December 2, 2009

Birthright Encounters Two


FEUD
• Two rival Guilds/Temples have taken to the streets in the war to eliminate each other. The streets of one of the regent's cities runs in blood and innocents are being caught in the crossfire. Both sides have taken to hiring mercenaries. The Law holding is decreased by one. By properly investigating, it can be determined the conflict is being instigated by a local coffin maker, who is spreading rumors about both sides.
• Two feuding mercenary bands, the "Crimson Eye", led by Miles Anthur, and the "Long Deaths", led by Keth Anthur, (yes they are brothers) have decided to resolve their differences in a final battle. Unfortunately the site for this final conflict lies within one of the regent's provinces. The "Crimson Eye" has appeared early and has taken up residence within a local town. News reaches the regent of another mercenary band approaching his kingdom. The "Crimson Eye" controls two units and the "Long Deaths" controls three units. The regent must determine what is going on and stop the battle before it wreaks havoc on his province.
• Two bread makers, Red Linsome and Jules Baker, are feuding about which one makes a better bread. They have gathered the other bakers behind them and there is even talk of each side hiring fighters to eliminate the other. Bread production has stopped and the city goes without bread. Loyalty within the province will go down unless the regent can solve the problem, which may involve him being forced to choose which bread is better.

• Over a span of several domain turns dueling becomes popular within a PC regent's domain. This begins to build until such a time when duels are common and nobles are dueling at the slightest offense. This state of fierce dueling begins to disrupt the natural processes of the kingdom as highly placed nobles begin to die in duels and it becomes harder to place people into their positions of authority. If the regent simply outlaws dueling the nobles take offense as it appears as an attack on the nobles and dueling will just be driven underground.
• There has been a dalliance between Rog Gonier and Kleissa Hopnin that has produced a child. The two noble families of Gonier and Hopnin have long been opposed and now with the birth of the child there is open warfare as both families claim the child. Rog and Kleissa, while at first in love, now hate each other and neither family will be dissuaded from retrieving "their" child. To make matters worse the child has disappeared.
• Elves [Most Elves in Birthright hate non-elves] begin to maraud near the domain's capital city, attacking merchant caravans and killing humans. Any local elves immediately become suspects. Mob justice is threatened. In reality a group of humans, with biases against elves have donned disguises and are robbing and killing enemies, knowing retribution will fall upon the elves.

NATURAL EVENT
• A portion of the regent's kingdom suddenly sprouts a forest about twenty miles square. If investigated it is revealed a group of treants has fled an area further away where logging was being conducted. If not investigated and logging commences, which will happen unless the regent takes steps in to prevent it, the treants will rampage. With really good negotiations the treants will pledge to protect this area of the kingdom from enemy invaders.
• Fires begin to occur within a major city within a PC regent's domain. A cult of fire worshippers is worshipping by causing the fires. They must be stopped before too much damage is done. The cultists have a plan to burn down the entire city in one grand fire. As an alternative the cultists have been "told" by their deity to only target temples or guild houses.
• A city becomes infested by rats. The rats are under the control of a pack of wererats who are using the rats as their eyes as they plan out burglaries. The city is soon plagued by a series of efficient burglaries as if the burglars had inside knowledge. The Law rating will go down if the robberies continue.
• Violent storms continue unabated within the domain for weeks straight, wreaking havoc on the crops and trade. The storms seem to center around a village within the kingdom. Near the village lives a wizard practicing a realm spell [spells that affect a large, miles-wide area] for controlling weather. Unbeknownst to the mage his castings are out of control and causing disaster. However, the mage likes his privacy and the characters may have a hard time getting past his defenses in order to talk to him.
• Plague spreads throughout a series of kingdoms including the regents. All local temples rush to aid the victims, but one church is having more luck with defeating the plague. This is because some of their more fanatical members have created the plague and know the best antidotes. If properly investigated a regent can discover this, but what will he do with the knowledge could cause problems all their own.

DIPLOMATIC MATTER
• A nearby kingdom comes before the PC regent with a proposition for a mutual defense treaty. The terms of the treaty require either kingdom to come to the defense of the other if they should be attacked. If either kingdom should start a war of their own neither is required to aid the other. The other kingdom is willing to place a time limit upon the treaty, making the treaty only binding for one year. The other kingdom is also willing to pay up to 5 GBs for the treaty. What is unknown to the PC regent is that the petitioning kingdom has just been caught attempting to Intrigue another domain, one more belligerent and aggressive, and the kingdom fears it will soon be attacked. A resourceful PC regent will investigate the other kingdom and will discover the other kingdom's dilemma. If the regent makes the treaty and the belligerent kingdom attacks, it is up to the PC regent to decide if he will honor a treaty made in bad faith. Note that other domains will be watching the PC regent to see his reactions.
• A messenger will arrive with a declaration of war from a neighboring kingdom, one that the PC regent is not at good terms with. This declaration is false and has been sent by another enemy of the neighboring kingdom in an attempt to cause the two to go to war.
• A hostile kingdom sends a messenger to the PC regent with a demand for 5 GBs. The hostile regent claims to have proof that the PC regent was spying upon his domain. Other kingdoms watch to see how the PC regent will react.
• A messenger from a nearby elven kingdom appears before a PC regent. The elves are asking for a stretch of forest that lies within the regent's kingdom. They wish to relocate some elves, elves who believe humans and elves can live together. Can they be trusted? If there is logging going on within the province, loyalty will fall if the land is given over to the elves.
• One fine day a PC regent receives a package. Within the package is the head of a spy within his employ. This spy worked for the regent within an enemy's kingdom. Was it the enemy regent who killed him and if so, how do you retaliate when you were caught spying, or is this all a plot started by someone else?
• A messenger from another, nearby, more powerful kingdom sends a proposal for an alliance. As a way to cement the treaty, marriage is proposed between the PC regent and one of the neighboring kingdoms eligible children. Lucrative trade agreements are also included.

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