ZEITGEIST Replacing a major villain

[Crispy120286]

Hi all. I've been reading through Zeitvice and came across a very interesting passage where Arkwright had Lya survive her encounter with the party and left the OB and Marry the King and works to usher in peace between their two nations. Now here is where he suggests replacing the next two fights with her.

This is where my idea comes in. One of my players who is the Yerasol Veteran is also the one who I think is best slated to become future King. This character has a twin brother who always resented his brother who always got the glory and always was praised for what he did. Funny enough my player says his character is envious of this npc twin because of his more simple life and not having to endure the horrors of war. I was considering replacing either Rush or Merton with the twin who would take over for Lya when she retires after the climax of adventure 6.

How do you all suggest I work this into the plot? Right now we are at the very end of Always on Time and I have been considering having him show up at the OB meeting in Vendricce. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly welcome.

 

[Andrew Moreton]

I think I would want some sort of arguement or other clash between the character and the brother before he joined the Ob or at least before he was know to join the Ob. Perhaps after the pc's are knigted following the banishment of Bourne he could speak meet with the pc and vent at him for being responsible for all the damage Bourne has done and know claiming credit over the bodies of those Bourne killed. Bonus is the brother was on a warship or helping evacuate people from Bourne's path maybe even had his wife killed by Bourne or something.
I would not use the brother to command the Danoran fleet at Flint in book 9 either use Lya or a Danoran commander there are several named personalities who coul d be in charge. Instead I would have the brother replace Romanov or at least assist her in trying to kill and replace the king, particularly as the PC will probably become king in this encounter. Maybe try and do something with the Kings Sister to foreshadow the plot

I kept using Lya because my players liked her as the human face of the Ob and they even ressurected her before going to the Gyre, I intend all their efforts to win her over to pay off at the battle of Axis Island, but a replacment with a link to the pc;s is cool

 

[Crispy120286]

He hasn't actually met his brother in-game yet as they've been separate for a long time. He isn't a Flint native but of a small farm village to the south. Jealous and bitter over his twins rise to fame and glory as a veteran and now a constable, he ventured out to try and win a bit of glory for himself. "Anything you can do, I can do better." My idea for the twin to replace Lya is the whole final battle and the talking during the fight, especially if the twin is dead and a ghost at that point. I want him to be very similar in ideals as my player, but different enough to align with the OBs idea of a perfect world. In helping bring this new world with Nicodemus, he wins his own glory, and is better than his twin now.

 

[Crispy120286]

So after sleeping on it and reading into Lya's fights, I do believe Andrew Moreton is correct in that the twin should not replace Lya.

I was reading through the module again and I am considering Catherine Romana like he suggested. That would put him on a seat at the OB Council in Module 7 maybe. It would also make for a good showdown in 7 and 9. Even if I make him a personal guard of Romana's, Her dislike of Yerasol Veterains would be a good match with the Twins dislike of them as well. That should give plenty of opportunity to come face to face with him. She is the City Governor of Shale. Would it make sense for her to be at the peace talks in Adventure 5? That way I can have him present in the city at least when they get there.

Has any other DM had good inserting or replacing NPC's into the major plot of this module with success?

 

[Andrew Moreton]

My interpretation of how Risur works is that the Dukes/Governors have quite a lot of power and Stansfield is I think present so Romanov could also be there easily. There is also a nice tension between Shale and Flint as Flint is very progresive and technological while Romanov and Shale are reactionary technophobes. I think your idea will fit well
I have not done a lot with replacing npc's more changing them around a bit to fit my pc's

 

[Crispy120286]

In the appendix of Act 2, it tells of every member in attendance of the convocation. this particular NPC could be an easy replacement. "Erdanen Torrance. Half-elf politician. Member of Catherine Romana’s retinue." Thinking on it I am getting Final Fantasy VIII vibes with this particular NPC i'm trying to add in. For those who have played, i'm thinking him closer to Seifer joining the Sorceress. whereas the Twin joins with Catherine. During the coup of Adv. 9 he could be there with her again

And for a bit of backstory. Player character is one of Twins. He was sent off to work on a boat when he was a child and sent back money to help support his families farm. His twin was the one stuck back on the farm with the family and only heard how wonderful his twin was doing north in Flint and out to sea. Many years later he was recruited into the army and fought in the Fourth Yerasol war and eventually joined the RHC. He still send back letters and money to his families farm, and his twin got fed up and left the farm by this point. The twins main flaw is jealousy, he is jealous that the PC got all these opportunities for greatness when he was stuck on the farm all his life.

Now how does a farm boy who resented his brother for getting all the praise in the war and becoming a Constable of the RHC, become a politician in the employ of Catherine Romana? One who is so trusted by her that he himself joins the OB with her.

 

[Andrew Moreton]

Perhaps he loses his job on the farm because the new mechanical reapers and other agricultureal machinery mean less farm workers are needed, then he discovers a talant for public speaking and becomes a leader of the rural league for traditional agriculture which wuld bring him to the political attention of the duchess. Maybe a bard with oratory or some other charismatic class or a druid