Chapter 10 - Diary of a Double Digit

[itches]

Okay as we're drawing to a close of the current chapter (with the running away from Tradeholm) I think we need this - not that making this thread consitutes endorsement of this subforum.

We have the church conspiricy and anti-orc sentiments to go on, what else?

I've been working on the assumption that we're going to be based in Enderin - which gives us the chance to pick up some misplaced characters. I'd also like to start the next chapter a couple of weeks after the end of the current one with us already established in the new location.

[Gralhruk]

not that making this thread consitutes endorsement of this subforum
Admit it! Profess your secret love for the plot subforum this instant! The truth will set you free . . .

[itches]

BTW, maybe something local, linking the newcomer nuns to some foul-play in the city?
I'm just thinking loud here, but as I planned it for the Phoenix' Song nuns, they have found a wealthy merchant from their own country who had settled in town (the one they had been referrred to by the cleric previously), he had taken them under his patronage and is helping them to build a small monastery (gift of a piece of land, and some materials, lending of manpower and so).

Someone in town might be worried about an 'invasion' of foreigners, or maybe that unused plot of land hides something valuable that somebody wants to remain hidden (underground smuggler base in old caves or forgotten tumnnels? The tomb of an ancient hero? an underground temple to a long forgotten deity?).
Or is the foreign merchant becoming too powerful? Is someone afraid he is an agent of a foreign power trying to get a foot-hold here? Has he been 'offered' protection and refused it? Or has he been asked to help in some crime and refused (or accepted and he's using the nuns for cover?)

Opinions on any of these?
I like the xenophobia idea. It could probably be tied into the whole anti-orc story arc too. We've already established that there are some members of the church of Heironious who are actively trying to promote anti-orc sentiment. Perhaps, in an attempt to gain some better traction for those sentiments, a cleric is taking advantage of already existing animosity amongst native merchants towards an obviously forgien and successful buisness man. He starts rumors tying the forgien buissness man (and the nuns) to orcs.

We need to way to suck the characters into this, a goal for the characters and a resolution to be aimed for.

[itches]

Feel free to kick me if I'm treading on anyone's plot ideas, but let me toss some things in the air.

We have the general xenophobia idea, which is good for background elements, but we still need a plot. What if - with the generally hostile sentiment - someone went a little further then everyone else and has been trying to interfere with the construction of the monastery through small petty things. Stealing from the construction site, leaving offensive and vague threats there, and finally setting a small fire in a failed attempt to burn the unfinished building down.

The city watch is being influenced by certain sections of the Church to not investigate too closely. The merchant who is the nun's patron can't do a great deal to help as he is already under a lot of pressure from local business sources, so in an attempt to try to stop it the nuns turn to the players for help.

This is the way I'd see it happening:
Maeko meets Shade, Juni, and Blarth. Everyone says hi, they talk a bit then go their separate ways.
That night the fire is set at the construction site, it doesn't do any serious damage but it's the first serious attempt to do so.
The city watch already aren't willing to help and the merchant has his hands tied, so Maeko asks the band if they could help out.


I'm not sure where to take it after that, but it's a start and it gets our characters involved.

[Black Plauge]

Works for me.

[itches]

We still need the meat of the plot (how we try to help out) and the resolution (what happens when we try). I've decided not to tie the attempt to kill Nicos into anything this chapter.

Also I think it better for Maeko and Nicos to be in the morning after everyone else. What way we don't need to keep the pair occupied for a day and a night before meeting up with everyone else.

[itches]

No one has any suggestions for the meat of the plot? :( Or shall we make it up as we go along?

[Kelemyn]

Let's recap to make sure I've got it so far:

Elements of the Church of H are fanning the flames of distrust between the local merchants and the wealthy merchant-sponsor of the nuns by sabotaging (or encouraging the sabotaging of) the building of the nuns' monastery. This is tied to their plan to spread anit-orc sentiment throughout the land.

Do I have it right?

Just want to understand who the ulitmate bad guys are in all this - not necessarily the merchants themselves but rather the radicals in the Church. Right?

And we get involved because the wealthy merchant really can't do anything to help the nuns, and the local watch are being pressured not to help the nuns; and so Maeko asks her buddy Nicos and his friends for help.

If this is indeed the case, then what can we do to help? Do we have any leads at all? Maybe we can agree to stake out the monastery, ask questions around town, and... I don't know what else.

This is weird, being my own DM. :)

[itches]

Elements of the Church of H are fanning the flames of distrust between the local merchants and the wealthy merchant-sponsor of the nuns by sabotaging (or encouraging the sabotaging of) the building of the nuns' monastery. This is tied to their plan to spread anit-orc sentiment throughout the land.

Do I have it right?Yes, except I don't see the anyone from the Church of H directly being involved in the sabotaging. Can't get their hands dirty unless it's something big.

Just want to understand who the ulitmate bad guys are in all this - not necessarily the merchants themselves but rather the radicals in the Church. Right?
Again yes, but for this chapter I'd like to see us focus on the vandels rather then Church of H dudes. Basically we deal with one only to find that they are being driven by the other.

And we get involved because the wealthy merchant really can't do anything to help the nuns, and the local watch are being pressured not to help the nuns; and so Maeko asks her buddy Nicos and his friends for help.Again yes.

If this is indeed the case, then what can we do to help? Do we have any leads at all? Maybe we can agree to stake out the monastery, ask questions around town, and... I don't know what else.
I guess we need to come up with a head vandle NPC to have us track down and deal with.
This is weird, being my own DM. :)
You get used to it, then find it strange going back to the normal stuff.

[Kelemyn]

So we need a head vandal NPC. Somebody who really has a hatred for these foreigners already, and needed just a little bit of encouragement from the Church to do their dirty work for them.

Speaking of foreigners... what makes someone a foreigner? Are your characters considered to be foreigners in this part of the world? Juni most likely is not since she comes from a town just down the road.

But is it all foreigners that the local merchants don't like, or these particular foreigners? Where are the wealthy merchant and the nuns from that makes them foreign? Maybe our head vandal NPC has a particular grudge against people from wherever the nuns are from...

[itches]

So we need a head vandal NPC. Somebody who really has a hatred for these foreigners already, and needed just a little bit of encouragement from the Church to do their dirty work for them.Aye. But we don't want to make this person too epic, he/she needs to be basically a thug.

Speaking of foreigners... what makes someone a foreigner? Are your characters considered to be foreigners in this part of the world? Juni most likely is not since she comes from a town just down the road. They look/talk/act different. The more visable the difference the more a "foreigner" you are. So most of us wouldn't be.

But is it all foreigners that the local merchants don't like, or these particular foreigners?It's bigotry, feed by the Church of H be playing on the fear of unknown and things that are different. "They're comming here and stealing our jobs/our money/not acting like our culture."

Where are the wealthy merchant and the nuns from that makes them foreign? I don't know. Maeko?

[Maeko]

Where are the wealthy merchant and the nuns from that makes them foreign?

I haven't named the country, yet. think of a mix of Chinese and Japanese culture, I borrowed the name 'Botahara' from a novel for a Buddha-like figure, most of the nuns have Japanese names but the base for Phoenix' Song monastery is the historical Shaolin temple.

So we have this bunch of women arriving in a place where a wealthy merchant from their country is already staying.

They look funny: shorter than average for this place, almond-eyed, head shaved.
They talk funny, mangle verbs, forget articles, have an accent, eat strange things.
They are followers of a religion nobody knows and are building a monastery, do they plan to try and convert folk here?
They say their place has been destroyed by their emperor, are they criminals? Is this place going to be flooded with foreign refugees?
They fight unarmed in styles never seen before, are they really pacific as they say?

They come from a place nobody has seen but about which a lot of strange tales are told (think Simbad) from where silk and spices come and maybe some herbal drug (hashish or opium? ).
The merchant has been very successful here, he's bound to have rivals who try to pass him off as a bad character, now the women come and he helps them...what is he planning?
Besides while I see the nuns as humans for the most part, one of them could be an half-orc, possibly a rather solitary one who could fan the populace's suspicions.

All in all I wouldn't be surprised if someone stirred up a lynch mob against them (to be sent home in shame, of course)

[Kelemyn]

So are we any closer now to getting to the 'meat of the plot' (to quote itches)?