So, tomorrow at 3pm MST, my group will be doing a short session to wrap up the events of book three. Vordakai has been defeated and now it's to the really interesting, and, for me, difficult part: role-playing. I've been thinking about what to do, but would be very interested in the community's thoughts on various matters.
1) What happens to Varnhold now? The player's kingdom is several, 3-4, hexes away from Varnhold territory, so how will things be handled. Someone will have to lead now that Varn is gone, but who? Who will be chosen to administer the area, essentially run a barony, until the two areas can be fully joined? How does the PC baron heal the rift between settler and Noman? Skinning people tends to leave bitter wounds after all. I appreciate suggestions and links to old discussions.
2) Being adopted into the Nomens. The party fighter started out as a half-orc that was later reincarnated into a centaur, still female. Like many female half-orcs, Tzelvek had issues with her race and gender, particularly as she was raised as a slave, the daughter of a human slave, in an orc tribe. Now, she finds herself larger, stronger, and more, in her mind, attractive. Even better, she doesn't look anything like an orc. A devote worshiper of Desna, finding the matriarchal tribe with it's Desna worshiping chiefess was, in her mind, a sign from the goddess. She has found her people.
As a lvl 7 fighter, who has rescued Xamanthe and defeated Vordakai, the Nomans as almost as eager to have her join as she is. That she has a natural strength and constitution of 22, rolled an eighteen and a 17, and no other stat is below 13, doesn't hurt either. Tzelvek is one bad-ass babe.
Now, part of her being adopted as an adult is choosing/being-chosen-as a mate. Don't worry, the player has been heavily involved, no forcing anything on anyone here. I like Dudemeister's Kankerata Run and will likely be running a variant of that. But what else? How will she impress the men, and which harem will she join. I have the Nomen as polygamous. It makes sense.
3) Considering that Tzelvek used to be the Baroness of the realm, gratefully and enthusiastically retiring from the post to become general when a new ruler stepped forward, and may be chosen by Aecora, the chiefess', husband, it is likely that the Nomens will become a very integral part of the kingdom. As Tzelvek isn't one to let people she cares about, and she adores the Nomens, be un-involved. She's already salivating, in IC and OOC, at the thought of centaur archers and outfitting the an entire battalion of female heavy centaur-cavalry that she can led into battle. How will this change things, for humans and centaurs alike?
1. The PCs should annex Varnhold. As for the 3-4 hexes between their kingdom and Varnhold, unless there are staged encounters set there, either roll on a random monster table and if they win the battle, they claim one of the hexes or simply state that some of the more martial members of their burgeoning kingdom have taken the lands for them, due to the majority of the threats taken care of by Vordekai. The administrator should be chosen by the PCs. As for the last part, that requires a bit of ingenuity on the player's part and they should handle that portion.
2. She can impress men with her battle-prowess, of course, as centaurs seem to favor shows of martial ability in every game that I have ever read or played. As for which harem, that I cannot say.
3. It will give centaurs and humans common ground and forge a bond between the two formerly feuding races. It will give them a purpose larger than their petty skirmishes and racial bigotry.
That's my best constructive criticism I can give right now, as I'm not near my Kingmaker books to reference things. I hope it helps you.
It is nice, but specifics are golden. If it were you, how would you write it?
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1. Not sure how you are planning on handling annexing varnhold if the players kingdom isnt connected. I have already decided they can sit in as "regent" until they are able to annex it (adjoining hexes) when the time comes.
Settling the rift withe the Nomen would probably require the installation of a trusted and friendly leader to rule over Varnhold, in your case, probably Tzelvek or possible her cohort if she plans to run free with the herds of Nomen. Tribal groups once betrayed usually fail to trust the same faction again, but may reluctantly trust the word of a valued friend or respected leader. Granting rule of the settlement to the outgoing ruler is also a fitting reward for stepping down, IMO.
2. Personally, I think you should arrange things so she is elected as the new chief, having proven herself by defeating Vordekai and removing the threat of the hunters of Varnhold. Perhaps Aecora becomes the spiritual leader and lets Tzelvek become the war leader? It just feels like more of a reward to appoint your PC leader vice a valued member of the tribe. YMMV as you know your PCs better than I.
3. Don't miss the opportunity for centaur politics to come into play in future sessions. Remember just to the east of the Nomen is all of Iobaria, rife with tribes of centaurs. Maybe a rival tribe makes trouble or encroaches. Maybe a weakened tribe wants to join, etc. Lots of new centaur RPing goodness for your new chieftess, who may have to balance the old ways (which she is still learning) with her personal way of thinking (like an orc warrior). She might mis-step a few times, but this is another reason to make her chief, so she is the central focus of these issues, rather than just another voice.
1) I'd also consider hand waiving connecting the Kingdoms with perhaps an added cost for quickly clearing and surveying (an NPC adventuring party and survey team respectively.)
2) For my tribal societies there's usually 1-5 named characters that fill leadership roles in a tribe. Chief, Shaman, Hero, Elder, Matron are the roles and I mix and match depending on the tribe what it filled and isn't. Tzelvek seems a clear choice for the tribe's hero, which typically leads warbands and in martial rites of passage. I guess you can call this an endorsement of Redcelt's idea.
To add some more flavor you could add an oracle of Desna (or whatever go you feel appropriate for the Nomans) and have him get a vision with a side quest for her. This oracle can easily be a way for you to expose plot tidbits and foreshadow but in a less direct way. Visions after all are often metaphorical.
3) The centaurs have some culture shock to deal with, and this may well redefine them. They learned that they had lost their true purpose of keeping an ancient enemy at bay and basically failed in that purpose. Someone else went ahead and took care of that and rescued their "princess" to boot. The one's to save the day are the 2-legs they have been warring with since the Taldorian empire.
Not only did someone save them from a threat but the purpose for them being in those plains has been taken. They should struggle to redefine who they are as a culture and there will be a faction that wants to go into the steppes of Iboria.
Thanks redcelt and solspiral, was hoping you guys would pop in. A thing to note, the villagers and centaurs don't know Tzelvek was born half-orc.
1. Handwaving is a possibility, but I'm inclined to make the PCs claim the territory. Tzelvek as regent has interesting possibilities. How will the settlers, who were, or at least knew about, the skinning going to feel about a centauress ruler? How is she going to feel about them? Her alignment is good, but her reaction to finding the skinnings was about the same as if she found they were skinning humans. Initially wanted to give the town a bit of a Carthage treatment. Our kingmaking rules are a bit expanded and the territory between the kingdom and Varnhold is pretty wild. It needs dedicated effort to connect the two. I'll see what the players think. If they seem to want to move things along, my give them the surveying option. Possibly a gift from Restov for getting things under control.
2. I don't think I'll have her become the chief, initially at least. Seems too soon and too drastic for a tribe that's been pretty isolated for a long time, and Tzelvek doesn't like being a political leader and has really bonded with Aecora. The war chief/hero idea sounds good. It's the kind of role she would excel at and enjoy.
3. A note about two-leggers, when the party met the Nomens there was only one human, the ruler, so the Nomen don't really see the PCs as being like the settlers. Particularly since the fighter acts as party leader in combat or wilderness. To them, it was a centaur led party that defeated Vordakai. The rest of the party is two halfings, druid and monk, and Tzelvek.
Really like the idea of incorporating Ioboria into the story more. The Nomens who want to leave, and the Ioborians that want to move in are both elements I will use. There will definitely be plenty of politics from this. Though as you say redcelt, this gives impetus to making the PC the leader. Hmm. Solspiral, the lose of identity from the death of Vordakai isn't something I'd considered. Thank you. Have to think about how this would affect the tribe. It isn't something that was a day to day issue, but the loss of traditions can be very powerful.
If you are willing to run a variant on book 5 have an Atillia the Hun type character taking over the tribes of Ioboria and displacing those that will not submit. Instead of a civil war you could have that chap give Brevoy some serious issues.
If that's not to your liking for book five you could start setting it up as a post book 6 plot...
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I have no idea how I missed this. Pretty much everything I would say has been said though. Just to back it up:
1) Let the players decide how to handle Varnhold and if they want to annex it. Once they decide what to do, work on making it an easy transition. Maybe allowing them to hire adventurers to do the mapping would make things move quickly on that front.
You could also present the idea that the Centaurs want their land back. Not just the plains but the hills and parts of the mountains as well. This could present a little political play for the party member who is now a centaur. The chief of her new tribe expects her to help them get the land back.
Either that, or the tribe wants to leave because they no longer have to watch over the tomb.
2 & 3) At best she is a hero who could become a tribe's leader if she survives and out lives the other potentials. She could also start a tribe of her own eventually. As written, her tribe isn't open to joining others though. They are proud and independent, so play up a bit of conflict between loyalties. Why does this new centaur hero want to spend so much time away from her tribe? Why is she so loyal to outsiders who have proven in the past to attack and harm the tribe?