What kind of lore could be found in Shadowsquare Temple about Earthfall and the origins of Nidal and Zon Kuthon?
What information could be used to set up recognition and treaty negotiations with Nidal's Umbral Court? What insights could they gleam about their national interests for (New) Ravounel?
What information could they have about Cheliax that had been redacted?
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What information could be used to set up recognition and treaty negotiations with Nidal's Umbral Court? What insights could they gleam about their national interests for (New) Ravounel?
The Umbral Court will likely want to adjust the Nidal-Ravounel frontier to a line west of the Terapassilion, claiming that its shadowedness places it under the jurisdiction of the Black Trioune. It may also want to gain a river port on the upper Katharevousa, which would be a dagger pointed directly at Kintargo. Revealing the Terapassilion, and the fact that Nidal has sent agents to occupy it, to the PCs through Shadowsquare could put the PCs on the trail to avoiding that outcome. Reference could be made here (or slipped into the Silver Ravens documents) to Ithanothaur as a possible thorn in the side of Nidal's plan.
What information could they have about Cheliax that had been redacted?
Ravounel was a hobgoblin nation about 3,200 years before its extra-legal incorporation into the Taldan province of Cheliax. Before that, it was likely a Syrinx colony given the presence of strix, and also had an elven presence given that Dreamgate is situated near Cypress Point. Depending on when your PCs are exploring Shadowsquare, the Nidalese may have some inkling of the Ironfang Invasion, and could try to sell cooperation to Ravounel as an alliance against resurgent hobgoblins.
The name of Dreamgate is also suggestive - that Desna's strong presence isn't modern, but goes back to the time of Candlaron. It's as good a reason as any to resist Nidalese attempts to give its agents extraterritorial protections as they hunt down Desnan dissidents operating out of Ravounel.
Yes, foreshadowing Terapassilion could be useful to the party, and it would be fun for at least one of my players to open up the world by mentioning the Ironfang Invasion.
I think correspondence should give them an intro to the political structure of Nidal and its current debates (expansionism vs. isolationism, humans vs. undead), trade info via requests for intervention with Chelish port authorities (silver jewelry, weapons, gemstones of Ridwan, expert services), drafts of official statements denouncing the temerity of claiming that Nisroch is sheltering pirates, and the religious documents should have the ceremonies and the official origin story of Nidal from Earthfall.