Winning - Birthright!

[nickgreyden]

Friends and I ran a campaign where our stated goal at the outset was conquest. Through a lot of evil acts, an NPC fathered three sons with high blood scores. An NPC party member with a decently high bloodscore (and legit ruler of the realm now owned by NPC daddy) was also in the party as well as a high-ish level guy that was brought in to help run the province in the Giantdowns but was a spy from the outside (also was a party member).

Short version is the dad was really good at machinations but fairly terrible at running a realm (which is why he needed a lot of help). Eldest son and heir was a warrior who, while not the brightest candle in the keep, was very powerful and well liked. He spent time securing alliances with the province. The spare was a hopeless drunkard and womanizer to the outside world, but was actually a super spy who protected his brother and birthright. With the heir and the spare secured, the youngest was sent to the newly created church of Haylan to become a priest and had little regard for politics but was well liked by the common people for whom he had affection as he knew all too well how it feels to be forgotten by those in charge. The spy was a woodsman, initially doing his job, but became fast friends with the heir.. as was the heirs abilities at diplomacy. The adapted son was a baby when dad violently took over the provience and tried to kill him. Mom saved him and is now an "adoptive son"

When daddy's evil deeds were discovered, it was decided he couldn't be allowed to stay in power. When those deeds crossed certain lines, it was time to attack. Daddy was killed, an protectived dragon was discovered in the castle bowels linked to the adaptive son was became an ally. Previously a wary non-interferance pact was agreed to with the southern elves of Tuarhievel and a trade pact was signed with Dhoesone. The elves of Lluabright, however, were a bunch of douche canoes. The heir claimed his birthright, the spare let the party know what he was, the forgotten backed his brothers to be the voice of the people, the adopted delved deeper into his sorcerous heritage, and the spy shore up any gaps that needed filling.

They quickly took over the Giantdowns having already laid alliance groundwork with the watch and others within the domain. They beefed up their military while drawing in settlers. Defeated horsehead bad guy and reclaimed those lands. They were happy to sit on their laurels and mind their own business but events with the Baron and Rjurik pirates forced their hand and it wound up very badly for the attacking forces which kind of earned the heir and his group a reputation. The short short version is it didn't take long for them to gain control of the north through force and diplomacy with very few ruffled feathers (or at least none that spoke openly about it). Though they technically were part of the Anuriean Empire (but were given leeway in several forms such as no taxes thanks to their fathers previous deals and machinations), most saw them as Rjurik. A few gifts to and well meaning aid asked from the elves of Tuarhievel as well as keeping their word and leaving them be helped strengthen the peace between nations into an alliance.

So, with confidence, the elves invaded the Gorgon's land to take back Sideath. It didn't go well. When the party heard they were livid... not that they had attacked, but that they didn't ask for assistance. So invade the party did... eventually defeating the gorgon (though they lost grandpa dragon and lots of good men) and they took the land, giving Sideath back to the elves (something they were not expecting and pretty much solidified their alliance into a friendship).

The defeat of the Gorgon got the party thinking. They did some diplomacy with the the Baron and with the duke. Made friends with the leader of Markazor and inadvertently happened upon and killed Manslayer while he was vulnerable before they knew who he was (surprising both the PC's and DM). And so, two springs after, they marched their troops south right to the capital and into the main hall, threw the gorgon's head at the chamberlain's feet, and claimed the throne: by right of conquest doing what Anurie could not do before by taming all of the north, by right of justice doing what no one had been able to do by bring the Gorgon to justice for treason, and by right of power, holding in unison the the largest coalesce army in the kingdoms. The chamberlin weighed the options and just gave the throne to him. With the backing of the three people with the best claim, there wasn't much anyone could do about it.

Of course, then there was more campagining. My avatar is where we last left off...

[huehar]

In our recent campaign we found out that the Gorgon's goal is to take revenge on Haelyn - trough a possible new emperor. In our campaign Gorgon has divine ranks (so never be in his way) and he choose to not be a god, but stay here instead. So we do not want him to have as enemy (despite of we are around 20th level, we play this for years) so we dicided to hindrance to crown any emperor. We reached that there is a loose alliance between anurean states (including humanoid states) and Boeruine gave up to be an emperor. Our problem is Darien Avan now, who is hardheaded so he would destroy whole Anuire just to be emperor. I think we have to kill him at the end. Another problem that the Gorgon picked up on us, especially our Roesone baron (who is a vain, shortminded fighter, haha) and he "supports" us - unasked. Our DM is a genious who playes mind-games and politics on higher levels so we have difficult case. By him villains our not simply bad but complex (just hesitate when you want to kill them). :-) So, shortly, we do not have emperor, we do not want to have but everything is futural.