Sir_Chivalry
2011-12-15, 09:43 PM
In my RL game, I have a group of four main villains who are secretly running everything. Though other groups may at the moment be threatening our heroes, these four are the ones moving the pieces to accomplish their goals.
What the players think is happening
The small kingdom where the PCs have started is currently in civil war. The old king died, and his line of succession is in dispute. Should his capable brother rule, even though he most likely killed the old king, or should the benevolent and beloved son of the old king rule, even though he is too young to be ruler? Each side has many powerful military houses on their side, and these houses have marshaled powerul private armies.
What they're doing
They are trying to destabilize the surrounding kingdoms (as many countries as can be managed) and find the five parts of an artifact known as the "Astral Key". An old party of adventurers came to possess the key many years ago, and each of them took a piece to hide. Currently, the villains have one of the retired adventurers (the cleric), but cannot remove the key-piece from around his neck until he allows it, willingly. Arawn (see below) welcomes the challenge to do it mundanely.
What they'll do one they have it
The key opens a vault in which is sealed a being known as the "Heir who lost". She was once mortal, but fought with her sibling over who would inherit the crown. A contest was held, and she lost it, banished from the kingdom. She raised an army and struck back at her mother's kingdom, and in the process struck at an ancient wellspring of magic, causing fractures in her people's nature, creating different mortal races. Though she was destroyed, a shade remained, and was sealed years later when it gathered strength once more and had to be defeated by a holy order. This order placed her shade in the vault to contain her, but a cult formed around her worship, and the aforementioned adventurers (as ignorant of the holy order's war as the order was of the identity of the shade) defeated the cult and took their artifact for breaking the vault . . . blah blah, see above.
The group has a two fold objective therefore, to both free the heir and prepare the world to either accept her, or be destroyed.
The four are:
Arawn Lugus
Half-shadow dragon Shadar-kai graveknight (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/graveknight-template) hellknight (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/e-h/hellknight)
Known as the "Dread Rider of Carovoch", he's always encased in armour. He recruited the other three, having suffered maddening visions since he became undead. He hopes that, if he can no longer be the hero he once was in the new world the heir creates, he can at least finally die and be at peace. Though seeming to be bulky and loud, he is the only one applying direct pressure to several key players to get them to co-operate, and can move unseen in the shadows when he desires.
Clarahd Amaluaki Undlin’auvrearea
Grey elf factotum/swashbuckler/iaijutsu master
Posing as a doctor currently, he has lived many different lives (not really, but he's long lived, so humans don't remember), sometimes a bandit, sometimes a churchman, sometimes even ruling small patches of wilderness as a baron, always with his companion Wza'hei (a black etergaunt invisible to all but him) at his side. Ever since he was young, and first encountered the aberration, he has been able to understand its language, and the two have capriciously sought to bring about a cataclysm, never investing long in any one plan. This cabal that he was recruited for is simply the most promising in a long line of failed plans. However, he plans to replace one of the others with his daughter at the earliest convienience.
Kyra and Persephone
were-dire polar bear lady human knight and half-fey human warlock/shou disciple/fist of the forest
They both grew up in an orphanage together. The larger and stronger Kyra, her lycanthropic blood not yet manifesting, protected the shy and waif-like Persephone. When adulthood came, the two went their separate ways, Kyra to become a soldier, and Persephone to remain behind in the city, falling in as an enforcer for various gangs. Kyra found something of madness in her mercenary work, and Persephone lost her limbs to vicious attacks by rival gangs, having them replaced with mechanical replicas that brought her to favour close combat over her previous shunning of contact.
Kyra eventually returned to her close friend, and the two came to never be separated, Persephone now protecting the mentally fragile Kyra. When Arawn came to offer the two a chance to join his cabal, needing strong warriors to press forward the final steps of his plan, they accepted, wanting to ensure a better world for each other.
Notes about world if anyone cares
Elves that live in a caste-based system, with grey elf priests at the top, followed by high elf warriors, star elf (along with sea and winged) commoners, wild elf and wood elf slaves and the outcast (and embittered) dark elves. Elven gods are merely powerful figures from their history, exalted to divinity after death.
Dwarves that are sea-faring and ship-builders, fighting underwater races instead of orcs and goblins. Heavy armour still stays, but they are aware of the limitations it puts on their survival in water, so only the most rich wear it, as they can afford modifications and special craftsmenship to make the armour less heavy or more water-friendly. (changes to racial enemy, craft bonus and stonecunning, racial enemy now aquatic creatures, dodge bonus against dragons, and remove reference to stone, replace with wood)
Gnomes that take the dwarves place as masters of rock, earth and stone, ruling both hill and mountain, a xenophobic and untrusting race that when forced out into the world, adopts a facade of geniality and friendliness to confuse and mislead others. (racial enemies now changed to reptilian humanoids, dodge still giants)
Halflings that are the great keepers of magical lore, but instead of it being a written history stored in books and keep in towers, it is an oral history, one that reveals secrets of the oldest artifacts and the most ancient of heroes, but only if you can find someone who knows that particular story. Although underneath they appear similar, they dress in heavy masks and have floating sigils around their heads.
Orcs that live in the north and organize themselves into mercenary houses, selling entire clans as additional fighting forces to the greedy and warring humans to the south. A strict code of honour binds them to their employers, and they just as often go to war with other clans as the enemies of their employers.
Goblinoids as the great originators of democracy and republics as a system of government. The three monster manual goblinoids are all as smart as humans overall, so they could easily make a society that wasn't grubbing and war-based. Plus I liked the idea of all the other races still being more authoritarian in their governments, but the goblins have democracy.
Reptilian humanoids (kobolds, lizardfolk, trogs) are inappropriate to the game, as they take the place of what orcs and goblinoids are supposed to be in normal 3.5 (monstrous raiders, eat humans, hate civilized races)
Changelings (and other shapechangers) have been hunted to near extinction.
Raptoran and Goliaths are not playable as PC races (they are totally evil monsters confined to a stretch of forbidding mountains), and Illumians do not exist, though their PrCs are open to Halflings.
Dragons are antagonistic to non-reptilian humanoids, due to their gods being killed by the humanoid gods when they assumed power.
Anything else, assume normal roles
So, what do I need to do to make these guys work as a behind the scenes villainous group? What should I do to fill out their motivations and personalities?
What the players think is happening
The small kingdom where the PCs have started is currently in civil war. The old king died, and his line of succession is in dispute. Should his capable brother rule, even though he most likely killed the old king, or should the benevolent and beloved son of the old king rule, even though he is too young to be ruler? Each side has many powerful military houses on their side, and these houses have marshaled powerul private armies.
What they're doing
They are trying to destabilize the surrounding kingdoms (as many countries as can be managed) and find the five parts of an artifact known as the "Astral Key". An old party of adventurers came to possess the key many years ago, and each of them took a piece to hide. Currently, the villains have one of the retired adventurers (the cleric), but cannot remove the key-piece from around his neck until he allows it, willingly. Arawn (see below) welcomes the challenge to do it mundanely.
What they'll do one they have it
The key opens a vault in which is sealed a being known as the "Heir who lost". She was once mortal, but fought with her sibling over who would inherit the crown. A contest was held, and she lost it, banished from the kingdom. She raised an army and struck back at her mother's kingdom, and in the process struck at an ancient wellspring of magic, causing fractures in her people's nature, creating different mortal races. Though she was destroyed, a shade remained, and was sealed years later when it gathered strength once more and had to be defeated by a holy order. This order placed her shade in the vault to contain her, but a cult formed around her worship, and the aforementioned adventurers (as ignorant of the holy order's war as the order was of the identity of the shade) defeated the cult and took their artifact for breaking the vault . . . blah blah, see above.
The group has a two fold objective therefore, to both free the heir and prepare the world to either accept her, or be destroyed.
The four are:
Arawn Lugus
Half-shadow dragon Shadar-kai graveknight (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/graveknight-template) hellknight (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/e-h/hellknight)
Known as the "Dread Rider of Carovoch", he's always encased in armour. He recruited the other three, having suffered maddening visions since he became undead. He hopes that, if he can no longer be the hero he once was in the new world the heir creates, he can at least finally die and be at peace. Though seeming to be bulky and loud, he is the only one applying direct pressure to several key players to get them to co-operate, and can move unseen in the shadows when he desires.
Clarahd Amaluaki Undlin’auvrearea
Grey elf factotum/swashbuckler/iaijutsu master
Posing as a doctor currently, he has lived many different lives (not really, but he's long lived, so humans don't remember), sometimes a bandit, sometimes a churchman, sometimes even ruling small patches of wilderness as a baron, always with his companion Wza'hei (a black etergaunt invisible to all but him) at his side. Ever since he was young, and first encountered the aberration, he has been able to understand its language, and the two have capriciously sought to bring about a cataclysm, never investing long in any one plan. This cabal that he was recruited for is simply the most promising in a long line of failed plans. However, he plans to replace one of the others with his daughter at the earliest convienience.
Kyra and Persephone
were-dire polar bear lady human knight and half-fey human warlock/shou disciple/fist of the forest
They both grew up in an orphanage together. The larger and stronger Kyra, her lycanthropic blood not yet manifesting, protected the shy and waif-like Persephone. When adulthood came, the two went their separate ways, Kyra to become a soldier, and Persephone to remain behind in the city, falling in as an enforcer for various gangs. Kyra found something of madness in her mercenary work, and Persephone lost her limbs to vicious attacks by rival gangs, having them replaced with mechanical replicas that brought her to favour close combat over her previous shunning of contact.
Kyra eventually returned to her close friend, and the two came to never be separated, Persephone now protecting the mentally fragile Kyra. When Arawn came to offer the two a chance to join his cabal, needing strong warriors to press forward the final steps of his plan, they accepted, wanting to ensure a better world for each other.
Notes about world if anyone cares
Elves that live in a caste-based system, with grey elf priests at the top, followed by high elf warriors, star elf (along with sea and winged) commoners, wild elf and wood elf slaves and the outcast (and embittered) dark elves. Elven gods are merely powerful figures from their history, exalted to divinity after death.
Dwarves that are sea-faring and ship-builders, fighting underwater races instead of orcs and goblins. Heavy armour still stays, but they are aware of the limitations it puts on their survival in water, so only the most rich wear it, as they can afford modifications and special craftsmenship to make the armour less heavy or more water-friendly. (changes to racial enemy, craft bonus and stonecunning, racial enemy now aquatic creatures, dodge bonus against dragons, and remove reference to stone, replace with wood)
Gnomes that take the dwarves place as masters of rock, earth and stone, ruling both hill and mountain, a xenophobic and untrusting race that when forced out into the world, adopts a facade of geniality and friendliness to confuse and mislead others. (racial enemies now changed to reptilian humanoids, dodge still giants)
Halflings that are the great keepers of magical lore, but instead of it being a written history stored in books and keep in towers, it is an oral history, one that reveals secrets of the oldest artifacts and the most ancient of heroes, but only if you can find someone who knows that particular story. Although underneath they appear similar, they dress in heavy masks and have floating sigils around their heads.
Orcs that live in the north and organize themselves into mercenary houses, selling entire clans as additional fighting forces to the greedy and warring humans to the south. A strict code of honour binds them to their employers, and they just as often go to war with other clans as the enemies of their employers.
Goblinoids as the great originators of democracy and republics as a system of government. The three monster manual goblinoids are all as smart as humans overall, so they could easily make a society that wasn't grubbing and war-based. Plus I liked the idea of all the other races still being more authoritarian in their governments, but the goblins have democracy.
Reptilian humanoids (kobolds, lizardfolk, trogs) are inappropriate to the game, as they take the place of what orcs and goblinoids are supposed to be in normal 3.5 (monstrous raiders, eat humans, hate civilized races)
Changelings (and other shapechangers) have been hunted to near extinction.
Raptoran and Goliaths are not playable as PC races (they are totally evil monsters confined to a stretch of forbidding mountains), and Illumians do not exist, though their PrCs are open to Halflings.
Dragons are antagonistic to non-reptilian humanoids, due to their gods being killed by the humanoid gods when they assumed power.
Anything else, assume normal roles
So, what do I need to do to make these guys work as a behind the scenes villainous group? What should I do to fill out their motivations and personalities?