Solusandra (me) - Female human elan telekinetic psion; she is the money (& posing as assistant)
Darek - Male human harrier battlemind of Raam nobility (not-so-much-posing as the noble)
Paelias - Male eladrin enlightened ardent, refugee of a lost paradise (wilderness guide & servant)
Keph'kin - Male thri-kreen stone fist monk, albino (slave, haha)
Okay, here's what happened on our All Hallow's Eve game. My party is currently in Nibenay, killing time and stirring up trouble while our caravan is doing business. We got mixed up in rebel business, and offered our help in their efforts. Their intel revealed a large cache of metals (copper, tin, etc) kept in a warehouse in the Naggaramakam. Before we commit to a heist, we scouted the place posing as merchant nobles looking to sell exotic spices, metal jewelry, obsidian, and psionically imbued crystals (using our own gear and loot as supplementary items). Unfortunately, my character drew the attentions of the templar wives with her unique physiology. My character basically is a beautiful human female with flawless features. We tried to cover my appearance as best we can with make-up and the extremely modest clothing of Nibenese women. Alas, it did not help. I mean, we got past the guards, "cased the joint", even made a profit, and managed to get back out without a problem. But later that day, the templar sent an official document addressed to Darek (who posed as the merchant) offering 3000 gp for me. With my 30 insight check on the letter, we found no implied threat if we refused. However, the battlemind and I saw this as an opportunity for us to get access to vast resources and information provided I become a shadow bride. While a big part of me is screaming no, the other part is niggling at me of the chance for something big. The ardent and monk don't want me to do it, and we have a 5th member who was absent.
What do you guys think? Should I? Any ideas on how I could turn this in my favor; things I can do etc. Worst case scenario: I'll be dissected and studied. Best case: become a templar-wife/slave of Nibenay (ceremonial hopefully, yeah right). There is also templar politics to consider.
I say go with it. The more your party members say, "No!" here the more I'd wanna say, "Hell yea!" The more conflict in a story the better
I fear what Nibenay might do to get his way, should you refuse... I say go with it. The more your party members say, "No!" here the more I'd wanna say, "Hell yea!" The more conflict in a story the better
I'd be a bit more concerned with the internal politics of the templar-wives. Feels like I'd be having shades of a World of Darkness LARP with all the catty infighting and people constantly being out to slit your throat and everyone getting caught in a horrible thirty xanatos pileup. The same with going against the general party; it could create a bad PVP situation down the line.
Best case: become a templar-wife/slave of Nibenay (ceremonial hopefully, yeah right).
Hah! Whenever does a Dark Sun campaign go with the "best case". Yes, becoming a Templar is a possibility. Is that a good thing...? Will you be left alone if you say 'no'...? Do you really have a choice in the matter...? Will your "friends" survive the process...? Will you be showered with gifts and rewards for saying 'yes'...?
Probably not.
My recommendation: run!
But nobody ever listens to my recommendations
Kudos to your DM for offering this twist in the plot.
On the other hand, I was so looking forward to take the Wilder theme, building off of a cursed item I was unfortunate enough to find and wear. Can't get any worse than that right?
*cue "Here Come's the Bride"*
P.S. If I do become a templar wife of Nibenay, I would be in the crosshairs of the prodigy Siemhouk, as I would be inducted into the Temple of Thought. As a flawless, immortal creature of psionic might, I would make Nibenay's favorite really jealous, haha. All the more reason leave the city regardless of my acceptance or not.
Come on?? Are you gonna waste this marvelous, unique opportunity for ADVENTURE??
And remember, Nibenay is concerned about Kalak's fall and he will definetly need more information and power about other city-states.
This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity!
Ah, and don't forget, Nibenay has a son, a half-monster son called "Dhojakt", and as far as I know, s he could be a powerful ally as he hates and despises "Siemhouk".
Maybe you could be his "beauty and the beast"? MUHUUAHUHAUHAUHA
Being a wife if Nibenay might not be all that bad... now surviving the first night, that may be a different matter entirely.
Also, I read the Dragon article, "Templars of the SKs", and I've learned a lot from it, esp from the Nibenay section. "None can refuse an offer to wed the Shadow King ... For most templars, the marriage is symbolic only-- an event not even the Shadow King attends." So there's some hope, eh? lol
And even if the Shadow King attends, as I am a special case (being a PC and unique "race"), I could downplay sexuality and instead appeal to his intellect, etc. My party keep teasing me that my PC is like Bones from the TV show. haha
I would definitely be placed in the Temple of Thought, the most powerful institution in Nibenay. And I am so relieved that the article states that the templar-wives have "great freedom". And my adventuring would be to discover/"recover" lost treasures, lore, all for Nibenay's advancement.
The only thing I have a problem with is the use of arcane magic. Ugh, I wanted to steer my character clear of magic connected to defiling but oh well. My sacrifices will benefit my party (and the resistance) in the greater scheme of things.
Thoughts? Comments?
P.S. My character actually knows the true names of most of the original Champions of Rajaat, as I am thousands of years old (born during the Green Age, trapped as a Guardian of the Last Sea). Dm allowd me to even know that the Dragon is Borys. So I could actually disarm the Shadow King with what I know, caling him Gallard upon our meeting.
So I could actually disarm the Shadow King with what I know, calling him Gallard upon our meeting.
Of course, by 'disarm' you mean give a near-omnipotent evil tyrant a very good excuse to psionically ream your mind so as to work out why you just happen to know one of the big secrets he and his peers have been keeping from the mundane world for the past two millennia ..?
Best of luck with that.
Your unique circumstances make this a very dangerous game to play. You know a lot but at 4th lvl are pretty useless. If you mess up at all it's much easier to have done away with you rather than cover/fix/unbreak whatever you've done. Be very wary.
Of course, by 'disarm' you mean give a near-omnipotent evil tyrant a very good excuse to psionically ream your mind so as to work out why you just happen to know one of the big secrets he and his peers have been keeping from the mundane world for the past two millennia ..?
Best of luck with that.
That would actually set a dangerous precedent for mind-reading, something 4th edition has done away with to avoid skipping plot hooks and predictability. Like weapon breakage going both ways, so can mind-reading.
Be scared... but inform your fellow party members that they should be more scared... you can turn on them in a second.
Your unique circumstances make this a very dangerous game to play. You know a lot but at 4th lvl are pretty useless. If you mess up at all it's much easier to have done away with you rather than cover/fix/unbreak whatever you've done. Be very wary.
Of course I'll tell the party of what is happening. If my roleplaying succeeds and I survive, I'll actually have them become my retinue of "servants" to help me. I've already told them of this possibility.
As for dying, as long as I don't die for just choosing a theme and only from the consequences of my direct actions, then I'll be okay with it. Otherwise, it would be totally unfair to punish a player for choosing a mechanic that was legal and allowed.
Beware the role play if he dm still makes you roll dice. You have no chance at a bluff check vs a sorc king in his seat of power. I like you using your party as your retinue... Keep us posted, sounds like a fun story arch if you can pull it off. And yes your death would be by your own hands; you chose Templar and if you're not holding up your end, fail a mission, or are discovered it is your doing... How hard the dm makes those tasks is not but dark sun is supposed to be brutal.
On a brighter note, our plan to pull a big heist on Nibenay's cache of metal was a success, to the utter surprise of the DM and ourselves. With a really carefully laid out plan and extremely good die rolls (& the usual hilarious antics) we broke into a warehouse in the Nagarrakum and made off with 1000 lbs. of tin. We then gave the bars of tin to our clients, the rebels, who in turn rewarded us with 15 actual silver pieces (worth 100 ceramics apiece), ritual research material for me, ki focus for our monk, mysterious wooden tablets for our Veiled Alliance rogue, and the goodwill and future help from the rebels.
But it was tin, which is mostly mixed with copper to make bronze. Yuck. The sweeter deal was the research material I was given by the rebels. They had a collection of scrolls and books they could not read AND forbidden by law to have in possession. Since rituals are about as rare as metal in Dark Sun, I would be "inventing" rituals.Btw, what are the odds that Nibenay will pursue me for rejecting his proposal? Also, would the templars figure out I was part of the heist? I was in the same warehouse the day before, after all.
Dark Sun rules!
Yeah, the theft of metal was alimony. But it was tin, which is mostly mixed with copper to make bronze. Yuck.
Beggars can't be choosers.
Btw, what are the odds that Nibenay will pursue me for rejecting his proposal? Also, would the templars figure out I was part of the heist? I was in the same warehouse the day before, after all.
This ain't Candyland bub. Expect the worst. Fear worse that that... plan accordingly.
Btw, what are the odds that Nibenay will pursue me for rejecting his proposal? Also, would the templars figure out I was part of the heist? I was in the same warehouse the day before, after all.
Dark Sun rules!
Sounds like you are second guessing your decision.
Hm... depends on if the order was a direct invitation from him. How much the Templars talked you up. And How powerful you are.
If he didn't make the decision he wouldn't care, but if it was the decision of one of his Lieutenants, you should expect something. If they told him you were perfection itself you might have a bounty put on your head, expect to be captured by raiders/slavers and sold off to the Sorcerer King in the future. If your very powerful he might send a few of his own men instead of putting a bounty on you.(If you want something done you got to do it yourself.)