My book 3 is going to be a little light before the Masquerade, so I'm looking for some complications for the city storylines. And what's more classic than schisms in a rebellion? What kind of plot seeds could work for this kind of thing? Amateur vigilantes who go too far, mutilating the bodies of dottari? Ravens who target the nobles? A fake revolutionary group run by Thrune? Who would show up and what would they do?
Background: We're nearing the end of Book 2. The party will have a street trial of the Varl Wex, after which we'll start to have other people in other neighborhoods inspired to act on their own. The plot's been pretty by the book, with some extras: they've done propaganda (slogans and street art), they've taken out the Queensmen in a street war with those counter-revolutionaries, they've issued counter-proclamations, and the dottari tried to pin some of the serial killings on the Ravens. Their notoriety is consistently in the 30s: they've had sightings of them in costume, and the dottari know of "The Unremarkable Man" and a female aasimar with pink hair.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Assuming that your group doesn't fall for the trap at the end of book 2 have Thrune be ready with a planted group (possibly lead by Tombus Regegious) that step up and pretend to be the Silver Ravens.
That way, in book 3, your group can be chasing after them as the fake ravens tarnish the Silver Raven's name.
I'm assuming that some NPC's in Hell's Vengeance could fill the role of the fake ravens.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I like the idea RogueRouge. Any rebellion organization would definitely have their share of opposing opinions and growing pains.
As Warped Savant mentioned, I have already sewn the seeds of Barzillai's False Silver Ravens. Surprisingly, the groups encounter with Tayacet Tiora went surprisingly well and they learned of Barzillai's plans from her. She, being on the list of recruits, was able to drop a few of the names of people Barzillai has enlisted. Here are the NPC's I've built or farmed in addition to Tayacet Tiora. (A few of their names might even be from the Heroes mentioned in the opening of Book 4.)
Laika Tindalos (CE female halforc Daggerfighter Rogue 5 / Brawler 3): CR 7
Laika was born to a remote tribe of orcs in Ustalav, only to be sold into slavery by her lover. From there she never trusted the male sex. As a slave, she was funneled through the trade and ultimately ended up in Vyre fighting in their bloodsport pits. She won her freedom in the city of masks and since fled to Kintargo. There she quickly gathered like minded half orcs forming The Jollytime Girls. She is honored to ally with Ursekk.
Knowledge Local
DC 20 Laika was a slave in Vyre who earned her freedom on The Days of Wrath.
DC 25 She was originally from a remote tribe of orcs in Ustalav but was sold into slavery.
DC 30 She was sold into slavery by her lover. She has formed a small gang of half-orc women known as The Jollytime Girls.
DC 35 She has a professional fascination with Ursekk
Thorethela “Winterleaf” (CE female noble drow elf Magus Hexcrafter 9): CR 9
Thorethela was high born drow of the Noble Vinthe'rasa family. She saw herself as the future scion to her line and had already made moves to ensure this, including murdering her older sister. When tasked with overseeing her family's trafficking of human slaves and potential host offerings through the surface nation of Nidal, she jumped at the chance. Yet, her destiny crumbled apart after the abduction of one of the Korvosian nobility. Her group was trailed and confronted by members of the Order of the Torrent including a young Malicus Marro. Shamed, Thorethela never returned home. She knew of her impending disgrace and what it meant for her future. It wasn't long before she heard of her mother's displeasure. Her matron saw Thorethela as a failure unable to forsee such an obvious loose end. As expected, Thorethela was removed from her line. She went into hiding from her past and has since blamed Malicus Marro. Once word reached her of the disgrace of the Order of the Torrent and Paralictor Maro, Thorethela knew that he was no longer protected by the Chelaxian Crown and she could finally have her revenge. She has travelled to Kintargo to see it exacted. Unfortunately, she arrived after Maro had been released and played no part in his death. She felt as though her revenge would go unsatiated until she learned that Maro had two sons. After learning this, she has settled on the ability to end his lineage as a suitable alternative. (Maro is the father of 2 PCs)
Knowledge Local:
DC 20 Thorethala arrived in Cheliax from Nidal a short time ago and was angered to hear that Malicus Maro was arrested, released, and has since died.
DC 25 She had a longstanding vendetta against Maro for interfering with business and has felt disgraced since.
DC 30 Maro disgraced her human trafficking organization by freeing a Korvosian noble who she intended to ransom.
DC 35 She isn't originally from Nidal, but her origins and lineage are a complete mystery that only she knows.
DC 40 She has heard that Maro had a son capable of carrying on his lineage and has seen that ending his lineage is a suitable alternative to killing Maro personally.
DC 50 Thorethala is a drow of noble origins seeking to earn her way back into her family's grace.
Tividar Sarini (NE male human Bard 4/Cleric of Asmodeous 3): CR 6
Tividar Sarini is a Kintargo native and eldest son of the Sarini Family. He grew up with one foot in the church and the other in the city's aristocracy. After traveling throughout Cheliax as a student, he eagerly returned home when word reached him of Thrune's growing control of Kintargo. Today, he sees the moves necessary to catapult his family into the history books by reclaiming the Archduchy of Ravounel after it was lost in the civil war.
Tividar is a sniveling pretty boy who thinks the world owes him more than he has been given. He berates “Doctore” and carries a whip as a reminder of who is in charge.
Knowledge Local
DC 15 Tividar Sarini is the eldest son of the Sarini Family and follows in his family's passion for the arts.
DC 20 He only recently returned home and after Barzillai was placed in control of the city.
DC 25 Tividar grew up with one foot in the Theatre and one foot in the Temple.
DC 30 He slums it by frequenting small theaters and brothels in Jarvis End and isnt known to ever be without “Doctore”
DC 35 Tividar has made it clear that he sees this new opportunity to raise his family back to where it once was as the First Archduchy of Ravounel under HIM Queen Abrogail II.
Ursekk “Doctore” (LE male half orc Monk 10): CR 9
Ursekk's size and strength made him a prize for Chelish slavers. He is currently owned by the Sarini family but has earned a level of respect that defines him as a slave in only the most loosest of senses. Lady Urora Sarini has grown carnally fond of him beyond the slave-master relationship. She often employs him in her erotic Theatre of the Real events which are often followed by erotic afterparties with her noble friends.
Although he is always in his manacles, they do very little to inhibit his abilities.
Knowledge Local
DC 20 Ursekk is a Sarini slave used in live combat and theatre of the real.
DC 25 The manacles he wears are more for exposition than confinement. He is quite capable without them.
DC 30 His role at the Sarini after parties has become a spectacle for much of the upperclass with sadistic and erotic tastes.
DC 40 Urora Sarini is particularly fond of him.
I have yet to include Tombus Regegious in the group, but rest assured he will be throwing in with them VERY soon.
Another idea:
I plan to drop in a bit of Vampire shenanigans. Having the fetchling Flowershop Crew foreshadow Aluceda and her role in book 4 is going to be fun. Years ago, we abandoned CoT and my paladin was turned into a Vampire. Having him return as a Blackguard agent Aluceda's and The Umbral Court should be fun. Not knowing who the Silver Ravens are, his goal is to draw them out into a confrontation. He wants them to find him. Being that The Tooth and Nail (and Old Kintargo in general) is a hotbed for malcontents, it only makes sense that he would target someone there. Luckily for him, the group and Setrona put poor Insome in charge of the Sweet Tooth (which in my campaign is a neighbor to the Tooth and Nail.)
Sadly, poor Insome will be waiting for the PCs on their next visit. Then, my goal is to have a bit of Cat and Mouse with the old PC and his fetchling group in the Shadows of Old Kintargo.
I think you're both right--tarnishing the SR got a start with a frame job by the dottari that started out during the serial killer storyline. The PCs thwarted it, but this could be an expansion on that and allow me to get them to follow up beyond the beat cops to Zella Zidilii and Vannases Trex.
I like the concepts with the 4 Faux Silver Ravens. For my table, I'll use the Delronges, since they've already done a ton with the Sarinis.Tombus Regegius will definitely be in the Faux Ravens: I've reskinned him as a monk to be an antagonist to the LG monk in the party. Dojo vs. dojo, with a climactic fight during the book 4 raid. I like having an agent from Nidal be in the mix--the party rogue/inquisitor has started a cult of Reform Zon Kuthon, so that would be a nice antagonist.
The DCs for finding out stuff about the False Ravens is a nice touch, btw.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
I had them start losing 1d4 supporters every night, without telling them why. In the end they started to investigate, and found people humming some merry tunes with anti-Silver Raven lyrics. They found out that a bard named Ambrosio Barca (hired by the thrunies, of course) was going around town defaming them, in song, poetry and speech (and a silly dance or two). They managed to find our the name of one of Barca's regular watering holes, a dance palace in Jarvis' End, and went there. Hiding in the crowd, they heard Ambrosio give a spirited speech about chaos, uncertainty, terrorism and the dangers of vigilantism, rousing the audience including the party's Wisdom-dumped fighter ("He's got a point guys!").
I had prepared a Verbal Duel but my cowardly, sorry, cautious players didn't take that bait, preferring to follow him instead. However, Barca was followed by four 7th level Asmodean slayers (who could call in two bearded devils) in the event the Silver Ravens would go after him, and it ended up with in a fun and tough fight in the streets.
It was all inspired by Book 2 in Kingmaker, and if you haven't run that it might work for you as well. For the bard I used a toned down (level 10) Celebrity Bard (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/npc-s/npc-10/celebrity-human-bard-11/)
I think a team of vigilantes targeting the nobles and arguing for a worker's revolution might also be a good play, while the church and Thrune begin a battle for the hearts and minds of Kintargo begins in book three.
Anyone have any good stat blocks for vigilantes? I think a team of four with different abilities might be fun.
.... including the party's Wisdom-dumped fighter ("He's got a point guys!").
Actually lol'ed
|
you can easily fall down into a dangerous rabbit hole with this plot line which might derail the whole campaign. just keep that in mind.
remember - rebellions don't start falling into dissension until they start winning. And before the end of book 4, the silver ravens are REALLY far from winning. Thrune's got all the cards...
and Barzillai is really busy. He's kinda the only smart guy that is on the Thrune side, but he's worried about lots of other things. He only gets his head in the game at the end of Book 3... and that leads into the mega-awesome Book 4 which makes any sort of "fight other rebels" you can come up with look like playing tic-tac-toe.
if you want to do pro-thrune vigilantes, or a group that wants to make kintargo into a republic, do it in book 5 (where the republican thing might just threaten the whole effort). there's plenty of narrative space for it there. i don't think it fits before that.
if you want to do pro-thrune vigilantes, or a group that wants to make kintargo into a republic, do it in book 5 (where the republican thing might just threaten the whole effort). there's plenty of narrative space for it there. i don't think it fits before that.
It’s all about quantity. I’m going to introduce several scenarios in my game focusing on the False Ravens. I plan to draw out earning the trust of Nobility by making each a bit more than a single skill check. There will be plenty of time to confront these False Ravens during those weeks.
As long as they feel accomplished and that they’re eliminating Thrune’s options, I don’t see it as derailing at all. I think the trick is to remember that these Ravens aren’t the big bad of the book, they’re stepping stones and, conveniently, a much needed source of treasure in a rather sparse adventure.