| Tropkagar |
First of all, I apologize about the possible writing of the text. English is not my native language.
I'm a fan of Pathfinder's products, and after playing this AP as a player, I wondered how I could change this story without seriously changing the whole plot. Therefore, Queen Ileosa became my central character. I see in her one of the best villains, but I believe that it is possible to make her an even more charismatic character. She is still a villain, but she can be made charismatic enough that players are willing to look for ways to save her.
The basis of my concept is changing the character of Ileosa. She still married out of cynical calculation, but with a completely different motivation. In this version, she is an extremely arrogant and ambitious person who aspires to become a queen in order to leave a great legacy. She believes she has the power to change an entire country, which is why she chose to marry the king of Korvosa, as she believed she could easily take the throne after his death, given the lack of heirs. In my imagination, she is not too far from this truth - although Ileosa herself is not a skilled fighter, she does have a natural talent for diplomacy, as well as a lively mind that can make a great leader out of her.
Like the original, she also discovered the Crown of Fangs, but in my mind, this artifact is associated with the pride of Kazavon, and therefore she quickly and imperceptibly became under the influence of the artifact. The artifact increased her ambition and also gradually destroyed her moral limitations. But at the same time, the impact of the crown never fully controls the queen, and she herself strives for her goals, finding an excuse for each of her atrocities, believing that her actions were justified by circumstances or served a good purpose.
In her husband, she sees a mediocre tyrant who cannot be a true autocrat, who leads the state and ensures its well-being, like the rulers of Taldor in ancient times. His habits and lack of interest in the welfare of the country were damaging every day of his reign. So she decided that if she could kill him and take the throne as soon as possible, it would help the state, even if it meant getting rid of several other people.
When she first meets the characters, what they see before them is not a grieving queen, but a spectacular and charismatic ruler who is immersed in the management of the country in a situation of potential crisis. Ileosa knows how the characters got the brooch, and therefore says what the characters want to hear. She expresses regret that, until recently, she did not have the opportunity to take power in the city, because of which she could neither prevent crimes nor punish criminals. And even now, the laws of the city are still like a noose around her neck. Therefore, she honestly turns to the characters with a request to help her improve the situation in the city. She needs people who could carry out assignments that the guards cannot fulfill.
As the influence of Crown of Fangs progresses and she becomes more immoral and cruel in her plans, she is still a charismatic and effective leader, which only cherishes the characters more. In Book 1, she appears to be the city's savior, and the crux of the campaign is to help her. Although her decisions may already seem dubious. For example, she justifies an unjust execution with the fear of city riots, in which dozens of ordinary citizens who just happen to be nearby can die. She believes that it is better to give the crowd a scapegoat in order to avoid the deaths of other people. In Book 2-3, the characters must question and question the evidence of her actions, either denying her involvement or seeking excuses. And even at the end, many are still fascinated by her persona, not wanting to kill her and believing that the artifact controls her, even if it only released the worst parts of her personality.
In the end, when asked about the desire to sacrifice the city and its population, she does not deny what is happening, assuring that she only strives for the best:
“I'm really just trying to help everyone, trust me. Yes, I know it's immoral, but look at the world around us. Democracies are corrupt. Oligarchies are languishing from intrigues and conspiracies. Monarchies are sometimes in the hands of incompetent people. Let me carry out this plan, and with my power and immortality, I can become the greatest ruler in history. This will not be Korvosa, but the Varisian Empire. I have no desire for personal gain and I will not be a corrupt politician. I will be an absolute monarch that can remove any incompetent dignitary. My reign will be eternal, there will be no problems with inheritance, and I will not become a half-witted old woman. We will restore the city to a grandeur it never had. Varisian, colonists, shoanti and many others can live in a single state without chauvinism and wars. These lands will receive centuries of prosperity and unity that have not been seen since the time of Xin. All I need is for you to believe me. I know that I betrayed your trust, more than once. And I'm really sorry. But I sincerely respect each of you, including the fact that you act and stand against me from sincere convictions. Otherwise, I would not respect you to the same extent and would not ask you. But I beg you - please stand by my side at least this time. We can build a new future for the entire region. Just trust me.”
And I believe that without significant changes in the plot of the main story, just such an interpretation of the character can be shown. A potentially great leader whose worst features were exposed by the artifact, causing her to believe that great ends justify any means.