Owain has a few things he wants to get started. He sees himself as a potential spymaster type, using his underworld knowledge and skills to act in an intelligence and counterintelligence capacity, especially against Alastania, which sounds like a pretty serious threat. To that end, he is going to take steps to improve his relationship with Halia Thornton since she has contacts throughout the underworld. If she doesn't have contacts in the Valley that's okay, it will still be useful to have an ear to the ground in civilization. In Veydorn, Sir Calvin is obviously a useful contact, and that relationship is already established, but Owain would like to make his own connections to as many of Calvin's people as possible, just in case. He also wants to make use of the Snakes, who seem like they're weak enough to not be seen as a threat, but could be useful allies and could help gather information in Veydorn. He'd also like to learn more about Nothic's apparently precognitive abilities, because those could obviously come in handy.
Out of character, because this is stuff that is more in Nathan and Zack's wheelhouse and I don't want to step on their toes, I've got a few ideas for the "kingdom" overall. Obviously getting the militia going is a good idea, and though we ripped them off, getting on the Church of the Dragonthingy's good side will be helpful, as they're potentially useful allies. If there's any way we could use the local orcs to our advantage, either by outright dealing with them or making them respect us enough to leave us alone, that would be useful. Installing Alana as a merchant is a good idea and can help Phandalin grow, plus if she remains on good terms with her brother, she still has contacts in Veydorn (albeit ones that must remain quiet). We also have a lot of money floating around, so we can use some of that to buy land for people in exchange for them staying on and farming, invest it in caravans or other ventures, and so forth. We'll sort it out.
I'm pretty excited about the possibilities of all this!
So here is where things get sticky. Halia lets you know that there is a significant criminal force from just outside from the Timro Kingdom, a relatively influential neighboring country. So now a shadow war may erupt from those wanting to come in and control the criminal underworld, and those who already inhabit it.
The bad news is that those who are from within owe certain allegiances to the Surt of Alastania. So you could throw in with the incoming criminals, or the ones who are in place. The decision is not easy, and even Halia isn't sure who she is siding with just yet. She is actually tempted to maintain a neutral party, but there are forces that tug her in either direction.
You all will have to go and report to Sir Calvin soon, since he hasn't been updated yet, or at least not by you all. He may have some more insight on everything you are hoping to achieve, and may even be interested in making some investments in your ventures, most especially so that he can get some influence in Phandalin. He is going to see if you guys want to continue to receive help from Sneaks and Shackles, but he won't press them on you guys if you don't want them to hang around necessarily.
As for Nothic's apparent ability, I need to know how you plan to investigate that. You aren't sure how best to figure it out or even use it, but Nothic himself is a bit of a mystery.
I'm interested to see if Zack or Nathan have specific plans, but the militia is going to get formed by by Nathan's subordinates soon enough, though Nathan has a chance to help it take a more definitive shape, depending on his desire to do so. Getting local orcs to help you will be tricky. You all did slaughter a number of them, and they have had a rather tumultuous history with local humanoids for centuries. It's not impossible, but it will take a monumental effort. There are people within Phandalin AND the Vorlin Valley (where Sahlak, Alastania, and Veydorn are) that know more about the local "monster tribes" that might have some insight. The Alastania library can be helpful for that as well.
Are you going to try and get the people you rescued from the caves to stay in Phandalin? It may not be a bad idea, but a number of them will require some convincing, though buying them land will go a good way towards that. There is also the question of whether you can implicitly trust all of them. So I leave it to you to figure out how to organize that effort.
I am still figuring out how I want to integrate those kingdom building rules from Ultimate Campaign, but as soon as I do, probably this week or next, I will put something in place so you all can start doing things like using points to build up the town, and buying infrastructure, etc. I'm seeing some similarities to the "Loot" system from the Skull and Shackles AP, so I may adapt it so that you guys can find treature hordes that work like building points rather than actual currency, just to help you guys get things that directly help your cause.
But let me know what you think of all of that. I'm also interested in seeing how everyone else plans to use your resources, since you do have a lot of them, including a lot of good will from Phandalin and its citizens.
Nathan has found himself with a desire to keep Phandalin safe and protected and in spite of himself has discovered enjoying being the leader for once. While he doesn't look at himself as the leader of the party, having soldiers looking up to him and seeking his experience has pushed him to grow a bit.
While generally neutral in his views, Nathan is taking a more benevelont bent in his approach to the militia. To start, putting his men to work building the manor and fixing up the tavern is meant to teach the men a skill, provide a common experience, and in the end something they have a tangible connection to. If this works, he will have them move onto other construction projects in and around the town. He also makes sure that he works alongside the militia on these projects, getting to know the men and show them that he isn't above doing the hard work himself. There are also the standard practices of an army, such as combat training, drills, and conditioning, but for the moment he is focusing less on those until he can be more present to supervise.
His current long term plans are to find a few men to trust as under captains and someone he can rely on to recruit outsiders to it. He see's the manor as being owned by the party, not just him, so the manor in his mind should become a center of all of the party's focuses. In anything, he would seek to use a portion of the basement as a place to store emergency supplies and a secondary command center. He is hoping to make the tavern the militia HQ and primary command center, where men on active duty can stay the night and officers can lead.
Once he feels the militia is ready for a challenge he would want to use it to press the orcs in the area with a show of force. Nathan's hope is that by striking against them hard and quickly enough he can force them into a peace agreement. Carve out a territory that orcs and monterous tribes know not to encroach upon. He is willing to try peace talks ahead of this strike, or finding a pacifist approach to the matter if the can't get the support for a strike, but he knows well that the militia won't be fully ready without real experience. He might also consider hiring out the militia or offering their services if an opportunity arises. Maybe the dragon hunters would appreciate some backup and support, or maybe the militia can be hired to protect caravans from time to time.
Lastly, Nathan wants to make sure the militia is well equipped. His officiers would be armed with magic items coming out of the Wave Echo Cave, but he also is going to keep an eye out for craftsmen and artisans he can recruit to the town. Maybe they would be willing to provide the militia with equipment in exchange for new and personalized workshop.
Speaking of Wave Echo Cave, Nathan is very concerned for its security but isn't sure what to do about it. He can't march men over to it because that would draw attention. He is going to look for a solution, and be open minded on how to keep such a place secret and seccure.
Funding the militia will be a concern, but hopefully hiring them out, construction services, and selling magic items from the Wave Echo Cave would supplement anything it is receiving from town taxes. A well funded militia would mean better training, better recruitment, and better gear.
Outside of the militia, Nathan wants to find out what is going on with the changling/doppelgängers. There isn't much that can be done to protect the roads from an creature like that, so he wants them dealt with before he sends his men out onto the road. Dealt with can mean recruiting or eliminating them, so at the moment he is just waiting to see what is going on.
With the princess coming Nathan is going to do what he can to prepare the militia for the visit. The first day is drills in marching and getting everyone up to speed on how to behave around someone like the Princess and her guard. He will discipline them in how to stand at attention and salute perfectly as much as he can with the time he has. The other day before her arrival will be tightening up security of the town. He will work with the men and women of the militia to set up proper patrols, pair them up, and establish a work schedule. He will give them orders that if something happens they are to fall back and retreat to a central command point where the alarm is to be raised. He doesn't want any lone heroes; everyone will watch everyone else's backs. If a citizen is being harmed, one of the pair is to run to raise the alarm while the other does their best to save the citizen but Nathan stresses that no one should attempt to save anyone who is already dead.
The plan is to meet the princess and her escort outside of the town with most of the militia and escort them into the town. The militia will be as close to parade dress as Nathan can get them, and everything is to be presented as non-hostile. For Nathan this is rolling out the red carpet.
If he has time he will help furnish the mansion, but he realizes this might be something he has to let other's handle. He is going to suggest that the princess take one of the main bedrooms in the mansion, possibly even the room he has picked out for himself. He knows the ins and outs of the mansion a bit better than other locations and can have guards set up to control the location. The princess's personal guard could also stay at the mansion, but if she has too many people with her rooms will have to be set up elsewhere. Entrances to the caves below the mansion will have to be sealed with exception to entrances away from the mansion itself.
Nathan's best men will be assigned to escort and keep an eye on the princess and her people. Nothing covert, nothing hostile, nothing aggressive. Its to be a courtesy and cooperative. That said, as soon as something is up, like a servant missing for a suspicious amount of time, Nathan wants a report to him, Owain, Zach, or V'arith.
Great precautionary measures. The militia is forming up nicely, and the criminal underworld is starting to look into staking their claim in this place.
Owain, with luck this session will see some rather interesting developments in the criminal element of Phantalin, but nothing that you won't already have your pulse on.
Zack, there is a growing demand for an apothecary of sorts, and people have been bugging you to either open one (they don't know if you can, but they ask anyway) or to oversee the opening of one. People have actually come out of the valley asking for exotic ingredients and potions that don't really exist there. You think you could probably at least nudge a few things into being that would foment such an enterprise.
Nathan, your militia is shaping up to be pretty good, but you think the issue of a revenue stream is still going to pop up sooner than later. With the mansion done, the men need a bit more to do for manual labor, unless you set them to other activities. You think that there might be actual military things they could do, but if you want to set them to a civil works project, that would be good as well. They should be kept occupied, regardless.
Owain will take the opportunity of the few days before the surtina's arrival to chat with the bartenders and other folks around town who might be in a position to overhear or notice suspicious or useful things during this visit, and imply that he would like to hear about such things, on the sly. He stresses that this includes strange actions by or against the visitors.
Alana might have some contacts outside of the Old Kingdoms who could help get an apothecary set up? Also, we will likely want some static defenses around Phandalin eventually, so the militia could get to work on a couple of watch towers or the like. A wall seems like too big of an ask, but a tower along the side of the road just outside of the valley facing side of the town and maybe one on the opposite side seem like good investments.
Zack's primary interest is more to be more internal, a focus on the town, than external (worrying about or dealing with outside issues). So he's going to be main looking at the civil and economic structure of the town, ensuring that everything works smoothly as the town expands and grows. He's interested in trying to integrate the people we saved from the town into the city. He'll pay for land to try and get them to stay. He's going to be talking with the Mayor and some of the other town leaders about getting more people to move to the town, but at the same time he wants to try and keep problems to a minimum. He's also interested in making sure the Cult of Dragonwright isn't causing any problems or creeping people out too much.
Zack will be getting preparations ready for the Princess' arrival. He'll have quizzed the soldiers extensively about what kind of things she likes and what she dislikes and will have tried to set things up to avoid any obvious faux pas. Her kingdom might be a threat, but it's also large and could be a very useful source of trade, so it would be better to be on its good side than not. Zack will definitely be splitting his focus to getting the mansion in good shape, at least good enough that the princess won't find it insulting to be lodged there. He's also going to make sure the basement monster is well fed before she arrives and will make sure the door is locked and barred so that nobody can stumble in on it by accident (though the idea of our pet monster causing an international incident is kind of amusing).
The nation of Timro has gotten a few issues with shipping, running into some pirates that are causing issues with the shipping of people and and supplies. They don't expect you to do anything to help, but they are giving you that news so you know that their efforts are being delayed. This won't affect the building of the fort, since you guys are fronting that, but you think it could affect future trade once they get the supply line moving.
The orcs in the north have started to become more aggressive, but have not attacked Phandalin yet. You are getting handfuls of refugees from other towns and settlements to the North that are being seiged by the orcs. People are talking about a prophecy, and saying that the age of relative prosperity may give way to another era of the Old Kingdoms ruled by the monster races. So far it has just been widespread panic from a handful of people, but Phandalin is starting to grow concerned about the orcish incursions.
You have started to notice refugees coming from the valley. Those who once tried to get to Alastania (the North Korea-esque place) now are coming to you. Halia Thornton warns that they may be sending spies in with the refugees. So far, there are about 50 coming through. The changelings have reported no odd activity if you have them monitor from the mountain pass.
So far the political climate of the valley has been stable. You see some military buildup by Alastania, and there is a draft in effect (they are actually giving more refugees entry in exchcange for military service), but it seems to be in the name of repelling the orcs. There is apparently a mountain pass in the north that seems to be another staging point for the orcish incursions that has historically been an issue for Alastania.
Vyerith continues to be absent. You guys did get a letter from her saying that she is ok, and that she is trying to help. You aren't sure what that means, and it is up to each of you to decide if that is of any comfort or concern. The letter smells of ozone.
Finally, there seems to be an aurora boreales effect over the valley in the last few days. You aren't sure what it means, but the locals say that it points to the "dreams of the old ones". It is a local legend with no bearing in any reality, but it is true that this part of the world rarely if ever sees aurora boreales at all. It has been enough of a sign that the Dragonwright congregation has been praying non-stop, and Sister Garaeli has been holding regular mass for each day that it happens.
Owain will invest 1,000 gp into getting a proper network of spies/informants set up, especially in the valley. Any information will be welcome, especially if it helps up locate this temple (and any other interesting adventuring sites in the area.
Nathan will invest into the town guard. He will put 500 gp into a fund for equipment, weapons, and armor for current and future guards. Tib, Val, and Zub are all going to receive a 250 gp bonus, and each of the original guards will be given a 100 gp bonus for their service and loyalty. Nathan will encourage them to use the money to either purchase property in the area or improved gear. Then Nathan will look to hire a recruiter (however much that will cost). The recruitment terms will be the promise of the standard payment rate plus a 10 gp signing bonus for the first 10 people recruited that have previous military experience and a 5 gp signing bonus for the first 20 that don't. Nathan is willing to extend the bonuses to additional recruits should they show promise, but this would be a case by case basis and after Nathan personally meets them. The bonuses will be coming from Nathan, and will only be given after a one month probationary period.
Nathan will also put to the town council the question of how many men in the guard the town feels they can sustain. Once he has an idea of how many guards the town can afford per year he will let the recruiter known the limit and possibly adjust the bonus numbers. Nathan will also petition the council to establish a pension policy for the guard and set up some way to fund it.
Lastly, he is going to put 500 gp into a fund that will cover future bonuses, pensions, and medical expenses. He'll be putting more money into it as the party comes across more treasure. I believe that is a total investment of 3150gp.
Outside of the guard, Nathan wants to hire a cartographer and surveyor to get the town and surounding area properly mapped with current property lines marked. The purpose of the map is to start some civic planning and attempt to prevent conflicts with/between property owners. The updated map will be presented to the town council as a gift. Nathan also wants to inquire about the prices to buy property, specifically undeveloped plots of land, but is not currently going to purchase any.
After the most recent events, a number of political things have changed.
The Ogrish Tribes have descended and been unified under Galthor, the littlest hill giant. They are leading a group of orcs that are nominally tied to the worship of the Church of Darkness. It seems like the loss of their leader (Lord Kreegor), and the various schisms between the orcs have caused them to become radicalized. They are rapidly gearing up for what seems like conflict with the humans. You believe that Galthor is actually wary of you, and the contingent of orcs that are now in your territory (more on that later). Instead of targeting the valley, or Phandalin, they have started to target the border cities of the Kingdom of Timro.
You have only seen the beginnings of this offensive action, but it has already started to hinder the trade agreement between you and Timro. You aren't sure if it is a calculated move, or one of convenience, as Timro is the nearest human kingdom to target. Bolstered as they are by the tech that they have, their early efforts are successful, and they have taken a number of slaves and cart-fulls of loot.
In addition, there is a realization... Timro has been making mass use of orc and ogre slaves, and Galthor has been liberating them. Most of those slaves have willingly joined Galthor's ranks. The efforts are still in their initial stages, but Owain's shadow network has been uncovering these details before things have blown out of proportion.
You think that Timro is no stranger to defending its borders, but mobilization will be slow, and many of the border cities and forts are in danger of falling before that happens. There has been an ask that you help defend the area. If Timro gets wind of your town being spared the attacks, it might look bad and raise questions. For now, they are offering a hefty sum for you to provide any kind of militia or mercenary help. Interestingly enough, the idea has been raised by Halia to get Alastania to provide a mercenary army, and act as the middle man. This way, Timro is in debt to Alastania, and you are free from any obligation.
On the valley side, things have been getting serious. The mountain pass leading into the valley has become dangerous, leading to a number of people to start disappearing. The changelings cite that there are no changelings causing issues, but they have sensed something else there, and are staying away. They caution you to only travel during the day, and refrain from sending many people across the pass if you can help it. They cite the recent lights, and a prophecy as their reasons. The prophecy, in vague terms, says that when the light reaches for the heavens, darkness will descend, and the children of the earth will rise to consume.
Your contacts in Veydorn have raised concerns that people in the city have gone missing overnight. A number of people, mostly lower class, have disappeared, and the town is in the grip of fear. Pleas have gone out to Alastania, which has responded with martial law. this has only had the opposite effect, and the people are on the verge of open rebellion. They are angry that Alastania is exerting control, but seems not to be able to (or willing) to protect the lower class.
A rebellion would be ill timed, unless there is some intervention. Alastania is likely to crush a rebellion, as it has in the past, and replace the upper class with its own people, making Veydorn more of a puppet state than ever. Sir Calvin is doing what he can to salvage the situation, but has asked that you help in some way. His recommendation is that you come to investigate the disappearences, or send someone to do so. He has had his hands full stockpiling to either ride out the ensuing rebellion, or fund it, something he hasn't yet decided on.
Alastania, meanwhile, has sent a small contingent of soldiers to Phandalin, and they have a writ from the Surt asking for a formal embassy, which would consist of a small building and about 10 soldiers. This seems like a bare attempt to re-establish some sort of diplomacy, terse as it is. For now, they have sent a diplomat that would like to meet with you. The whisper network is saying that the Surt is staying within the valley to deal with recent issues, so he will be relying on his envoys.
Phandalin, for its part, has been getting somewhat rich off of the trade, but that has started to dry up for various reasons (pillar of light, disappearances on the road and in the valley, ogre invasion). They are considering turning towards a new revenue stream, and some interest has built up around mining. Alternately, farming is probably a smart choice, especially if you decide to promote trade between Phandalin and the orcs. Gundren and Sildar may be ready to start production of magic weapons, but that will come with its own challenges, especially if you want to stay beneath the notice of Alastania.
Finally, you have a visitor waiting from Sahlak. She is apparently an inquisitor from the holy city, and she has questions for you. She is patient, and is staying with Sister Garaelee until you can see her, but she is hoping to return to help with the current problems in the valley.
I might be a bit confused because my plan ideas are dependent on leaving as soon as we can and beating Galthor back to Kreegor's old base of operation where the orc's herd animals are. If that isn't possible then we'll have to make some adjustments.
First step that Nathan wants to do is ask the orcs loyal to him to spread the word of Nathan's leadership far and wide in an attempt to attract more of the orc tribes, bands, and families. Then establish a time for a big meeting at the castle. The time frame should allow the party to go and steal the animals from Galthor and bring them back to the castle where they will be distributed. The meeting's purpose is to establish some organization among the ranks and provide the orcs with a proper plan for the future. Setting all this up shouldn't take very long and once its done Nathan will ask the orcs to return their land and families to put their affairs in order before the meeting.
Then Nathan will ask for twenty orcs for the cattle rustling mission. He needs orcs with herding experience, orcs that can move quickly, and orcs with combat experience. He'll also need at least a few that know the areas they will travel through and where the animals are being kept. He also asks for as many of the explosive devices as can be provided, and enough of the high tech ranged weapons to arm most of the group. Everyone should be geared up and ready to move quickly over a long distance through enemy territory.
The plan is to beat Galthor to where the animals are being kept using the shortest route that doesn't directly expose the party to Galthor's army. Stealth isn't import, just speed. This means that everyone should be ready for a fight in case the route is through orge territory and we run across some patrols. The orcs in the party are totally allowed to engage in fights, and encouraged to use the high tech weapons but not the explosives.
Once at the place where the animals are being kept any threat there should be dealt with, either with diplomacy or violence. Hopefully more orcs that can recruited are there. If there is a stockpile of weapons that can be stolen, great. However the focus is on the animals. All pack animals should be loaded up with anything that can be stolen. Then the group will need to take the explosives and strap one each to an animal. These explosive animals should be dispersed through the herds we will be moving, and the explosives should be obvious. If there is anything else like casks of strong alcohol or oil we can strap those to other animals in an obvious way.
The point of the explosives isn't to destroy the animals, but to provide a credible bluff. There probably isn't a safe way to travel back that doesn't bring the herd in contact with Galthor's men. If this is true, then Nathan will march everyone to meet Galthor and his army. The bluff is this: If Galthor doesn't let him and the animals pass then the explosives will be detonated and a large portion of the animals will be destroyed, allowing no one to use them. In the chaos Nathan and his men will escape, and the explosions will be a signal to an agent back at Kreegor's old weapon stockpile to set off explosives there, destroying them and a large portion of that base.
Of course this is only mostly a bluff. There are standing orders to shoot and set off the explosives at Nathan's signal, but the hope is never give that signal. There also wouldn't be an agent to set off explosives at the base because hopefully everything that could be taken will be taken. This should put Galthor in a Catch 22 situation. He can either look weak to his army and back down to Nathan's demands or see everything destroyed. Either way he loses a food source, equipment, and weapons. The third option for him would be to agree to another duel right there and then.
If push comes to shove and there is no other option, Nathan will order his men to drive the animals towards Galthor before setting off the explosives in the hope that it will create enough chaos for everyone to escape.
So the first thing is that the ogrish tribes have been conducting the raids on Timro even before the advent of the tribes being splintered. But you do still have time to get to the herds before Galthor does.
Spreading the word will take some time to have effect, but you think it started without you asking for it. There has been a rallying of orcs who want a stable leader, and you fit the bill the most closely. Plus you are more orc than an ogre is, which is a big plus. The meeting can happen likely when you get back from the cattle raid. It sounds like a good idea and will likely yield good results.
You can definitely get a twenty of dudes bad enough to help with the cattle raid. These orcs are tough and can definitely provide a big help. Diplomacy might work, and the plan, crazy as it is, is more likely to work. You might have a fight or two on your hands, but outside of that, you think you can at least get to the herds and figure out how to either talk to or fight the orcs guarding the herds. The explosive plan, if you can make it there with explosives intact, should be effective.
But all of your planning is sound. Now to implement it.
In the wake of recent events, the area outside of the valley has calmed considerably. However, the valley remains a hotbed of problems and disappearances.
Veydorn is starting to foment a populist rebellion. Nothing military, but the people are out in open protest over the disappearances, and of Alastania's "protection" proving ineffective. Alastania, for their part, are stepping up their martial law of Veydorn, but it is only making the people more and more restless.
Sister Rose, the has suspected some kind of supernatural threat, but has not yet come to any conclusions. She is going to entreat the group to help in that respect, as they potentially have an autonomy to investigate where the Church may not. She has also spoken in brief with Vaf Decker Kanzel about such an engagement, and he is willing to grant the autonomy of an investigation to the group if they agree to a consulate being built with no other conditions.
The forays into the ruins on the west end of the valley have been fruitless, and have even had some disappearances of their own. The changelings have refused to go anywhere near it, and other scouts have since disappeared. Even the Hierarchy of Fangs has refused to tread near the ruins, giving it a wide berth, and seems to be sleeping more frequently as of late.
The alliance with Timro has been especially fruitful now that the fort has been completed, but you are starting to see the first hand effects of the slave trade, which is even being extended to your front door, as Timro has sent a slave merchant to you hoping to have a moment of your time. Whether you reject them, or how you reject them is up to you. Timro seems to be rather happy to continue promoting their slave trade which has made them fabulously wealthy, and has put them head and shoulders over other competitors. To that end, the slave trader is willing to offer you a nominal fee for any monster race captives turned over to them.
So far the remainder of the Old Kingdoms has been rather quiet, and you think that the resettlement of the Armies of Galthor (their now official name) are causing a shake up that's effects are yet to be seen. You are seeing a slight influx of orcs that are interested in emigrating from the Old Kingdoms and into the lands of Short Tusk (not yet official name...?). It's nothing crazy, maybe a few tribes of 20-30 at a time, but word appears to be spreading slowly throughout the Old Kingdoms. There is slight talk of challengers that are interested in testing your might, but you think that those rumors are as yet unsubstantiated.
And finally, on the home front, Phandalin seems to be prospering in spite of all the crazy happenstance. In a stark contrast to other fictional kingdoms burning to the ground, Phandalin has seen a boom in prosperity despite being on the edge of destruction at least once. The town has already increased drastically in size, both land wise and population since you first arrived (current estimates have it at about 2000 give or take). There is a burgeoning tourism business growing out of the people of Timro wanting to check out the town at the edge of the "monster lands", as well as a stop for any of those wishing to go into the valley. Regrettably, there are fewer people wanting to enter the valley these days, due to other tensions and disappearances.
For its part, the townsfolk of Phandalin are happy, and seem to be rather impressed with you as shadow leaders. Zack, there are some acolytes that would like to receive some magical training, and the townsfolk are looking to you for guidance regarding an alchemist that wants to setup in town as well, potentially bringing a magic trade into the town.
As a final note, the illegal trade has increased, but some of that trade is trying to tend towards slave trade and illegal predatory gambling. There is an unruly element that is trying to move in from Timro that is attempting to spread their influence within the region, and there is even talk of a crime boss from Timro's capital city, sending his own delegate to check in.
And that's more or less it. Lots of spinning plates, and a lot of opportunities. Bear in mind that unaddressed items will be potential flash points in the future.
Brothers! Sisters! I stand here because you chose to follow my call. I stand here not just because of my strength but because of yours. We are connected as one people, in that there is strength. As long as we stand united we have strength. For as long as we have our brothers and sisters at out side we have strength. With every one of you at my side I stand stronger than any one in this world, and I promise to stand by your side so that you may stand just as strong.
The people of this world call us monsters. Their tales of bravery and heroics cast us not as the hero but as the villains. In the eyes of other races we are something to be hunted, defeated, and slaughtered. My dream is to prove them wrong. We stand at the edge of an opportunity of glory. We are positioned to be the heroes of this world, to defeat the monsters that threaten everyone. This day is the start of a change in our story. I cannot promise that humans will look at us like equals but I can promise that if you follow me you will be able to know that you did more for this world than they did. We will stop the end of all things, we will end the monsters threatening everyone, and we will end the lights frightening the cities of the valley.
Those lights are not an omen to us. They are an opportunity. They are the first step to the glory that awaits us. History will tell of these lights as the beacons that moved us towards our greatest moment. The moment we would no longer be the monsters but the damn heroes.
I will go to make preparations. I will investigate and find the best path forward, make battle plans, and return to lead us all to this glory I dream of. That we dream of. In the meantime I ask that you, my brothers and sisters, put your affairs in order and prepare for war. I will work with you before I leave to ensure that all is in order.
Strength. Strength is said to be valued among the orcs above all else. When it is said they mean strength in arms. When I look upon you I see strength in unity, in conviction, and in resolve. I see your strength, your true strength. And now my strength will be yours as well.
Organization
Nathan is going to organize a meritocracy. The leaders will be those that have proven themselves to have the skills needed. Because of the nomadic nature of the orcs Nathan will work to try and preserve the traditions that bind groups together. They are most likely organized by family units, then into clans. The only major reorganization is going to be in the military. He is going to follow a Mongul model, where soldiers are organized into teams of ten men. Ten teams will be a unit. Ten units will make up a company. No two people in a team will be related or part of the same small clan. This is to encourage the soldiers to see the greater whole and not just their family as worth fighting for.
Nathan is also going to form a new clan, Ramrok's Chosen. He will be the head of that clan and Ramrok's Chosen will be the head of all clans. The orcs that witnessed the dragon convocation, the orcs that came with the party through ogre territory, the orc that was gifted the wyvern egg, and a selection of orcs from the first clan to swear loyalty to Nathan will be the first selected for the clan. The orc that Nathan defeated and made a servant will be released and made a free man, and offered a placed in Nathan's new clan if he wants one.
Nathan will follow tradition in courting Brella, and should it seem proper and acceptable he will propose. Privately he will explain to her that he isn't initially making her part of his clan because should he marry her it would do more for her and her current clan.
While there will be a need of a more detailed government for the time being Nathan is going to empower the clans to handle affairs while he figures out what is going on with the lights and the threat they pose to the world. He is going to make a few decrees to get things started.
All raiding, pillaging, and taking of goods from other races is to be put on hold. Anyone caught doing so will be punished severely.
No slavery. While Nathan would recognize a class system should there be one currently in place slaves are to be freed immediately. Indentured servitude will be deemed acceptable under specific conditions, but even then those servants are to be granted rights that protect them and allow them to escape their status.
No family or clan is to make claim over specific areas of land as of yet. For the time being all land of this new kingdom is to be shared and considered open for use. Nathan will promise to work out land rights at a later time, and holds onto the power to grant and take land as he sees fit.
There will be religious freedom. As long as a god does not seek to harm Nathan or the orcs their worship is allowed within the kingdom.
Leadership roles in the military are to be assigned, not fought over. This is a time where we need everyone at full health and strength, and fighting over position will only weaken the military. There are places and times for brawls and duels, and Nathan will not object to non-lethal fights if they must be used to resolve disagreements, but any orc that kills another orc will be charged with murder and punished according to the crime.
Other Matters
He will accept the name Shorttusk that the land has been given, though admit he wished he had given some thought to the matter before it had given that name by outsiders. He is willing to pay for a proper map of political and tribal boundaries to determine where he should expect borders to be. He doesn't want to take any land from Phandalin but is willing to declare that it is under his protection. In fact because of the political situation he won't claim anything in the valley currently claimed by one of the city states or Phandalin. This puts the trade roads Timro uses out of his reach.
He will send messengers to the city-states to declare the formation of his lands and his leadership of them. He will stress that he has no desire for their lands or war with them but that he will also not tolerate poor treatment of his people or any move to take land from Shorttusk. He is open to treaties and agreements but at this time his concern are the lights and reports of disappearances.
Nathan is also going to order that watch stations be established along the trade roads that do run through the land of Shorttusk. He wants teams manning each one, rotating through to the next station on a daily basis. Each station needs to be no further away from each other than a day's travel. Everyone traveling the road is to be allowed protection at those stations. If travelers want an escort along the road they can wait for the team at a station to rotate to the next station. Because of the disappearances everyone needs to be on high guard and reports of them should be kept. Proper checkpoints will eventually need to be established to check goods and travel papers, but for now the watch stations will do. Watch stations will need a tower, a fenced yard, and a building to protect travelers from the elements.
Nathan's response to Timro's slave trader is to send a message with them back to his government. What happens in Phandalin is up to the leaders of the town, but the lands of Shorttusk will be another matter. Nathan is an abolitionist, will not tolerate slave catchers taking any slaves from his lands, orc or otherwise, and will put fees on any slave produced goods moving through the trade roads in his lands. While he will recognize and honor any agreement Timro made with Phandalin, his new lands of Shorttusk are yet to make such arrangements. Anyone caught catching, selling, or buying slaves in Shorttusk will be punished for doing so, with punishments ranging from branding to execution. Those branded will be charged higher rates for services or denied them outright depending on the brand. Transporting slaves through the land will not be officially stopped, but there must be a certificate of ownership. What he won't openly admit to Timro is that he will not punish or turn over anyone residing in his land that has freed slaves.
Nathan wants to stop constant challenges to his leadership so he is going to try and make it hard to do so. For the time being being mobile and away from places where he can be challenged is going to have to do but he is considering forming a new tradition. This new tradition would be a special test very similar to the 100-man kumite. Nathan won't recongize any challenger to his leadership until they have complete 20, 50, and 100 man kumites. He will, of course, do this challenge himself and attempt to do two 100-kumites in as many days. He would want plausible deniability, but he would totally look the other way if someone fixed the challenge in his favor.
Nathan plans on investigating the lights and ruins with the party, and makes sure there are people to represent his interests in Shorttusk while he does this. He is willing to take a few orcs along but only if it seems needed. He wants to keep the group small, familiar with each other, and mobile. He is hoping that what the party finds is a need for an army so he can lead the orcs in a crusade to end this threat.
Owain is dead set against slavery, and will make that very clear to anyone that brings it up. He'll be polite about it. The first time. Phandolin will not be allowing slavery, or the transport of slaves, if he has anything to say about it. If the council makes the decision to allow for slavery, that's their decision to make, and while he won't make any actual threats, he won't stand for it either, and something will have to be done.
All of those criminal types are going to have to answer to Owain in the long run, and there won't be any crime bosses that don't bend the knee, so to speak. Anyone caught dealing in slaves will be dealt with. They don't want to be "dealt with." In order to stave off the gambling stuff, Owain will try to get some licensed casino action going, or at the very least just keep gambling legal and crack down on any bookies who make too much noise.
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This is a thread for my weekly game in which my players can discuss the kingdom building aspects of the campaign.
For my players, please post anything here from questions about the ongoing politics and economy, to any actions you wish to take.
Owain has a few things he wants to get started. He sees himself as a potential spymaster type, using his underworld knowledge and skills to act in an intelligence and counterintelligence capacity, especially against Alastania, which sounds like a pretty serious threat. To that end, he is going to take steps to improve his relationship with Halia Thornton since she has contacts throughout the underworld. If she doesn't have contacts in the Valley that's okay, it will still be useful to have an ear to the ground in civilization. In Veydorn, Sir Calvin is obviously a useful contact, and that relationship is already established, but Owain would like to make his own connections to as many of Calvin's people as possible, just in case. He also wants to make use of the Snakes, who seem like they're weak enough to not be seen as a threat, but could be useful allies and could help gather information in Veydorn. He'd also like to learn more about Nothic's apparently precognitive abilities, because those could obviously come in handy.
Out of character, because this is stuff that is more in Nathan and Zack's wheelhouse and I don't want to step on their toes, I've got a few ideas for the "kingdom" overall. Obviously getting the militia going is a good idea, and though we ripped them off, getting on the Church of the Dragonthingy's good side will be helpful, as they're potentially useful allies. If there's any way we could use the local orcs to our advantage, either by outright dealing with them or making them respect us enough to leave us alone, that would be useful. Installing Alana as a merchant is a good idea and can help Phandalin grow, plus if she remains on good terms with her brother, she still has contacts in Veydorn (albeit ones that must remain quiet). We also have a lot of money floating around, so we can use some of that to buy land for people in exchange for them staying on and farming, invest it in caravans or other ventures, and so forth. We'll sort it out.
I'm pretty excited about the possibilities of all this!
So here is where things get sticky. Halia lets you know that there is a significant criminal force from just outside from the Timro Kingdom, a relatively influential neighboring country. So now a shadow war may erupt from those wanting to come in and control the criminal underworld, and those who already inhabit it.
The bad news is that those who are from within owe certain allegiances to the Surt of Alastania. So you could throw in with the incoming criminals, or the ones who are in place. The decision is not easy, and even Halia isn't sure who she is siding with just yet. She is actually tempted to maintain a neutral party, but there are forces that tug her in either direction.
You all will have to go and report to Sir Calvin soon, since he hasn't been updated yet, or at least not by you all. He may have some more insight on everything you are hoping to achieve, and may even be interested in making some investments in your ventures, most especially so that he can get some influence in Phandalin. He is going to see if you guys want to continue to receive help from Sneaks and Shackles, but he won't press them on you guys if you don't want them to hang around necessarily.
As for Nothic's apparent ability, I need to know how you plan to investigate that. You aren't sure how best to figure it out or even use it, but Nothic himself is a bit of a mystery.
I'm interested to see if Zack or Nathan have specific plans, but the militia is going to get formed by by Nathan's subordinates soon enough, though Nathan has a chance to help it take a more definitive shape, depending on his desire to do so. Getting local orcs to help you will be tricky. You all did slaughter a number of them, and they have had a rather tumultuous history with local humanoids for centuries. It's not impossible, but it will take a monumental effort. There are people within Phandalin AND the Vorlin Valley (where Sahlak, Alastania, and Veydorn are) that know more about the local "monster tribes" that might have some insight. The Alastania library can be helpful for that as well.
Are you going to try and get the people you rescued from the caves to stay in Phandalin? It may not be a bad idea, but a number of them will require some convincing, though buying them land will go a good way towards that. There is also the question of whether you can implicitly trust all of them. So I leave it to you to figure out how to organize that effort.
I am still figuring out how I want to integrate those kingdom building rules from Ultimate Campaign, but as soon as I do, probably this week or next, I will put something in place so you all can start doing things like using points to build up the town, and buying infrastructure, etc. I'm seeing some similarities to the "Loot" system from the Skull and Shackles AP, so I may adapt it so that you guys can find treature hordes that work like building points rather than actual currency, just to help you guys get things that directly help your cause.
But let me know what you think of all of that. I'm also interested in seeing how everyone else plans to use your resources, since you do have a lot of them, including a lot of good will from Phandalin and its citizens.
More updates and info as I think of it.
Nathan has found himself with a desire to keep Phandalin safe and protected and in spite of himself has discovered enjoying being the leader for once. While he doesn't look at himself as the leader of the party, having soldiers looking up to him and seeking his experience has pushed him to grow a bit.
While generally neutral in his views, Nathan is taking a more benevelont bent in his approach to the militia. To start, putting his men to work building the manor and fixing up the tavern is meant to teach the men a skill, provide a common experience, and in the end something they have a tangible connection to. If this works, he will have them move onto other construction projects in and around the town. He also makes sure that he works alongside the militia on these projects, getting to know the men and show them that he isn't above doing the hard work himself. There are also the standard practices of an army, such as combat training, drills, and conditioning, but for the moment he is focusing less on those until he can be more present to supervise.
His current long term plans are to find a few men to trust as under captains and someone he can rely on to recruit outsiders to it. He see's the manor as being owned by the party, not just him, so the manor in his mind should become a center of all of the party's focuses. In anything, he would seek to use a portion of the basement as a place to store emergency supplies and a secondary command center. He is hoping to make the tavern the militia HQ and primary command center, where men on active duty can stay the night and officers can lead.
Once he feels the militia is ready for a challenge he would want to use it to press the orcs in the area with a show of force. Nathan's hope is that by striking against them hard and quickly enough he can force them into a peace agreement. Carve out a territory that orcs and monterous tribes know not to encroach upon. He is willing to try peace talks ahead of this strike, or finding a pacifist approach to the matter if the can't get the support for a strike, but he knows well that the militia won't be fully ready without real experience. He might also consider hiring out the militia or offering their services if an opportunity arises. Maybe the dragon hunters would appreciate some backup and support, or maybe the militia can be hired to protect caravans from time to time.
Lastly, Nathan wants to make sure the militia is well equipped. His officiers would be armed with magic items coming out of the Wave Echo Cave, but he also is going to keep an eye out for craftsmen and artisans he can recruit to the town. Maybe they would be willing to provide the militia with equipment in exchange for new and personalized workshop.
Speaking of Wave Echo Cave, Nathan is very concerned for its security but isn't sure what to do about it. He can't march men over to it because that would draw attention. He is going to look for a solution, and be open minded on how to keep such a place secret and seccure.
Funding the militia will be a concern, but hopefully hiring them out, construction services, and selling magic items from the Wave Echo Cave would supplement anything it is receiving from town taxes. A well funded militia would mean better training, better recruitment, and better gear.
Outside of the militia, Nathan wants to find out what is going on with the changling/doppelgängers. There isn't much that can be done to protect the roads from an creature like that, so he wants them dealt with before he sends his men out onto the road. Dealt with can mean recruiting or eliminating them, so at the moment he is just waiting to see what is going on.
With the princess coming Nathan is going to do what he can to prepare the militia for the visit. The first day is drills in marching and getting everyone up to speed on how to behave around someone like the Princess and her guard. He will discipline them in how to stand at attention and salute perfectly as much as he can with the time he has. The other day before her arrival will be tightening up security of the town. He will work with the men and women of the militia to set up proper patrols, pair them up, and establish a work schedule. He will give them orders that if something happens they are to fall back and retreat to a central command point where the alarm is to be raised. He doesn't want any lone heroes; everyone will watch everyone else's backs. If a citizen is being harmed, one of the pair is to run to raise the alarm while the other does their best to save the citizen but Nathan stresses that no one should attempt to save anyone who is already dead.
The plan is to meet the princess and her escort outside of the town with most of the militia and escort them into the town. The militia will be as close to parade dress as Nathan can get them, and everything is to be presented as non-hostile. For Nathan this is rolling out the red carpet.
If he has time he will help furnish the mansion, but he realizes this might be something he has to let other's handle. He is going to suggest that the princess take one of the main bedrooms in the mansion, possibly even the room he has picked out for himself. He knows the ins and outs of the mansion a bit better than other locations and can have guards set up to control the location. The princess's personal guard could also stay at the mansion, but if she has too many people with her rooms will have to be set up elsewhere. Entrances to the caves below the mansion will have to be sealed with exception to entrances away from the mansion itself.
Nathan's best men will be assigned to escort and keep an eye on the princess and her people. Nothing covert, nothing hostile, nothing aggressive. Its to be a courtesy and cooperative. That said, as soon as something is up, like a servant missing for a suspicious amount of time, Nathan wants a report to him, Owain, Zach, or V'arith.
Great precautionary measures. The militia is forming up nicely, and the criminal underworld is starting to look into staking their claim in this place.
Owain, with luck this session will see some rather interesting developments in the criminal element of Phantalin, but nothing that you won't already have your pulse on.
Zack, there is a growing demand for an apothecary of sorts, and people have been bugging you to either open one (they don't know if you can, but they ask anyway) or to oversee the opening of one. People have actually come out of the valley asking for exotic ingredients and potions that don't really exist there. You think you could probably at least nudge a few things into being that would foment such an enterprise.
Nathan, your militia is shaping up to be pretty good, but you think the issue of a revenue stream is still going to pop up sooner than later. With the mansion done, the men need a bit more to do for manual labor, unless you set them to other activities. You think that there might be actual military things they could do, but if you want to set them to a civil works project, that would be good as well. They should be kept occupied, regardless.
Owain will take the opportunity of the few days before the surtina's arrival to chat with the bartenders and other folks around town who might be in a position to overhear or notice suspicious or useful things during this visit, and imply that he would like to hear about such things, on the sly. He stresses that this includes strange actions by or against the visitors.
Alana might have some contacts outside of the Old Kingdoms who could help get an apothecary set up? Also, we will likely want some static defenses around Phandalin eventually, so the militia could get to work on a couple of watch towers or the like. A wall seems like too big of an ask, but a tower along the side of the road just outside of the valley facing side of the town and maybe one on the opposite side seem like good investments.
Zack's primary interest is more to be more internal, a focus on the town, than external (worrying about or dealing with outside issues). So he's going to be main looking at the civil and economic structure of the town, ensuring that everything works smoothly as the town expands and grows. He's interested in trying to integrate the people we saved from the town into the city. He'll pay for land to try and get them to stay. He's going to be talking with the Mayor and some of the other town leaders about getting more people to move to the town, but at the same time he wants to try and keep problems to a minimum. He's also interested in making sure the Cult of Dragonwright isn't causing any problems or creeping people out too much.
Zack will be getting preparations ready for the Princess' arrival. He'll have quizzed the soldiers extensively about what kind of things she likes and what she dislikes and will have tried to set things up to avoid any obvious faux pas. Her kingdom might be a threat, but it's also large and could be a very useful source of trade, so it would be better to be on its good side than not. Zack will definitely be splitting his focus to getting the mansion in good shape, at least good enough that the princess won't find it insulting to be lodged there. He's also going to make sure the basement monster is well fed before she arrives and will make sure the door is locked and barred so that nobody can stumble in on it by accident (though the idea of our pet monster causing an international incident is kind of amusing).
A few things for bookkeeping purposes.
The nation of Timro has gotten a few issues with shipping, running into some pirates that are causing issues with the shipping of people and and supplies. They don't expect you to do anything to help, but they are giving you that news so you know that their efforts are being delayed. This won't affect the building of the fort, since you guys are fronting that, but you think it could affect future trade once they get the supply line moving.
The orcs in the north have started to become more aggressive, but have not attacked Phandalin yet. You are getting handfuls of refugees from other towns and settlements to the North that are being seiged by the orcs. People are talking about a prophecy, and saying that the age of relative prosperity may give way to another era of the Old Kingdoms ruled by the monster races. So far it has just been widespread panic from a handful of people, but Phandalin is starting to grow concerned about the orcish incursions.
You have started to notice refugees coming from the valley. Those who once tried to get to Alastania (the North Korea-esque place) now are coming to you. Halia Thornton warns that they may be sending spies in with the refugees. So far, there are about 50 coming through. The changelings have reported no odd activity if you have them monitor from the mountain pass.
So far the political climate of the valley has been stable. You see some military buildup by Alastania, and there is a draft in effect (they are actually giving more refugees entry in exchcange for military service), but it seems to be in the name of repelling the orcs. There is apparently a mountain pass in the north that seems to be another staging point for the orcish incursions that has historically been an issue for Alastania.
Vyerith continues to be absent. You guys did get a letter from her saying that she is ok, and that she is trying to help. You aren't sure what that means, and it is up to each of you to decide if that is of any comfort or concern. The letter smells of ozone.
Finally, there seems to be an aurora boreales effect over the valley in the last few days. You aren't sure what it means, but the locals say that it points to the "dreams of the old ones". It is a local legend with no bearing in any reality, but it is true that this part of the world rarely if ever sees aurora boreales at all. It has been enough of a sign that the Dragonwright congregation has been praying non-stop, and Sister Garaeli has been holding regular mass for each day that it happens.
Owain will invest 1,000 gp into getting a proper network of spies/informants set up, especially in the valley. Any information will be welcome, especially if it helps up locate this temple (and any other interesting adventuring sites in the area.
He will also do a background check on the maid.
We're one session away from being level 7!
Nathan will invest into the town guard. He will put 500 gp into a fund for equipment, weapons, and armor for current and future guards. Tib, Val, and Zub are all going to receive a 250 gp bonus, and each of the original guards will be given a 100 gp bonus for their service and loyalty. Nathan will encourage them to use the money to either purchase property in the area or improved gear. Then Nathan will look to hire a recruiter (however much that will cost). The recruitment terms will be the promise of the standard payment rate plus a 10 gp signing bonus for the first 10 people recruited that have previous military experience and a 5 gp signing bonus for the first 20 that don't. Nathan is willing to extend the bonuses to additional recruits should they show promise, but this would be a case by case basis and after Nathan personally meets them. The bonuses will be coming from Nathan, and will only be given after a one month probationary period.
Nathan will also put to the town council the question of how many men in the guard the town feels they can sustain. Once he has an idea of how many guards the town can afford per year he will let the recruiter known the limit and possibly adjust the bonus numbers. Nathan will also petition the council to establish a pension policy for the guard and set up some way to fund it.
Lastly, he is going to put 500 gp into a fund that will cover future bonuses, pensions, and medical expenses. He'll be putting more money into it as the party comes across more treasure. I believe that is a total investment of 3150gp.
Outside of the guard, Nathan wants to hire a cartographer and surveyor to get the town and surounding area properly mapped with current property lines marked. The purpose of the map is to start some civic planning and attempt to prevent conflicts with/between property owners. The updated map will be presented to the town council as a gift. Nathan also wants to inquire about the prices to buy property, specifically undeveloped plots of land, but is not currently going to purchase any.
After the most recent events, a number of political things have changed.
The Ogrish Tribes have descended and been unified under Galthor, the littlest hill giant.
They are leading a group of orcs that are nominally tied to the worship of the Church of
Darkness. It seems like the loss of their leader (Lord Kreegor), and the various schisms
between the orcs have caused them to become radicalized. They are rapidly gearing up for
what seems like conflict with the humans. You believe that Galthor is actually wary of you,
and the contingent of orcs that are now in your territory (more on that later). Instead of
targeting the valley, or Phandalin, they have started to target the border cities of the
Kingdom of Timro.
You have only seen the beginnings of this offensive action, but it has already started to
hinder the trade agreement between you and Timro. You aren't sure if it is a calculated
move, or one of convenience, as Timro is the nearest human kingdom to target. Bolstered
as they are by the tech that they have, their early efforts are successful, and they have
taken a number of slaves and cart-fulls of loot.
In addition, there is a realization... Timro has been making mass use of orc and ogre slaves,
and Galthor has been liberating them. Most of those slaves have willingly joined Galthor's
ranks. The efforts are still in their initial stages, but Owain's shadow network has been
uncovering these details before things have blown out of proportion.
You think that Timro is no stranger to defending its borders, but mobilization will be slow,
and many of the border cities and forts are in danger of falling before that happens. There
has been an ask that you help defend the area. If Timro gets wind of your town being
spared the attacks, it might look bad and raise questions. For now, they are offering a hefty
sum for you to provide any kind of militia or mercenary help. Interestingly enough, the
idea has been raised by Halia to get Alastania to provide a mercenary army, and act as the
middle man. This way, Timro is in debt to Alastania, and you are free from any obligation.
On the valley side, things have been getting serious. The mountain pass leading into the
valley has become dangerous, leading to a number of people to start disappearing. The
changelings cite that there are no changelings causing issues, but they have sensed
something else there, and are staying away. They caution you to only travel during the day,
and refrain from sending many people across the pass if you can help it. They cite the
recent lights, and a prophecy as their reasons. The prophecy, in vague terms, says that
when the light reaches for the heavens, darkness will descend, and the children of the earth
will rise to consume.
Your contacts in Veydorn have raised concerns that people in the city have gone missing
overnight. A number of people, mostly lower class, have disappeared, and the town is in
the grip of fear. Pleas have gone out to Alastania, which has responded with martial law.
this has only had the opposite effect, and the people are on the verge of open rebellion.
They are angry that Alastania is exerting control, but seems not to be able to (or willing) to
protect the lower class.
A rebellion would be ill timed, unless there is some intervention. Alastania is likely to
crush a rebellion, as it has in the past, and replace the upper class with its own people,
making Veydorn more of a puppet state than ever. Sir Calvin is doing what he can to
salvage the situation, but has asked that you help in some way. His recommendation is that
you come to investigate the disappearences, or send someone to do so. He has had his hands
full stockpiling to either ride out the ensuing rebellion, or fund it, something he hasn't yet decided on.
Alastania, meanwhile, has sent a small contingent of soldiers to Phandalin, and they have a
writ from the Surt asking for a formal embassy, which would consist of a small building
and about 10 soldiers. This seems like a bare attempt to re-establish some sort of
diplomacy, terse as it is. For now, they have sent a diplomat that would like to meet with
you. The whisper network is saying that the Surt is staying within the valley to deal with
recent issues, so he will be relying on his envoys.
Phandalin, for its part, has been getting somewhat rich off of the trade, but that has started
to dry up for various reasons (pillar of light, disappearances on the road and in the valley,
ogre invasion). They are considering turning towards a new revenue stream, and some interest
has built up around mining. Alternately, farming is probably a smart choice, especially if you
decide to promote trade between Phandalin and the orcs. Gundren and Sildar may be ready to
start production of magic weapons, but that will come with its own challenges, especially if you
want to stay beneath the notice of Alastania.
Finally, you have a visitor waiting from Sahlak. She is apparently an inquisitor from the holy city,
and she has questions for you. She is patient, and is staying with Sister Garaelee until you can see
her, but she is hoping to return to help with the current problems in the valley.
I might be a bit confused because my plan ideas are dependent on leaving as soon as we can and beating Galthor back to Kreegor's old base of operation where the orc's herd animals are. If that isn't possible then we'll have to make some adjustments.
First step that Nathan wants to do is ask the orcs loyal to him to spread the word of Nathan's leadership far and wide in an attempt to attract more of the orc tribes, bands, and families. Then establish a time for a big meeting at the castle. The time frame should allow the party to go and steal the animals from Galthor and bring them back to the castle where they will be distributed. The meeting's purpose is to establish some organization among the ranks and provide the orcs with a proper plan for the future. Setting all this up shouldn't take very long and once its done Nathan will ask the orcs to return their land and families to put their affairs in order before the meeting.
Then Nathan will ask for twenty orcs for the cattle rustling mission. He needs orcs with herding experience, orcs that can move quickly, and orcs with combat experience. He'll also need at least a few that know the areas they will travel through and where the animals are being kept. He also asks for as many of the explosive devices as can be provided, and enough of the high tech ranged weapons to arm most of the group. Everyone should be geared up and ready to move quickly over a long distance through enemy territory.
The plan is to beat Galthor to where the animals are being kept using the shortest route that doesn't directly expose the party to Galthor's army. Stealth isn't import, just speed. This means that everyone should be ready for a fight in case the route is through orge territory and we run across some patrols. The orcs in the party are totally allowed to engage in fights, and encouraged to use the high tech weapons but not the explosives.
Once at the place where the animals are being kept any threat there should be dealt with, either with diplomacy or violence. Hopefully more orcs that can recruited are there. If there is a stockpile of weapons that can be stolen, great. However the focus is on the animals. All pack animals should be loaded up with anything that can be stolen. Then the group will need to take the explosives and strap one each to an animal. These explosive animals should be dispersed through the herds we will be moving, and the explosives should be obvious. If there is anything else like casks of strong alcohol or oil we can strap those to other animals in an obvious way.
The point of the explosives isn't to destroy the animals, but to provide a credible bluff. There probably isn't a safe way to travel back that doesn't bring the herd in contact with Galthor's men. If this is true, then Nathan will march everyone to meet Galthor and his army. The bluff is this: If Galthor doesn't let him and the animals pass then the explosives will be detonated and a large portion of the animals will be destroyed, allowing no one to use them. In the chaos Nathan and his men will escape, and the explosions will be a signal to an agent back at Kreegor's old weapon stockpile to set off explosives there, destroying them and a large portion of that base.
Of course this is only mostly a bluff. There are standing orders to shoot and set off the explosives at Nathan's signal, but the hope is never give that signal. There also wouldn't be an agent to set off explosives at the base because hopefully everything that could be taken will be taken. This should put Galthor in a Catch 22 situation. He can either look weak to his army and back down to Nathan's demands or see everything destroyed. Either way he loses a food source, equipment, and weapons. The third option for him would be to agree to another duel right there and then.
If push comes to shove and there is no other option, Nathan will order his men to drive the animals towards Galthor before setting off the explosives in the hope that it will create enough chaos for everyone to escape.
So the first thing is that the ogrish tribes have been conducting the raids on Timro even before the advent of the tribes being splintered. But you do still have time to get to the herds before Galthor does.
Spreading the word will take some time to have effect, but you think it started without you asking for it. There has been a rallying of orcs who want a stable leader, and you fit the bill the most closely. Plus you are more orc than an ogre is, which is a big plus. The meeting can happen likely when you get back from the cattle raid. It sounds like a good idea and will likely yield good results.
You can definitely get a twenty of dudes bad enough to help with the cattle raid. These orcs are tough and can definitely provide a big help. Diplomacy might work, and the plan, crazy as it is, is more likely to work. You might have a fight or two on your hands, but outside of that, you think you can at least get to the herds and figure out how to either talk to or fight the orcs guarding the herds. The explosive plan, if you can make it there with explosives intact, should be effective.
But all of your planning is sound. Now to implement it.
In the wake of recent events, the area outside of the valley has calmed considerably. However, the valley remains a hotbed of problems and disappearances.
Veydorn is starting to foment a populist rebellion. Nothing military, but the people are out in open protest over the disappearances, and of Alastania's "protection" proving ineffective. Alastania, for their part, are stepping up their martial law of Veydorn, but it is only making the people more and more restless.
Sister Rose, the has suspected some kind of supernatural threat, but has not yet come to any conclusions. She is going to entreat the group to help in that respect, as they potentially have an autonomy to investigate where the Church may not. She has also spoken in brief with Vaf Decker Kanzel about such an engagement, and he is willing to grant the autonomy of an investigation to the group if they agree to a consulate being built with no other conditions.
The forays into the ruins on the west end of the valley have been fruitless, and have even had some disappearances of their own. The changelings have refused to go anywhere near it, and other scouts have since disappeared. Even the Hierarchy of Fangs has refused to tread near the ruins, giving it a wide berth, and seems to be sleeping more frequently as of late.
The alliance with Timro has been especially fruitful now that the fort has been completed, but you are starting to see the first hand effects of the slave trade, which is even being extended to your front door, as Timro has sent a slave merchant to you hoping to have a moment of your time. Whether you reject them, or how you reject them is up to you. Timro seems to be rather happy to continue promoting their slave trade which has made them fabulously wealthy, and has put them head and shoulders over other competitors. To that end, the slave trader is willing to offer you a nominal fee for any monster race captives turned over to them.
So far the remainder of the Old Kingdoms has been rather quiet, and you think that the resettlement of the Armies of Galthor (their now official name) are causing a shake up that's effects are yet to be seen. You are seeing a slight influx of orcs that are interested in emigrating from the Old Kingdoms and into the lands of Short Tusk (not yet official name...?). It's nothing crazy, maybe a few tribes of 20-30 at a time, but word appears to be spreading slowly throughout the Old Kingdoms. There is slight talk of challengers that are interested in testing your might, but you think that those rumors are as yet unsubstantiated.
And finally, on the home front, Phandalin seems to be prospering in spite of all the crazy happenstance. In a stark contrast to other fictional kingdoms burning to the ground, Phandalin has seen a boom in prosperity despite being on the edge of destruction at least once. The town has already increased drastically in size, both land wise and population since you first arrived (current estimates have it at about 2000 give or take). There is a burgeoning tourism business growing out of the people of Timro wanting to check out the town at the edge of the "monster lands", as well as a stop for any of those wishing to go into the valley. Regrettably, there are fewer people wanting to enter the valley these days, due to other tensions and disappearances.
For its part, the townsfolk of Phandalin are happy, and seem to be rather impressed with you as shadow leaders. Zack, there are some acolytes that would like to receive some magical training, and the townsfolk are looking to you for guidance regarding an alchemist that wants to setup in town as well, potentially bringing a magic trade into the town.
As a final note, the illegal trade has increased, but some of that trade is trying to tend towards slave trade and illegal predatory gambling. There is an unruly element that is trying to move in from Timro that is attempting to spread their influence within the region, and there is even talk of a crime boss from Timro's capital city, sending his own delegate to check in.
And that's more or less it. Lots of spinning plates, and a lot of opportunities. Bear in mind that unaddressed items will be potential flash points in the future.
Owain is dead set against slavery, and will make that very clear to anyone that brings it up. He'll be polite about it. The first time. Phandolin will not be allowing slavery, or the transport of slaves, if he has anything to say about it. If the council makes the decision to allow for slavery, that's their decision to make, and while he won't make any actual threats, he won't stand for it either, and something will have to be done.
All of those criminal types are going to have to answer to Owain in the long run, and there won't be any crime bosses that don't bend the knee, so to speak. Anyone caught dealing in slaves will be dealt with. They don't want to be "dealt with." In order to stave off the gambling stuff, Owain will try to get some licensed casino action going, or at the very least just keep gambling legal and crack down on any bookies who make too much noise.