Working on it. Not done yet. But working on it. Probably 25% into it, but I'm making progress. Thanks for patience. Start your work so the campaign doesn't get bogged down. I don't want to be that guy.
No worries. We'll play at everyone's pace, which includes me. Real life always comes first and my mom is dealing with some health issues, so that has to take priority for me. (We hope it isn't something serious, but I'm not going to say more because my mom is a very private person.)
Aust Thale said:
I need a little help, though. I need an objective or a McGuffin in Bluffside. Something or somebody that I'm delivering a message to, escaping to, or otherwise alerting to a threat from the East/Northeast, perhaps Gigan's Axe or Ravenna, perhaps a Tal slaver threat, or something more menacing and ellusive.
And it needs to tie the Endwald Mountains, the Coldwind Forest, and Tanger together. Help?
Hmm, a message you say. Well, there many embassies in Bluffside's Old City including many of the lands of the Northwest. There is the Dragori Embassy, of course, as well as the Novarum Embassy and the Embassy of the Pertan Allaince. Those are three of the major embassies in Bluffside. There are also embassies for High Morria (dwarves and gnomes), Ravensilath (elves and fey), and Ticinum. There is also the old abandoned embassy of Tarminan. Bluffside and Tarminan haven't had good relations for ages and there are often border skirmishes between the Bluffside Mountain Rangers and the aggressive soldiers of that kingdom.
Now, Ravenna is the Imperial City of Ticinum, so your message could be for the Ticin ambassador, Lord Cassianus Avitus. That would be a good hook. Perhaps he has a relative in trouble, he's in danger of being recalled, or his lands are being invaded by orcs. I'll say his ancestral lands sit near the town of Dovia just north of the Red Mountains. Perhaps the giants of Gigans Arx have been raiding the towns and villages along the edge of the mountains. Perhaps they aren't just eating people, but also dragging away Imperial citizens in chains to be sold to Tal slavers.
Note that High Morria and the giants are at a state of constant warfare. The High Morrians often come to the aid of the Principality of Kalmonte, which recently broke away from Ticinum. This has made relations between High Morria and the Imperial Lands chilly. The Emperor is not pleased with alliance formed between Kalmonte and High Morria. Of course, if there is danger of giants at the gates of Ravenna, he might be sending word to Lord Cassianus to try to improve relations between Ticinum and High Morria. Bluffside is one of the few cities with embassies for both lands. Hmm, maybe Lord Cassianus has family in Kalmonte?
Now, I'm not sure how to tie the Endwald Mountains into this idea. I haven't done a detailed hex map of that area like I've done for the Bluffside Region. I can tell you that those mountains divide the civilized lands south of the mountains from the more barbaric lands of Waldheim. While both Montresor and Talangrán are dark evil places, Falia is a good kingdom with strong relations with Novarum, although they don't always agree. Most of the region south of the Endwalds once belonged to Ticinum but not Talangrán! (This was primarily due to the Tals using evil outsiders as shock troops on the battlefield. Note that Tal nobles often make pacts with devils.)
As for Tânger, it is a very cosmopolitan city that sits just outside the influence of the Dragori Empire. It is a city-state and is filled with dozens and dozens of races, half-breeds, human ethnicities, freebooters, escaped slaves (and not just from the north), as well as adventurers of all sorts. It's people could have connections to almost anywhere on Kanpur including the Dark Continent and the Eastern Lands. Its
semi-friendly rival is Barcino just to the north of it on the coast.
The one rule in Tânger is that slavers are not welcome! Pirates are welcome as long as they don't deal in slaves. Known slavers who enter the city and are caught are hanged. There is usually no trial beyond divinations and ex-slave testimony.
EDIT: I should also note that both Barcino and Tânger were once Ticin colonies.
I hope this all helps.
