As part of this exercise, I want to fill my world with stories and legends of things from the past that help explain why things are this way now.
I decided I want to develop a legend about The Countess, the widow of a great fighter that died serving the Kingdom. The kingdom believes in male primogeniture. She has one son and two daughters. The son, Rodrigo, is 12 at the time of his father's death, and the daughters are 10 and 9. The father died fighting in the army led by the National General that has the title Marshal. Even before the Martyrdom of Rodrigo, he had a strong reputation as a warrior and Champion of the Nation. The Countess Chimene Diaz quickly went to the King to appeal her case to ensure her Brother in Law, The Baron Regent of Vivar, Emilio Diaz, did not inherit the title of Count in favor of her son, Rodrigo Diaz, III.
Upon arriving in the capital city, Chimene is immediately accommodated in the castle and invited to freshen up before dinner. At dinner, The King honors Countess Chimene Diaz for her husband's sacrifice. She responds by stating the loss of her husband will be felt by the Nation, her County, and her Family, and of course the Family will suffer most because he was the biggest part of the family, but he was the key figure in the County so the County will suffer until a leader like her husband can be seated, but the Nation will suffer because his loss is their loss too. The King toasted the Hero Rodrigo and the dinner conversation moved on to other matters. After dinner, the King's Chamberlain told the Countess Chimene the King would like to see her again for lunch and discuss her reasons for traveling to the Capital.
At lunch, the King tells the Countess of his memories of Rodrigo and how noble he was. Then he surprises her by stating flatly, "I know why you have come to see me." The Countess waits for the next comment. "You are curious about the succession to the Seat of the County, and if your Son, Rodrigo the third, will become Count of Vivar." The words hung in the air, not as a question but as a statement.
The king continued, "I have been advised by the High Chancellor of the basis for Emilio Diaz's, Regent of Vivar, claim as your late husband's brother to the Title and Office of Count of Vivar. We recognize that as the brother of the heir, your late husband Rodrigo, Emilio is second in line to inherit the title. But this claim is superseded by the birth of your son, Rodrigo the third. This is clear in the Law of Nobility in Calanthi." With this, all tension in Chimene evaporated and a slight smile emerged. She responded, "I am refreshed to hear your Grace sees the situation as plainly as I do myself, and has not been swayed by the talk of those who would seek to advance themselves at Rodrigo's expense and to the detriment of the country. Rodrigo is a hero, and to betray his heir would be noticed beyond the borders of Calanthi." "Indeed, it would, and we will not see that happen", the king responded.
"Now, to assuage Emilio's feelings, how shall we proceed?", the king went on. "I could honor him with some other title and office, but that would only move him from the barony. I believe it would be best for me to wait until Rodrigo ascends to the Seat of the Barony himself at 25 according to custom. Emilio could be given some other honor until such time as the barony is in need of a Regent again. Emilio is the rightful Regent until Rodrigo has a son old enough to be seated. We think this will require some more thought. We need a better solution. But while we ponder this matter, go home and rest easy the Throne is behind Rodrigo's claim as Count."
The king raised his glass to the countess, and she responded in like manner. They drank and put down their glasses. The king asked, "Would you permit the Crown to honor your husband with burial in The Field of Heroes in King's Crest? His service warrants such attention." The countess paused and drank another sip of wine before saying, "Your Grace is very kind. The Count's of Vivar are all buried in our family's field save for the First Count, Don Diego Diaz, who rode for the King at The Founding, and is honored in The Field of Heroes. My husband's body is being brought to Vivar as we speak. I hadn't thought of any other options, with this other matter weighing on me. With your Grace's permission, may I answer tonight after dinner?" The king sat back and drank from his glass, draining it. He looked out into the garden for only a moment, and said, "Of course. So much has been on your mind. Consider your wishes and consider the honor I am offering your husband, for sincerely, I know he is a hero of Calanthi, and I wish everyone to know our heroes will not be forgotten."
The king nodded to the Arch Bishop who had been sitting quietly dining with the King and the Countess. An attendant stepped forward and attendants pulled back the chairs as the King, the Countess, the Arch Bishop and the Chancellor all stood together. The king parted after saying, "I shall look forward to seeing you, Countess, again at dinner this evening." And with that, the king departed with the Chancellor, leaving the Arch Bishop with the Countess.
... This is the scenario I want to flesh out in my Lore ...
How will this play out? Rodrigo Diaz, III, by law, will be seated as Baron of Vivar when he reaches 25 years. At that time his uncle, Emilio Diaz, will be honored with a ceremonial office in the Court of the Count unless the King decides otherwise. When Rodrigo Diaz, III, reaches 30 years, he will be seated as the Count of Vivar. If Emilio hasn't been drawn away from Vivar, he will resume the office of Baron Regent until he dies or until Rodrigo's heir can assume the office at 25.
Super cool. I might add some jealousy, assassination, bribes or something else to shake it up. Especially with this specific a tale, there needs to be some conflict, otherwise what's the point? The setting is all too quiet... Make the shake matter in relevance to "modern" day, like Emilio not wanting to be bumped off the title of regent and going to war etc., claiming the throne, and now the rightful descendants of Rodrigo work with the PCs to regain the throne. Thats a bit huge, but you get the idea. Again, that's what I would do, but you don't have to.
The concept I have right now is Emilio has always resented his brother Rodrigo because of "an Accident by Birth", which has been overhead saying since he was about 14. Since then, his future was always going to be the "fill-in" for whatever his brother needed doing. And then his children would be nobles by birth but have no significant inheritance. His children would grow up in luxury, but not his grandchildren. When his brother reached 25 he would be enthroned as the Baron. When his father stepped down, his brother would become Count and he would become the Baron Regent, holding the seat in trust until his nephew reached 25. Then, he would give up his regency and become a courtier on his brother's court unless he had secured another better post for himself.
And now his chance has come.
Emilio has also always been second in line for the Seat of Count until Rodrigo the 3rd was born. At that time, Rodrigo the 3rd was the chosen prince for the Count. These are the Laws of the Nobility of Calanthi. Well, with no other heir, if Rodrigo the 3rd dies, Emilio is the rightful heir to the Seat. Even now, there would be reason to install Emilio as the Count Regent waiting for Rodrigo the 3rd to reach 30 years old.
But, the Countess already knows about Emilio's jealously, and won't give him the extra influence he could wield as Count Regent. But, how is the Countess going to protect her son while giving him the opportunity to grow up with the life experience needed to rule as the Count? And, this is D&D with magic and all that.
The Countess can't be sure her in-laws can be trusted because it is one child against one grandchild. Their loyalties might be confused. So her first thought is to turn to her own family, not just her father's family, the Bascons, but also her mother's family, the Foxxes. With two families she can trust, she plans to set up a surveillance network to watch Emilio's household and courtiers while also setting up a ring of defenses around her son and daughters.
Her next layer of the plan was to find out if the King were firmly on her side, which because her husband was a hero and martyr of the kingdom she believed was a solid bet, but she wished to make sure.
After that, she planned on forming alliances with at least three other good families but arranging marriages for her son, Rodrigo the 3rd and his two younger sisters. A marriege to Rodrigo is obvious as the heir to the County. However, as the Count, he is also empowered to give the husbands of his two sisters noble rank as Grand Barons that preside over towns in his County. The title of Grand Baron is not hereditary, but it is titled nobility and provides many advantages to the Grand Baron.
But ...
Emilio has a plan, or is about to make a plan.
Emilio's fear isn't that he can't kill the young lad; it's that he can't kill the lad and get away with it. His fear is that by use of Zone of Truth any plan he is involved in will be traced back to himself. So he seeks a plan to kill the lad but can't be traced back to him. Such things require careful manipulations, and his desire is so deep that he is going to look for an answer. ( I already know what sort of things are going to happen, but I want to make it even better by getting some help from you diabolical two faced rats out there. And if you're a goody two-shoes, I need to hear how you plan to protect Rodrigo and his mother Chimene. )
I am building my own world; who isn't?
As part of this exercise, I want to fill my world with stories and legends of things from the past that help explain why things are this way now.
I decided I want to develop a legend about The Countess, the widow of a great fighter that died serving the Kingdom. The kingdom believes in male primogeniture. She has one son and two daughters. The son, Rodrigo, is 12 at the time of his father's death, and the daughters are 10 and 9. The father died fighting in the army led by the National General that has the title Marshal. Even before the Martyrdom of Rodrigo, he had a strong reputation as a warrior and Champion of the Nation. The Countess Chimene Diaz quickly went to the King to appeal her case to ensure her Brother in Law, The Baron Regent of Vivar, Emilio Diaz, did not inherit the title of Count in favor of her son, Rodrigo Diaz, III.
Upon arriving in the capital city, Chimene is immediately accommodated in the castle and invited to freshen up before dinner. At dinner, The King honors Countess Chimene Diaz for her husband's sacrifice. She responds by stating the loss of her husband will be felt by the Nation, her County, and her Family, and of course the Family will suffer most because he was the biggest part of the family, but he was the key figure in the County so the County will suffer until a leader like her husband can be seated, but the Nation will suffer because his loss is their loss too. The King toasted the Hero Rodrigo and the dinner conversation moved on to other matters. After dinner, the King's Chamberlain told the Countess Chimene the King would like to see her again for lunch and discuss her reasons for traveling to the Capital.
At lunch, the King tells the Countess of his memories of Rodrigo and how noble he was. Then he surprises her by stating flatly, "I know why you have come to see me." The Countess waits for the next comment. "You are curious about the succession to the Seat of the County, and if your Son, Rodrigo the third, will become Count of Vivar." The words hung in the air, not as a question but as a statement.
The king continued, "I have been advised by the High Chancellor of the basis for Emilio Diaz's, Regent of Vivar, claim as your late husband's brother to the Title and Office of Count of Vivar. We recognize that as the brother of the heir, your late husband Rodrigo, Emilio is second in line to inherit the title. But this claim is superseded by the birth of your son, Rodrigo the third. This is clear in the Law of Nobility in Calanthi." With this, all tension in Chimene evaporated and a slight smile emerged. She responded, "I am refreshed to hear your Grace sees the situation as plainly as I do myself, and has not been swayed by the talk of those who would seek to advance themselves at Rodrigo's expense and to the detriment of the country. Rodrigo is a hero, and to betray his heir would be noticed beyond the borders of Calanthi." "Indeed, it would, and we will not see that happen", the king responded.
"Now, to assuage Emilio's feelings, how shall we proceed?", the king went on. "I could honor him with some other title and office, but that would only move him from the barony. I believe it would be best for me to wait until Rodrigo ascends to the Seat of the Barony himself at 25 according to custom. Emilio could be given some other honor until such time as the barony is in need of a Regent again. Emilio is the rightful Regent until Rodrigo has a son old enough to be seated. We think this will require some more thought. We need a better solution. But while we ponder this matter, go home and rest easy the Throne is behind Rodrigo's claim as Count."
The king raised his glass to the countess, and she responded in like manner. They drank and put down their glasses. The king asked, "Would you permit the Crown to honor your husband with burial in The Field of Heroes in King's Crest? His service warrants such attention." The countess paused and drank another sip of wine before saying, "Your Grace is very kind. The Count's of Vivar are all buried in our family's field save for the First Count, Don Diego Diaz, who rode for the King at The Founding, and is honored in The Field of Heroes. My husband's body is being brought to Vivar as we speak. I hadn't thought of any other options, with this other matter weighing on me. With your Grace's permission, may I answer tonight after dinner?" The king sat back and drank from his glass, draining it. He looked out into the garden for only a moment, and said, "Of course. So much has been on your mind. Consider your wishes and consider the honor I am offering your husband, for sincerely, I know he is a hero of Calanthi, and I wish everyone to know our heroes will not be forgotten."
The king nodded to the Arch Bishop who had been sitting quietly dining with the King and the Countess. An attendant stepped forward and attendants pulled back the chairs as the King, the Countess, the Arch Bishop and the Chancellor all stood together. The king parted after saying, "I shall look forward to seeing you, Countess, again at dinner this evening." And with that, the king departed with the Chancellor, leaving the Arch Bishop with the Countess.
... This is the scenario I want to flesh out in my Lore ...
How will this play out? Rodrigo Diaz, III, by law, will be seated as Baron of Vivar when he reaches 25 years. At that time his uncle, Emilio Diaz, will be honored with a ceremonial office in the Court of the Count unless the King decides otherwise. When Rodrigo Diaz, III, reaches 30 years, he will be seated as the Count of Vivar. If Emilio hasn't been drawn away from Vivar, he will resume the office of Baron Regent until he dies or until Rodrigo's heir can assume the office at 25.
Super cool. I might add some jealousy, assassination, bribes or something else to shake it up. Especially with this specific a tale, there needs to be some conflict, otherwise what's the point? The setting is all too quiet... Make the shake matter in relevance to "modern" day, like Emilio not wanting to be bumped off the title of regent and going to war etc., claiming the throne, and now the rightful descendants of Rodrigo work with the PCs to regain the throne. Thats a bit huge, but you get the idea. Again, that's what I would do, but you don't have to.
Good luck!
"That is not dead which can eternal lie;
And with strange aeons even death may die"
-H.P. Lovecraft
The concept I have right now is Emilio has always resented his brother Rodrigo because of "an Accident by Birth", which has been overhead saying since he was about 14. Since then, his future was always going to be the "fill-in" for whatever his brother needed doing. And then his children would be nobles by birth but have no significant inheritance. His children would grow up in luxury, but not his grandchildren. When his brother reached 25 he would be enthroned as the Baron. When his father stepped down, his brother would become Count and he would become the Baron Regent, holding the seat in trust until his nephew reached 25. Then, he would give up his regency and become a courtier on his brother's court unless he had secured another better post for himself.
And now his chance has come.
Emilio has also always been second in line for the Seat of Count until Rodrigo the 3rd was born. At that time, Rodrigo the 3rd was the chosen prince for the Count. These are the Laws of the Nobility of Calanthi. Well, with no other heir, if Rodrigo the 3rd dies, Emilio is the rightful heir to the Seat. Even now, there would be reason to install Emilio as the Count Regent waiting for Rodrigo the 3rd to reach 30 years old.
But, the Countess already knows about Emilio's jealously, and won't give him the extra influence he could wield as Count Regent. But, how is the Countess going to protect her son while giving him the opportunity to grow up with the life experience needed to rule as the Count? And, this is D&D with magic and all that.
The Countess can't be sure her in-laws can be trusted because it is one child against one grandchild. Their loyalties might be confused. So her first thought is to turn to her own family, not just her father's family, the Bascons, but also her mother's family, the Foxxes. With two families she can trust, she plans to set up a surveillance network to watch Emilio's household and courtiers while also setting up a ring of defenses around her son and daughters.
Her next layer of the plan was to find out if the King were firmly on her side, which because her husband was a hero and martyr of the kingdom she believed was a solid bet, but she wished to make sure.
After that, she planned on forming alliances with at least three other good families but arranging marriages for her son, Rodrigo the 3rd and his two younger sisters. A marriege to Rodrigo is obvious as the heir to the County. However, as the Count, he is also empowered to give the husbands of his two sisters noble rank as Grand Barons that preside over towns in his County. The title of Grand Baron is not hereditary, but it is titled nobility and provides many advantages to the Grand Baron.
But ...
Emilio has a plan, or is about to make a plan.
Emilio's fear isn't that he can't kill the young lad; it's that he can't kill the lad and get away with it. His fear is that by use of Zone of Truth any plan he is involved in will be traced back to himself. So he seeks a plan to kill the lad but can't be traced back to him. Such things require careful manipulations, and his desire is so deep that he is going to look for an answer. ( I already know what sort of things are going to happen, but I want to make it even better by getting some help from you diabolical two faced rats out there. And if you're a goody two-shoes, I need to hear how you plan to protect Rodrigo and his mother Chimene. )