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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Haltherrion" data-source="post: 5120540" data-attributes="member: 18253">I swear I replied to this earlier but here it goes again <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> I think Hussar has an excellent suggestion to make and it is distinct from feeding the players plot. He is suggesting establishing the setting by repeatedly using elements of it so that it is clear and fresh in your mind. The advice reminds me of something I read in a writing book once. Your setting and characters may be clear in your (the author's) mind but to your reader, all is murky unless you hammer it home. Same applies to the game. So in your case, without even introducing any plot elements (although certainly they could lead to story):<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Drive home the raiders presence by showing the gate to a town the players are entering crowded with refugees, forces being mobilized, patrols coming and going.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Orcus: players see smoke rising from the town square and find that the town elders have eradicated a secret temple to orcus in a townhouse. Folks are spooked and wonder if there are more temples.</li> </ul>Do this frequently and the players will begin to appreciate the setting elements that matter for plot and more importantly, begin to act on them. Regarding more story driven aspects, if you don't mind a little player tension you could consider trying to hook one of the players as a secret worshipper of orcus. This can be very dicey and has been known to result in players leaving a group so care is required but with the right players, it can be rather fun. Alternately, you can establish some meaningful friendly NPCs and then cause one to be subverted. In a setting such as you have described, I would be inclined to drive the plot around raven queen vs orcus and use the raiders as a foil- they can make it hard to reach certain ruins and shrines now within the raiders domains as well as provide a "low plot" encounter from time to time. I'm a little fuzzy on the setting though so hard for me to suggest more.</blockquote>

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