>>That gives me an idea for an event. We've got that peaceweaver of
>>Broyan's.
>
>Who we need to tell other people about, including all the background
>I ended up not making explicit in the story. (Next aim for me - do the
>final polish on that if it needs it, put it online so the group can
>read it and John can pick it up).
>
>> When things get really bad in 1621 the ring put pressure on Broyan
>> to make peace. The PCs will probably want to scupper that especially
>> if they are aware of what Broyan's trying to do. It will fail
>> eventually because Tatius doesn't want it either but the negotiations
>> could drag on for quite a while.
>
>I'd have no idea how to turn that into a scenario myself, but go ahead.
At the moment it's just an event.
Starts with arguments among Broyan's ring. Someone pushes the idea of the peaceweaver trying to make peace. Broyan gives in because he believes the magical momentum has built up to a stage where it is impossible. A temporary truce will also give everyone a breathing space. Tatius agrees to negotiate knowing it makes little difference to his plans. Heralds are sent, messages are exchanged, meetings arranged. All things which the PCs are involved with whatever their level. Eventually the talks break down or someone breaks the truce. That leads on to the realisation that the city will fall and the next big decision is how to get most people out and who is going to remain with Broyan to die a hero. I don't think Broyan reveals his plans until most people have already left.
>> However the clan will raise another warband to replace it. Probably
>> before the end of 1620. Full of young would be heros.......
>
>Like newly-generated PCs, you mean?
Led by a few retired warriors. Dad's Army comes to WW. (That's a British TV reference for those who don't know it).
>> I think we need something to show what's different about the Volsaxi.
>> I'm a bit vague on what that is but at the very least it's a *big*
>> tribe with more/bigger clans than Sartarites are used to.
>
>That's about as much as I know - well, that plus them using chariots
>and being laughed at for being backward.
A chariot, for ritual purposes only.
>Joerg, didn't you look into that? Rob? I believe you had thoughts on
>the subject?
[Lunar NPCs]
>But back at the plot: yes, agreed, quartermasters and so on. Didn't
>you detail at least some of this for Charmanda to out-wit?
Riding roughshod over it is probably a better description. I've got more for a Lunar campaign arc.
>> I think basic supplies will come from local clans, probably on pack
>> horses and mules across Fellmoor and by boat though the underground
>> caverns.
>
>We'd better work out the extent of these underground caverns, if they
>can take boats. Where do they come out, how do the Lunars stop them,
>why can't they be used for escape at the end? (Can they?)
This was discussed at one stage early on I think. Looking at the map I'd suggest there's a tributory of the Dreven river which starts under WW. By boats I'm thinking of punts, rowing boats, etc. mostly crewed by Drulz and Newtlings.
It takes Tatius (or rather Pharon) a while to find the entry point, sometime between mid 1620 and early 1621. Once that happens there's a Lunar guard post to get past. Certainly an option for escape although it'll take a lot of organisation and probably some fighting.
>1619, we have the vital supplies coming through Eurhol's Vale...
Vital but unspecified supplies. Given the distance and route I don't think they are basics. Unless it is salt, that would fit from a desert area like Prax and be valuable enough to be worth it.
>> By 1621 getting a small boatload of grain through will be a major event.
>
>Sounds about right in terms of build-up and drama.
>
>Weird and wonderful attempts to grow their own food - I learnt things
>about growing mushrooms in caves while in France.
That's where the Kitori come in. Trolls are the specialists at growing fungi.
>> The Lunars also have a supply problem - they need lots more stuff
>> than the Orlanthi and there are plenty of Orlanthi about who will
>> try an see they don't get it. Their main routes seem to be from
>> Wilmskirk in the north and Smithstone in the south.
>
>Yes, plenty of caravan-ambush action there.
>
>>We have detail: far too much detail! about the Bat. What we actually
>>need is enough freedom that the real answer is "your players did it".
>>Give some options, and enough basic facts that the GM can invent what
>>they need, perhaps. A collection of ways in which the Bat has been
>>dealt with so far?
>
>> I think this is very dependant on the level of the PCs and when
>> they arrive at WW. In many ways if the PC's beat the Bat in 1619
>> the rest of the seige becomes an anti-climax because there isn't
>> another dramatic victory for the Orlanthi.
>
>Maybe... but the Bat IS beaten in 1619, we know this. Whether they
>lead the fight, provide the plan so others can lead the fight, join
>in the fight, or just manage not to run away screaming, they'll be
>in there.
Not necessarily. The blue arrow goes out to the clans of Sartar after this. Responding to that is the reason for most Sartarite PCs to arrive at WW.
>> If the PCs beat the Bat themselves they either need to leave WW or
>> they are going to be the heroic leaders of the siege. In that case
>> the campaign arc will involve more politics than fighting and how
>> the Volsaxi react to their High King being effectively supplanted
>> by the PCs.
>
>Take a look at Rob's campaign. That's more or less what happened.
I need to do that. But it's not the only way to run this arc.
>>The final fall: again, we can come up with plenty of ideas, but how
>>the players can get involved will vary enormously from one group to
>>another, and what really happens will have to be variable to let it
>>work for them.
>If you've got high-level, magically-powerful PCs, then whatever Broyan's
>doing mythically is defined as something that their magic enables them
>to support. This is why I say it has to depend on the PCs, and we need
>options. Fortunately, I think we have options.
We do however need a default for Orlanthi campaigns where the PCs aren't powerful high level magicans and for Lunar campaigns. I'll leave the ideas up to you as I don't have any on this subject.
>> It's the Lunar side which is going to be interesting and the PCs
>> should have got to the level of taking a major part in action.
>
>Although the Lunar side is detailed to the point of leaving very little
>room for player initiative.
Only if we assume KoS is telling the whole story. Yes those things happened but were they the most important? Or would they have failed without the PCs intervention?
If we work on the basis that KoS outlines the plans Tatius had and introduce problems in implementing them for the PCs solve. Then if the PCs do something wildly different the narrator explains the variation away by saying the scribe in KoS was working for Tatius and stole the credit for his patron.
I'd best get to work on this Lunar campaign arc. Unless someone has a better idea I'll upload it as a file in the yahoo group.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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