I'm imagining that some PC missions would be allying with or destroying various Warlord-Nobles, possibly traveling to Tyr to learn the secret about how Kalak was killed, and scouring ruins for ancient weapons that may give one the power to defeat the Grand Vizier.
I suppose what I'd like is some other ideas for adventures, if you all would be so kind.
Despite all the apparent problems in her city, Raam still has the largest army in the Tyr region, and it manages to remain independent despite having Urik on one side and Draj on the other. Presumably she plays Hamanu and Tectuktitlay off against each other, and maybe she can get away with that because they each regard the other as being a much bigger threat than she is. But maybe they are wrong. Maybe it's all one big Machiavellian dance and it's actually Ablach-Re who is the choreographer.
Ablach-Re could easily have set herself up as a deity, just like Lalali-Puy and Tectuktitlay did, yet she chose instead to invent a god to whom she is merely a servant. There must logically be some reason for that decision. Since there's no obvious benefit to Ablach-Re (at least, any benefit that would be obvious to the lazy hedonist she supposedly is), that makes me think there is a more hidden purpose, which implies Ablach-Re is at least capable of subtlety.
And then there's all this funny business with the Offspring. They too must have some purpose, since there's no way a sorcerer-queen becomes pregnant and gives birth unless she actually wants to. Is she preparing host bodies for herself in case somebody offs her current form (and has she done this before? Maybe that's why she still looks so young?) Will she orchestrate her own 'death' and then return in a new body as 'Badna'? Or are the Offspring sleeper-agents their mother has managed to infiltrate into every single organisation and faction in Raam? Is the apparent anarchy in the city really all being secretly orchestrated by Ablach-Re herself, through her Offspring, as a smokescreen for... something?
Maybe Ablach-Re's apparent indifference and mindless hedonism are mostly an act, to ensure the other SKs write her off as not worth bothering with, meanwhile she's working on some complex and devious plot that the other SKs would try to put a stop to if they had any inkling she was really a threat.
Maybe it is significant that Ablach-Re has the same alignment as the Dragon and Dregoth.
Maybe she's learned from Kalak's and Dregoth's mistakes. If you're going to make the leap to dragonhood, make sure nobody knows you're going to do it (or even imagines you might be capable of it) beforehand.
ETA: Actually, we know for sure Ablach-Re's not an idiot. Her Intelligence score is higher than any other SK except Lalali-Puy (the same) and Nibenay (1 point higher). Her Wisdom isn't too bad, either (it's higher than Dregoth's and nobody thinks he's a fool).
Edit #2: Because I apparently cannot spell Yiddish slang terms correctly on the first try...
Defeat enemies from within.
All of them are psionically controlled and set with a trigger, if a noble house tries to gain power by attacking her using her offspring to get the throne, the trigger will be set off and her children will destroy the foolish noble house, maybe turning into a monstrosity of power, maybe by being a conduit to her powers ar just exploding massively, like a terrorist attack.
Those are good ideas for being on the offensive but wouldn't the characters need some kind of support network? I would include some missions where they make allies to back them up when taking down the nobles and, more importantly, Alabach-Re herself.
Thank you.
These are the kind of responses I'm looking for. Conspiracies about Alabach-Re are all well and good, but I'm looking for missions to send the PCs on.
Abalach-Re is a consumate shapeshifter. She has had the time and money to actually have a lot of aliases entrenched in her own city. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she is the matron of at least half the noble Houses! Or, she could be that beggar you passed by in the Elven Market.
I got a doozy for ya! Taking into account what every1 else has said on the matter, what if Abalach-Re is posing as one of the resistance leaders and is sending you on missions to do what seems to be beneficial for the resistance but in actuality is helping her achieve Ascension? Ie, the mission to Tyr could be a ploy to get your PCs to steal Kalak's secrets and artifacts for her own use.
Abalach-Re is a consumate shapeshifter. She has had the time and money to actually have a lot of aliases entrenched in her own city. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she is the matron of at least half the noble Houses! Or, she could be that beggar you passed by in the Elven Market.
Ohhhh.... plausible and exciting! Raam is ultimately the best potential adventure site. The Anarchy allows a lot of freedom for adventurers, but it still has a Sorceror King (Queen) as an epic-level capstone to a campaign. The PC's can engage in internecine wars between noble houses as a mercenary Death Squad helping the nobles slaughter each other. One family could send them on perilous quests to do/kill/find something useful to them, which the party could choose to give to their competitors. Ohhh... the potential for treachery.
The Party could work against Abalach-Re, yet also take missions from her in their search for any possible advantage.
Except that the Offspring have psychic trackers inside themselves to be living weapons. But whatever their true purpose is, it wouldn't be something obvious - or else people would have seen one of the Offspring turning into a tentacled monster or exploding. It's probably just a way for Abbie to spy on her enemies credibly. What better spy than someone with a legitimate reason to hate the person they spy for?