Diabolical Dark Sun faction motivations

[darkbard]

Folks, I would love to brainstorm with your aid about a new campaign scenario with which I continue to tinker and hope to get off the ground sooner than later.

The campaign's opening scenario will see the PCs witnessing (and trying to stop, though the cards are stacked against them) an assassination of an adored leader of the popular uprising that killed the Sorcerer-King Kalak in Tyr. Said leader, the former gladiator Rikus (a famous NPC from the books, sourcebook and otherwise), is assaulted by a defiling wizard who summons a demon as part of the assassination. In the wake of this event (whether the PCs save Rikus's life or not, they must defeat the wizard, his thugs, and the demon in the opening scenario), they are approached by three figures, through whom I hope to present the PCs with plenty of options, but tough ones, both ethically, residing in moral gray areas, and with regards to their own goals and motivations.

These figures are:

(1) A templar and official of the new governmental regime. He despises the fact that the Guard was unable to protect a political leader, even one of whom he may not have approved, and sees the PCs as clearly more capable than the standard guardsman and thus ripe for enlistment in dangerous work. He seeks to use the assassination as an excuse to crack down on the Veiled Alliance, an organization of wizards (arcane magic is outlawed), even though they had nothing to do with the assassination and do not practice defiling magic.

(2) A representative of an influential noble house, who also happens to belong to a secret society known as The True, which seeks to tamp down the popular uprising and restore the deposed Sorcerer-King, or a suitable replacement, to the throne. Often practitioners of defiling magic themselves and, in fact, the true perpetrators of the assassination, this group seeks also to use the event as an excuse to eliminate a rival: the Veiled Alliance, which played a role in the uprising and opposes defiling magic at any cost.

(3) A member of the Veiled Alliance, who knows the organization had nothing to do with the murder and recognizes that the PCs can be powerful allies in their fight against dark forces.

Essentially, all three make recruitment calls. I've decided that #2 above will seek to have the PCs infiltrate the Veiled Alliance in an attempt to learn the identities of its leaders and then be able to destroy the group from within (unless the PCs change their goals once they suss out what factors are truly at play).

I'm looking for help in devising compelling (and ethically fraught) scenarios for #1 and 3. What will the Templar ask of the PCs in his attempt to strike at the Veiled Alliance? A simple mercenary assault on a Veiled Alliance safehouse or similar, for example, seems a little dull. I want the PCs to have a reason to consider taking this offer (see below for PC motivations).

As to the Veiled Alliance itself, how do they wish to utilize the PCs? Assuming the PCs pass muster and convince them of their trustworthiness, what action/mission might they be tasked with?

PC motivating scenarios:

PC 1 Druid: Has a map from mentor leading to King's Gardens within the Golden City of the Templars (represented by #1 above), a place normally off limits to regular citizens. Within this garden, should encounter something that will provide a clue in her quest to bring some healing to the Burnt World.

PC 2 Rogue: Begins play with the ability to speak Draconic, the language of magic, though this is not studied but innate. Hopes to MC Sorcerer, and finding a mentor, be it the Veiled Alliance or a defiler, like those among The True or some Templars could provide the spark he needs to realize this goal.

PC 3 Fighter: Was a gladiator champion, whose partner went missing before their last match. Has been searching for partner, to no avail, since. Strangely, that partner appears as a Templar warrior in the entourage of the Templar who approaches the PCs but will not acknowledge the Fighter in any way. Intrigue!

tl;dr In any event, I would love additional ideas to open up some possibilities by drawing the PCs into the schemes of (1) The political machinations of the oppressive Templars, trying to hold power in the face of a rising democracy, (2) A conservative aristocratic family that has been infiltrated by mad loyalists to the deposed Sorcerer-King, and (3) a group of arcanists, ruthless at times, that seeks to continue fighting the forces that continue to defile the planet. Specifically, what will groups #1 and 3 look to have the PCs do following the call to enlistment?

Thanks for your patience with reading and any suggestions you may have!

 

[Rolenet]

I've just finished DMing a HPE Dark Sun campaign, so I might add some insight. In particular, I started with the Ashes of Athas campaign, which has similarities with some of your ideas.

Here's my two bits:


- personnaly, I didn't use any Demons as such in DS, as they seem to be ill-suited to the metaphysics (planes) of the setting, and not that much thematic. Why not just plain defiling plus a DS beast? Or a more straightfoward elemental (e.g. some desert elemental)?

As for your plot, it seems very good as is! But here are a few thoughts.

(1) Not easy to make the templars attractive employers. Everyone hates them: they're defilers, bullies, administrators, and hold power. BUT for this reason it's a great notion. In fact, one could argue that they are doing a crucial job, because they keep Tyr from develoving into utter chaos. So be sure to paint them as benevolent safekeepers of freedom and order. That's a great challenge! The druid will be a hard sell: be sure for them to distinguish Tyr from Nature.
You also need to make the VA appear as possibly evil, if you want the players to possibly go against them, rather than automatically siding with them "good guys". They are highly secretive, and do include arcanists, so that's a start. Here's an idea: becaue the VA is so secretive, the Templars could actually be genuinely misguided about who's in the VA and launch the players against a "cell" that's unrelated. This would allow some more good judgement call for the PC, moral quandary, and an opportunity for the PC to still side with the VA later on.

(2) Why not use the noble rather as psionicist than defilers? This would allow showcasing that aspect of DS.
Also, is Kalak to be brought as some kind of undead? Or is he still in fact alive? If so how did Rikus manage to not kill him? Maybe Rikus was in league with the Pure? Or it's a VA machination to start with?
(In my campaign, Kalak managed to transfer his soul into the Heartwood Spear, then later into the pyramid when the Spear was broken. He was brought back by the heroes - after they foiled the Pure...- into a halfling body, because they needed him to use the pyramid.)
The Nobles seem to have the least ties to the PCs. Maybe portray them as independant, third party that is genuinely worried about the in-fighting and want stability.
Also I'm not sure how to link the nobles against the VA. Maybe add in some unrelated personal grudge? Then send the heroes against a fake VA cell, that's really a personal enemy of the noble house.

(3) DS 4e has a rather unconvincing way of handling defiling. It could be an issue if the VA asks the arcane PCs for a defiling test (the Green Test, if I'm correct). Because DS4 is not very clear on whether arcanist always defile, or never defile, or can sometimes. Be sure to make it clear to yourself and to your players...
The old AD&D sourcebook on the VA is quite cool. Written by one of Paranoia's authors, it's heavy on the secret society side of thing, if you like that.
I liked to play the VA as incompetents who always get infiltrated or are downright useless (The Tyrean People's Front!). But they have great potential as hidden mastermind with unfathomable goals. They might be the actual providers of the Heartwood Spear, and motivators of Rikus - while hiding this fact, and having sinister goals (that will unfold in further Tiers...). In that case you need to establish subtle hints right now, or recurring characters. In fact, they could influence the nobles or the templars to send the PC into a fake VA cell that's actually their own enemies... presto, re-use of the same encounter...

(4...) Why not involve the Merchant Houses? Maybe as part of the noble faction. They're important and kind of cool. Some of the houses supported slave trade, and have lost much to the deposing of Kalak, others not. Bonus: potential Caravan Mission! yay!

 

[darkbard]

[MENTION=6874615]Rolenet[/MENTION], thank you for your detailed and useful response! Lots of good ideas there....

Some additional information from my designs: I have scripted the three "pitches" these groups will make to the PCs, which may give a little clearer notion of how I see things. What I'm specifically interested in is what comes next after these pitches! I'm looking to provide the players with a limited "sandbox" style game, wherein their own character concerns run against scenarios I throw in their path and they're thus faced with tough decisions. In this way, I hope to avoid any sort of railroading. Plus, I have no overarching campaign narrative (yet?)! I hope one develops through play.

In any event, here are the three pitches as currently scripted (these are heavily plagiarized from the D&D Next adventure "Murder in Baldur's Gate" and altered to my purposes):

(1) Templar: The Templar who approached you in the Arena stands at a window, looking back out across the city. A meek lad of about ten serves him from the edges of the room.

“Look at Tyr,” he says. “See how it crowds itself and teems unchecked? Those ghettoes of the Warrens and Brickyard are breeding grounds for a criminal cabal of wizards called the Veiled Alliance. The Templars and the Crimson Legion mercenary company are charged with defending Tyr. Right now, the Veiled Alliance, not some foreign enemy, is the city’s greatest threat. It threatens much of the city, as today’s murder of one of our Councilmembers reveals.

“The Veiled Alliance has us encircled from within. Its agents and rot are worming into every nook of Tyr. These monsters find victims wherever the forces of law are not. They grow bolder daily. They infest our politics and businesses.

“Rikus was Tyr’s greatest citizen. Yet a Veiled Alliance assassin attacked him in broad daylight. I will crush them for it. I need people such as you to help me. I can offer coin, of course, but I also offer positions of rank within the Templars and the honor the order’s tabard affords. What say you?”

(2) Noblewoman: A human female wearing a diaphanous gold khaleeji dress has long black hair, graying at the temples. “Welcome!” she says. “I am sure Murter showed you a pleasant time thus far. Would you care for a beverage?

“I am Shoshana Beryl, member of the Tyr Council and Advisor to King Tithian, as well as matriarch of a family with longstanding and broad interests in Tyr’s political and economic affairs.

“I will be forward with you,” Beryl continues. “Our city rots at its core. Even after the removal of the Tyrant, we spiral in mayhem and chaos. Who would dare strike at such a venerated hero as Rikus but those who swear fealty to dark, evil forces? Many have come to our city seeking refuge, and we have graciously opened our doors. But they have brought with them a rotten seed—defiling powers and foul demons which they worship. I intend to sweep this filth from our city and restore Tyr to its proper place of esteem.

“The people of whom I speak are in league with a cabal of wizards and defilers known as the Veiled Alliance! Their cancerous fingers reach from the gutters all the way to our most vaunted institutions, including the Templars, and now the King’s Council. They corrupt our lands, manipulate our markets and shipping, and have powerful cronies in the merchant houses and even the Crimson Legion.

“To root them out, I must know who they are. I need someone who can trace the Alliance’s network and identify its leaders. Will you aid me?”

(3) Veiled Alliance member: “Thank you for coming,” she says in a soft, accented voice, as she sits cross-legged on a pillow next to the old man. “I wasn’t sure you would, but we had great hope.”

The woman introduces herself as Anaxana. She introduces the man as “Musayed.” He says little but watches, scowls, or nods sagely when appropriate and refills tea cups as needed.

Convey the following:
 Anaxana works with the Veiled Alliance. They have been declared a criminal organization because they practice arcane magic, but the truth is that its members practice preserving magic only.
 The Veiled Alliance is the people’s only protector from defiler arcanists.
 Some among Kalak’s former Templars and defilers continue to practice their foul arts and hope to use their power to bring about Kalak’s return. These loyalists belong to an organization called “The True,” and they are responsible for the assassination of Rikus today.

If a hero asks Anaxana about her connection to the Veiled Alliance, read:

“The nobles and the Templars blame the Veiled Alliance for everything that goes wrong, and yet they sit on their hands in chairs of gold. You’ve seen the rest of the city. No law’s out here to protect innocent preservers but for the Veiled Alliance. Will you help us in these aims?”

If the heroes press her on exactly what the Veiled Alliance does, she admits that the group protects preservers and their auxiliaries, opposes defilers, and seeks to undermine the Sorcerer-Kings.

As to the summoning of the demon in the initial encounter, (1) according to 4E DS cosmology, the Abyss resides at the lowest depths of the Elemental Chaos, so it's not entirely out of place; (2) I want to highlight just how foul defiling magic can be; (3) the Druid is a Sentinel with a Living Zephyr elemental companion, so I don't want to blur the lines between elementals too much in the first scene; and (4) I kinda just want to use a demon.

Thanks again for your response!

 

[Rolenet]

Well I ALSO happen to have played "Murder in Baldur's Gate" (quite happenstance, considering it's the only 5e organized thing I've played!), and indeed I remarked the similarity. When I played it, I found it a nice way to start a campaign indeed, and a great way to introduce the world (sand box is cool but maybe not at the very beginning!).
I admit I would be very curious to know whether your PC choose to side against the VA! The Ashes of Athas campaign if very focussed on helping out the VA.

However, from a "present the world" standpoint, your protagonists do seem to be missing the Way and the merchants. Arguably though (and oddly!), the Way is almost absent from Tyr.

Regarding the PCs, just a thought:

Rogue: it won't be easy showcasing his Thievery skill. Indoor adventures and mechanical traps won't abound. Do you have ideas for that? Or is he more of a Streetwise type (huge opportunities for this)?

Druid: I found indeed the place of the nature spirit not super obvious. That is a side-effect of D&D4's power sources which were not integral to AD&D2. It's a bit blurry, esp. the distinction with the semi-natural elemental forces.

Fighter: the Gladiator build doesn't seem very exciting, because using the various cool weapons isn't. Have you found a way to integrate the weapon powers more readily? In our game, I used a "power swap" rule: once per encounter, you can exchange one power for a Dark Sun power, provided it's either a DS Theme power, a DS build power, or a DS weapon feat power.
Also, I found setting up gladiator fights hard, because I wouldn't separate the gladiator-types from the others, and you can only go Gamesters of Triskelion so many times...

 

[darkbard]

However, from a "present the world" standpoint, your protagonists do seem to be missing the Way and the merchants. Arguably though (and oddly!), the Way is almost absent from Tyr.

True enough (pun intended), but it's hard to fit everything into the initial scenario.

Regarding the PCs, just a thought:

Rogue: it won't be easy showcasing his Thievery skill. Indoor adventures and mechanical traps won't abound. Do you have ideas for that? Or is he more of a Streetwise type (huge opportunities for this)?

Well, he is going to MC Sorcerer and powerswap for Flame Spiral down the line, so his CHA is pretty good (starting 16). He will cover both DEX and CHA skills for the group, so one or the other should keep him busy most of the time.

Fighter: the Gladiator build doesn't seem very exciting, because using the various cool weapons isn't. Have you found a way to integrate the weapon powers more readily? In our game, I used a "power swap" rule: once per encounter, you can exchange one power for a Dark Sun power, provided it's either a DS Theme power, a DS build power, or a DS weapon feat power.
Also, I found setting up gladiator fights hard, because I wouldn't separate the gladiator-types from the others, and you can only go Gamesters of Triskelion so many times...

Oh, the character doesn't use any specific Gladiator mechanics. She's a mul Fighter/MC Warlord whose backstory is as outlined above; once Kalak was assassinated, she finds herself free of slavery and her life in the arena. Mechanically, she has Fighter Weapon Talent (one handed: alhulak), Auspicious Fortune background, and Guardian theme (the idea being that the Guardian feature simulates the partner fighting style she practiced in the arena prior to the begin of play).

 

[darkbard]

Wanted to also respond to these details from your inital post!

(In my campaign, Kalak managed to transfer his soul into the Heartwood Spear, then later into the pyramid when the Spear was broken. He was brought back by the heroes - after they foiled the Pure...- into a halfling body, because they needed him to use the pyramid.)

Back for what?!? I would love a brief synopsis of your game's narrative!

They might be the actual providers of the Heartwood Spear, and motivators of Rikus - while hiding this fact, and having sinister goals (that will unfold in further Tiers...).

I've never read the setting fiction, but it's my understanding that the VA actually was crucial in aiding in the assassination of Kalak, indeed, providing the Heartwood Spear as you suggest. In fact, I believe one member of the VA (Sadira? Don't remember if that's spelled correctly) now sits on the Council (per 4E setting canon at outset of play), though I believe her membership is a secret to most, except her co-conspirators in slaying Kalak (Rikus, Tithian, etc.).

 

[Rolenet]

I haven't read the fiction either, but the Ashes of Athas campaign includes bits of it. My use of these elements is certainly non-canon!

In Heroic, I used AoA, which involved a fight against Obadias, a member of the Pure who ended up doing a ritual within the pyramid. He was in fact backstabbing the Pure, sacrificing their mooks to enact a ritual that would transfer Kalak's energy from the Spear to himself.
The heroes mostly stopped him.

MUCH later on, at the end of Epic (homebrew this time), the PCs realized that they might need Kalak's help to understand the purpose of the mysterious secret tower within the Golden Tower.

They knew he was "alive" because one of the PC was a Sorcerer-King warlock who derived his powers from him. They tried Sending, then Sending from the Gray (which entailed entering the Gray from the ruins of Kalidnay) and got a hit. He was where they left him, trappped in the Gray within the pyramid, when the spear broken during Obadias fight.

After considering their options, they developed a ritual to transfer his soul into the body of a creature, which turned out to be halfling, and then tried to get his cooperation with the Tower.

 

[darkbard]

Good stuff, Rolenet! I've only skimmed through the first two AoA adventures so far. I hope to be able to incorporate some elements and ideas from them, but I really want to begin play focusing on the PCs' immediate pre-gameplay goals (i.e., enter the King's Gardens to follow up the clues on the map the Druid begins play with and which ties in to her destiny in some way; find and reunite with the Fighter's former arena partner and discover why she disappeared; establish fictional elements that account for the Rogue's incipient sorcerous power) and don't want to get too ahead of myself with other plot strands.

That said, if you remember any specific elements from the adventures that sound like they would fit into my vague outline, don't be bashful about adding them here!

Thanks for the dialogue!

 

[Rolenet]

Well the True features heavily in the beginning of AoA, as well as the VA, so that's something.
The beginning adventures that take place in Altaruk are a fine way of introducing the merchant houses.
BUt honestly the modules are rather dense, so you might have a hard time skimming the contents for relevant stuff...
Overall the encounters are interestingly designed, with care taken to add novel dimensions to them. The one issue is some continuity issues between levels, because they're written by different authors.