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  1. #1

    Need advice for tabletop game I'm running.

    WARNING:Post includes some spoilers about Sword and Crown
    Okay first some background.
    The player I'm concerned about WAS the Baron of Diemed. He has gained the 'loyalty' of Baelish ahem I mean Endier. Reabsorbed Medoere. Taken Ilien as a protectorate and is betrothed to Marlae Roesone. The Duke, as he now styles himself has been trying to tie it all together more permanently.
    Last session I ran Sword and Crown for him. He went alone with the NPC knights and his newly betrothed. (He wanted to impress her) Now at the end, the trial of Aubrae, he found her guilty of the highest treason and in a show of mercy announced her exile from Anuire to the assembled Regents...
    Avan can't protect her for political reasons (as I see it). So what is his likely reaction? What will this do for Lord Diem's reputation? What would the Chamberlain think?
    I would be most grateful for your thoughts.
    Last edited by CrimsonFoxGod; 04-15-2016 at 08:33 PM. Reason: Typos
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  2. #2
    Site Moderator AndrewTall's Avatar
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    Avan is the key victim of his daughter per the S&C book, so I'm surprised that he accepted the Duke as appropriate judge, I would expect him to claim that the plot was against him and demand the right to judge his daughter, particularly as in his mind she is of higher noble rank than Diem.

    That said, Avan's aim will be to protect the family, ideally keep Aubrae's activity quiet and buy-off any rumours before they get a chance to spread, Aubrae then spends a few years somewhere quiet before being married off.

    If Diem does force Aubrae to suffer, publicly make people aware of her acts (with a non-deniable method), suffer exile, etc then Avan may not openly oppose it, but I'd expect him to start moving subtlely against Diem - this is from his perspective an attack by Diem on him, as Diem could easily have agreed to accept an alternate interpretation of events and instead chose to smear Avan's reputation and attack his heir.

    Avan may also take action to ensure that her exile is somewhere useful to him - the Taelshore lords might be interested in an alliance with Avanil. Long term however if Aubrae is Avan's only heir in your campaign then Avan needs her back and in good standing, which means crushing Diem.

    Diem has clearly gained a lot of strength, and so blatant an attack on Avanil will win both those seeking alliance, and those who perceive Diem as a rival - even the Boers are unlikely to be overly pleased as even though they will apprecate Avan's disgrace, they will see Diem as a rival for the throne.

    I suspect that the Chamberlain will say very little, he doesn't support Avan in any event, and will not want to anger Avan by showing support for Diem.

    Ghoere may see this as a good chance to sow trouble by intervening and marrying Aubrae, that gives him a claim on Avan and he has no apparent reason to accept Diem's version of events, perhaps it was Diem who arranged the assassination attempt on Prince Avan...

    An of course let us not forget Aubrae, who is ambitious, cunning, and has sufficient secret allies and wealth to have arranged the whole thing in the first place without her father knowing, she will not go meekly into exile nor forget Diem's decision to try to ruin her reputation.

  3. #3
    Per the Module the host of S&C was forced to judge her (He tried to get out of it but had no option). The testimony was by 2 Avan knights, 2 Boeruine knights, and Marlae Roesone. Also Diem called upon the assembly for assistance in the trial. (Magic while not infallible does help lend credence to the story as told by Diem.)
    Ghoere might indeed shelter Aubrae, as in my game he has declared himself Gavin, King of Taeloere.

    I expect an assassin from Avanil to visit the wedding. Perhaps one from Ghoere as well. Kalien wants to poison the bride to render her infertile. (The vassalage agreement between them allows Kalien's child to be named heir to Diemed if he has one before Lord Diem.)
    Boeruine sees Diem as a rival yes, but also a kindred spirit of sorts (honor before all, Valor in the face of death, that kind of thing.) This combined with a factor stated later leads me to play Boeruine as trying to get Diem's support. The trial was forced by the Archduke and Diem gave him more than he could have hoped for.
    For reference Diemed's diplomacy has consisted of: I have a velvet glove on this hand and a plate gauntlet on this one. Which do you want me to pat your head with?
    Also he has publicly and repeatedly denied any right to the iron throne claiming the threat of the awnshegh is more important than petty political grandstanding.
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  4. #4
    The way you put it Avan has very limited options of how he would react. Andrew's idea of having him choose were she is banished to is one step. Is Mieres still under Avanese firm control? If not this could be a place. Maybe Tuarhievel - she already proved she can negotiate with fanatical Elves..

    A second step would be to have all his vassals go aggro against Diem while he himself "appears" to be indifferent. Western I Church could start expanding on Orthodox Church while the Duchess of Brosengae and Parnien take over Ciliene and Moere guilds.

    Ghoere might want to take some Law holdings in northern Diemed.

    A key person in any subtle action against Diem would be Guilder Kalien.

  5. #5
    Mieres is still with Avan but maybe not for long. Diem has his eye on Albelle Island and has suggested supporting an Independent Mieres in exchange. Aubrae going to hide among the elves has serious potential as she could expand her studies of magic. As you say Kalien is a key figure but on the surface he wants to look loyal (He'said forcing fealty from the guilds based in Diemed) An outside view makes Diem look like he's worked miracles (and he has... 3rd level fighter challenging Roubhe...) but he only had a loose hold on Diemed's new holdings. He has armed the orthodox church and allowed the Celestial spell to keep much of it power (in exchange for huge amounts of gold in both cases.)Trouble is brewing between the two temples of Haelyn but the Orthodox temple has the advantage of a large army. Medoere is now ruled by his sister and Jarod Enlien. Roesone is being passed to Marlae's brother (who dislikes the idea of being a subject state).
    Marlae is going to suffer several attempts on her life in the next few years and should she die, Roesone will try for independence again.
    Outside the restored duchy, Ghoere has gained Osoerde as a vassal and declared himself a king but is preoccupied with rebuilding from a 'misunderstanding' with The Spider and a recent war with Mhoried.
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  6. #6
    Site Moderator AndrewTall's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CrimsonFoxGod View Post
    Per the Module the host of S&C was forced to judge her (He tried to get out of it but had no option). The testimony was by 2 Avan knights, 2 Boeruine knights, and Marlae Roesone. Also Diem called upon the assembly for assistance in the trial. (Magic while not infallible does help lend credence to the story as told by Diem.)
    Mea culpa, I didn't recall that and can't access my books at the moment

    Diem could try to help Avan rehabilitate Aubrae - for the right price / as a favour, or could support a different Avan scion I would hope Avan felt somewhat miffed at his daughter trying to kill him, I don't recall mention of other children but would expect that there are some, even if only a previously unrecognised illegitimate child that Avan now wants to legitimise (and who better to help than the hero of the hour?)

    One possibility to consider is that Aubrae might have been 'encouraged' magically in her actions - or appropriate evidence could be found to 'prove' this. Boer, etc wouldn't be happy but Avan would if the evidence was properly spun.

    Another is that Cerilia is but one world, the shadow world is but a dream away and has inhabitants who might see use for a scion of a poerful bloodline who is abruptly with few friends, particularly one who has proven both ambition and poor judgement in allies.

    You never know, the Gorgon has dated into the bloodline before per the novels, he might have an interest in doing so again.

    I had wondered about the Taelshore Rjurik or even Brecht as possibilities for Aubrae, if you have realms in Aduria beyond Mieres they might also be potential destinations.

    I would note however that she has an <awesome> bloodline, so could be an extremely able regent or potential vassal, such talent has a way of finding itself into use, BR is all about bloodlines encouraging destiny in my mind so given her bloodline I'd have fate ensuring that she does not simply fade away.

  7. #7
    Member nickgreyden's Avatar
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    And this is why I love this game so much. The OG Game of Thrones :-)

    An interesting choice might be (although it could be that I'm currently just planning out a game in and have delved deeply in the Rjurik areas) Halskapa.

    That environment is already politically charged with a failing king with no heir and someone with the political skills and bloodline to back it up could make some very large waves in the eldest and argueably richest domain of the north. Skapa Hjarring is already cannonly listed as the largest port north of Dhoesone (which itself might be a decent place) and while it does basically throw her out of the entirety of the empire into a land that may not trust her, it still is a place with a large seat of power and somewhere where honor can be gained until Avan comes up with a plan which may include the wealth of iron goods, both finished and raw, that comes from the mountains of Halskapa.

    As for the reactions with the rest of the empire, I'm sadly woefully under-read in those areas preferring the Rjurik, Vos, and Brecht.
    --Give me ambiguity or give me something else!--

  8. #8
    Thank you everyone for your ideas and thoughts. I think that she'll choose Taurhievel, travel by boat and be taken hostage by Ghoere. Avan can be doubly angry. Even more so when Diem feels compelled to rescue her again (he will likely try to... LN with very good tendancies) Maybe Aubrae gets Ghoere to take her. Would she look like the victim, do you think, being kidnapped so soon after faking one?
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