darkbard
Legend
I'm crafting a scenario wherein after witnessing an assassination in the Dark Sun city of Tyr (in the upheaval of the months following Kalak's death), the characters are approached by three potential power groups looking to enlist their aid.
The assassination was of the mul gladiator and hero of the rebellion, Rikus, who struck a mortal blow to the previous Sorcerer-King, Kalak, during the rebellion and who subsequently became something of a hero of the people. His assassin was a member of the True, a group of defiling wizards dedicated to bringing back Kalak from the dead and restoring his tyrannical rule of order.
Since the assassin is clearly a practitioner of arcane magic, there is re-invigorated suspicion of wizards in the wake of the murder. All wizards, including those of the preserver tradition known as the Veiled Alliance, are hunted.
The three groups that attempt to enlist the PCs' aid are: (1) a noblewoman being manipulated by a member of the True to use the assassination as rationale for discerning the leaders of the Veiled Alliance and bring their organization to an end; she seeks to end the populism of the current Council of Advisors and replace it with a Senate comprised entirely of nobles; (2) a member of the Veiled Alliance itself, who knows of the True and their aims and seeks to foil them and their dark plans by any means necessary; and (3) a leading Templar of the city, the Minister of Justice, who long has viewed the Veiled Alliance as a rebel faction within the city, a challenge to the ruling order, and thus seeks to crush the group once and for all.
Assuming all three make "pitches" to enlist the PCs, what initial tasks/missions might these groups propose to achieve their aims? My goal is to force the characters into ethically gray areas, make difficult decisions, balance their own personal power and access to powerful figures with the actual players' sympathies for rebels against oppressive authorities, etc.
How might I make the "pitches" both appealing and difficult? What might they entail?
Two character details that may aid in framing answers: one character seeks access to the King's Gardens, a rare botanical wonder behind walls accessible only to the Templars, that holds some clue to her destiny; another character wishes to multiclass as a sorcerer down the line, and so tutelage or training by arcane characters could play a role.
Thanks for any feedback!
The assassination was of the mul gladiator and hero of the rebellion, Rikus, who struck a mortal blow to the previous Sorcerer-King, Kalak, during the rebellion and who subsequently became something of a hero of the people. His assassin was a member of the True, a group of defiling wizards dedicated to bringing back Kalak from the dead and restoring his tyrannical rule of order.
Since the assassin is clearly a practitioner of arcane magic, there is re-invigorated suspicion of wizards in the wake of the murder. All wizards, including those of the preserver tradition known as the Veiled Alliance, are hunted.
The three groups that attempt to enlist the PCs' aid are: (1) a noblewoman being manipulated by a member of the True to use the assassination as rationale for discerning the leaders of the Veiled Alliance and bring their organization to an end; she seeks to end the populism of the current Council of Advisors and replace it with a Senate comprised entirely of nobles; (2) a member of the Veiled Alliance itself, who knows of the True and their aims and seeks to foil them and their dark plans by any means necessary; and (3) a leading Templar of the city, the Minister of Justice, who long has viewed the Veiled Alliance as a rebel faction within the city, a challenge to the ruling order, and thus seeks to crush the group once and for all.
Assuming all three make "pitches" to enlist the PCs, what initial tasks/missions might these groups propose to achieve their aims? My goal is to force the characters into ethically gray areas, make difficult decisions, balance their own personal power and access to powerful figures with the actual players' sympathies for rebels against oppressive authorities, etc.
How might I make the "pitches" both appealing and difficult? What might they entail?
Two character details that may aid in framing answers: one character seeks access to the King's Gardens, a rare botanical wonder behind walls accessible only to the Templars, that holds some clue to her destiny; another character wishes to multiclass as a sorcerer down the line, and so tutelage or training by arcane characters could play a role.
Thanks for any feedback!
