Zeidenburg &Effigy of Ivan Szimin

[FiranDarcalus]

Hi everyone, have not posted in a while! Happy 2024 to everyone!

So in my Barovia campaign, the group is heading into Zeidenburg for our next session (characters are at level 5). They're going to be running into the Efiigy of Ivan Szimin (I've always wanted to incorporate this interesting monster from the old Book of Secrets netbook). Anyway, 2 quick questions:

1. Has anyone ever incorporated Zeidenburg into their game before? Obviously Gaz 1 has great info on it, and I certainly will include some of that (esp perhaps a minor appearance by everyone's fav bratty niece Lyssa). But more to the point, if anyone ever has used the town, what sorts of flavours did you include in terms of atmosphere, NPC's etc. Any suggestions?

2. Have you ever depicted Ardonk in your game? I plan to make him quite involved in the adventure. If you've ever read the write up of Ivan Szimin from the Book of Secrets, Ardonk is quite integral to the creation of the Wood Golem. Since one of my characters has a connection w/ the rebels, I definitely want Ardonk to be relatively involved in the adventure. Anybody ever use him? And if so, how did you portray him? My campaign is set in 760 BC, so he's now been in charge of the rebellion a good 5-6 years or so I would guess.

Thoughts?

[Joël of the FoS]

Hi everyone, have not posted in a while! Happy 2024 to everyone!

Same to you!

Bonne année grand nez

1. Has anyone ever incorporated Zeidenburg into their game before? Obviously Gaz 1 has great info on it, and I certainly will include some of that (esp perhaps a minor appearance by everyone's fav bratty niece Lyssa). But more to the point, if anyone ever has used the town, what sorts of flavours did you include in terms of atmosphere, NPC's etc. Any suggestions?

My own campaign started in 2003 exactly like this. Zeidenburg was their hometown, and they were gundarakites fighting against the Barovian taking over. They were Freedom Fighters (funny name these days) and were friends of Ardonk.

However, Ardonk was much more aggressive and militant so the PCs were taking their distances.

Then the Effigy thing happened. Start of the campaign.

My Zeidenburg was oppressive, with many laws against gundarakite (right to have a weapon while in the street, right to be out of their home after midnight, forbidden to be in group of more than 7, higher taxes, etc.).

You can read sessions 1 to 3 of my campaign for Zeidenburg stuff.

I suggest you can add the Barton DeForet mini adventure to the mix. I added seeds for it, but the PCs decisions made them go elsewhere. But I think it can mix quite well with Zeidenburg adventures.

Lyssa was indeed mentioned IMC.

2. Have you ever depicted Ardonk in your game? I plan to make him quite involved in the adventure. If you've ever read the write up of Ivan Szimin from the Book of Secrets, Ardonk is quite integral to the creation of the Wood Golem. Since one of my characters has a connection w/ the rebels, I definitely want Ardonk to be relatively involved in the adventure. Anybody ever use him? And if so, how did you portray him? My campaign is set in 760 BC, so he's now been in charge of the rebellion a good 5-6 years or so I would guess

I portrayed him as the passionate person the BoS article paints him. Didn't change much to Stu's description.

I added a sister to Ardonk, Ethelhild, a Morninglord cleric. She is less fiery then Ardonk in the rebellion and has more wisdom

So they meet him during the Effigy thing, then later in session 59, during another quest that brought them back to Zeidenburg. He explains the current Hunadora gathering of rebels, and the mention that Gabrielle is there too, hiding from her son (and the current political situation in Invidia). Then later again in session 63 when they had to explore Hunadora to find and eliminate evil cultists.

[FiranDarcalus]

I'll take a look at Barton...have not read up on him in quite some time. I'll keep some of the Zeidenburg ideas in mind. Like the idea of nobody out after dark....fits the Barovian mindset but with a military twist.

I did read the entry on Ardonk. Ostensibly though, that is a description of him approx 752 ish. It's been 8 years now. I would think he's either gone down an even darker path (perhaps now neutral evil; esp w/ his contacts w/ Gabby), or he's perhaps turned a corner and gone more NG ish. Or he's still neutral aligned in his outlook. What year did you set your campaign in? Will certainly take a look at your campaign journal as well. Maybe I'll just set timeline of events a little later; have him born a few years later, maybe on the night Gundar was killed. Any thoughts on how Ardonk may have change dover the years?

Pretty funny that you gave Ardonk a sister....so did I!! (must be a Quebecois thing) I made it that she was his twin and that the Effigy mistook her for him and just recently killed her.

In my game, I've also added the Cult of Erlin to the story. Made it that Ardonk reluctantly decided to work with the Cult and that the high priest's magic, along with Szimin's rage, is what mixed together to create the Effigy.