Favorite NPCs and Locations - what would you foreshadow? Namedrop?

[Dirtfox]

This question is for GMs and players, so please use relevant spoiler tags in your responses.

I've got a slow but steady game group with a shared Golarion that we shape as we play the APs, PFS scenarios or modified versions of the official content that fits how our world is growing.

I'll be running Tyrant's Grasp - just years from now ;)

We are going to be playing around Belkzen Hold, Ustalav, River Kingdoms, the Worldwound/Mendev and of course Varisia in the meantime with at least mentions of Nirmathis and Lastwall.

What names would you name drop? Allies, foes, organizations? What places would you have our table visit? What NPCs would you let show up early to have a richer presence, or what locations deserve an earlier time on camera before they are spotlighted in this AP?

My table definitely prefers time for names and places to sink in to utter surprises. They get a kick out of easter eggs, and hearing something a second time helps them pay attention. They know it's important and not a GM throwaway random generated name. They definitely like revisiting locations. All this assuming there's new content mixed in of course. Think of it as a chance to master a location and then feel confident playing there in the future.

So while I'm still at the reins, how shall I set us all up for success and bring in some foreshadowing and introductions?

[Patrickthekid]

Cities of Golarion will likely be the most relavant book.

Spoiler:

It has an article on Vigil that goes over plenty of places as well as NPCs, some of which aren't mentioned in the AP. Feel free to add them into the story however you want.

[GM_Alex]

I would introduce the concept of the Lesser Seals if possible, and the Shield of Aroden/Shattered Shield of Arnisant; historical relics with complicated/involved stories that need to be fully understood sooner or later. I’ve found that sitting everyone down for a history lesson kind of deflates a lot of the tension and urgency that the developments that require that context deserves. Having a loose idea of these things beforehand will go a long way to keep the players fully engaged.

Ooh, to that end, I’ll add the Seal Breakers. I just made them a different chapter of the Whispering Way to prevent things from getting too confusing, since they show up so suddenly and add so little to the story. Again, if the players have a preestablished knowledge or even relationship with them, their sudden arrival could be a really cool reveal.

[Yakman]

1 - Gotta visit Roslar's Coffer. Go to the cathedral and meet the halfling cleric and in town, Ms. Arbella Tharmatheon.
2 - The Sealbreakers make for fantastic villains, and there's a bunch of fun ones to throw at your party in the back of LAST WATCH ; they are a near-global organization, so wherever you want to toss one in, they'll fit.
3 - Visit Vigil. Meet Ranton Gandry, Ceto Maldera, Dondun Daradun, and Killibrandt Erstwhile
4 - Anywhere, run into the Pathfinder Evni Zongnoss

[YogoZuno]

GM_Alex has a fantastic point - the Crown of the Kobold King has one of the Lesser Seals breaking as the inciting incident for the whole adventure. It could provide great in-world foreshadowing of things to come. Or, if the characters won't get directly involved, they could happen upon the area, or hear discussion of the events later?

[AvarielGray]

Player-safe stuff
I ran Carrion Crown before I started Tyrant's Grasp, lots of tasty Ustalav lore, a good background on the Tyrant and the Whispering Way, and without spoilers, there are some great setpieces and maybe characters/places I'll bring back from that. Big big recommend for that, if you have the time to slip another cheeky 6 book AP in there. I also did the PFS Season 10 "Reaver's Roar" for some Roslar's Coffer setup. The first game I ran was Giantslayer, and Trunau is like... right there so maybe there will be some old friends pop up! And Tyari Varvatos, sister to Second Sword Knight Aylunna Varvatos, is there.

I'm not sure which PFS Scenarios have Evni Zongnoss in them but if you want a little more familiarity with her as a character then hunting down some of those could be good!

Also just being around Lastwall/Vigil/Vellumis and getting a vibe for the place. As a crusade nation its got an interesting culture that it could be useful to get a used to before the campaign so you're not juggling settling into the vibe and also the events of the campaign at the same time.

DM stuff (Player Trespassers will be Feebleminded!)

Spoiler:

I ran the Darkmoon Vale stuff way before I even decided to do Tyrant's Grasp and was like "welp that was a handy lore drop to have set up." Note that if you run this and Carrion Crown you're gonna have to figure out what happens to Lucimar because he can and probably will die in Hungry Are The Dead. I think he was removed from the anniversary version, but personally I loved the reaction of my players finding him in CC and being like "OMG ITS THE HANDS WOLF!" He actually survived CC for my group as well so he's gonna pop up in TG (probably book 4).

Without saying too much because DMs for Tyrants Grasp might be players in other campaigns, there's also mention of a Lesser Seal and some funny little guys from a certain cult in Return of the Runelords that it could be good to establish. Also you mentioned you might be trekking around Varisia soooo yeah, some interesting Varisia stuff there.

This is only if you reeeeeally wanna delve into the Tyrant stuff and the aftermath of Tyrant's Grasp, and/or want some Nirmathas screentime, but the Price Of Immortality adventures (Crypt of the Everflame, Mask of the Living God, City of Golden Death) could be good. Mostly the last one, as it takes you to the Isle of Terror, Tar-Baphon's old stomping grounds (Pre-Ustalav). You could probably run the last adventure standalone, but the other two are still pretty good.

A little familiarity with Absalom/the Starstone could be good? There's an adventure/scenario or two in the Cairnlands where book 6 ends, but also just knowing the importance of Absalom. Even if its just the classic wizard-teleported-us-to-Absalom-for-a-shopping-trip.

Lastly, if ever a player by chance summons a nosoi or otherwise needs a psychopomp, please please make it Umble!

[Yakman]

Also, there's no reason why Arazni can't be wandering around. And no reason why the Council Libertine isn't already looking for her.

high level stuff, to actually encounter, but it's pretty easy to have a meeting with a hooded woman who reeks of spices and does something mysterious (i emphasized how expensive her clothing looked (her cloak could buy a major ranch... none of the lords of Vigil owned such fine boots, etc.), and when the oracle tried detect magic on her, he almost went blind from the radiance of the gear), and then later on find just PILES OF BODIES in the direction she went and our PCs seeing in the distance a quartet of riders on spectral horses, carrying the black banner of Mechitar and howling in delight...