So I am running a sandbox campaign, 18 months in (real time) about 2 months in game time lol. But the group seem to be taking an interest in finding out more about the nation nearest to them, partly because there have been some incursions and hints of possible invasion from there, but mainly because in the words of one player (not character lol)
“ They are all racist slavers who need to just be dead” which isn’t far off lol.
My issue, what is the Emperor of Etresh?
So some backstory
Etresh is made up of 2 parts, Old Etresh, which forms the original nation, and the Etreshan Empire, which makes up the lands the Etershans have conquered. The Etreshans believe in purity of race, they believe in superiority, they have a very active slave trade. When a nation is conquered, if it submits without a fight then 1/3 of its population is enslaved. If it fights then 2/3 of its population are taken, half are executed and the remainder are enslaved. The Wizards of Etresh have a magic item they can use to tap into a sorcerers power, using them like a battery to enhance there own magic. But the main thing about Etresh is a view that all half races (half elves, half orcs, the children of union between a dwarf and human, halfling and gnome, etc) are an abomination. Any family found to have a member who engages in such acts is excommunicated unless they turn in those family members. Rich families are able to cover up such acts, sending the babies far away to distant lands to be raised in orphanages (one of the players). Poorer families may just take the drastic action of ending the life of those who committed the crime rather then be outed. This belief also means that anything that is orc, goblinoid etc is also hunter as impure.
So, my question, what type of creature might have taken over this land centuries ago and instilled this purity view. My initial thought is a Beholder, but I also like the idea that this was a Githyenki outpost and it’s warlord developed ideas of expanding his own empire. He steps into Limbo for periods of time and this is how he has lived so long.
Any interesting ideas I think I have a year before they face the emperor lol. The one thing I don’t want is a Dragon, it seems a little too obvious .
You could always just drop hints that the emperor is not what he seems to be, let the players speculate, and steal their best ideas.
Is the empire itself human-centric? If yes, it could just be a human dynasty with the extreme views about bloodlines. (Or perhaps with some elven/orcish/whatever blood in their history that they really don't want anyone to know about.) If no, you've also got options like an elf with such views.
It doesn't have to be anything odd. Many times, the best villains are just people. (Or a lich. Liches are always good for wizard emperors, and they're sort of people still.)
Even if you want the monster to be a monster, there are so many options. Might there be a secret purpose to the empire beyond conquest? (Sacrifice to or worship of a lost god/thing from beyond.)
Have you considered a vampire who hates mixed drinks? :)
I second the "drop hints and steal your players' best theories" suggestion. Less work on your part, more opportunities for creativity that fits better with your universe, and the reveal when they realize they were "right all along" will make them feel like geniuses, lol.
You also might consider a changeling, lycanthrope, or a hexblood. Maybe the emperor hates impurities because he himself was tainted by magic or has no true shape. Or if you want to lean into the evils of the system and why someone would leverage that, maybe he's actually a rakshasa whose conquests are piling up as sacrifices/payment to undo the ritual that trapped him in that form.
You could always just drop hints that the emperor is not what he seems to be, let the players speculate, and steal their best ideas.
Is the empire itself human-centric? If yes, it could just be a human dynasty with the extreme views about bloodlines. (Or perhaps with some elven/orcish/whatever blood in their history that they really don't want anyone to know about.) If no, you've also got options like an elf with such views.
It doesn't have to be anything odd. Many times, the best villains are just people. (Or a lich. Liches are always good for wizard emperors, and they're sort of people still.)
Even if you want the monster to be a monster, there are so many options. Might there be a secret purpose to the empire beyond conquest? (Sacrifice to or worship of a lost god/thing from beyond.)
Have you considered a vampire who hates mixed drinks? :)
Lol the vampire idea isn't bad actually, one of the characters is Dhampir and has no idea who turned her (vampire killed her family and left her alive is as far as the character backstory goes). So that might be a nice link.
The emperor is the head of an obscure accelerationist elven cabal that seeks to destroy reality and restore all the elven souls back to the primordial chaos.
The emporer is a human- but has been controlled by an alhoon who is secretly taking over the minds of leaders and authority figures across the land, seeking to turn the lesser races against one another with these racist views, opening a chance for the illithids to take over.
If nobody has reliably seen the Emperor, there isn't one. Instead, a shadowy senate controls everything and claim to be under the commands of this phantom Emperor. They can easily blame someone that doesn't exist to send would-be assassins and usurpers (and adventurers) on a wild goose chase instead of risking their own necks for unpopular edicts.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
If nobody has reliably seen the Emperor, there isn't one. Instead, a shadowy senate controls everything and claim to be under the commands of this phantom Emperor. They can easily blame someone that doesn't exist to send would-be assassins and usurpers (and adventurers) on a wild goose chase instead of risking their own necks for unpopular edicts.
Considered this but I want the characters to have a showdown and fight with a big bad (that is if they ever go to deal with the emperor, the joys of an open world lol I will only make it a story if they choose). I more was trying to work out what the emperor was so I could start having some more specific goals other then “evil racist”
There is no emperor; the emperor is just a fiction perpetuated by the wealthiest enslavers. Or the emperor was formerly enslaved and learned the wrong lessons!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
So I am running a sandbox campaign, 18 months in (real time) about 2 months in game time lol. But the group seem to be taking an interest in finding out more about the nation nearest to them, partly because there have been some incursions and hints of possible invasion from there, but mainly because in the words of one player (not character lol)
“ They are all racist slavers who need to just be dead” which isn’t far off lol.
My issue, what is the Emperor of Etresh?
So some backstory
Etresh is made up of 2 parts, Old Etresh, which forms the original nation, and the Etreshan Empire, which makes up the lands the Etershans have conquered. The Etreshans believe in purity of race, they believe in superiority, they have a very active slave trade. When a nation is conquered, if it submits without a fight then 1/3 of its population is enslaved. If it fights then 2/3 of its population are taken, half are executed and the remainder are enslaved. The Wizards of Etresh have a magic item they can use to tap into a sorcerers power, using them like a battery to enhance there own magic. But the main thing about Etresh is a view that all half races (half elves, half orcs, the children of union between a dwarf and human, halfling and gnome, etc) are an abomination. Any family found to have a member who engages in such acts is excommunicated unless they turn in those family members. Rich families are able to cover up such acts, sending the babies far away to distant lands to be raised in orphanages (one of the players). Poorer families may just take the drastic action of ending the life of those who committed the crime rather then be outed. This belief also means that anything that is orc, goblinoid etc is also hunter as impure.
So, my question, what type of creature might have taken over this land centuries ago and instilled this purity view. My initial thought is a Beholder, but I also like the idea that this was a Githyenki outpost and it’s warlord developed ideas of expanding his own empire. He steps into Limbo for periods of time and this is how he has lived so long.
Any interesting ideas I think I have a year before they face the emperor lol. The one thing I don’t want is a Dragon, it seems a little too obvious .
You could always just drop hints that the emperor is not what he seems to be, let the players speculate, and steal their best ideas.
Is the empire itself human-centric? If yes, it could just be a human dynasty with the extreme views about bloodlines. (Or perhaps with some elven/orcish/whatever blood in their history that they really don't want anyone to know about.) If no, you've also got options like an elf with such views.
It doesn't have to be anything odd. Many times, the best villains are just people. (Or a lich. Liches are always good for wizard emperors, and they're sort of people still.)
Even if you want the monster to be a monster, there are so many options. Might there be a secret purpose to the empire beyond conquest? (Sacrifice to or worship of a lost god/thing from beyond.)
Have you considered a vampire who hates mixed drinks? :)
I second the "drop hints and steal your players' best theories" suggestion. Less work on your part, more opportunities for creativity that fits better with your universe, and the reveal when they realize they were "right all along" will make them feel like geniuses, lol.
You also might consider a changeling, lycanthrope, or a hexblood. Maybe the emperor hates impurities because he himself was tainted by magic or has no true shape. Or if you want to lean into the evils of the system and why someone would leverage that, maybe he's actually a rakshasa whose conquests are piling up as sacrifices/payment to undo the ritual that trapped him in that form.
A lich is a classic choice.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Lol the vampire idea isn't bad actually, one of the characters is Dhampir and has no idea who turned her (vampire killed her family and left her alive is as far as the character backstory goes). So that might be a nice link.
Elf
The emperor is the head of an obscure accelerationist elven cabal that seeks to destroy reality and restore all the elven souls back to the primordial chaos.
The emporer is a human- but has been controlled by an alhoon who is secretly taking over the minds of leaders and authority figures across the land, seeking to turn the lesser races against one another with these racist views, opening a chance for the illithids to take over.
Be Excellent to one another. Rock on dude.
If nobody has reliably seen the Emperor, there isn't one. Instead, a shadowy senate controls everything and claim to be under the commands of this phantom Emperor. They can easily blame someone that doesn't exist to send would-be assassins and usurpers (and adventurers) on a wild goose chase instead of risking their own necks for unpopular edicts.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
Considered this but I want the characters to have a showdown and fight with a big bad (that is if they ever go to deal with the emperor, the joys of an open world lol I will only make it a story if they choose). I more was trying to work out what the emperor was so I could start having some more specific goals other then “evil racist”
There is no emperor; the emperor is just a fiction perpetuated by the wealthiest enslavers. Or the emperor was formerly enslaved and learned the wrong lessons!