are going to be moderately racist.
My Manthalay was quite racist. I made him into a landowner with a passion for hunting (hunting trophies in his house on Farshore) and an idea that gentry was better than ordinary people, and white people were better than Olman. I gave him exclusively Olman servants, who were not exactly slaves, but underpaid and treated badly. Moreover he was constantly complaining about them.
Unfortunately this was one of things that got him killed...
I wanted to go at the Meravanchi racism in a more Edgar Rice Burroughs/Robert Howard manner. Where they respect other races, and just feel they belong below white people (or in this specific case, Taldans) on the hierarchy. A more subtle and insidious racism, because it isn't obvious to everyone that it is actual racism.