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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jaer" data-source="post: 3988102" data-attributes="member: 57861">I am about to get extraordinarily wordy....I’ll take the Adult red dragon (CR 15).  We’ll call him Ard for short.I started out this idea already in a thread, but I’ll rework and retool it from here.  I’m working in an area assumed to have several terrain types teaming with the typical humanoid monstrosities and other casual dangers.Ard has lived in the same cave for most of his life.  He found, long ago, that there were kobolds living in the same mountain, and when he was smaller and could transverse the passages of the caverns, he “introduced” himself to the tribe, eventually becoming their lord and master, and in time, their god.  The kobolds’ have venerated the dragon for generations – it is ingrained in their culture.The mountain is full of twisting, turning passages and tunnels, and only one leads from the kobold’s lair to the dragon’s lair.  This has become the Sacred Tunnel and only the Chief, Shaman (cleric), or Mystic (sorcerer) are allowed passage down it.  Only they are taught the secrets of the traps that lay within and which turns to take (it is not a straight path).  Over the centuries, the kobolds have, under Ard’s command, trapped and retrapped the area, carved out secret passages and all manner of foul things.Ard has also, throughout these years, interbred with kobolds, creating half-dragons who were powerful enough to wipe out or subjugate anything else in the mountain.  The goblin tribes were wiped out and the dwarves in the area slaughtered (Ard, himself, helped out with this feat in his younger days, leading the kobolds to battle personally, though making sure to only engage in direct conflict when in his favor.  Mainly he sat back and used his breath weapon, since his own troops were immune).  The dwarves had some magic items with them, most of which are passed down through the tribe to the leaders.  The war-like nature of the kobold has given them some combat training, which is passed down.  Mostly the tribe is full half-dragon kobolds with a few class levels each (some barbarians, some sorcs, some rogues or rangers) with the chief, shaman, and mystic having several levels each.Over the years, the traps have gained in complexity and magical nature as the tribe got smarter and more powerful (from the victories in battle and the intelligence gained from dragon breeding).  The tunnels are well and truly dangerous, and most are sized for small creatures (medium sized creatures would be very hard pressed to pass through most of them to and from the kobold lair).There are larger tunnels through the mountain that Ard can use, but they are few and far between, and none are near the kobold’s lair.  A small tribe of minotaurs live within these passages; they are few in number and as such fear the much larger tribe of kobolds.  They know of the kobold’s god, they have heard it in the mountain, but few have ever seen it; they do not tred where the kobold’s tell them not to go (the traps deter them from those areas as well).These are the two lines of Ard’s direct defenses: a tribe of minotaurs that “guard” the larger tunnels in the mountain and a tribe potent half-dragon kobolds that guard the smaller ones.  All passages leading to the kobold of the dragon are lined with mechanical and magical traps, some of which are very old and primitive, while others are very new and cunning in their execution.As Ard got older, his desire for power grew, and he was no longer content with his little mountain kingdom.  Find several orc tribes in the surround area, he bested the chiefs in combat and began ruling the creatures.At first, they were unhappy with this new, strange ‘chief’ and the small reptile men that served and worshipped him, but Ard slowly and surely dominated the tribes and united them under one banner, and led them to victory against a new neighboring areas (wiping out a few small elf and Halfling settlements).  Ard directed his forces personally, but did not lead them in battle.  He left that to his kobold retainers, so the elves and Halflings never saw the red dragon, only the mass of orcs and strange, red-scaled kobolds.  If any warning got out, it was not about a dragon-led army.Seeing the victories and spoils of war, the local hobgoblins actually petitioned the kobolds to join the war force.  They wanted to be under this warlord’s banner, not knowing that the warlord in question was a dragon.  Now Ard had two more forces working outside the mountain: his orcs and his hobgoblins.  He kept the two forces separate to keep each other in check (the lawful hobgoblins didn’t like the chaotic orcs anyway, and the two could not work together well on the field).Having secured his position as the power of the tribes, Ard returned to his mountain, leaving some of his kobolds with both the orcs and hobgoblins to see his will be done.  Any time Ard needs to communicate with them, he sends kobolds from the mountain to the orcs or hobgoblins (the addition of a magic carpet or some other sort of magic transport would help speed this).  If the need to speak is urgent, he will have the shaman or mystic in the mountain tribe use magic to communicate to the kobolds at the tribe.Ard set his eyes on the City as his next place of conquest, but he wanted to move stealthy, not just crush the place.  His first play was the most difficult one: how to get a foothold in the city.He starts with some infiltration and spy work, accomplished with the help of some of his minions who can use magic and make for craft spies.  A hat of disguise, some disguise spells, and a few potions of invisibilities would allow the kobolds to sneak in, and the orc tribe did have some half-orcs with them, who can move about in human society at least partically (and who knows, maybe even some of the orcs can get inside).After several months of his minions spying, Ard finds out a few facts about the city that will help him out.  There is a small family of were-rats living in the city.  Currently the policing force is working on taking them out (a bounty has been posted for them).  Also of note, there are 3 thieves guilds warring in the city; so far, the Rot Grubs have been taking a pretty bad beating by the other two, and they are in desperate trouble.  Third, one of the constables, Thomas, has a gambling problem and is in debt to some pretty shaddy characters who are getting him to aid them in their business until his debt is paid off.The dragon moves quickly and sends a small party of rogue kobolds into the sewers to kind the were-rats before any would be adventures do.  The kobolds, being small, can transverse the sewers easily, and they go find the were-rats and agree to protect them from the humans if they led some support to the cause (without revealing the cause is led by Ard,a red dragon).  The were-rats agree.  They know the city from the ground up, and are able to move about more easily than the dragon’s other minions.  With the dragon’s forces backing them up, they not only survive, but thrive.And, in doing so, they discover the location of the remaining bastion of the Rot Grub thieves guild, who are not doing well.  Under direction from the kobolds now guarding the were-rat lair (who, like those with the orcs and hobgoblins, are in communication with main tribe and thus Ard), the were-rat’s join the Rot Grubs.  Using the money from the dragon (and the weapons from the adventures who went delving in the sewers for were-rats and found them protected by a small half-dragon kobold force), the Rot Grubs make a startling turn in their guild war.During this time, the indebted constable, Thomas, receives a visitor at his door, one bearing a chest of gems to cover his debts.  He is not asked to do anything criminal, so this deal actually gets him off the hook for his shady deeds; all he needs to do is turn a blind eye to some of the Rot Grub activity for the moent.  In exchange, the Rot Grubs feed him some info about the other guilds; the constable starts cracking down on the two more powerful guilds, gaining some reknown for his recent successes in cracking down on the guild war.The people Thomas owed money to come back to influence him some more, saying they will reveal his gambling and drinking and womanizing habits to the public if he does not do them some favors; his new found rep will be ruined.  These people are soon found dead, the constable’s allegiance with the Rot Grubs is a little more solidified – they took care of his problem without asking for anything in return.  They are watching his back, and so he watches theirs.Over the next few months, the guild’s influence is growing, their power is expanding, and the other guilds are slowly being slaughtered (assassinated by were-rats or burned to cinder by the half-dragon kobold rogues) or rounded up (by the constable who is being promoted to captain of the guard).The were-rats become very influence characters in the guild.  Their nature is fairly secret, even amongst guild members; all that is known is that they are very good and sneaking into places (turning into a rat) and very sturdy in a street-brawl (DR vs silver).  The were-rats keep their allegiance with the kobolds secret (and they are still unaware of Ard’s involvement).When the guild creates a smaller sect, a special elite group named the Scarlet Fang (made up of some kobolds, secretly, and the were-rats who are very loyal to the kobolds), to do special missions, no one in power realized the significance of the name, and the were-rats only suggested it to give nod to the strange red-skinned kobolds who have helped them and still guide them.On the fringe of the city is a bandit group who have been raiding caravans.  The dragon uses his Scarlet Fang minions to muscle in on that operation as well, thus giving him cover of the roads outside the city and the guild working from the inside.  It also, once again, gives him dual coverage of the situation, with the bandits to fight the Rot Grubs should either try to turn on him (and neither actually realizing they are working for a dragon).  He still has the orcs and hobgoblins in reserve, should he really need to show some muscle.After setting up the pieces, Ard waits a little while to let his power structures grow.  He keeps the Thomas, Captain of the Guard, bribed and protects him secretly from any force that would disrupt the influence.  The Scarlet Fangs keep Thomas well informed of the goings on of the city, so much so, he thinks them his pawns and spies, and he actually sends them on tasks from time to time.  They give him dirt on nobles when they have it, and they feed him info about the Rot Grubs, the bandits, and the threats from outside (the orc and hobgoblin raids) and anything else they know about.  From this, Thomas does not know that the Fangs are connected to the Rot Grubs, the bandits, or the humanoids.  They seem to be an assassin and spy organization, one that has given him remarkable wealth and power, and one that seems to do what it can to keep him happy and only asks for small favors from time to time  The favors vary in importance – sometimes they ask for him to turn a blind eye on the rot grubs, other times the other thieves guilds, sometimes they ask for someone released from prison, other times for someone to be arrested – small things, but whatever the dragon deems necessary for it’s goals, and sometimes the goal is simply to confuse Thomas (making him believe the Fangs are connected to no one) and make him feel needed by the Fangs.Every so often, when the Fangs give Thomas info about the bandits or the thieves guild; Ard has these operations pull back for a few months (making it seem like the captain of the guard has driven them away for some time), and also, every so often, he has the orcs and hobgoblins take down some out-lying villages (allowing them to loot and pillage, but also pulling them back to let the Thomas successful drive away attackers once again).  The captain is unaware he is being influences and played.Eventually the Rot Grubs completely over-take and absorb one of the other guilds, thus giving them access to some higher level politicians that they were bribing.  Having accumulated such wealth (through a thieves guild, a bandit group, and pillaging humanoids), these few politicians are easily bribable for small favors, and over the course of a few years, with some political backing and some specialized threats and assassinations, the Fangs open up a line for Thomas, who at this point is squarely in their pocket without even realizing how much or how often he is being played, moves up to the chain of command until he not only commands most of the kingdom’s army, but is a military advisor to the king.During this rise to power, Scarlet Fangs act as Thomas’s secret police, and provide him with secrets and rumors about most of the nobles in the kingdom – at this point, some of them have been given rank and nobility and political influence through Thomas himself.  And he has dirt on everyone; and if there is no dirt to be had, the Fangs can create it.  Thomas’s power and influence grows, and he plays the political game well (under advisement from some of the Fangs, who seem to have his best interests in mind).  Thomas thinks he has power and influence inside the Fangs, up they know they created him and can bring him down, if needed.Let’s assess Ard’s influence from the bottom up:- Ard is worshipped by the kobolds.- Through the kobolds, Ard rules a large mass of orcs and hobgoblins who know Ard, a powerful red dragon, is in charge- Through the kobolds, Ard influences the were-rats, the Scarlet Fang, who have become the secret police of Thomas.  Many of the were-rats hold low-level bought nobility and are part of the advisor’s personal entourage.  Not only do the were-rats owe the kobold’s their allegiance still, but the risk of being discovered as were-rats is a constant, and when pushed, they are reminded their power is easily stripped.  The fear of returning to the sewer keeps them in line.- Through the Scarlet Fang, Ard controls the Rot Grubs and the bandits.- Through the Scarlet Fang, Ard influences Thomas, who has control of most of the military forces and policing force (spies and the like).  The Fangs have some pretty big dirt on him, and if push comes to shove, they could really twist Thomas’s arm and give him reason to fear crossing them, but for now, they want to keep the influence subtle.  It is possible that, at this point, Thomas has actually married into one of the were-rats without knowing, and now they have that in their back pocket on him, too.Let us look at Ard’s line of defenses from the top down:Thomas:Thomas does have significant power and influence in the kingdom, and he is still free-thinking.  The Fangs, however, supplied him with wealth and power, he knows that.  He also fears they could take it away, and should any of his secrets be revealed, everything would be stripped from him.  He would loose it all.  And, again, it is possible that, at some point, the Fangs implanted a were-rat wife in with him, which would make his stand of power all the more precocious. Thomas does have the power and influence to route the Scarlet Fangs, but he can’t do so, because they would take him down with him.  He could hire some people to do so on the side (adventures), but again, he risks loosing it all if it gets out he was involved with them.  Further, should they be completely removed (if every one of them died without revealing a thing), he would still loose all the power and wealth they still directly provide, which is a lot.  He will not move against them.Thomas could move against the orcs, the hobgoblins, the Rot Grubs, or the bandits, but the Fangs would cut short any such campaign before they were removed completely.Thomas does not know about Ard, and therefore cannot move against him.The Scarlet Fangs:The Fangs are mainly were-rats, but they have some kobolds and other agents among them.  They all enjoy a good life of wealth and power (all except the kobolds, who make by hiding in the city as they can, but they are content to do their god’s will, and they can come and go in and out of the city easily enough).  The Fangs know the kobolds supplied them with the wealth and power that they have.  They know if they are revealed to the public, even Thomas’s influence could not save them, so they can’t turn on the kobold’s or they will be lost.  Their power and wealth comes through them.They do not know about Ard, and so they cannot move against him.The Rot Grubs and the Bandits:They are controlled by the Scarlet Fang.  They could turn on the Fang, sure, but the Fangs are the crime bosses.  Anyone talking about turning on them turns up dead in nasty, nasty ways.  Also, if they attempted to turn on the Fangs, the Fangs would have Thomas wipe them out with the police force.  Or, in the case of the bandits in the wilderness, the kobolds, orcs, or hobgoblins could do the job.They do not know about Ard, and so cannot move against him.The Orcs and Hobgoblins:The orcs and hobgoblins are ruled by fear of Ard and fear of the kobolds who lead them.  They also respect Ard’s power and appreciate the tactics, plunder, and gruelsome slaughter he has led them on.  The like work for him.They know of Ard, but do not know where to find him.  They could track the kobolds back to their lair, but that would lead them in direct conflict with the kobolds, not Ard, and the small passages and cunning traps would decimate their forces before they even found the kobold’s home.  Further Ard, alone, could take out either force fairly easily, as could the kobolds.The orcs and hobgoblins would not work together, so if one moved against Ard, the other would be there to make war.  Also, were Ard to loose control of one, he’s could the Fangs have Thomas take one of them down.  Ard has more than enough power in his pockets to deal with either group, or both.The kobolds:Worship Ard like a god and are of his bloodline.  He has led them to victory and given them power above his other agents.  They are most powerful kobolds in the land.  They are very happy.They will not turn against Ard, and even if they did, for the most part, he would have little problem dealing with them since none are, individually, very powerful.  If the kobolds turned, they would disrupt all of his efforts to establish control on everyone, but they could not defeat Ard.How did I do?</blockquote>

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