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Fendrikor
Learned Scribe
Australia
189 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Oct 2016 : 07:37:45
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Alright so i have a player in my group who has just left the Zhentarim after messing up rather grandly. The year is 1490 and the campaign is set in the sunset vale.
He made a deal with the Zhentarim (whom he was a rank 2 member in) for them to become militarily involved in the defence of a village in exchange for ownership of a fortress situated upon an important tradeway (he had acess to the original deed).
The Zhentilar agreed, after some persuasion, to send a war unit of around 100 men (Guards in splint mail with phalanx fighting supported by some light ballistae and skilled archers) to back up the local militia to see off a hobgoblin attack.
The idea too was to showcase the Zhents as 'saviors' in the eyes of the local lords, in order to increase their reputation and leverage in the region (the sunset vale).
Only trouble is, by the time the Zhentilar arrived the town and its militia had all been evacuated by the players in the party loyal to the lords alliance and the Zhent player could do little to stop this happening (as the characters he was up against are very persuasive).
Additionally what few redneck foolhardy militia and woodsman remained had taken to setting up traps and skirmishing ambushes in the woodlands to delay the hobgoblins. The town itself was very defencible, with a 500 foot wide river only crossable by ferry. The Zhentilar commander, who also happened to be a knight of the Ebon Spur (under the Pereghosts command), saw fortifying the town as the best strategic option. The Zhent player tried to convince her to move the army into the woodlands and support the militia but again he failed to convince her to do it as she considered it strategically unviable.
Subsiquently, the player quit the Zhentarim by throwing his insignia into a bog before making a stand with the militia who were swiftly overwhelmed. he managed to escape, with the help of some dryads and another player who is kind of a 'green knight' type paladin.
Currently though im trying to figure out what the Zhentarim will do now.
The Hobgoblins fall upon the town next - with many flying beasts at their command including a large red dragon, a number of Hieracosphinxes, manticores, Chimeras and wyrmlings. After the first wave of these the Zhents decide to pull out of the town only to get chased off by the Red Dragon. This leaves the commander furious at the Zhent players mentor, a somewhat shady wizard. The mentor redirects blame upon the Zhent player - who they both figure didnt survive the woodland massacre, before retreating to the darkhold to lick their wounds.
If they DID find out the player was alive - would they bother sending assasins after him? Worse, i have another player in the party, who is a Zhent that this player trusts, who could perhaps be asked to deliver a poison. But that would cause party friction (no matter how much it makes sense).
I feel he gave misinformation to the Zhentarim which lead to a military humiliation. In the eyes of the Pereghost, who values merit above all things, i think he could be seen as both incompitant - and a traitor to the family. How would you rule they would react upon finding out he was still alive?
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'Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup' |
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A traitor to the family... in the New Zhentarim.
