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Post by yojimbohawkins on Dec 23, 2016 15:20:45 GMT -8
It sounds like a blast!
Both the Scorpion and the Unicorn are opium smugglers, in direct competition given the Unicorn's supply from the Burning Sands, so you could throw a bit of organised crime into the mix, or the Kolat are always a good shout if you need a spiritual threat that isn't the Shadowlands.
I'd be interested to hear which clans/schools your players go with.
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Post by ericfromnj on Dec 24, 2016 17:12:56 GMT -8
OOOO...a rivalry with opium smuggling does sound very appealing. Thank you for the suggestion.
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Post by ericfromnj on Dec 24, 2016 17:23:50 GMT -8
As for characters what people are currently thinking of:
A phoenix shugenja who had their coming of age ceremony as young as it can happen - basically a prodigy. A lion shugenja who is a former D&D player who wants to play a healer type. A blunt crab bushi. A tattooed monk observer. One unknown.
As I stated, they will be led by an aged Scorpion Clan Emerald Magistrate. (They are - damn I hate trying to spell these things - yorkiki to start). He will die either of old age or by the alliance of Smugglers and Bloodspeakers out there.
In homage to Stu's game, he will have a daughter Shugenja who will be a romantic interest option for the characters.
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Post by ericfromnj on Dec 24, 2016 17:50:32 GMT -8
Let me start from the beginning:
This city is here near the spine of the world (east side, near Unicorn, Lion, and Scorpion lands). There has been a discovery of numerous Iron mines in the area, enough to make the typical landslides and avalanches worth the risk. All three of the Clans laid claim to the area and almost started a three way war until the Emperor laid claim to the area.
The mines were divided up between the clans, so that they may profit from it. The imperial government charges tariffs as the Iron Oar comes through the city to be shipped to the various clans. What no one knows is that there is a hidden mine, worked by zombies of the Bloodspeakers.
OK, there was an Imperial Governor here. He was getting close to figuring out the main movers and shakers in the Bloodspeaker cells here, but he did not realize that one of his own retainers was also allied to the Bloodspeakers. This governor also enjoyed mountain climbing. When his discoveries were getting to close to the Bloodspeaker mine, his "loyal" retainer led a mountain climbing expedition into a trap, and the Imperial Governor was killed along with his retinue. It was blamed on an avalanche.
The players come into the situation here, with the city being very tense as they await the arrival of a new governor. The three clans are not working well together.
Session 0 will be explaining Emerald Magistrates, religion, the code of Bushido, and character creation.
Session 1 will be a simple scenario where a Scorpion was listening in to a Lion Bushi who let his face down with a Geisha in Scorpion territory in the city. Scorpion tried to blackmail the Lion Bushi. Lion Bushi killed the Scorpion, who left enough notes of what he was doing to have the Lion assassinated if something happened to him. Characters will have to figure things out.
Session 2 will be the adventure in the book as their mater sends them to Phoenix lands on a team building exercise.
Session 3 will have the arrival of a new Imperial Governor, and there will be the beginnings of the PCs collecting taxes and dealing with some issues there (like bandits).
From there I will play it by ear depending on what the players are latching onto. In the metaplot the new Governor will find notes that were hidden by the old governor investigating the Bloodspeakers. He will send the PCs on missions that seem unrelated but ultimately will lead to the Bloodspeakers seeing the PCs and this new governor as a danger. There will be an attempted assassination on the PCs, their master, and the new Governor. Barring actions from the PCs counteracting this their master and the governor will die.
If the Governor is assassinated, the Lion clan will take over the city in the name of safety and security. This will lead to problems for the PCs and the other clans.
The campaign ending will be against the more powerful Bloodspeakers including the retainer. I know that much. I don't know exactly how the adventurers will get there but that is my vision for how it will get to a point to stop.
I hope this makes sense...
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Post by yojimbohawkins on Dec 25, 2016 12:27:09 GMT -8
I'm not seeing any courtiers in that party; they are so going to have to step carefully at court, especially with Scorpion involved. I'd encourage the final party member to look at the courtier schools to give them a fighting chance. If they're still not keen on a political character, there's always the Ikoma Lion Shadow school!
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Post by ericfromnj on Dec 25, 2016 12:33:21 GMT -8
If they don't have courtiers I will adjust the campaign accordingly to deal more with what they have though there will be some fish out of water stories.
I am trying to make a game the players want to play. Now one of the players did take some court style skills (all his skills are one or two skill levels) so hopefully I can throw some stuff at them.
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Post by yojimbohawkins on Dec 26, 2016 5:16:01 GMT -8
One or two court appearances will be unavoidable, I would think, especially when their Emerald Magistrate is murdered and they have to take over his duties. Forcing the Crab bushi into an appearance at court would be a great opportunity for the other Clans to discredit the PC's credibility (all very politely, of course), or embarrass them, manipulate them, etc. In fact, I think I'd quite like to play in a game like this one!
Of course, if you really want to mess with them, you could have the Scorpion using their usual devious, dishonourable tactics for the right reason, the Lion using their usual straight-forward honourable tactics for the wrong reason, and the Unicorn being manipulated by the Kolat to discredit both of them, while the Bloodspeakers plot to sacrifice everyone to Daigotsu with an opium war distracting everyone from that. Of course, that might be just mean.....
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Post by ericfromnj on Dec 26, 2016 8:49:47 GMT -8
I will admit I am a little scared to do the court stuff. Just don't have a good point of reference I think.
As for the other stuff I was already thinking of the Lions doing that (if they take over the city) but I do have to say I like the idea of the Scorpions being well the Scorpion Clan while trying to keep things along a status quo supporting the Imperial Governor.
I don't want to bring the Kolat in right now because that may be one too many things for the players. Now the Unicorn clan having a high level Bloodspeaker agent appeals to me. The opium was is partially a front for Bloodspeaker assassinations?
Shit. I should really create some NPCs.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2016 3:07:01 GMT -8
One of the things I always stress to players is that even if you're a bushi it makes sense to have courtier / etiquette amongst your skills even if it is just one point of it. After all samurai are meant to be the higher echelons of society.
As for the opium being a front what if it's needed for some of the bloodspeaker rituals? Maybe to power the zombies? Then if the PCs disrupt the opium trade it'll accidentally bring them to the attention of the cult.
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Post by yojimbohawkins on Dec 28, 2016 15:35:36 GMT -8
I find the hard bit about running a court is projecting an air of intrigue. The mechanics of it aren't really any different than, say, a western feudal-style court; the Imperial Governor will hear petitions from the various Clan representatives, air grievances, etc, etc. The three clans will have their representatives, plus scribes, advisors and other hangers-on and will be constantly jockeying for position and favour, while trying to kibosh each other at the same time. The other clans, especially the Crane, will probably have courtiers present as well, as this could be a potential flashpoint which could lead to all-out war between three clans; they'll want to know what's going on, and potentially gain some advantage/favour for themselves, and that's the bit I find difficult. Maintaining all the convoluted, wheels-within-wheels scheming can be confusing, so I usually end up with copious notes on who's there, what they want and what they're prepared to do to get it.
Of course, then the players rock up and screw with all of that, so my way may not be the best!
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Post by ericfromnj on Dec 28, 2016 20:10:05 GMT -8
Whodo good point on Bisho and my pushback on opoum is do I even want to make it something that would tie in to the Bloodspeakers? Maybe it's own thing so that way everything doesn't become about the Bloodspeakers.
Jimbo yeah I think at this point I need to figure out who all would be in this court and flesh them out. Having the motivation for each of them would work out. I do plan to make the Unicorn member of court a Bloodspeaker while the Scorpions want to keep the status quo (less people trying to take over their stuff when you have to share it) and the Lion believing that if needed they will take over the entire city for stability purposes.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2016 23:22:53 GMT -8
Whodo good point on Bisho and my pushback on opoum is do I even want to make it something that would tie in to the Bloodspeakers? Maybe it's own thing so that way everything doesn't become about the Bloodspeakers. Jimbo yeah I think at this point I need to figure out who all would be in this court and flesh them out. Having the motivation for each of them would work out. I do plan to make the Unicorn member of court a Bloodspeaker while the Scorpions want to keep the status quo (less people trying to take over their stuff when you have to share it) and the Lion believing that if needed they will take over the entire city for stability purposes. If you can get your hands on a copy of Dresden Accelerated, I reccomend reading their section of faction creation. You may even want to get your players involved at some level. You will of course have some factions which are secret or have secret motives and means (all of which is gone over). Overall, it gives a good way to create drama and tension between parties and helps you track the progress of their plots. Almost all of the info given is system agnostic, meaning its a good port for any game.
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Post by ericfromnj on Jan 3, 2017 7:08:23 GMT -8
Sadly, I will not be getting my hands on Dresden Accelerated any time soon, though it sounds like a good read. I loved the city building in the original Dresden RPG.
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sbloyd
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WHAT! A human in a Precursor service vehicle?!
Posts: 2,762
Preferred Game Systems: Storyteller; Dresden; Mage
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Post by sbloyd on Jan 3, 2017 7:11:39 GMT -8
There is some great innovation in Dresden Accel, but Accelerated in general feels *too* streamlined for my tastes, and specifically too streamlined for Dresden. Love how they tackled Mantles. Still not sold on how skills are done.
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Post by ericfromnj on Jan 3, 2017 7:17:14 GMT -8
OK, for the smuggling of opium and iron, I have some blackmail going on with a Lion Magistrate type guy. He doesn't realize that the funds are supporting not just local smugglers but Bloodspeakers too because he wouldn't stand for that. Heck, the smugglers don't realize they are smuggling stuff for the Bloodspeakers.
Zombies mine the ore.
Cultists take the ore by a small caravan and meet up with the smugglers. Smugglers disguise ore caravan as belonging to Lion clan.
Blackmailed guy in Lion clan and his most trusted subordinates don't look too closely at forged papers and seal up the crates with Lion stamp on them. they are then taken to raft/barge/river transport, also with forged Lion documents, and transported out of the city.
Smugglers think Iron is used to smuggle opium packs. Actually, iron is more valuable to Bloodspeakers to raise money selling cheap iron (no tariffs or the such on it). It finances - what?
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