How to use Daask in Sharn from character backgrounds? SEVENET STAY OUT!! [Archive] - Wizards Community

How to use Daask in Sharn from character backgrounds? SEVENET STAY OUT!! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The Law
12-14-05, 12:25 AM Hi guys,

I'm the DM for a group of 7 players (yes, we're 8 in total!). We're almost finished with 'The Forgotten Forge' (they're in the Dorasharn runes, and must enter the Forge now) and the next adventure will be 'Shadows of the Last War'.

I'll enforce some downtime between the end of the first adventure and the start of the second one, and was hoping to bring some of the character backgrounds to the fore.

Our characters in the party are:

Luthien d'Phiarlan, elven female bard 1
Mikhial, human male rogue 1
Algren, warforged male fighter 1
Kaelanna, human female artificer 1
Damien Urthadar, human male fighter 1
Morgan Billenus, human male cleric 1
Raegorr, human male sorceror 1

Damien and Morgan's character backgrounds clearly state that Daask is either looking for them, or that they seek revenge against Daask (I'll post the character backgrounds further down). I was hoping to have some of the party members 'be friends' with the Boromar Clan, and thus enemies with Daask. This will fit in nicely with the character backgrounds. It will also give Mikhial (the rogue) a 'thieves guild' which is nice for rogues.

Please read the character backgrounds below, and make recommendations on how to involve Daask and the Boromar Clan in downtime?
The Law
12-14-05, 12:27 AM Damien Urthadar
Male human fighter

With a father that would pass out from over-indulgence shortly after finishing his daily shift at the Cogs, Damien had to learn to fend for himself from an early age. He didn’t receive the opportunities that many of his age in the better parts of Sharn did, and it didn’t take long for him to turn to a life of crime. Growing up in the streets of Lower Dura made him numb to the notion of ‘an honest living.’ You were either hunter, or you were prey.

After an incident in a Daask dreamlily den that resulted in a gnoll taking a one way trip to the City of the Dead, Damien’s confidence in his abilities started to grow. It didn’t take long for the Boromar Clan to approach him with offers of employment. Not wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps, and with no other alternatives, he agreed to be a freelancer for them in exchange for a ‘lack of interference’ from the Clan. “Ever so often, we might want some extra muscle, see,” the halfling with the scar on his cheek and shifty eyes said. “You ain’t Clan, but you ain’t an enemy, eithers.”

Damien soon discovered that he had a talent for fighting – and winning. His unorthodox fighting style with a spiked chain earned him a well deserved reputation as a dangerous man and unpredictable combatant, and his connections in the Boromar Clan didn’t hurt either. And then he heard of the Burning Ring.

A regular series of illegal street fights in Lower Menthis, the Burning Ring had to move a lot to avoid the Sharn City Watch. The healer on hand couldn’t always stop the proceedings in time to prevent loss of life, and fatalities among the unarmoured combatants were frequent - and only made the crowds cheer louder. Damien became popular after beating some of the regulars with his whirling chain. And then he faced a half-orc combatant – one with connections to Daask that came looking specifically for him. With a little assistance from a potion of cat’s grace, Damien evened the odds somewhat and killed the slower half-orc.

Since then, Damien has kept to Upper Dura. Daask is looking for him, and he’s had enough of life as a street fighter. Lately he’s been looking for adventuring groups to join – being on the move and keeping to the better parts of town means he’ll have less trouble from Boromar’s rivals, and he’ll make a lot more money too. A look in the registry of the Clifftop’s Guild shows a promising group that was formed recently…

Morgan Billennus
Male human cleric

Since an early age, Morgan has shown wisdom and insight beyond his years. Living in Middle Dura, his parents weren't wealthy and couldn't give him all the opportunities that they would have liked to. Because Morgan was passive as a child, his parents gave him to priests of the Sovereign Host in the temple in Hope's Peak - grateful that he turned out the way he did, and not a thief or a hooligan like many his age. They hoped that he could one day be a spiritual leader in the community. He still saw them from time to time, as they visited him at the temple.

And then that fateful day came. Father Kaerdius, his mentor and friend, broke the news to him as gently as he could... Morgan's parents were murdered in a seemingly random burglary and act of violence. His father tried to defend his mother - and died honourably doing so - injuring the burglars in the process as was evident from his blood stained mace. But Morgan questioned the priest, tears in his eyes. "Tell me! Tell me all you know!" he shouted at Kaerdius as he wept in a mixture of sadness and rage.

The method of the crime was too brutal to be a Boromar clan job - and the stink of monster blood and the footprints left behind gave away that the criminals that killed his beloved parents were agents of Daask, the monstrous criminal organization from Droaam.

Years passed...

...and the passive boy grew into a knight of the Sovereign Host, armed with sword, armour, and faith. Morgan paid special attention to the teachings of Dol Dorn and that of Olladra during his training. He swore vengeance on that day, years ago... and he will have vengeance.

The Church knew he would do more good if released as a questing knight - and they knew that many wrongs will be righted as Morgan seeks the agents responsible for his parents' death.

"Patience, my son. The Sovereign Host will grant you your vengeance, but first prove to them that you are worthy - the life of an adventurer will give you ample opportunity to gain the talents you need to be an instrument of their will. Daask is a powerful organization, rooted deep into an underworld of which we know little. May Dol Dorn give you skill in battle, and may Olladra keep you safe... and be careful not to let your hatred consume you. Seek the Clifftop Adventurer's Guild, and start your journey there."
The Law
12-14-05, 12:33 AM One way I thought of doing this, is via Vundry (the fence in Middle Dura, see Sharn: City of Towers). Damien knows Vundry from his work for the Boromar Clan, and is considered a 'friend' of Boromar's.

If the party goes to Middle Dura's Bazaar to use Vundry's services, they might walk in on a Daask gang busy threatening Vundry and making trouble in her 'curio store' - because they found out of her ties to Boromar. The party can then save Vundry from a cracked skull, and she will inform Boromar of the party's assistance.

A Boromar representative can then approach the party and give the Clan's thanks. Now the entire party (and not just Damien) has ties to Boromar, so the rogue can have his Guild, the cleric has made friends with an enemy of his enemy (hoping to use them to find Daask and enact revenge), and the rest of the party can see that I've brought some background to the fore which makes our game feel less Deus ex machina as is sometimes the case if you play published adventures.

Anyone with other ideas or suggestions?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The Law 12-14-05, 12:25 AM	Hi guys, I'm the DM for a group of 7 players (yes, we're 8 in total!). We're almost finished with 'The Forgotten Forge' (they're in the Dorasharn runes, and must enter the Forge now) and the next adventure will be 'Shadows of the Last War'. I'll enforce some downtime between the end of the first adventure and the start of the second one, and was hoping to bring some of the character backgrounds to the fore. Our characters in the party are: Luthien d'Phiarlan, elven female bard 1 Mikhial, human male rogue 1 Algren, warforged male fighter 1 Kaelanna, human female artificer 1 Damien Urthadar, human male fighter 1 Morgan Billenus, human male cleric 1 Raegorr, human male sorceror 1 Damien and Morgan's character backgrounds clearly state that Daask is either looking for them, or that they seek revenge against Daask (I'll post the character backgrounds further down). I was hoping to have some of the party members 'be friends' with the Boromar Clan, and thus enemies with Daask. This will fit in nicely with the character backgrounds. It will also give Mikhial (the rogue) a 'thieves guild' which is nice for rogues. Please read the character backgrounds below, and make recommendations on how to involve Daask and the Boromar Clan in downtime?
The Law 12-14-05, 12:27 AM	Damien Urthadar Male human fighter With a father that would pass out from over-indulgence shortly after finishing his daily shift at the Cogs, Damien had to learn to fend for himself from an early age. He didn’t receive the opportunities that many of his age in the better parts of Sharn did, and it didn’t take long for him to turn to a life of crime. Growing up in the streets of Lower Dura made him numb to the notion of ‘an honest living.’ You were either hunter, or you were prey. After an incident in a Daask dreamlily den that resulted in a gnoll taking a one way trip to the City of the Dead, Damien’s confidence in his abilities started to grow. It didn’t take long for the Boromar Clan to approach him with offers of employment. Not wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps, and with no other alternatives, he agreed to be a freelancer for them in exchange for a ‘lack of interference’ from the Clan. “Ever so often, we might want some extra muscle, see,” the halfling with the scar on his cheek and shifty eyes said. “You ain’t Clan, but you ain’t an enemy, eithers.” Damien soon discovered that he had a talent for fighting – and winning. His unorthodox fighting style with a spiked chain earned him a well deserved reputation as a dangerous man and unpredictable combatant, and his connections in the Boromar Clan didn’t hurt either. And then he heard of the Burning Ring. A regular series of illegal street fights in Lower Menthis, the Burning Ring had to move a lot to avoid the Sharn City Watch. The healer on hand couldn’t always stop the proceedings in time to prevent loss of life, and fatalities among the unarmoured combatants were frequent - and only made the crowds cheer louder. Damien became popular after beating some of the regulars with his whirling chain. And then he faced a half-orc combatant – one with connections to Daask that came looking specifically for him. With a little assistance from a potion of cat’s grace, Damien evened the odds somewhat and killed the slower half-orc. Since then, Damien has kept to Upper Dura. Daask is looking for him, and he’s had enough of life as a street fighter. Lately he’s been looking for adventuring groups to join – being on the move and keeping to the better parts of town means he’ll have less trouble from Boromar’s rivals, and he’ll make a lot more money too. A look in the registry of the Clifftop’s Guild shows a promising group that was formed recently… Morgan Billennus Male human cleric Since an early age, Morgan has shown wisdom and insight beyond his years. Living in Middle Dura, his parents weren't wealthy and couldn't give him all the opportunities that they would have liked to. Because Morgan was passive as a child, his parents gave him to priests of the Sovereign Host in the temple in Hope's Peak - grateful that he turned out the way he did, and not a thief or a hooligan like many his age. They hoped that he could one day be a spiritual leader in the community. He still saw them from time to time, as they visited him at the temple. And then that fateful day came. Father Kaerdius, his mentor and friend, broke the news to him as gently as he could... Morgan's parents were murdered in a seemingly random burglary and act of violence. His father tried to defend his mother - and died honourably doing so - injuring the burglars in the process as was evident from his blood stained mace. But Morgan questioned the priest, tears in his eyes. "Tell me! Tell me all you know!" he shouted at Kaerdius as he wept in a mixture of sadness and rage. The method of the crime was too brutal to be a Boromar clan job - and the stink of monster blood and the footprints left behind gave away that the criminals that killed his beloved parents were agents of Daask, the monstrous criminal organization from Droaam. Years passed... ...and the passive boy grew into a knight of the Sovereign Host, armed with sword, armour, and faith. Morgan paid special attention to the teachings of Dol Dorn and that of Olladra during his training. He swore vengeance on that day, years ago... and he will have vengeance. The Church knew he would do more good if released as a questing knight - and they knew that many wrongs will be righted as Morgan seeks the agents responsible for his parents' death. "Patience, my son. The Sovereign Host will grant you your vengeance, but first prove to them that you are worthy - the life of an adventurer will give you ample opportunity to gain the talents you need to be an instrument of their will. Daask is a powerful organization, rooted deep into an underworld of which we know little. May Dol Dorn give you skill in battle, and may Olladra keep you safe... and be careful not to let your hatred consume you. Seek the Clifftop Adventurer's Guild, and start your journey there."
The Law 12-14-05, 12:33 AM	One way I thought of doing this, is via Vundry (the fence in Middle Dura, see Sharn: City of Towers). Damien knows Vundry from his work for the Boromar Clan, and is considered a 'friend' of Boromar's. If the party goes to Middle Dura's Bazaar to use Vundry's services, they might walk in on a Daask gang busy threatening Vundry and making trouble in her 'curio store' - because they found out of her ties to Boromar. The party can then save Vundry from a cracked skull, and she will inform Boromar of the party's assistance. A Boromar representative can then approach the party and give the Clan's thanks. Now the entire party (and not just Damien) has ties to Boromar, so the rogue can have his Guild, the cleric has made friends with an enemy of his enemy (hoping to use them to find Daask and enact revenge), and the rest of the party can see that I've brought some background to the fore which makes our game feel less Deus ex machina as is sometimes the case if you play published adventures. Anyone with other ideas or suggestions?