Help me "get" the Eldeen Wolves - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Help me "get" the Eldeen Wolves

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
naturax
Jun 01, 2011 12:37:56 I'm starting a new campaign with the PC a member of the Aundarian military stationed in Wyr. I want to use a lot of the local politics and focus the campaign, for now, on the tensions at the border of the Eldeen Reaches.

This Sharn Inquisitive article is what I'm going to use for my first session: www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebsi/2...

I want to make things very complicated and paint the world in shades of gray, which means not painting the Wolves as fanatical terrorists. The trouble I'm having is that I would like to be able to convincingly portray NPCs from the Wolves, but I don't get what they are trying to achieve. What do they want? Why do they want it? What would make them happy?

Any help you can provide in helping me understand where this faction is coming from would be much appreciated.
#2
Juums
Jun 01, 2011 14:11:44 Well, that's where you need to put on your thinking cap and do some world-building: The Eldeen Wolves are a blank slate, to be turned into whatever you want. Here are, off the top of my head, five different ideas about what the Eldeen Wolves could be:
Aundairian Plants: The Eldeen Wolves are the product of a long-term covert operation by Second Warlord Darro, to build up a credible threat originating from the Eldeen Reaches so as to justify his plans of moving in force across the River wynarn. What the Wolves really believe is a moot point as far as Darro's handlers are concerned: All that matters is that its leadership are ultimately loyal to Aundair, that its membership is unabashedly Eldeen and patriotic, and that its actions generate loads of bodies and headlines.

Druidic Avengers: The Eldeen Wolves are a militant druidic sect that has adopted an eye-for-an-eye approach to dealing with poaching beyond the River Wynarn. For every monstrous humanoid, fey, magical beast, or animate plant that is harmed or displaced by Aundairians by hunters, lumberjacks, and House Vadalis breeders violating the de facto international border, the Eldeen Wolves venture across into Aundair to kill or displace an Aundairian citizen. Part of the reason why no one knows their game is that they keep very strict tallies on killing and displacing: To the point of healing "innocents" who inadvertently exceed their tally of those to be mauled.

Homeland Defenders: The Eldeen Wolves are a mostly patriotic militia of rangers and other forest dwellers doing their best to keep the enemy off-balance. The Aundairian military routinely flouts the border, entering the Reaches in force and proceeding to provoke a response by torching villages and permitting organized harvesting of timber and game by Aundairian interests. Diplomatic appeals have failed and the Aundairians only seem to leave only after the dispersed military assets of the Reaches begin to concentrate. In light of this, the best way to prevent Aundairian incursions is to take the fight over the banks of the River Wynarn, and force them to spend what resources were used for raiding on securing their frontier positions.

Irredentists: Once upon a time, modern Aundair consisted of three discrete subregions: High Aundair, centered upon Fairhaven and all points east of the Wynarn River Valley; the Lakelands, encompassing the Wynarn River Valley and the settlements along the northern shores of Lake Galifar; and the Eldeen Reaches, those wilds beyond the Lakelands. The Eldeen Wovles are Lakelander irredentists, seeking to reunify a Wynarn River Valley that has traditionally belonged to them and which has been subject to increasing amounts of Aundairian tyranny, both in the form of raids into the western half of it and internal colonization by High Aundairian settlers and the displacement of Lakelander families with roots dating back to the founding of Galifar in the eastern half.

Thugs for Higher: The Eldeen Wolves are a displaced goblinoid tribe, led by ex-Deneith hobgoblin mercenary captains who brought their people out of the Icewall Mountains in search of a better life. The Wolves run a rather complicated game, doing work for everyone: Their main source of revenue comes from raiding Aundair's frontiers to kidnap souls to be sold into slavery in Darguun, with transport going across Lakes Galifar and Silver, through Droaam, and then by ship to Darguun. The Wolves have been known to do raiding in the Reaches at the best of Aundairians who wanted things set on fire and wouldn't ask too many questions, as well as raiding Aundair at the behest of the Reaches' druids and/or natives in-exchange for safe haven. Ultimately, they'd probably agree to hunt their own mothers, if there was enough coin in it.
#3
Sturmvogel
Jun 01, 2011 14:40:14
The easiest way to figure out what is going on is opening up a map of the Border between Eldeen and Aundair.

The River is the border between the Reaches and Aundair. More precisely, it's the border of how much western territory Aundair was able to reclaim when the Reachers broke away.

Early in the war, when Aundair was neglecting it's western half, this neglect didn't neatly start and stop at the river, comunities on both sides of the river felt that neglect. The river also isn't a hard divide on the cultural differences between the Reachers and Aundair. So when the Eldeen forces rallied, many people on both sides of the river sided with the Reachers and chose to join them, since Aundair was being a bunch of jerks at the time.

So what motivates the Eldeen Wolves? They see the Aundair side of the river being an occupation.

Aundair didn't give a damn about their land and people for decades, letting them rot and fall prey to bandits and worse. So they say "Fine, if Aundair doesn't want us, we don't want to be part of Aundair then!".

Aundair then has the gall to try and reclaim the Western Territories. They couldn't spare a man to help them before, but now they can send armies to reclaim it. Aundair mostly failed, but not entirely.

So now you have people and communities, that politically and culturally see themselves as part of the Reaches, and have no love of Aundair anymore, being occupied by Aundair forces, paying taxes to Aundair lords and being ruled by Aundair laws.

Aundair says the Wolves are terrorists, the Wolves say they are Freedom Fighters.

TLDR:

What do they want: Aundair out of the valley

Why do they want it: Aundair were big jerks that only showed any interest in the valley once it tried to go its own way.

What would make them happy: Aundair out of the valley and a real guarantee they would never come back unless asked.
#4
naturax
Jun 01, 2011 15:21:50 This is fantastic stuff, both of you. Thanks. I'm going to digest it and hopefully ping you again when I have a better idea what I'm going to actually do with my first session.

Thanks again!
#5
naturax
Jun 01, 2011 15:59:40 Wait! I just remembered that I want to use Briar (from Dreadhold/Forge of War). Would either of you lump him in with the Eldeen Reaches? Or does he represent people that have a different agenda? Thanks!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 naturax Jun 01, 2011 12:37:56	I'm starting a new campaign with the PC a member of the Aundarian military stationed in Wyr. I want to use a lot of the local politics and focus the campaign, for now, on the tensions at the border of the Eldeen Reaches. This Sharn Inquisitive article is what I'm going to use for my first session: www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebsi/2... I want to make things very complicated and paint the world in shades of gray, which means not painting the Wolves as fanatical terrorists. The trouble I'm having is that I would like to be able to convincingly portray NPCs from the Wolves, but I don't get what they are trying to achieve. What do they want? Why do they want it? What would make them happy? Any help you can provide in helping me understand where this faction is coming from would be much appreciated.
#2 Juums Jun 01, 2011 14:11:44	Well, that's where you need to put on your thinking cap and do some world-building: The Eldeen Wolves are a blank slate, to be turned into whatever you want. Here are, off the top of my head, five different ideas about what the Eldeen Wolves could be: Aundairian Plants: The Eldeen Wolves are the product of a long-term covert operation by Second Warlord Darro, to build up a credible threat originating from the Eldeen Reaches so as to justify his plans of moving in force across the River wynarn. What the Wolves really believe is a moot point as far as Darro's handlers are concerned: All that matters is that its leadership are ultimately loyal to Aundair, that its membership is unabashedly Eldeen and patriotic, and that its actions generate loads of bodies and headlines. Druidic Avengers: The Eldeen Wolves are a militant druidic sect that has adopted an eye-for-an-eye approach to dealing with poaching beyond the River Wynarn. For every monstrous humanoid, fey, magical beast, or animate plant that is harmed or displaced by Aundairians by hunters, lumberjacks, and House Vadalis breeders violating the de facto international border, the Eldeen Wolves venture across into Aundair to kill or displace an Aundairian citizen. Part of the reason why no one knows their game is that they keep very strict tallies on killing and displacing: To the point of healing "innocents" who inadvertently exceed their tally of those to be mauled. Homeland Defenders: The Eldeen Wolves are a mostly patriotic militia of rangers and other forest dwellers doing their best to keep the enemy off-balance. The Aundairian military routinely flouts the border, entering the Reaches in force and proceeding to provoke a response by torching villages and permitting organized harvesting of timber and game by Aundairian interests. Diplomatic appeals have failed and the Aundairians only seem to leave only after the dispersed military assets of the Reaches begin to concentrate. In light of this, the best way to prevent Aundairian incursions is to take the fight over the banks of the River Wynarn, and force them to spend what resources were used for raiding on securing their frontier positions. Irredentists: Once upon a time, modern Aundair consisted of three discrete subregions: High Aundair, centered upon Fairhaven and all points east of the Wynarn River Valley; the Lakelands, encompassing the Wynarn River Valley and the settlements along the northern shores of Lake Galifar; and the Eldeen Reaches, those wilds beyond the Lakelands. The Eldeen Wovles are Lakelander irredentists, seeking to reunify a Wynarn River Valley that has traditionally belonged to them and which has been subject to increasing amounts of Aundairian tyranny, both in the form of raids into the western half of it and internal colonization by High Aundairian settlers and the displacement of Lakelander families with roots dating back to the founding of Galifar in the eastern half. Thugs for Higher: The Eldeen Wolves are a displaced goblinoid tribe, led by ex-Deneith hobgoblin mercenary captains who brought their people out of the Icewall Mountains in search of a better life. The Wolves run a rather complicated game, doing work for everyone: Their main source of revenue comes from raiding Aundair's frontiers to kidnap souls to be sold into slavery in Darguun, with transport going across Lakes Galifar and Silver, through Droaam, and then by ship to Darguun. The Wolves have been known to do raiding in the Reaches at the best of Aundairians who wanted things set on fire and wouldn't ask too many questions, as well as raiding Aundair at the behest of the Reaches' druids and/or natives in-exchange for safe haven. Ultimately, they'd probably agree to hunt their own mothers, if there was enough coin in it.
#3 Sturmvogel Jun 01, 2011 14:40:14	The easiest way to figure out what is going on is opening up a map of the Border between Eldeen and Aundair. The River is the border between the Reaches and Aundair. More precisely, it's the border of how much western territory Aundair was able to reclaim when the Reachers broke away. Early in the war, when Aundair was neglecting it's western half, this neglect didn't neatly start and stop at the river, comunities on both sides of the river felt that neglect. The river also isn't a hard divide on the cultural differences between the Reachers and Aundair. So when the Eldeen forces rallied, many people on both sides of the river sided with the Reachers and chose to join them, since Aundair was being a bunch of jerks at the time. So what motivates the Eldeen Wolves? They see the Aundair side of the river being an occupation. Aundair didn't give a damn about their land and people for decades, letting them rot and fall prey to bandits and worse. So they say "Fine, if Aundair doesn't want us, we don't want to be part of Aundair then!". Aundair then has the gall to try and reclaim the Western Territories. They couldn't spare a man to help them before, but now they can send armies to reclaim it. Aundair mostly failed, but not entirely. So now you have people and communities, that politically and culturally see themselves as part of the Reaches, and have no love of Aundair anymore, being occupied by Aundair forces, paying taxes to Aundair lords and being ruled by Aundair laws. Aundair says the Wolves are terrorists, the Wolves say they are Freedom Fighters. TLDR: What do they want: Aundair out of the valley Why do they want it: Aundair were big jerks that only showed any interest in the valley once it tried to go its own way. What would make them happy: Aundair out of the valley and a real guarantee they would never come back unless asked.
#4 naturax Jun 01, 2011 15:21:50	This is fantastic stuff, both of you. Thanks. I'm going to digest it and hopefully ping you again when I have a better idea what I'm going to actually do with my first session. Thanks again!
#5 naturax Jun 01, 2011 15:59:40	Wait! I just remembered that I want to use Briar (from Dreadhold/Forge of War). Would either of you lump him in with the Eldeen Reaches? Or does he represent people that have a different agenda? Thanks!