WotBS Glibglammer Gulp

Our group just finished their audience before King Steppengard. One of the questions that came up both before and after the encounter was Glibglammer's history. She doesn't strike me as someone who is particularly patient -- did she just show up one day as Steppengard's trusted advisor, or is there more of a history here? That'd be sort of fishy -- which is fine by me!

And a completely different question: The adventure says that the Ragesians are waiting for word of how Madness fares before the army's weather mages do whatever it is weather mages do. I didn't see any other mention relationship between Madness and the Ragesians. Why do the Ragesian know of Madness and their plans, and why is it coordinating with them?

Thanks!

I have not worked out a backstory piece for Nina Glibglammer yet, but I agree that having something the raises questions fits well.

Bill T. said:

I didn't see any other mention relationship between Madness and the Ragesians. Why do the Ragesian know of Madness and their plans, and why is it coordinating with them?

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That is the only mention that I see of them working together in that adventure as well. In Bonus Adventure Four, The Old-Fashioned Way, there is a note that among the questions the inquisitors might ask is "What went wrong in Dassen? Was it the fault of Madness?"

This supports the idea that Ragesians know of Madness, and are waiting for the results. This could be anything from information from other Trillith about the location and nature of Madness, to the first of the "alliance" between Leska and the Trillith.

I think I will go with the idea that this is the first real joint venture between the two forces, though from the plotting of the events in the adventure, I think it works just as well if the Ragesian forces are merely aware of who and what Madness is, and what she is doing.

What will be more interesting for your campaign?

From what I've tucked together, at least General Revulus knows that "Madness" is trying to open up a way for the Ragesians, so I guess he knows about Torrax, Serrimus and Madness planning something together. I don't think he will know what a Trillith is or that Leska has allied herself with them, maybe he sees Madness as a unique kind of doppelganger mercenary.

Guthwulf is involved in this plan, so I guess it is reasonable that he (and some inquisitors) might know more. I also thought that Madness was the first joint-venture since a collaboration between Trillith and Leska only happens again much later in #8 and #9

For her backstory: I did it akin to what Deception did to Vuhl in #2: Madness killed Nina Glibglammer, who was indeed a good friend and advisor to Steppengard, and took her form/body. This way, no one in Dassen suspected anything. Nina (the real Nina) even studied a semester in Seaquen/Lyceum many years ago (the same thing that my Lady Timor did, seems to be en vogue among the nobler Dasseni mages), so the Lyceans did not really understand why a mage with her background would be so completely anti-Seaquen.

thekwp said:

In Bonus Adventure Four, The Old-Fashioned Way, there is a note that among the questions the inquisitors might ask is "What went wrong in Dassen? Was it the fault of Madness?"

This supports the idea that Ragesians know of Madness....

I think I will go with the idea that this is the first real joint venture between the two forces, though from the plotting of the events in the adventure, I think it works just as well if the Ragesian forces are merely aware of who and what Madness is, and what she is doing.

What will be more interesting for your campaign?

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Good catch with the bonus adventure -- I hadn't paid any attention to the later search results.

In any event, I'm currently thinking I should just embrace the ambiguity. In particular, retrieving that note will be the first time they see Madness as a name (although, thanks to Crystin, there is the slight possibility that they will puzzle out the details). In any event, at some point they will know Madness , and if they speculate on what the Ragesians knew, I can simply declare at the time that their speculations are in fact what happened. Then they get to feel clever for being able to figure out how the world works, and I get to pawn off world design onto the players. Everyone wins!

Lylandra said:

From what I've tucked together, at least General Revulus knows that "Madness" is trying to open up a way for the Ragesians, so I guess he knows about Torrax, Serrimus and Madness planning something together....

For her backstory: I did it akin to what Deception did to Vuhl in #2: Madness killed Nina Glibglammer, who was indeed a good friend and advisor to Steppengard, and took her form/body....

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You've reminded me of a quote from the Ruby radio series (volume 4 or 5, I think), where the characters, upon hearing that the queen was replaced with an impostor, keep going on about how "The writers wouldn't stoop that low, would they?"

Your posting provoked me into doing some serious thinking about Madness (oh, no, thinking! How painful!). I don't think Madness would be foolish enough to break cover in talking with the Serrimus, but she could visit the general without giving herself away. But I think the key question to ask here is, what does Madness want? Hmm, well, maybe that should be obvious just from the name.

So, what could be greater madness than a civil war? Chaos, fighting, death, confusion, betrayal...good stuff, as far as she's concerned, right? Maybe, then, she has been in Dassen for a long time, and has played a role as instigator in the Blood Wars. That means she would have been moving from kingdom to kingdom over the decades, looking for the right place to apply leverage in order to maximize the insanity. The general now gives it an opportunity to double down -- either to make a total mess of things in Dassen by having the Ragesians join the fun, or by turning her sights higher to Ragos, in hopes of being able to spark a civil war across the empire.

Does that sound plausible? Any additional conclusions that follow from this line of reasoning?

I hate to pour cold water on the brainstorming, but the original idea was that Nina Glibglammer was a real advisor to Steppengard. Madness was one of a handful of trillith who reached out to the inquisitors in order to find out where the Heart of History (see Adventure Twelve) is. Deception does it too. They claim to the Ragesians to only be motivated by wanting to free themselves from the seal that is Gate Pass (which keeps them from pouring onto the surface en masse). In exchange they say they'll serve in Leska's armies. In truth, they want to, well, see adventure twelve.

Around the beginning of the campaign, Madness killed and replaced Nina, then began to turn the king while coordinating the assassination of his family. Madness of course enjoys causing Madness, but ultimately it's part of the maneuvering by the trillith to gain access to the heart.

RangerWickett said:

I hate to pour cold water on the brainstorming

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PLEASE don't feel that way. I really appreciate that you are willing to give us additional insights into the adventure and what was envisioned it! I also don't feel constrained by that; I am perfectly willing to alter anything in the published adventure to fit my campaign, and draw inspiration from other people's interpretations. However, I can brainstorm better on that knowing what the intention on how things were supposed to fit together.

, but the original idea was that Nina Glibglammer was a real advisor to Steppengard. Madness was one of a handful of trillith who reached out to the inquisitors in order to find out where the Heart of History (see Adventure Twelve) is. Deception does it too. They claim to the Ragesians to only be motivated by wanting to free themselves from the seal that is Gate Pass (which keeps them from pouring onto the surface en masse). In exchange they say they'll serve in Leska's armies. In truth, they want to, well, see adventure twelve.

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That was the conclusion I had come to about Madness. And when I say "collaboration between the Trillith and Ragesia" I mean "the temporary alliance before betrayal."

However, the idea that Deception is also a part of this plan is news to me. I had not picked up any clues to that, and just thought it was one of the Trillith plans. That may shade my thoughts on how everyone reacts.

Around the beginning of the campaign, Madness killed and replaced Nina, then began to turn the king while coordinating the assassination of his family. Madness of course enjoys causing Madness, but ultimately it's part of the maneuvering by the trillith to gain access to the heart.

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Since two of the members of my party are from parts of Dassen originally, I can work the change of behavior into their background, or at least frame their expectations so that they realize something has changed.

And speaking of Madness, I appreciate the fact that Madness acts at the climax in a way that is dramatically significant and not purely tactically because of her nature as a trillith. It is not something the party is every likely to know or even speculate on, but it makes the world and action fits together so much better.

I second thekwp's response. Heck, my post was fishing for a bit of cold water

So, yeah, thanks for giving us peeks behind the curtain.