Borca adventures plan
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Joël of the FoS
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Re: Borca adventures plan
Oh, sorry, wasn't clear, those are rumors and red herring for the start of the adventure.
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
Re: Borca adventures plan
Ah, my bad. Speaking of pre-adventure warm up - when is the expected kick off?Joël of the FoS wrote:Oh, sorry, wasn't clear, those are rumors and red herring for the start of the adventure.
Someone sent me a postcard picture of the earth. On the back they had written, "Wish you were here."
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Joël of the FoS
- Moderator
- Posts: 6664
- Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2003 1:24 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: St-Damien, Québec
Re: Borca adventures plan
Here's a revised plan:
Thank you guys, esp. Wolfglide, Manofevil, Lesser Evil, Ron, Dustbunny.
After Bleak House, the PCs have to go to Levkarest, as they promised they will enquire the vanishing of many women around the Cathedral :
From my campaign journal - May 16th, 748, am Petrak goes to the Cathedral. He meets his superior Nicoletta Ladubay. They talk and Petrak learns that the disappearance of women has increased. It was one a month, and now it's more 2 or 3 a month. This starts to have an impact on the church. Petrak says they are on an inquiry in Mordent, but soon he promise they will come back to help. In exchange, she agrees to cast raise dead the next morning on Kendra Lorrimor (which she knows, as well as her late father).
A) CATHEDRAL VANISHING 1
Woman disappear - they often look like the Ezra icon.
From my journal - Juin 747 Garett (halfling) also looks at the Cathédrale, and say there is something bizarre around it: since a year ago, six women disappeared around it. Oddly, they were all looking similar (good looking- “well, for a human”; long black hair; pale eyes, often blue).
From my journal - May 748 They talk and Petrak learns that the disappearance of women has increased. It was one a month, and now it's more 2 or 3 a month.
Current total : 6 in year 747, plus 9 in 748 (we are in June) = 15
Look of victims = Ezra = Ivana
June 747 That the iconography of Ezra is similar to Ivana’s portrait is just a coincidence, according to Severin
For the moment - Since the women who vanished are often look-alike of Ivana Boritsi (who is a look-alike of Ezra), for the moment, the PCs suspect Ivana as the one killing these woman in exchange for her eternal youth.
---
Start - Meet Nicoletta Ladubay et Severin - Be discrete, le Praesidius Levin Postaya wants to hear from their special enquiry once in a while, very troubled by all this. Here's a master key for all the church, should you need to enter when it is closed. Here's a letter XXX explaining you can have access anywhere, do not abuse of this privilege.
It all started when the Cathedral was inaugurated (1 1/2 year ago IMC). What will they make of it is interesting.
Enquiry last victims? Most What we know about previous victims: most - disappeared when they were in the street, in the evening. But there are two cases where the person has disappeared from her bed room (investigation : scratches in the stone, something heavy was hanging on it.)
Ivana come to the Cathedral evary 2-3 days, and on all holy days.
The Gargoyle has an obsession with Ivana, as she is the perfect image of Ezra.
Black haired woman that often go to the church starts to dye their hairs!
This starts to have an impact on the church image! People in Levkarest talk, here's some of the wild rumors :
- Ezra punishes the unfaithful and those woman surely deserved it (false)
- The church's top clergy hides something sinister, I do not trust this masked priest (Severin) (false)
- Ivana kills these woman to keep eternally young (That is what the PCs think for now. False, it started 1 1/2 year ago when the Cathedral was finished, and Ivana is ... ±70!)
- Levkarest has a crazy killer problem (true in a way)
- The Cathedral was built on an old forgotten cemetery (false)
- Ivan is killing those woman as they remind him of his cousin Ivana (false)
- The ermordenungs kill everybody that look like Ivana so she is the only one with that pure look in the church (false)
- The Falkovnians are secretly in town and they are brewing trouble. Someone saw them around the church and at the (seedy pub) (possibly)
- A vampire lurks in the Cathedral's Crypt
A crazy / drunk witness little credible saw something? "a monster as big as an elephant, very ugly!"
B) IVANA NEEDS THEM
At one point where they will know it is a monstrous thing they are looking for (perhaps after witnessing it), they have a meeting with Ivana or Nostalia.
Ivana is worrying "as she saw a large monster at her window" last night, and she feels she needs protection.
The Juggler is away for two weeks "for family business". Ivana says he leaves every year at this time but do not know why or where (another GC mystery to solve later...)
Since three months, the PCs (unwillingly) write her "reports" of their actions so she knows they are capable and useful. Thus she asking them for protection. Can they refuse?
So she asks them to spend the nights in Misericordia's castle with her (that should please them
).
They see the monster one night but it flees when the PCs attack.
And perhaps give them opportunities to explore the place ... ???
Perhaps an ongoing flirt with a PC (there were a few hints of that before), we'll see where it goes ...
C) IVAN ENTERS THE DANCE
They have a private lunch in an eaterie in Levkarest with Nostalia, to give them info or whatever.
Suddenly Ivan crashes the room, a bottle of wine in hand. He wanted to meet the heroes (from hearing of a previous good deed they made) and have wine with them. He brought a very good vintage of a famous Invidian Château and opens it.
(Ivan wants to know Ivana's eternal youth secret. He plans to give the heroes wine tainted with Borrowed Time, the poison where they have to take the antidote every day unless they nearly die. But it won't work that way...)
Nostalia will grab a pitcher of water and strongly suggest the PCs drink water before tasting the wine, to cleanse their palate.
Nostalia and some PCs drink the wine (or Ivan is very offended)
Nostalia teases Ivan over the exquisite taste of this bottle "isn't it, Sir Ivan? Can you show us the full extent of your wine knowledge and tell us ignorants what we should be finding as we taste the wine?" (She is a bitch as knows he can't taste anything). Ivan is a bit angry and keeps it in check.
At one point, Nostalia leaves the private room for the restrooms, leaving the PCs alone with Ivan.
Then, he menaces the PCs, telling them they just drank Borrowed Time (with a description). He tells them he knows they are close to Ivana these days so they will get the final antidote only when they will bring him the secret he starves for!
Nostalia is back and Ivan shortly leaves.
She asked them if he menaced the PCs, and tell them their informants told them he would soon do such a thing, as he often do.
In the pitcher of water, Nostalia added a protection against ingested poison, so they are NOT under Borrowed Time.
She suggests the PCs play along and make Ivan believe they are poisoned and under his control.
At night, they meet an agent of Ivan, who, at their first encounter, gives them just five doses of Mercy daily antidote (they are six), "to motivate them", a cruel teasing. Every night hereafter, they meet this person and get the antidotes...
Possible false information transmitted to Ivan by Ivana through this channel?
X) Icon of Danzig side trek.
Lollar Boritsi will again ask the PCs about the Icon located in Ivana's bedroom.
"We just would like to study it a few hours then bring it back, she won't notice", he says
But his plan is to replace it with a forgery.
The PCs won't fall for it, but that is another layer of mystery.
D) CATHEDRAL VANISHING 2
The Gargoyle kills woman that look like Ezra. And then? What does it do with the corpses? It doesn’t eat them, so where does it leaves the bodies? The bodies are never found...
It's trying to make its own 'perfect' form out of the 'inferior' parts. The G is trying to re-create who it thinks is its creator. Not the sculptor but Ezra.
It thinks that when the statue is complete, its creator Ezra will return and fix it of its ugliness.
I was thinking, could the Gargoyle kills the woman and store the women in rock (the church crypt or the pillars) until it thinks it has enough, then turn them back to flesh and butcher them to make the golem, or a statue? At one point, a part of the church could turn to a house of horror, and that seems like a cool scene.
Some are just killed as they proved very disappointing. It turns them to stone and grinds them up, using the dust for repairs to the cathedral.
Strange phenomenon starts :
- one of the lesser statues starts crying blood or such... (perhaps one that the Sculptor made after himself)
- some disturbing patterns (twisted faces and such) can be seen where the 'special mortar' has been used.
E) CRYPT of the CATHEDRAL VISIT ?
Disappearances or other clue pointing there?
1) They see the tomb of the Sculptor, Nikolai Pyotrovich (who made the Gargoyle) If not told before in the adventure (that is if they enquired the Cathédrale's construction and its artisans), here's the moment to have someone provide the Sculptor's back story (see Gargoyle article)
XXX make a list of major artisans for the Cathédrale - there was only one sculptor, but one architect or two, famous painters, etc.
2) If the gargoyle uses its victims as building materials in any way, shape, or form (or just bricks them up behind some walls) the cathedral could accidentally gain some Living Walls. That could make the undercroft severely dangerous, and acolytes could start disappearing when they attend to stuff down below.
But instead of your typical horrifying amalgam living wall, perhaps the cathedral has something like the Sistine Chapel ceiling - a new grand mural of Ezra's glory.
(Suddenly, everybody at the church wonder what this new mural is doing there, as nobody ordered it???)
3) People vanish? However at certain times, the ceiling comes alive due to the 'special plaster' used for repairs and absorbs anyone below. And the unfortunate victim appears as a character in the grand mural - usually in one of the 'sinners get punished' scenes. Nobody has really noticed the 'extras' because those who stay around and examine it too closely for a long time tend to disappear....
4) Red herring? - a Walcofinde undead creature (Pathfinder 127) The spirit of someone walled alive (during the contruction? 20 years ago?)
5) ??? the sculptor's ghost may become more than a clue to the Golem and become a menace in its own right. He manifest once in a while to repair or offer suggestions on repair?
X) IVAN TRIES AGAIN
At one point, Ivan will understand the heroes are not under his control. He will have the PCs tailed by an informant, and will have a woman wrongly accusing one of the PCs of assault, to give them trouble.
Or ??? Elenia Windalla in the Book of Crypts.? Child ermordenung.
Arrest by local police (led by Victor Momeala)
The PCs will have to wait until Ivana clears the matter and the PCs are losing time.
Meanwhile, a group of priests huddled outside the cathedral trying to calm the crowds which has gathered ... and a few insane noviciate acolytes (who are gibbering about the images coming out of the walls) stroll out.
X) IVAN TRIES AGAIN PART II
Ivan found Severin's weakness (he loves Ivana in secret) and will manipulate him in causing trouble to the PCs.
The agent who gives Mercy tells them to watch Severin, he could be suspected to kidnap these woman, as they look alike Ivana
Then Severin vanish when the heroes were going to interrogate him, making him look guilty.
But the G kidnaped Severin (as suggested above). His possible obsession with Ivana Boritsi may cause him to become targeted by the jealous Gargoyle. The Gargoyle may observe him seemingly enjoying the company of Boritsi. The Gargoyle could try to kidnap Severin to interrogate him what he knows about Ivana and how to win her love.
The same drunken homeless tells them the "elephant" is moving on the Cathedral ceiling!
The heroes save Severin and then learn the culprit of the whole thing is the Gargoyle. It flees.
Severin learned of the G's inner motivation.
INSERT SOMEWHERE From A-Z monster mini stories - I asked Toret Severin about the stories of hauntings at the Great Cathedral, and the rumors that Ezra herself has raised guardians from the stones to protect Her home. He chuckled slightly and led me outside; the moonlight washed the cathedral in light almost as bright as day. "Whether Ezra has done a miracle or not, I couldn't say," he said. "But count the gargoyles up there on this side, where the wall meets the roof."
The Cathedral must be at least one hundred fifty feet or more in height, and the moonlight, though clear, cast odd shadows; but I counted six, and told him so. "That is my count, as well," he said, looking upward, "and yet on no fewer than six occasions I have counted seven." Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove to Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove, private correspondence
F) END OF GARGOYLE
The statue is almost done but it needs two more bits - a head and a heart. It has decided that Ivana's head is just right for the task. It can't just grab her as it may damage the head.
One evening, Ivana has to be outside for an annual midnight feast. PCs escort her. Ivana has to go out and have a 'meet and greet' despite knowing someone is after her - to try and defuse things.
On the way there, the Gargoyle attacks the cart (it crashes from the sky on it) and tries to snatch her away. Ivana's poison is without effect on the beast. She is terrified.
And the PCs (hopefully) drive it away, with or without Ivana.
It flies toward the Cathedral!
The stoned Ezra women are stored intact, and the others G has killed get mortared, which is enough to 'prime the pump' for potential horrors.
The cathedral is now sinister and dangerous. The cathedral becomes infested with necromantic detritus (forsaken shells, crawling claws, etc.) hostile to both the Gargoyle and anything else that gets too close.
The cathedral's sinkhole level plunges, and they maliciously phantom shift everyone into perceiving the twisted impression of the cathedral that has formed in the Near Ethereal (trapped in a Dante's Inferno landscape). Is it a new room accessible from the ceiling?
Automatonophobia: Victims of this attack become convinced that all statues are alive, malicious, and moving while no one is looking. This drives them to distraction and paranoia, and makes it easier for the gargoyle to evade notice. What is one statue when you think the problem is everywhere?
The G is there making a grand Ezra statue.
XXX end battle
??? What if, at the last minute, Ezra manifested and worked a miracle? At one point a ray of light from the main statue strikes the Gargoyle, making it unable to fly? Or less heavy handed : when they are wondering which of the dozen Gargoyle is the killer, a ray of light from the main statue strikes the Gargoyle? Well how much of a sinkhole of evil can be created in a place consecrated to Ezra without Ezra taking notice and acting?
G) AFTERMATH
Out of curiosity though, are any of the PC's priests/worshippers of Ezra? You could have some serious 'crisis of faith' things going on. And even if the PC's are safe, you would have seriously panicked NPC priests/clergy scurrying around the cathedral.
That's what I'm talking about. If this gets too dark and too terrible, forget crises of faith, you're going to have a complete Corewide SHATTERING of the faith. It's gonna get out how Ezra couldn't or WOULDN'T stop this and the church(es) of Ezra is going to fall to pieces. I have images of Ezran devotees getting visions of Ezra being raped by the Dark Powers after this. I also bet other faiths like the Lawgiver could take advantage, too. I guess what I'm saying is this is not just one of those weekend in hell scenarios, but one that would have very serious implications for the future of the faith. I guess it all depends on how much the DPs have invested in the Ezran faith. If your DPs wanna kill it, or you don't care, I guess it's up to you.
The local clergy is however hailing the PCs as heroes and as potential saints in the making
H) The DEATHSTONE
After, Ivana asks them about having a conversation with a dead person!
During the GC, the Deathstone emited voices and a servant came to Ivana to tell her. But she was with Ivan, who was crying in fear over the GC troubles. She waved the servant away. Problem is, Ivan killed the servant the next day so the servant would not tell of his cowardice, so Ivana never knew what were these voices coming out of the Deathstone...
Can the PCs contact the spirit of the dead servant and ask him? (what message was it?)
Also, as she now trusts the PCs, so she could ask them to identify the Deathstone's magic. Then she will learn of the problems that will arise soon if she makes many more ermordenungs (the spirits will exit the rock).
I haven't thought a course of action after this.
I) IVAN LAST ATTACKS (OPTION TO BE THOUGHT OF)
Haven't an idea on how for the moment, but Ivan is frustrated and after all this, he has mercenaries attack the PCs.
Ivana is fed up with her cousin and approves an assassination attempt on Ivan.
Details to be thought of!
Thank you guys, esp. Wolfglide, Manofevil, Lesser Evil, Ron, Dustbunny.
After Bleak House, the PCs have to go to Levkarest, as they promised they will enquire the vanishing of many women around the Cathedral :
From my campaign journal - May 16th, 748, am Petrak goes to the Cathedral. He meets his superior Nicoletta Ladubay. They talk and Petrak learns that the disappearance of women has increased. It was one a month, and now it's more 2 or 3 a month. This starts to have an impact on the church. Petrak says they are on an inquiry in Mordent, but soon he promise they will come back to help. In exchange, she agrees to cast raise dead the next morning on Kendra Lorrimor (which she knows, as well as her late father).
A) CATHEDRAL VANISHING 1
Woman disappear - they often look like the Ezra icon.
From my journal - Juin 747 Garett (halfling) also looks at the Cathédrale, and say there is something bizarre around it: since a year ago, six women disappeared around it. Oddly, they were all looking similar (good looking- “well, for a human”; long black hair; pale eyes, often blue).
From my journal - May 748 They talk and Petrak learns that the disappearance of women has increased. It was one a month, and now it's more 2 or 3 a month.
Current total : 6 in year 747, plus 9 in 748 (we are in June) = 15
Look of victims = Ezra = Ivana
June 747 That the iconography of Ezra is similar to Ivana’s portrait is just a coincidence, according to Severin
For the moment - Since the women who vanished are often look-alike of Ivana Boritsi (who is a look-alike of Ezra), for the moment, the PCs suspect Ivana as the one killing these woman in exchange for her eternal youth.
---
Start - Meet Nicoletta Ladubay et Severin - Be discrete, le Praesidius Levin Postaya wants to hear from their special enquiry once in a while, very troubled by all this. Here's a master key for all the church, should you need to enter when it is closed. Here's a letter XXX explaining you can have access anywhere, do not abuse of this privilege.
It all started when the Cathedral was inaugurated (1 1/2 year ago IMC). What will they make of it is interesting.
Enquiry last victims? Most What we know about previous victims: most - disappeared when they were in the street, in the evening. But there are two cases where the person has disappeared from her bed room (investigation : scratches in the stone, something heavy was hanging on it.)
Ivana come to the Cathedral evary 2-3 days, and on all holy days.
The Gargoyle has an obsession with Ivana, as she is the perfect image of Ezra.
Black haired woman that often go to the church starts to dye their hairs!
This starts to have an impact on the church image! People in Levkarest talk, here's some of the wild rumors :
- Ezra punishes the unfaithful and those woman surely deserved it (false)
- The church's top clergy hides something sinister, I do not trust this masked priest (Severin) (false)
- Ivana kills these woman to keep eternally young (That is what the PCs think for now. False, it started 1 1/2 year ago when the Cathedral was finished, and Ivana is ... ±70!)
- Levkarest has a crazy killer problem (true in a way)
- The Cathedral was built on an old forgotten cemetery (false)
- Ivan is killing those woman as they remind him of his cousin Ivana (false)
- The ermordenungs kill everybody that look like Ivana so she is the only one with that pure look in the church (false)
- The Falkovnians are secretly in town and they are brewing trouble. Someone saw them around the church and at the (seedy pub) (possibly)
- A vampire lurks in the Cathedral's Crypt
A crazy / drunk witness little credible saw something? "a monster as big as an elephant, very ugly!"
B) IVANA NEEDS THEM
At one point where they will know it is a monstrous thing they are looking for (perhaps after witnessing it), they have a meeting with Ivana or Nostalia.
Ivana is worrying "as she saw a large monster at her window" last night, and she feels she needs protection.
The Juggler is away for two weeks "for family business". Ivana says he leaves every year at this time but do not know why or where (another GC mystery to solve later...)
Since three months, the PCs (unwillingly) write her "reports" of their actions so she knows they are capable and useful. Thus she asking them for protection. Can they refuse?
So she asks them to spend the nights in Misericordia's castle with her (that should please them
). They see the monster one night but it flees when the PCs attack.
And perhaps give them opportunities to explore the place ... ???
Perhaps an ongoing flirt with a PC (there were a few hints of that before), we'll see where it goes ...
C) IVAN ENTERS THE DANCE
They have a private lunch in an eaterie in Levkarest with Nostalia, to give them info or whatever.
Suddenly Ivan crashes the room, a bottle of wine in hand. He wanted to meet the heroes (from hearing of a previous good deed they made) and have wine with them. He brought a very good vintage of a famous Invidian Château and opens it.
(Ivan wants to know Ivana's eternal youth secret. He plans to give the heroes wine tainted with Borrowed Time, the poison where they have to take the antidote every day unless they nearly die. But it won't work that way...)
Nostalia will grab a pitcher of water and strongly suggest the PCs drink water before tasting the wine, to cleanse their palate.
Nostalia and some PCs drink the wine (or Ivan is very offended)
Nostalia teases Ivan over the exquisite taste of this bottle "isn't it, Sir Ivan? Can you show us the full extent of your wine knowledge and tell us ignorants what we should be finding as we taste the wine?" (She is a bitch as knows he can't taste anything). Ivan is a bit angry and keeps it in check.
At one point, Nostalia leaves the private room for the restrooms, leaving the PCs alone with Ivan.
Then, he menaces the PCs, telling them they just drank Borrowed Time (with a description). He tells them he knows they are close to Ivana these days so they will get the final antidote only when they will bring him the secret he starves for!
Nostalia is back and Ivan shortly leaves.
She asked them if he menaced the PCs, and tell them their informants told them he would soon do such a thing, as he often do.
In the pitcher of water, Nostalia added a protection against ingested poison, so they are NOT under Borrowed Time.
She suggests the PCs play along and make Ivan believe they are poisoned and under his control.
At night, they meet an agent of Ivan, who, at their first encounter, gives them just five doses of Mercy daily antidote (they are six), "to motivate them", a cruel teasing. Every night hereafter, they meet this person and get the antidotes...
Possible false information transmitted to Ivan by Ivana through this channel?
X) Icon of Danzig side trek.
Lollar Boritsi will again ask the PCs about the Icon located in Ivana's bedroom.
"We just would like to study it a few hours then bring it back, she won't notice", he says
But his plan is to replace it with a forgery.
The PCs won't fall for it, but that is another layer of mystery.
D) CATHEDRAL VANISHING 2
The Gargoyle kills woman that look like Ezra. And then? What does it do with the corpses? It doesn’t eat them, so where does it leaves the bodies? The bodies are never found...
It's trying to make its own 'perfect' form out of the 'inferior' parts. The G is trying to re-create who it thinks is its creator. Not the sculptor but Ezra.
It thinks that when the statue is complete, its creator Ezra will return and fix it of its ugliness.
I was thinking, could the Gargoyle kills the woman and store the women in rock (the church crypt or the pillars) until it thinks it has enough, then turn them back to flesh and butcher them to make the golem, or a statue? At one point, a part of the church could turn to a house of horror, and that seems like a cool scene.
Some are just killed as they proved very disappointing. It turns them to stone and grinds them up, using the dust for repairs to the cathedral.
Strange phenomenon starts :
- one of the lesser statues starts crying blood or such... (perhaps one that the Sculptor made after himself)
- some disturbing patterns (twisted faces and such) can be seen where the 'special mortar' has been used.
E) CRYPT of the CATHEDRAL VISIT ?
Disappearances or other clue pointing there?
1) They see the tomb of the Sculptor, Nikolai Pyotrovich (who made the Gargoyle) If not told before in the adventure (that is if they enquired the Cathédrale's construction and its artisans), here's the moment to have someone provide the Sculptor's back story (see Gargoyle article)
XXX make a list of major artisans for the Cathédrale - there was only one sculptor, but one architect or two, famous painters, etc.
2) If the gargoyle uses its victims as building materials in any way, shape, or form (or just bricks them up behind some walls) the cathedral could accidentally gain some Living Walls. That could make the undercroft severely dangerous, and acolytes could start disappearing when they attend to stuff down below.
But instead of your typical horrifying amalgam living wall, perhaps the cathedral has something like the Sistine Chapel ceiling - a new grand mural of Ezra's glory.
(Suddenly, everybody at the church wonder what this new mural is doing there, as nobody ordered it???)
3) People vanish? However at certain times, the ceiling comes alive due to the 'special plaster' used for repairs and absorbs anyone below. And the unfortunate victim appears as a character in the grand mural - usually in one of the 'sinners get punished' scenes. Nobody has really noticed the 'extras' because those who stay around and examine it too closely for a long time tend to disappear....
4) Red herring? - a Walcofinde undead creature (Pathfinder 127) The spirit of someone walled alive (during the contruction? 20 years ago?)
5) ??? the sculptor's ghost may become more than a clue to the Golem and become a menace in its own right. He manifest once in a while to repair or offer suggestions on repair?
X) IVAN TRIES AGAIN
At one point, Ivan will understand the heroes are not under his control. He will have the PCs tailed by an informant, and will have a woman wrongly accusing one of the PCs of assault, to give them trouble.
Or ??? Elenia Windalla in the Book of Crypts.? Child ermordenung.
Arrest by local police (led by Victor Momeala)
The PCs will have to wait until Ivana clears the matter and the PCs are losing time.
Meanwhile, a group of priests huddled outside the cathedral trying to calm the crowds which has gathered ... and a few insane noviciate acolytes (who are gibbering about the images coming out of the walls) stroll out.
X) IVAN TRIES AGAIN PART II
Ivan found Severin's weakness (he loves Ivana in secret) and will manipulate him in causing trouble to the PCs.
The agent who gives Mercy tells them to watch Severin, he could be suspected to kidnap these woman, as they look alike Ivana
Then Severin vanish when the heroes were going to interrogate him, making him look guilty.
But the G kidnaped Severin (as suggested above). His possible obsession with Ivana Boritsi may cause him to become targeted by the jealous Gargoyle. The Gargoyle may observe him seemingly enjoying the company of Boritsi. The Gargoyle could try to kidnap Severin to interrogate him what he knows about Ivana and how to win her love.
The same drunken homeless tells them the "elephant" is moving on the Cathedral ceiling!
The heroes save Severin and then learn the culprit of the whole thing is the Gargoyle. It flees.
Severin learned of the G's inner motivation.
INSERT SOMEWHERE From A-Z monster mini stories - I asked Toret Severin about the stories of hauntings at the Great Cathedral, and the rumors that Ezra herself has raised guardians from the stones to protect Her home. He chuckled slightly and led me outside; the moonlight washed the cathedral in light almost as bright as day. "Whether Ezra has done a miracle or not, I couldn't say," he said. "But count the gargoyles up there on this side, where the wall meets the roof."
The Cathedral must be at least one hundred fifty feet or more in height, and the moonlight, though clear, cast odd shadows; but I counted six, and told him so. "That is my count, as well," he said, looking upward, "and yet on no fewer than six occasions I have counted seven." Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove to Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove, private correspondence
F) END OF GARGOYLE
The statue is almost done but it needs two more bits - a head and a heart. It has decided that Ivana's head is just right for the task. It can't just grab her as it may damage the head.
One evening, Ivana has to be outside for an annual midnight feast. PCs escort her. Ivana has to go out and have a 'meet and greet' despite knowing someone is after her - to try and defuse things.
On the way there, the Gargoyle attacks the cart (it crashes from the sky on it) and tries to snatch her away. Ivana's poison is without effect on the beast. She is terrified.
And the PCs (hopefully) drive it away, with or without Ivana.
It flies toward the Cathedral!
The stoned Ezra women are stored intact, and the others G has killed get mortared, which is enough to 'prime the pump' for potential horrors.
The cathedral is now sinister and dangerous. The cathedral becomes infested with necromantic detritus (forsaken shells, crawling claws, etc.) hostile to both the Gargoyle and anything else that gets too close.
The cathedral's sinkhole level plunges, and they maliciously phantom shift everyone into perceiving the twisted impression of the cathedral that has formed in the Near Ethereal (trapped in a Dante's Inferno landscape). Is it a new room accessible from the ceiling?
Automatonophobia: Victims of this attack become convinced that all statues are alive, malicious, and moving while no one is looking. This drives them to distraction and paranoia, and makes it easier for the gargoyle to evade notice. What is one statue when you think the problem is everywhere?
The G is there making a grand Ezra statue.
XXX end battle
??? What if, at the last minute, Ezra manifested and worked a miracle? At one point a ray of light from the main statue strikes the Gargoyle, making it unable to fly? Or less heavy handed : when they are wondering which of the dozen Gargoyle is the killer, a ray of light from the main statue strikes the Gargoyle? Well how much of a sinkhole of evil can be created in a place consecrated to Ezra without Ezra taking notice and acting?
G) AFTERMATH
Out of curiosity though, are any of the PC's priests/worshippers of Ezra? You could have some serious 'crisis of faith' things going on. And even if the PC's are safe, you would have seriously panicked NPC priests/clergy scurrying around the cathedral.
That's what I'm talking about. If this gets too dark and too terrible, forget crises of faith, you're going to have a complete Corewide SHATTERING of the faith. It's gonna get out how Ezra couldn't or WOULDN'T stop this and the church(es) of Ezra is going to fall to pieces. I have images of Ezran devotees getting visions of Ezra being raped by the Dark Powers after this. I also bet other faiths like the Lawgiver could take advantage, too. I guess what I'm saying is this is not just one of those weekend in hell scenarios, but one that would have very serious implications for the future of the faith. I guess it all depends on how much the DPs have invested in the Ezran faith. If your DPs wanna kill it, or you don't care, I guess it's up to you.
The local clergy is however hailing the PCs as heroes and as potential saints in the making
H) The DEATHSTONE
After, Ivana asks them about having a conversation with a dead person!
During the GC, the Deathstone emited voices and a servant came to Ivana to tell her. But she was with Ivan, who was crying in fear over the GC troubles. She waved the servant away. Problem is, Ivan killed the servant the next day so the servant would not tell of his cowardice, so Ivana never knew what were these voices coming out of the Deathstone...
Can the PCs contact the spirit of the dead servant and ask him? (what message was it?)
Also, as she now trusts the PCs, so she could ask them to identify the Deathstone's magic. Then she will learn of the problems that will arise soon if she makes many more ermordenungs (the spirits will exit the rock).
I haven't thought a course of action after this.
I) IVAN LAST ATTACKS (OPTION TO BE THOUGHT OF)
Haven't an idea on how for the moment, but Ivan is frustrated and after all this, he has mercenaries attack the PCs.
Ivana is fed up with her cousin and approves an assassination attempt on Ivan.
Details to be thought of!
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
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Joël of the FoS
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Re: Borca adventures plan
Perhaps in Autumn? We have to finish Bleak House, and we do not really play in Summer.DustBunny wrote:Ah, my bad. Speaking of pre-adventure warm up - when is the expected kick off?Joël of the FoS wrote:Oh, sorry, wasn't clear, those are rumors and red herring for the start of the adventure.
We play once every two Sundays, but another D&D game is mixed in (PF's Cauldron, where I play instead of DM).
Yeah, Autumn sounds right.
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Manofevil
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Re: Borca adventures plan
I may have a better Idea to pitch. I was unaware of the resemblance of Ivana and Ezra, So suppose the Gargoyle seized Ivana and got her to the cathedral only to have her break away, run, and get snatched up by one of the living walls or ceiling, but, because she's a darklord, she is able to dominate all those trapped within. At this same moment, a ray of light passing through the stained glass window of Ezra strikes a different living surface and, Ezra gains control of that surface. So, in addition to everything else happening in the cathedral, the Ivana surfaces are fighting the Ezra surfaces. Have the living surfaces evenly split between the two. The Ivana surfaces will snatch up and absorb anything that moves, living or dead, while the Ezra surfaces act to help and defend anyone alive within the cathedral. You might even have a priest or PC get snatched by both sides, and there's a tug-o-war. However the final battle turns out, have the PCs pull all the survivors, including Ivana (freed somehow), from the cathedral or whatever's left of it. Have at least one priest survive to tell the tale of how Ezra battled the forces of darkness and freed the Lady Ivana, which should satisfy the devotees of Ezra, while Ivana survives badly traumatized and has terrible nightmares when that deathstone shows up. The cathedral may wind up as a place like the House of Usher from the Vincent Price movie, (movie not book) or the priory from the Rats in the Walls by H P Lovecraft. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6FkDC5Qaxg&t=970sJoël of the FoS wrote: 2) If the gargoyle uses its victims as building materials in any way, shape, or form (or just bricks them up behind some walls) the cathedral could accidentally gain some Living Walls. That could make the undercroft severely dangerous, and acolytes could start disappearing when they attend to stuff down below.
But instead of your typical horrifying amalgam living wall, perhaps the cathedral has something like the Sistine Chapel ceiling - a new grand mural of Ezra's glory.
(Suddenly, everybody at the church wonder what this new mural is doing there, as nobody ordered it???)
3) People vanish? However at certain times, the ceiling comes alive due to the 'special plaster' used for repairs and absorbs anyone below. And the unfortunate victim appears as a character in the grand mural - usually in one of the 'sinners get punished' scenes. Nobody has really noticed the 'extras' because those who stay around and examine it too closely for a long time tend to disappear....
But the G kidnaped Severin (as suggested above). His possible obsession with Ivana Boritsi may cause him to become targeted by the jealous Gargoyle. The Gargoyle may observe him seemingly enjoying the company of Boritsi. The Gargoyle could try to kidnap Severin to interrogate him what he knows about Ivana and how to win her love.
F) END OF GARGOYLE
The statue is almost done but it needs two more bits - a head and a heart. It has decided that Ivana's head is just right for the task. It can't just grab her as it may damage the head.
One evening, Ivana has to be outside for an annual midnight feast. PCs escort her. Ivana has to go out and have a 'meet and greet' despite knowing someone is after her - to try and defuse things.
On the way there, the Gargoyle attacks the cart (it crashes from the sky on it) and tries to snatch her away. Ivana's poison is without effect on the beast. She is terrified.
And the PCs (hopefully) drive it away, with or without Ivana.
It flies toward the Cathedral!
The stoned Ezra women are stored intact, and the others G has killed get mortared, which is enough to 'prime the pump' for potential horrors.
The cathedral is now sinister and dangerous. The cathedral becomes infested with necromantic detritus (forsaken shells, crawling claws, etc.) hostile to both the Gargoyle and anything else that gets too close.
The cathedral's sinkhole level plunges, and they maliciously phantom shift everyone into perceiving the twisted impression of the cathedral that has formed in the Near Ethereal (trapped in a Dante's Inferno landscape). Is it a new room accessible from the ceiling?
Automatonophobia: Victims of this attack become convinced that all statues are alive, malicious, and moving while no one is looking. This drives them to distraction and paranoia, and makes it easier for the gargoyle to evade notice. What is one statue when you think the problem is everywhere?
The G is there making a grand Ezra statue.
XXX end battle
??? What if, at the last minute, Ezra manifested and worked a miracle? At one point a ray of light from the main statue strikes the Gargoyle, making it unable to fly? Or less heavy handed : when they are wondering which of the dozen Gargoyle is the killer, a ray of light from the main statue strikes the Gargoyle? Well how much of a sinkhole of evil can be created in a place consecrated to Ezra without Ezra taking notice and acting?
G) AFTERMATH
Out of curiosity though, are any of the PC's priests/worshippers of Ezra? You could have some serious 'crisis of faith' things going on. And even if the PC's are safe, you would have seriously panicked NPC priests/clergy scurrying around the cathedral.
That's what I'm talking about. If this gets too dark and too terrible, forget crises of faith, you're going to have a complete Corewide SHATTERING of the faith. It's gonna get out how Ezra couldn't or WOULDN'T stop this and the church(es) of Ezra is going to fall to pieces. I have images of Ezran devotees getting visions of Ezra being raped by the Dark Powers after this. I also bet other faiths like the Lawgiver could take advantage, too. I guess what I'm saying is this is not just one of those weekend in hell scenarios, but one that would have very serious implications for the future of the faith. I guess it all depends on how much the DPs have invested in the Ezran faith. If your DPs wanna kill it, or you don't care, I guess it's up to you.
The local clergy is however hailing the PCs as heroes and as potential saints in the making
H) The DEATHSTONE
After, Ivana asks them about having a conversation with a dead person!
During the GC, the Deathstone emited voices and a servant came to Ivana to tell her. But she was with Ivan, who was crying in fear over the GC troubles. She waved the servant away. Problem is, Ivan killed the servant the next day so the servant would not tell of his cowardice, so Ivana never knew what were these voices coming out of the Deathstone...
Can the PCs contact the spirit of the dead servant and ask him? (what message was it?)
Also, as she now trusts the PCs, so she could ask them to identify the Deathstone's magic. Then she will learn of the problems that will arise soon if she makes many more ermordenungs (the spirits will exit the rock).
Do us a favor Luv, Stick yer 'ead in a bucket a kick it!
So, gentlemen, that's how it is. Until Grissome.... resurfaces, I'm the acting president, and I say starting with this... anniversary festival, we run this city into the ground! :D
So, gentlemen, that's how it is. Until Grissome.... resurfaces, I'm the acting president, and I say starting with this... anniversary festival, we run this city into the ground! :D
Re: Borca adventures plan
For another option for an interesting battle with the gargoyle. What if the church is under repair/ being painted and scaffolding has been erected inside the church. The party can use the scaffolding to approach the gargoyle's pedestal near the ceiling, and then have to fight it while on the multi-level but unstable scaffolding.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
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Joël of the FoS
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Re: Borca adventures plan
Interesting scene. Or the church is closed for two days and the scaffoldings are there so the church is redecorated for a great event (a religious event) where the church is sceduled to reopen? The making of the statue/golem is the Gargoyle's gift to Ezra's image for that religious day?Band2 wrote:For another option for an interesting battle with the gargoyle. What if the church is under repair/ being painted and scaffolding has been erected inside the church. The party can use the scaffolding to approach the gargoyle's pedestal near the ceiling, and then have to fight it while on the multi-level but unstable scaffolding.
So the night before, the Gargoyle starts building its thing?
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
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Joël of the FoS
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Re: Borca adventures plan
A battle of the Living Walls? A very original idea indeed.Manofevil wrote:I may have a better Idea to pitch. I was unaware of the resemblance of Ivana and Ezra, So suppose the Gargoyle seized Ivana and got her to the cathedral only to have her break away, run, and get snatched up by one of the living walls or ceiling, but, because she's a darklord, she is able to dominate all those trapped within. At this same moment, a ray of light passing through the stained glass window of Ezra strikes a different living surface and, Ezra gains control of that surface. So, in addition to everything else happening in the cathedral, the Ivana surfaces are fighting the Ezra surfaces. Have the living surfaces evenly split between the two. The Ivana surfaces will snatch up and absorb anything that moves, living or dead, while the Ezra surfaces act to help and defend anyone alive within the cathedral. You might even have a priest or PC get snatched by both sides, and there's a tug-o-war. However the final battle turns out, have the PCs pull all the survivors, including Ivana (freed somehow), from the cathedral or whatever's left of it. Have at least one priest survive to tell the tale of how Ezra battled the forces of darkness and freed the Lady Ivana, which should satisfy the devotees of Ezra, while Ivana survives badly traumatized and has terrible nightmares when that deathstone shows up. The cathedral may wind up as a place like the House of Usher from the Vincent Price movie, (movie not book) or the priory from the Rats in the Walls by H P Lovecraft. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6FkDC5Qaxg&t=970s
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
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Gonzoron of the FoS
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Re: Borca adventures plan
Not sure whether you're a fan of the Pathfinder Chase rules, but you may recall that I used them in a situation that's very reminiscent of the Gargoyle snatching Ivana and bringing her back to the cathedral by air. I had a werebat (that would later be mistaken for a gargoyle) headed to a cathedral, and the setting was Port-a-lucine, not Levkarest, but if you're so inclined, you could easily use or adapt the chase cards I made for it.
"We're realistic heroes. We're not here to save the world, just nudge the world into a better place."
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The Lesser Evil
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Re: Borca adventures plan
A couple of possible eventualities you may wish to look out for. What happens if the PCs fail to steal the Icon and are caught by Ivana? You'll need some way for them to either make up with her or to continue the plot without her approval, not to mention the additional complications it may bring with Lollar and the church.Joël of the FoS wrote:
X) Icon of Danzig side trek.
Lollar Boritsi will again ask the PCs about the Icon located in Ivana's bedroom.
"We just would like to study it a few hours then bring it back, she won't notice", he says
But his plan is to replace it with a forgery.
The PCs won't fall for it, but that is another layer of mystery.
Another possible outcome is if they end up keeping the Icon themselves for whatever reason. What happens if they discover its question-answering properties? Have you decided on what's behind it? (Something to do with the Deathstone, or a different mystery in and of itself?)
The Icon may have some further role in what happens to the Faith in the aftermath of the gargoyle too.
I had more thoughts on the gargoyle and its creator. What if the Gargoyle isn't the first one to bury people alive in the Cathedral, but rather learned it from human predecessors, as in somebody had persons/people interred in the church as sacrifices to consecrate its construction.E) CRYPT of the CATHEDRAL VISIT ?
Disappearances or other clue pointing there?
1) They see the tomb of the Sculptor, Nikolai Pyotrovich (who made the Gargoyle) If not told before in the adventure (that is if they enquired the Cathédrale's construction and its artisans), here's the moment to have someone provide the Sculptor's back story (see Gargoyle article)
XXX make a list of major artisans for the Cathédrale - there was only one sculptor, but one architect or two, famous painters, etc.
2) If the gargoyle uses its victims as building materials in any way, shape, or form (or just bricks them up behind some walls) the cathedral could accidentally gain some Living Walls. That could make the undercroft severely dangerous, and acolytes could start disappearing when they attend to stuff down below.
But instead of your typical horrifying amalgam living wall, perhaps the cathedral has something like the Sistine Chapel ceiling - a new grand mural of Ezra's glory.
(Suddenly, everybody at the church wonder what this new mural is doing there, as nobody ordered it???)
3) People vanish? However at certain times, the ceiling comes alive due to the 'special plaster' used for repairs and absorbs anyone below. And the unfortunate victim appears as a character in the grand mural - usually in one of the 'sinners get punished' scenes. Nobody has really noticed the 'extras' because those who stay around and examine it too closely for a long time tend to disappear....
4) Red herring? - a Walcofinde undead creature (Pathfinder 127) The spirit of someone walled alive (during the contruction? 20 years ago?)
5) ??? the sculptor's ghost may become more than a clue to the Golem and become a menace in its own right. He manifest once in a while to repair or offer suggestions on repair?
For example, you could base this on the tale of Master Builder Manole of Gothic Earth. (Nikolai could have been forced -or even chose willingly- to inter his own wife within the walls of the church, which may put the Gargoyle's obsession with Ezra in a whole 'nother light.)
http://fraternityofshadows.com/wiki/Mas ... der_Manole
http://fraternityofshadows.com/wiki/The ... er_Builder
See The Guide to Transylvania for more on this, and there's also some stuff on wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesterul_Manole
I think this could be a good time for a splinter faction within the Home Faith to try to seize power. Oton Boritsi and the Scions of Dilisnya could be responsible, or Anchorite Claude Dulocq and his Fifth Sect. These splinter factions may try to exploit the player character heroes' popularity by cozying up to them.G) AFTERMATH
Out of curiosity though, are any of the PC's priests/worshippers of Ezra? You could have some serious 'crisis of faith' things going on. And even if the PC's are safe, you would have seriously panicked NPC priests/clergy scurrying around the cathedral.
That's what I'm talking about. If this gets too dark and too terrible, forget crises of faith, you're going to have a complete Corewide SHATTERING of the faith. It's gonna get out how Ezra couldn't or WOULDN'T stop this and the church(es) of Ezra is going to fall to pieces. I have images of Ezran devotees getting visions of Ezra being raped by the Dark Powers after this. I also bet other faiths like the Lawgiver could take advantage, too. I guess what I'm saying is this is not just one of those weekend in hell scenarios, but one that would have very serious implications for the future of the faith. I guess it all depends on how much the DPs have invested in the Ezran faith. If your DPs wanna kill it, or you don't care, I guess it's up to you.
The local clergy is however hailing the PCs as heroes and as potential saints in the making
http://fraternityofshadows.com/wiki/Oton_Boritsi
http://fraternityofshadows.com/wiki/Cat ... v_Dilisnya
http://fraternityofshadows.com/wiki/Anc ... ude_Dulocq
If you wanted ramifications to go further afield, the disruption of the Home Faith could have ripple effects in other domains. The various heresies may try to seize influence in Richemulot, and the Darkonese and the Mordentish sects may go to war. The Eternal Order could regain some of its power it lost to the Ezrites in Darkon.
It is perhaps unlikely that the Lawgiver faith would gain much ground given its Vaasicentrism, with one possible exception. If the Falkovnians were to invade, Count Sulo Boritsi might return from Nova Vaasa as an ambassador with a truce of Nova Vaasan protection from the Falkovnians in return for Borca becoming a (temporary?) client state of Nova Vaasa. Of course, Count Sulo may have his own plans.
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Joël of the FoS
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Re: Borca adventures plan
So at one point Ivana Boritsi will be attacked and snatched by the Gargoyle to the Cathedral.
The players will rush after them and save her (I guess ) and destroy the Gargoyle.
What would be a suitable reward from Ivana? Gold? A barony? A proposition to be turned into ermordenungs?
The players will rush after them and save her (I guess
) and destroy the Gargoyle.What would be a suitable reward from Ivana? Gold? A barony? A proposition to be turned into ermordenungs?
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
Re: Borca adventures plan
Gold would seem a bit crude, though a small one off payment could be a sweetner to the 'main' reward.Joël of the FoS wrote:What would be a suitable reward from Ivana? Gold? A barony? A proposition to be turned into ermordenungs?
A barony would be nice - say replacing some minor noble who got himself killed during the course of the adventure. Still, if you want to keep your PC's mobile as they bounce to adventures it could be problematic as it ties them down. The other one is only one PC can become a baron and you have six PC's.
Offering (in a round about way of course) to turn them into Ermordenungs, seems very excessive for one demonstration of loyalty. An ermordenung would be considered (By Ivana) to be a top shelf reward and not handed out on a whim. At best I would guess it may be offered to whever she is flirting with.
One possibility may be to have one of the stained glass windows in the cathedral repaired/replaced with their imagery. Stained glass in the real world was horribly expensive and nobles often put themselves in it when donating them to churches. Or if the living wall ceiling is destroyed - maybe she commissions a real mural, again including the PC's. But the PC's may not be happy with intangible rewards.
A possibility which covers all the PC's is to offer them employment (with a high position) in the Trading Co. Have their role as 'Auditors' and they are sent around Ravenloft dealing with problems that have cropped up at various company branches, and to expand its reach.
They are given full powers - even over the local company rep - to do as they see fit and report only to Ivana (via Nostalia). They get a nice expense account and full use of any company asset (houses, travel, information) provided they can justify the use 'for the good of the company'. It would also open a wide range of possible contacts - especially in Gundarak where they started out. People in Borca would quickly learn who they are and be _very_ nice to them, and company reps would fall over themselves to please if the PC's showed up, praying to Ezra the Auditors don't notice the embezzling of corporate funds. Thus both the PC's and Ivana get a benefit out of the arrangement.
They would have a very free hand to work - adventuring, investigating, whatever - provided they can produce regular benefits to the company. And if you need to push them in a certain direction - they can be directed to visit the Company HQ in <blah> to solve a problem.
If they got a bit too fast and loose with their authority, or simply didn't do their job sufficiently - they can always be ... 'let go'.
Someone sent me a postcard picture of the earth. On the back they had written, "Wish you were here."
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The Lesser Evil
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Re: Borca adventures plan
I concur with DustBunny on this, a material reward like gold might be a little bit out of character for Ivana unless she believed it would truly cement further allegiance and cooperation. Even then, bank notes or credit might be better because it could be revoked later if the PCs crossed her.
It's easy to forget with all the literal toxicity in Ivan's poisons that she is figuratively quite toxic as well. While Ivana is neither a fool nor not quite malicious for the lols like Ivan Dilisnya, I would think her toxic personality would be reflected in the "rewards" she hands out for diligent service. Ultimately, Ivana's world is all about her. Think about Ivana's mother, Camille, who donated significant "gifts" to the Church of Ezra. Her donations to fund the construct of the Great Cathedral were made in the hopes of using the Church as a tool for social control. And she made donations (including the statue of Yakov) following the murder of her brother mostly as a way to quell public unrest. Basically, most everything she did had an ulterior motive. So it should be with Ivana.
So then, what would be the best sort of "reward" would actually serve Ivana's interests the best without giving away her hand? DustBunny suggested a noble title or land- that might be a good one because it forms a lord-vassal contract between Ivana and the PCs. It keeps them in her service while also building a dependency on her. They as recognizably competent parties are going to be people she wants to keep an eye on. A secondary benefit would be showing disfavor against a particular noble they replace and leave it up to them to fulfill a cleanup operation against the displaced noble's loyalists. (As a DM, this could be a potential adventure hook for you.)
Giving them extrajudicial police/espionage/representative powers could also benefit Ivana in that it would allow her to have an end-run around Ivan's control over Borca's police and tax collection system. However, this might be a little bit more of a risk for Ivana because it gives the PCs substantially more leeway and discretion in how they represent Ivana/Borca. A more immediate reward like a title and perhaps a small amount of monetary or property wealth could suffice for now with a promise of further advancement later (such as acting as her special agents) provided they continued to prove themselves in service to her and the nation. Ultimately, her rewards will be shaped by how she perceived the PCs and how they can be best used toward her own ends.
It's easy to forget with all the literal toxicity in Ivan's poisons that she is figuratively quite toxic as well. While Ivana is neither a fool nor not quite malicious for the lols like Ivan Dilisnya, I would think her toxic personality would be reflected in the "rewards" she hands out for diligent service. Ultimately, Ivana's world is all about her. Think about Ivana's mother, Camille, who donated significant "gifts" to the Church of Ezra. Her donations to fund the construct of the Great Cathedral were made in the hopes of using the Church as a tool for social control. And she made donations (including the statue of Yakov) following the murder of her brother mostly as a way to quell public unrest. Basically, most everything she did had an ulterior motive. So it should be with Ivana.
So then, what would be the best sort of "reward" would actually serve Ivana's interests the best without giving away her hand? DustBunny suggested a noble title or land- that might be a good one because it forms a lord-vassal contract between Ivana and the PCs. It keeps them in her service while also building a dependency on her. They as recognizably competent parties are going to be people she wants to keep an eye on. A secondary benefit would be showing disfavor against a particular noble they replace and leave it up to them to fulfill a cleanup operation against the displaced noble's loyalists. (As a DM, this could be a potential adventure hook for you.)
Giving them extrajudicial police/espionage/representative powers could also benefit Ivana in that it would allow her to have an end-run around Ivan's control over Borca's police and tax collection system. However, this might be a little bit more of a risk for Ivana because it gives the PCs substantially more leeway and discretion in how they represent Ivana/Borca. A more immediate reward like a title and perhaps a small amount of monetary or property wealth could suffice for now with a promise of further advancement later (such as acting as her special agents) provided they continued to prove themselves in service to her and the nation. Ultimately, her rewards will be shaped by how she perceived the PCs and how they can be best used toward her own ends.
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Joël of the FoS
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Re: Borca adventures plan
Cool ideas here, bravo. I hadn't really thought of a reward before this, and that discussion is a very good start.
I also thought that gold wasn't a good reward indeed. They saved her life so a sack of gold would be a cheap reward, they are not cheap merceneries after all.
I still consider an offer to turn one PC she flirts with into an ermordenung. Again, they saved her life after all and proved themselves powerful. But she knows they are basically good-dooers, and at the end will know a lot about Ivana, so I think she would try to keep them as close to her as possible, as they could also be dangerous to her. Turning one as her ermordenung pet would ensure her grip on them.
But I think the player will say no, so that will be a fun plot to roleplay.
A barony allowed to one favored PC is the best idea. In the adventure, they will meet Aerik d'Auberville, who has a complain to make to Ivana about Ivan. That barony (or whatever it is called in Borca) is located at the limit of Borca / Dorvinia. And Aerik got a visit from a Dorvinian tax collector. That will make Ivana furious as this barony pays taxes to Ivana and not Ivan. But Ivana is also not satisfied with Aerik, as he took over the estate by "marrying" by force Acquilina Yvoire (see Mistipedia and QtR 19), a lady Ivana had plans for.
So giving a PC this barony would be fitting for Ivana : they get rid of Auberville (who will fight the PCs to keep his place) and they get a reward. She also make sure this barony is occupied by strong people to repel any attempt by Ivan to enlarge his influence.
There is also a possible later story arc where Ivana sees the PCs as the perfect tool to murder Ivan (to be developped, I'm not there yet).
But I also like the spy/auditionner for the Trading Co aspect, that could be a fun added bonus that would keep the PCs free to move the core, while letting the barony day to day aspect to a local trusted person.
---
I do not know why, but I always thought that Ivana's touch was poisonous, like an ermordenung's.
But that isn't the case. So she can have lovers and spend quality time with them.
I will definetively have her try to hit one of the PC while they spend the night at Misericordia!
But will she will be jealous at one point or another, as she always is with her lovers?
I also thought that gold wasn't a good reward indeed. They saved her life so a sack of gold would be a cheap reward, they are not cheap merceneries after all.
I still consider an offer to turn one PC she flirts with into an ermordenung. Again, they saved her life after all and proved themselves powerful. But she knows they are basically good-dooers, and at the end will know a lot about Ivana, so I think she would try to keep them as close to her as possible, as they could also be dangerous to her. Turning one as her ermordenung pet would ensure her grip on them.
But I think
the player will say no, so that will be a fun plot to roleplay. A barony allowed to one favored PC is the best idea. In the adventure, they will meet Aerik d'Auberville, who has a complain to make to Ivana about Ivan. That barony (or whatever it is called in Borca) is located at the limit of Borca / Dorvinia. And Aerik got a visit from a Dorvinian tax collector. That will make Ivana furious as this barony pays taxes to Ivana and not Ivan. But Ivana is also not satisfied with Aerik, as he took over the estate by "marrying" by force Acquilina Yvoire (see Mistipedia and QtR 19), a lady Ivana had plans for.
So giving a PC this barony would be fitting for Ivana : they get rid of Auberville (who will fight the PCs to keep his place) and they get a reward. She also make sure this barony is occupied by strong people to repel any attempt by Ivan to enlarge his influence.
There is also a possible later story arc where Ivana sees the PCs as the perfect tool to murder Ivan (to be developped, I'm not there yet).
But I also like the spy/auditionner for the Trading Co aspect, that could be a fun added bonus that would keep the PCs free to move the core, while letting the barony day to day aspect to a local trusted person.
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I do not know why, but I always thought that Ivana's touch was poisonous, like an ermordenung's.
But that isn't the case. So she can have lovers and spend quality time
with them.I will definetively have her try to hit one of the PC while they spend the night at Misericordia!
But will she will be jealous at one point or another, as she always is with her lovers?
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
Re: Borca adventures plan
As Lesser Evil mentioned is that as far as Ivana is concerned the world revolves around her. The very concept of somebody saying 'No' to her would cause her to go into a fit of pique and cold anger - but by the same token she could find it intriguing as the benefits of having minions who are competent and strong willed could be quite useful. As such she decides to make the PC's a 'personal project' to bend them to her will. By the same token she is not stupid and would definitely want to get some hooks into the PC's so they don't 'go rogue'.
As such she starts laying out yummy bait for the PC's to get them to bite. Small things at first, but each ensnares them that much more, until in the end they are her willing attack dogs.
Like with the Dark Powers themselves, offer little nibbles of worldly power which can lure the PC's places they didn't want to go, and can they give up the prestige, titles, property and power if they try to turn back. Not all falls from grace is due to power checks....
As the 'immediate' reward they get their title and the d'Auberville estate. Removing Aerik - maybe even creating up some evidence he was involved in the cathedral incident as incentive - is a hook. Ivan gets unhappy about this event, so they need her protection against him and his Borrowed Time. So out of generosity she provides a means to make them immune to the poison - another hook.
This point is where you could do the ermordenung conversion as they are immune to poison. Not as "hey let’s turn you into an ermordenung" but more as 'a secret immunity to poison technique' but there is an 'accident' (obviously done by that evil villain Ivan) which causes the poison touch. Of course she promises to do all she can to find the 'cure'. More hooks.
Once they have settled in their new lodgings, they have to get a lay of the land and calm matters down with the populace. Ivana will want to root out any of Ivan's spies and servants in the area, so small things happen (minor crimes, incidents etc.) which the PC's have to deal with - and all of which happen to remove one of Ivan's people from play and gets the PC's hands dirty - not all the problem people are Ivan's there are a few ordinary people who have displeased Ivana somehow. That all the 'criminals' drop dead of poison after a few days is obviously because they were on 'Borrowed Time' and definitely not due to other means.
Now that problematic people have been ... retired, she needs some time to set up matters in her favour, so she decides to send the PC's off on a little mission while she arranges matters. Here she asks the PC's as trusted allies to act as her agents in a matter of one of the trading companies (the company auditor role) as it appears the Company Manager in domain X (another of Ivan's agents maybe) has been embezzling company funds and materials - why they even stole a shipment of expensive repair materials from the Cathedral! Whether he is guilty or not is irrelevant - the whole thing is to get more hooks into the PC's.
As a bonus she offers a vial of blood from none other than Natalia Vhorishkova - (I assume they are still after her - But how did she get it? Natalia took out a loan in Borca for some reason and left the blood vial, Ivana knowing the PC's interests in Natalia bought out the loan and got the vial). She even has purchased a locating spell which can use the blood to trace Natalia (blood ritual - hello power checks and more hooks. And if not Natalia herself, one of her servitor werewolves).
So the PC's run off, and in the time they are away she fills the vacant positions with her own minions, and places enough spying devices in the PC's new manor that it would make the KGB jealous. She wants to keep an eye on her minions in case they get unruly. And if she finds out some blackmail material all the better - she can show how benevolent she is to her friends by swiftly quashing rumours as false when some of that material gets out 'somehow' (hooks).
From there the PC's could be directed to other company headquarters to 'root out corruption', come back to Borca to manage their property, chase Natalia, etc, depending on the tune you want them to dance to.
As for the mechanics of running the manor in the PC's absence, just do it like they do in computer games. The barony neither increases nor decreases in power during their absence (or decreases slowly) and occasionally a message is sent to them if something beyond normal happens. Also Ivana wants the barony to increase in power, not just run on automatic so may sent polite letters asking about how they are doing, with the undertext of 'get back here and do your job'.
I really should stop torturing innocent electrons for my long rambles....
As such she starts laying out yummy bait for the PC's to get them to bite. Small things at first, but each ensnares them that much more, until in the end they are her willing attack dogs.
Like with the Dark Powers themselves, offer little nibbles of worldly power which can lure the PC's places they didn't want to go, and can they give up the prestige, titles, property and power if they try to turn back. Not all falls from grace is due to power checks....
As the 'immediate' reward they get their title and the d'Auberville estate. Removing Aerik - maybe even creating up some evidence he was involved in the cathedral incident as incentive - is a hook. Ivan gets unhappy about this event, so they need her protection against him and his Borrowed Time. So out of generosity she provides a means to make them immune to the poison - another hook.
This point is where you could do the ermordenung conversion as they are immune to poison. Not as "hey let’s turn you into an ermordenung" but more as 'a secret immunity to poison technique' but there is an 'accident' (obviously done by that evil villain Ivan) which causes the poison touch. Of course she promises to do all she can to find the 'cure'. More hooks.
Once they have settled in their new lodgings, they have to get a lay of the land and calm matters down with the populace. Ivana will want to root out any of Ivan's spies and servants in the area, so small things happen (minor crimes, incidents etc.) which the PC's have to deal with - and all of which happen to remove one of Ivan's people from play and gets the PC's hands dirty - not all the problem people are Ivan's there are a few ordinary people who have displeased Ivana somehow. That all the 'criminals' drop dead of poison after a few days is obviously because they were on 'Borrowed Time' and definitely not due to other means.
Now that problematic people have been ... retired, she needs some time to set up matters in her favour, so she decides to send the PC's off on a little mission while she arranges matters. Here she asks the PC's as trusted allies to act as her agents in a matter of one of the trading companies (the company auditor role) as it appears the Company Manager in domain X (another of Ivan's agents maybe) has been embezzling company funds and materials - why they even stole a shipment of expensive repair materials from the Cathedral! Whether he is guilty or not is irrelevant - the whole thing is to get more hooks into the PC's.
As a bonus she offers a vial of blood from none other than Natalia Vhorishkova - (I assume they are still after her - But how did she get it? Natalia took out a loan in Borca for some reason and left the blood vial, Ivana knowing the PC's interests in Natalia bought out the loan and got the vial). She even has purchased a locating spell which can use the blood to trace Natalia (blood ritual - hello power checks and more hooks. And if not Natalia herself, one of her servitor werewolves).
So the PC's run off, and in the time they are away she fills the vacant positions with her own minions, and places enough spying devices in the PC's new manor that it would make the KGB jealous. She wants to keep an eye on her minions in case they get unruly. And if she finds out some blackmail material all the better - she can show how benevolent she is to her friends by swiftly quashing rumours as false when some of that material gets out 'somehow' (hooks).
From there the PC's could be directed to other company headquarters to 'root out corruption', come back to Borca to manage their property, chase Natalia, etc, depending on the tune you want them to dance to.
As for the mechanics of running the manor in the PC's absence, just do it like they do in computer games. The barony neither increases nor decreases in power during their absence (or decreases slowly) and occasionally a message is sent to them if something beyond normal happens. Also Ivana wants the barony to increase in power, not just run on automatic so may sent polite letters asking about how they are doing, with the undertext of 'get back here and do your job'.
I really should stop torturing innocent electrons for my long rambles....
Someone sent me a postcard picture of the earth. On the back they had written, "Wish you were here."