Helping out the little guy.

[Ranting Fool]

A few questions for the playground regarding population migration, competition for resources and general diplomatic problems for our heroes to deal with. :smallbiggrin:

Wrath, Mortuus, Sir Hugh, Eisenford. Please stop reading now this post contains possible spoilers for your campaign and reading any further counts as cheating (Which often results in death of characters and/or books thrown at you)

Now that that's done with I've a question for you lot, all questions welcome :smallbiggrin: the campaign is a "New World" campaign idea so think European powers coming to America to expand so any history buffs could be very helpful :smalltongue:

What the players what to happen: The players have told me they would like to sort out a ongoing conflict between the various tribes of Wood Elves (Living in tree villages, mostly rangers or scouts (No Clerics, Druids, Wizards), 100-300 per tribe but a fair few tribes scattered about the forest) and the invaders from another land the Empire of the Sun (Low level wizards and clerics only, a lot of knights and men at arms)

Why are they fighting: The Empire ("Old World Faction" LN, main religion St Cuth, less justice more smiting) have built a settlement near the edge of the large forest (400-500 sq miles, very large area) and are happily cutting down trees in order to build up ships (a few trade and a few warships, which they really want to maintain a position of power over the other "Old World" nations here)

The Elves (Native to the region) hugely dislike the destruction of their forest home and have been raiding the lumber camps and avoiding the Empire's patrols.

Who started the fight? This is unknown. The players came across a group of Empire soldiers burning out a Elf village with the help of a young Green Dragon. PC's kill soldiers and knightly leader (Who turns out was the Lord of the settlement, which is now run by his 5year old son and advisers) and defeat dragon (which flees into the forest) PC's keep on going as they only bumped into this fight on the way to somewhere else. When they get to the Empire shipyard/town they find out about how these "Wood Demons" having been attacking the town and killing workers but fear not our brave lord has gone to slay this evil (no mention of him having a dragon pet/ally)
This was all almost two years ago game time.

Peace through diplomacy The PC's have spoken to the Empire's Governor (Well his adviser, who they believe holds the real power) in the main empire settlement over 150miles down the coast. And they believe he honestly wants a peaceful solution to this, telling them that the ambassadors sent into the forest have been slain (Elves from the empire) but is adamant that they need to keep up production of ships for both trade and defense vs the other "old world" settlements as well as the lumber for building up the town.
The PC's have also spoken to one of the Elf raiders, who only didn't attack them because they brought a human native guide. This Elf considers all "Old Worlders" to be hostile invaders who have committed unforgivable crimes and will only be satisfied with their withdrawal from the forest.

PC Ideas for peace.
Paraphrased
PC 1: "The Elves respected the native Druid conclave if we could convince a Druid to tell them to make peace they would"
DM "Remember the Druids just had a large civil war and both sides are fractured and hidden from everyone"
PC 1: "If we picked a side we could help them win"
DM "True"
PC 1: "Then they would owe us and have to help"
PC 2: "That's the wrong way to look at it, but if we could get some druids on board, either a faction here or get some from the Old World we might be able to convince the Empire of the Sun to plant more forest and limit their lumber operation so as not to damage the forest. After all if they cut down too much too quickly they only hurt themselves in the long term"
PC 1: "Or if we can't get druids to help we could always ship in wood from somewhere else, like the mountains near that broken gateway, we could get that working"
DM: "You're not sure where that gateway goes, remember it's the 5th or so broken one you've found so it might not be connected to near you. Also transporting lumber over several hundred miles would cost a lot"
PC 2: "Well maybe if I got Shrink Item spell or something"

There were other ideas but the conversation went on for ages

Questions:

How would you as a player level 14-15 handle this (PC's who want to get involved Wizard, Knight, Duskblade)?
Without damaging your relationship to the Empire?
Without PC intervention what might happen? (Before the elves raided and were chased off by Knight patrols, but now the empire has a working gateway to the old world, though limited in use/day, but reinforcements and new settlers are coming through.)
How likely would druids be to accept a "farming" compromise?
How likely would a militaristic growing empire be to limit lumber operations? (Bearing in mind current very high tensions with other major powers, 13 years since "WW1")
What level of magic would be needed just to make this all go away "I cast make trees!!!!"?

Also a general question: The Old World nations have generally moved in with and absorbed the native (mostly human) tribe so far in the 5 years since they first came to this land. What problems might come up as they expand?

Any other factors/points I've not covered?

[hymer]

As a player, I'd handle this by breaking out the party Diplomat. Time to start gathering information, sensing motives and start using a voice of reason and compassion. Find out exactly what's going on with the 'invaders' (especially why they were working with a green dragon and what, if anything beyond the obvious, actually happened to start the conflict), the locals and the druids. If a breakthrough can be achieved swiftly with the druids, do that. Otherwise, it's time to start cobbling together a peace settlement with what we have. It shouldn't be too hard to get the locals to like you, as they're in dire straits and could use the help.

The Empire shouldn't be too annoyed at someone using diplomatic means to try to secure their local lumber production and save their citizens from attack. Spin is your friend.

Without PC intervention the elves would eventually be forced to decide to make a last stand, relocate or surrender (or some combination of these - and surrender seems unlikely with their current attitude). Either that, or make friends with someone sufficiently horrible to take the fight to the gate and shut it down. Though in trouble, the elves should be able to make a frightful nuisance of themselves in guerilla warfare if they decide to stay and fight. The conflict might persist for decades, even centuries, until the forest has been cut down.

Druids (depending on faction in their war, I expect) would either like the idea, or hate it (or somewhere in between). They could be the guys to take the gate down in a surprise attack if they hate the idea enough. Burn the ships in the harbour while they're at it, and suddenly it's the Empire's citizens that need rescuing rather than the elves.
They might take the view that the Empire is just a construct which will die out on its own in a few hundred years, so until then just do the farming thing as damage control, and let the forest return when the empire's dead and gone.
Or they might take the position that it's only natural for the stronger state to annihilate the weak, and maybe throw in some disaease of their own to weaken all those involved. Ruins is the fate of all cities and civilizations are specks of dirt that collapse to minor things like climate change. Nature survives and comes back every time.
Anything you like, really, druids are nothing if not flexible. :smallsmile:

Limiting lumber production is only possible if there is a moral imperative to follow, or a practical consideration. The first seems unlikely to be accepted from what you write, so the practical consideration is 'you get what you can, and you keep it - or you take the chance of getting no lumber at all, and expending vast resources and manpower whether you win or lose'.

Dunno about the magic part. I hate when that's the solution anyway, but I must admit that at the level the players are, some magic might do something. Fabricate, plant growth, wall of iron...

Edit: The rule on Theasaurus Club should use alphabetical order, shoudn't it?