Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Hideous Phidias 01-13-06, 04:50 PM	I am running a upper level campaign where the players are in House Cannith. One of the PCs being a warforged soulknife who was the body guard for another PC and NPC who are both Dragonmarks and a assistant to them who lived through the day of mourning. The party is based in Sharn and works for Cannith South and Merrix it leader when that are not trying to further their own goals. The rest of the party is mad up of old soldiers from Karrnath who now work for house Cannith. The main Theme of the campaign is for the PC that is a dragonmark wants to build a new center for house Cannith and place himself as the head of the house. The party has built up a large war chest to do this and started building a new Cannith city on an island off the coast of Xen'driks. The party has had dealings with Breland, Droaam and Valenar politically. They had also had some dealings with different tribes of goblins. They are wanted in both Valenar and Droaam for crimes they committed while making their rich. I was think for some subplots that I could bring into the campaign was a war between the Hobgoblins of Darguun and the forces of Zilargo and Breland. My thoughts where that sense the Goblin nation can not move west against the Elves of Valenar their ancestor enemy due to the Mournland between the two nation, they would move west into Zilargo looking for new slaves and lands to settle. And due to the fact that out of all the new nation formed by the Treaty of Thornehold Breland and Zilargo are so closely allied, the though was that Breland force would come in to the fight to help Zilargo maintain the Border. Maybe I even could have the war started by Zilargo over mining rights in th Seawall Mountains. This is the way I see the plot line starting out, news of Zilargo miners clashing with goblin miners in the Seawall mountains when two miner meet and become one. The fighting build to Zilargo force going in to "keep the peace". When this happens the Hobgoblin leader of the local tribe sends in his troops, ignoring the orders of Haruuc, the Clan leader force then take to far and will not back down and the fighting spills out to all out war. Not wanting to look weak to other hobgoblin leaders Haruuc is unable to pull forces out and end the war before it begins. He now make plans to invade zilargo and work his way along the coast to Breland and take sharn itself. Haruuc feels with the lose of the Greatest city Breland will be force to make peace and leave Zilargo free to fall in to goblin hands. Thrane will most likely want to enter the war on the side of the Brelanders to avenge the Death of the people who die during the last war when the Hobgoblin revolted on formed Darguun. To off set this I think I will use the plot line from the core book that has the Order of the Emerald claw establishing a outpost in Toraac Moor and start making an undead army for th Hobgoblins. Queen Vol is an Elf but she also hates the Elves that killed off her family, so on that thought, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Hoping to strengthen the hobgoblin nation to use them to help her take revenge on the Elves of Aerenal. So, as I see it the lines will be Breland, Zilargo, and Thrane on one side and the Darguun and the Order of the Emerald Claw on the other. The Hobgoblins may call on other goblins of other nation to come to the call to arm due to racial unity. I see Karrmath as staying out off it wanting to see who if anyone comes out on top, or at the very least waiting to the last minute to enter the war. King Karur looking for any thing to bring him to his rightful places as king of the five nations. And I see Aundair waiting too, to see what thrane does and my be taking the opportunity to take back Thaliost from Thrane while most of their forces are away in Darguun. Maybe even having free help from Darguun hobgoblins with the campaign to hit the Thranishs on the home front. The Order of the Emerald Claw: I Was also think of playing up the Lich Queens role in the campaign. Maybe having her offer Haruuc the powers of becoming a vampire as she did king Kaius once so long ago. This would help solve his problems of what happens to the Darguun kingdom once he is gone. and it would also help he reasoning behind the new war, and why the Order is making undead in Darguun. I was also going to have her invite to her castle in the North to the leader of the party to see if see could get ger 'claws' into him too. Having The Darguun offer money for Cannith weapon for their war against Zilargo would be the way I try and bring the PC in to the new plot. If they thak the money then they further their own goals of bring strength back to House Cannith but doom Breland and Zilargo to a long war they may not win. As for Queen Vol, I was thinking offering lichdom to any from the party that want it or the promise of money and spies from the Order to help bring the Cannith family back together under the PC comtrol. This would be the way to have the Blood of Vol start to control the campaign. Question or Thoughts; 1)Does this seem like maddness or does it make some sence to to someone other then me? 2)Did I leave anything out, is there a plot whole that someone could fly a Lyrander airship through? 3)Can anyone give me some help with this, I mean has anyone done a plot like this that they are willing to talk about how it went?
Arz 01-13-06, 11:12 PM	I could also see a subtler war being fought by these forces. Encouraged by a Daelkyr lord the gnomes revolted and stole symbolic items to the last emporers power. Presently these items are still being held in Zilargo, possibly by an unbound Daelkyr lord that a particular family allied itself to. Rumors of these items would motivate all the clans of Darguun but the gnomes are masters of skulldudgery. Haruuc and the Trust would both be calling in all there markers in reprisals, theft, and international blackmail. The prize: A truly united Darguun that is furthering te plots of the winning faction. Not knowing your players a war might be more fun for them than the scenario I outlined above. In that vein I have some points that I think you need to expand upon. Why is Darguun starting a fight with two nations when they are a loose confederation of clans? They would loose the scenario far too quickly for it to become a prolonged war. They'd need some other edge that was strictly under there control. Have the revived the dread knell beattle cavalry of old? I thought I had more but.....
Hideous Phidias 01-15-06, 01:35 PM	I think you are right about one thing the gnomes of Zilargo would not be willling to start a war on their own. I think I will have to have some members the Order of the Emerald clae help start the conflict. Maybe have them place themselves in the forces that are sent in to keep the peace. Then when the gnome start to have negotations with the goblin, as they are know for their willingness to talk over fight, I will have the Order attack a goblin encampment near the mines framing the Gnome or Dwarf miners of the area. This will be the start of the war that resparks the last war conflict, but this time much of it will be fought in Zilargo. To the thought of Darguun not wanting to start a war with two nations, you are right in this, but I was going for the wholeworld war one fell to the even. You know were the war is sparked by some small even that no one thinks could ever start a war and things just snowball out of control. Poeple who look to war often do not think about the other countries responses to the conflict until it is much to late. And responses are often much different then thought. so when i said that the Darguun go to war I didnot mean that they start attacking both Breland and Zilargo at once. I was going to have the war start out as a border war between zilargo and Darguun. Then about a month into the even Breland comes into the war due to debts to zilargo from the last war. Thus this means Breland is in the was and the Darguun are now looking at a much harder fight and longer war then before. As for the Darguun beig only a loose confederation of tribes, I see them as more. Yes they often fight amoung themselves but when it comes to the cause of bring back the once great Gobliniod nation they wiil stop and unit as one for the war. andIw as also planning make out side forces help this unity. This is how I see the world folding out in my camapign. I really do not want to deal with the Dealkyr. Half of the party are necro-freindly and the party as a whole are know for fighting against the Elves. For tis reason I think Queen Vol as the main force behind many of the problems in my Eberron Campaign.
Turkforged 01-15-06, 03:41 PM	Idea is great, and if you want ome oppinions: 1-)None of the five nations can work against Zilargo or with them. Because; a-)Supremacy of diplomacy. Blackmails, bribes, talks, etc.. etc.. b-)Knowladge. They surely know some secrets of everyone. So, if a nation takes action against him, it musn't be alone, a coalition from 5 nations can work against them. c-)Elemental bounding. Directly, three houses need Zilargo tech. (Orien, Lyrander, Cannith). [Sivis too]. Plus, House Orien and lyrander has great influence in Aundair. d-)BUT: if Aundair is ready, has a good army and some secret plans and allies, shortly if she has a good chance, Queen of Aundair won't stop until she sits on the throne of Galifar. Besides, Aundair really looks like after-war Germany. [no, in political and emotional situations..]. So, it's easy to put wrath to it's people about gnomes (they're rich, succesful, has many screts, plot makers etc..) and other nations (Karrnath, Breland, !!Thrane!!) 2-)Cannith's situation is really interesting. First of all, actually there are 3 different Cannith leaders so one can ally Zilargo, one can ally Darguun. That will be really interesting.. 3-)Valenar can ally with Darguun. They both salute martial skills, traditions and past after all. But, geographical situations... It's not that possible actually, I changed my mind. 4-)Lords of Dust, Dreaming Dark, other really secret organizations will join the action. 5-)I've allways thought Zilargo like Israel (modern). Maybe this thought will give you smoe ideas.
Hideous Phidias 01-15-06, 10:51 PM	I like your point about the different leader of House Cannith alining themselves with different country. I think I could have fun with that one and make it work even with the main plot line of of the Pc becoming the new house leader. I have always saw Valanar as the Israel due to the history of the two countries. The elves had lived in the land thousands of years earlier and where forced out due to war. Then use the politics and the war that was running wild thoughtout the world to get their homeland back. Israel did the same thing after WW2, though they where not the soldiers at the formation of their country as the Valanar elves, but look at htem now, one of the best miltary powers in the world.
Turkforged 01-16-06, 01:34 PM	I belive that Israel's true power come from it's diplomatic power, political body, financial situations and secret service.. Yes, Israel is a really militaristic country, but this not a subject of Wizards Entertainment [:D]. Also, Blood of Vol's and Order of the Emrald Claw's point was a good one. Undead Goblinoids you know... Clever one..
Hideous Phidias 01-16-06, 03:49 PM	I was also thinkng of other ways to brings the other tribes under Haruuc, one thought was to have Queen Vol use some of her vast fortain to buy of many of the tribes, they maybe barbarans but gold still gold. I wasthnking of having it go through the Dwarves as middle men. This way there is some chance that the money will not traced back to the Vol.
Arz 01-16-06, 04:46 PM	I think the people can have many motivations depending on how you wish to portray them. They could value slaves as showing the strength of the tribe. Or they could value artifacts of ancient Dhakaan. Or both since you have traditionalists and new tribes trying to mix within Darguun. Also you might want to look at who will be the next leader of Darguun, since Haruuc is old enough that he may not survive 5yrs of war. Citing your WW1 example. Even more importantly is portraying how the Trust works in battle. It is likely that the gnomes government will actually interfere with the war in a dangerous manner. Sounds like a lot of work to change direction like this mid-campaign, so don't get too bogged down not to enjoy the drama.