December 3, 2009

Birthright Encounters Three


CORRUPTION/CRIME
• The level of taxes within a province begins to go up by 1d3 GBs; while loyalty drops by one level. This is because a group of vigilantes have banded together to combat crime. They consist of old, retired adventurers, along with some "everyday" people, like butchers and blacksmiths, who fight crime at every opportunity. The local Guilds soon approach the regent with complaints, perhaps even threatening trade embargoes if something is not done about the lawless actions of the populace. The regent is also in danger of losing a level of Law as the people take the law into their own hands.
• A new wave of burglaries and robberies begins to plague a domain. Immediately, blame is cast upon any local Guilds, but in fact it is the work of a group of experienced freelancers. The local regent must find the truth among the lies of the Guilds and then confront the group, known only as "The Seven".
• Taxes within a province begin to dwindle and then stop all together. If questioned the report is that times are hard and bandits are on the prowl. In fact, the provincial tax collector, Evan Bellain, has been skimming a large portion of the taxes. To make matters even worse, the stealing has been instigated and controlled by the province ruler. The province ruler's plan is to allow the tax collector to take the blame and if his part is revealed he will flee with the money.

• Burglaries begin to plague a city within a PC domain. Items are being taken from hard to get to locations and then the perpetrators seem to disappear. At one point an alarm spell goes off summoning the city guards who respond rapidly and closed the invaded house off, but the thieves again evaded capture. A group of halflings is using their ability to enter the Shadow World to commit crimes. Any PC involved must first determine how the crimes are being committed and then figure out a way to stop the halflings.
• A PC regent's province revenue begins to produce no GBs. Tourn Beorm, the person placed in charge of a holding (any type of holding is acceptable) within the province is using his ring of human influence to simply ask those who collect the revenue for the money and then to forget the incident. If the PC regent investigates he will eventually run into Tourn, who will cause him to forget the incident and line of questioning. It is actually up to the other PCs to figure out something is wrong and then try to solve it. Of course simply accusing Tourn of any wrongdoing will bring its own problems, as he will just deny everything.
• A relic of a PCs domain has been stolen. Pursuing the thieves leads the PCs to a neighboring domain where the thieves have asked for and received political asylum. The neighboring regent did not know of the thievery, but he is opposed to rescinding the asylum for it will make him look weak.

MONSTERS/BRIGANDAGE
• Reports of a marauding monster, which can not be stopped by the regent's soldiers, has appeared on the borders of the kingdom. The monster starts making its way toward the capital city, causing destruction on its way. One report claims the monster speaks only one word, the name of the PC regent. The creature is in fact a Revenant, an undead version of a person the PC regent once killed while on an adventure, and the regent's armies don't have the magic weapons to stop it.
• A ranger bandit begins to plague the roadways of the regent's provinces. The bandit and his small band act as gentlemen, never killing and never leaving the robbed destitute. Rumors begin to spread that the bandit, now known as "The Scarlet Fox", gives the majority of the money he steals to the needy. These rumors are true. The PCs now have a Robin Hood character within their domains, only they are the "rich". Tracking him down will be difficult as the "common" people are now aiding him. When they do finally catch up to the Scarlet Fox they should come to realize he is actually trying to help the people and must face the dilemma of what to do with him.
• Reports of a pirate ship off a local coast begins to surface. Soon the reports change the pirate ship into a ghost ship, as undead have been seen on its decks. The ship seems capable of moving at unnatural speeds; it was sighted only hours apart at a greater distance apart than a natural ship could travel. Taxes and revenue begin to fall within any province that relies on trade from the affected sea lanes. In reality a mage, Tomas Darkeyes, is buying ships and outfitting them with the undead he creates. They then commit piracy as a way to raise GBs. The mage has three such ships plying the waterways.
• A large red dragon invades a regent's domain. People flee their villages spreading word of the dragon. Before the regent can mobilize, two outlying villages have been attacked, though most villagers managed to escape unharmed. Upon properly investigating they will discover this is the work of an illusionist, Beier Red, and some bandits who have created a large mock-up of a dragon. Upon a village being evacuated, at the sight of the dragon, they simply walked in and took all the remaining loot and goods. The bandits have fled and must be tracked down.
• A pack of orogs suddenly appear on the streets of a city within the kingdom of a PC regent. Upon investigating they will find that the orogs have been tunneling deep beneath the city for some time. The orogs have a plan to tunnel completely under the city leaving only a few supports, which they will destroy all at once, hopefully causing the city to collapse upon itself. The PCs will have to fight a running tunnel battle beneath their city and discover the truth. It may even be possible to discover that the orogs were set upon this plan by an enemy of the regent in exchange for the enemies help with the dwarven kingdom in the region.

TRADE MATTER
• A nearby Awnshegh, one capable of interacting with humans, sends a proposal for a trade route. To accept will cause the ill will of neighboring human domains, but not accepting will bring the ire of an Awnshegh.
• A wealthy merchant, Pietre Gason, dies within the domain of a PC regent. His will is to leave his entire fortune, 21,000 gp, to the regent, on the condition that a certain Temple be banned from the domain. Doing so will cause the enmity of the Temple and cause a loyalty drop of one level per Temple level being forced out in each province with a Temple holding. Failure to comply with his wishes will cause the money to go a rival Temple.
• Taxes or revenue within a province stops when the major commodity within the province stops being produced. The Guild holdings and workers within the province are having labor problems. The workers want another day off and more pay, while the Guild only offers a smaller pay increase. The Guild tries strong-arm tactics, but the workers still resist. If the PC regent doesn't step in soon the problem will only get worse.
• A trade route does not produce any revenue. The goods are being taxed too highly as they pass through a neighboring domain. Upon speaking with the neighboring regent it is discovered that the regent wants the PC regent to sign a non-aggression treaty, which states that for the next ten years the PC's domain will not attack the neighboring regent unless first attacked.
• Taxes and revenue within a domain begin to drop. Upon properly investigating it can be learned that an extensive smuggling ring has taken hold within the domain. It will take some time to work their way up the smuggling chain, but once they do they will find it reaches up to a high ranking noble or court official.
• A tribe of wemics approaches a PC regent asking for help. They are being plagued by a large pack of gnolls. If the PCs aid them they must first rescue some wemic hostages and then drive off or kill the gnolls. If the PCs succeed the wemics will be eternally grateful and will provide the regent with a steady supply of a wine they produce. This wine is the best within ten kingdoms, worth 200 gp a bottle, and will act as a new trade route worth 3 GB a turn.

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