Munin
First Post
Greetings,
I'm currently running a two-player Lost City of Barakus game with an emphasis on politics and intrigue. I've tried to involve the players in the political maneuvering of the city of Endhome, and so far, they love it.
Currently, there are three powerful families that control the city:
The Gaspars. This is the wealthiest and most powerful faction in the city. They are the elite of the upper crust, and are accustomed to having things their way. So far, the party hasn't interacted with them much, but that may soon change.
The Gaspars are lead by a brother and sister, and have a lot of influence over the local guilds and shipping trades.
The Quinchinos. Several years ago, the elder Quinchino was the most powerful, most ruthless mobster in the city. He centralized criminal activity in the city and ruled with an iron fist. By the time his soon took over, times had changed, the family had gained clout and prominence on the political scene, and the son feared loosing that prestige if the family's dark secret ever came to light. So he 'purged' the organization, disposing of all the leading members who had direct connection to the family. The rest were scattered or imprisoned. He decentralized power, and now controls different crime rings from a much safer distance.
The only problem is the head of the thieves guild, Fell Tarmick survived the purge, and now wants vengeance.
The Pulantis are the most enigmatic family. As written, they are wealthy vampires who prey upon the weak and use their clout to remain above the law. I'm considering changing this, but I'm not sure how. If they remain vampires, I at least want to put a twist on it somehow. At any rate, they are currently partners with a slave-trading priestess of death that operates in the slums, and have made contact with another vampire in the Lost City. I'm toying with the idea of having the lich at the bottom of the Lost City contact them and attempt to come to an agreement of some sort, but of what I'm not sure.
Into this mix add an election. Endhome is a republic, and is ruled by a governor and a small parliament. The governor's office is up for re-election, and each faction is putting forth its candidate. The current governor is an independent with strong support amongst the commoners and the local Wizard's University. The outcome will have a great impact on both the city and the players. Right now the race is tight, and all sides are looking for any advantage they can find to pull ahead.
The party has been working for the Quinchinos, but until recently have been unaware of the family's past. Fell Tarmick, who now leads a skilled group of cutthroats called the Green Tree Bandits, has been hiding out in the nearby Penprie Forest, raiding merchant caravans (primarily Quinchino caravans) and biding his time. In the last six months, he's hit 12 caravans and is the most wanted criminal in the area.
The party was offered a substantial sum of money to hunt him down and kill him, which they accepted, only to later learn that the reason the family wants him dead so badly is that they are afraid he will come forward and reveal their dark past. Once they learned that, the party arranged to meet with Fell and discuss other options. It was decided that the party would approach the Gaspars and offer Fell's testimony against the Quinchinos in exchange for a full pardon.
So, if you're still with me, where would you go from here? I don't have a lot of experience running this type of game, so any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Sooner or later the Quinchinos will discover the party's duplicity. When they do, trouble will come from both sides of the law as the chief of the city watch, Bragger Bondhome, is on the Quinchino payroll.
How would you use these competing elements against the party without being too strong-handed, and how do you think the players could use the situation to their own advantage?
I'm currently running a two-player Lost City of Barakus game with an emphasis on politics and intrigue. I've tried to involve the players in the political maneuvering of the city of Endhome, and so far, they love it.
Currently, there are three powerful families that control the city:
The Gaspars. This is the wealthiest and most powerful faction in the city. They are the elite of the upper crust, and are accustomed to having things their way. So far, the party hasn't interacted with them much, but that may soon change.
The Gaspars are lead by a brother and sister, and have a lot of influence over the local guilds and shipping trades.
The Quinchinos. Several years ago, the elder Quinchino was the most powerful, most ruthless mobster in the city. He centralized criminal activity in the city and ruled with an iron fist. By the time his soon took over, times had changed, the family had gained clout and prominence on the political scene, and the son feared loosing that prestige if the family's dark secret ever came to light. So he 'purged' the organization, disposing of all the leading members who had direct connection to the family. The rest were scattered or imprisoned. He decentralized power, and now controls different crime rings from a much safer distance.
The only problem is the head of the thieves guild, Fell Tarmick survived the purge, and now wants vengeance.
The Pulantis are the most enigmatic family. As written, they are wealthy vampires who prey upon the weak and use their clout to remain above the law. I'm considering changing this, but I'm not sure how. If they remain vampires, I at least want to put a twist on it somehow. At any rate, they are currently partners with a slave-trading priestess of death that operates in the slums, and have made contact with another vampire in the Lost City. I'm toying with the idea of having the lich at the bottom of the Lost City contact them and attempt to come to an agreement of some sort, but of what I'm not sure.
Into this mix add an election. Endhome is a republic, and is ruled by a governor and a small parliament. The governor's office is up for re-election, and each faction is putting forth its candidate. The current governor is an independent with strong support amongst the commoners and the local Wizard's University. The outcome will have a great impact on both the city and the players. Right now the race is tight, and all sides are looking for any advantage they can find to pull ahead.
The party has been working for the Quinchinos, but until recently have been unaware of the family's past. Fell Tarmick, who now leads a skilled group of cutthroats called the Green Tree Bandits, has been hiding out in the nearby Penprie Forest, raiding merchant caravans (primarily Quinchino caravans) and biding his time. In the last six months, he's hit 12 caravans and is the most wanted criminal in the area.
The party was offered a substantial sum of money to hunt him down and kill him, which they accepted, only to later learn that the reason the family wants him dead so badly is that they are afraid he will come forward and reveal their dark past. Once they learned that, the party arranged to meet with Fell and discuss other options. It was decided that the party would approach the Gaspars and offer Fell's testimony against the Quinchinos in exchange for a full pardon.
So, if you're still with me, where would you go from here? I don't have a lot of experience running this type of game, so any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Sooner or later the Quinchinos will discover the party's duplicity. When they do, trouble will come from both sides of the law as the chief of the city watch, Bragger Bondhome, is on the Quinchino payroll.
How would you use these competing elements against the party without being too strong-handed, and how do you think the players could use the situation to their own advantage?
