DM Thoughts: Session 10
In this, the tenth session of the campaign, I think it is a good time to gather my thoughts on the various characters in the campaign, and how I feel about each of their developments so far. I shall include the Olman characters as well, since they played the major part in the first half of these ten sessions.
THE GOOD GUYS
Bakura:
The young dragon shaman was a delightful character to have for the pre-campaign, as the four sessions truly told a great story arc for him. Where he began as an unproven boy with great ambitions, he evolved into the new leader of his people, paving the way for their survival after the greatest of disasters. He had a lot of pressure on his shoulders, since much of the storyline depended on him and the decisions he would make, but in the end, things worked out to perfection in my eyes.
Immortal:
Definitely a pleasant surprise, to me. Of the three Olmans, I can honestly say that I was by far the most worried about how he would fit in with things. While the main Savage Tide campaign has plenty of room for comedy and occasional sillyness, the pre-campaign needed a more serious tone. It had to tell the story of a great tragedy, and the heroes who saved their people afterward - and with Immortal's visual image being Papa Shango, and his main character trait being a likelihood to kill off his friends - I was fearful that he would either ruin the tension, or bring things to an unpleasant ending. But in the end, I need not have worried. He developped quite nicely into a heroic figure, with the "unpleasant ending" part coming at the perfect moment as well - bringing the right tragic note to the end of the pre-campaign, like something straight out of a Shakespearian drama.
Meleeki:
Could not have asked for more, as Meleeki unexpectedly became not only a hero, but a martyr of sorts, giving up her life in order to save so many others. Her sacrifice, in my opinion, combined with Immortal's reaction to it, elevated the pre-campaign beyond even my expectations for it - turning the four-part start of the campaign into one of the most memorable stories our group has even taken part in.
Garland:
The whaler began the campaign as a hireling in all aspects of his life: working for Captain Shadwick and the whaler's guild, working for Verik Vanderboren as a goon to protect Gustave, even working for his mother in doing her a favor by accepting the Vanderboren job. Yet he has since evolved quite nicely into a leader, instead. With the death of his Captain, he has become one himself. With his starting up of Gansworth Investigations, he has taken an active role in helping the people of Sasserine. Even his relationship with his brother has evolved into something far more cordial than the start of the campaign would have suggested. And now, with revenge against Vanthus, Rowyn, Anzak, Dracktus and Orbius on the mind, the Captain is well on his way to becoming Legendary indeed.
Glaive:
He has proven to be far more sneaky and manipulative than might have been expected, so far in the campaign. Against all odds, he has earned himself control of a 10,000 gp ship within the first chapter of the adventure, as well as putting himself in a position to make multiple demands on just about everyone in his life, from his mother to Lavinia herself. Not to mention that it was his actions that directly led to the original arrest of Anzak, then later Vanthus and Rowyn. Indeed, the warmage is more of a power-player than expected, so soon in the campaign. In time, one can but wonder what kind of ship captain he might turn out to be.
Gustave:
Where once Bob wondered if Gustave would have enough motivation to be part of the campaign, circumstances have instead made him the roleplaying centerpoint of it, as his relationship with Lavinia is a large part of pushing the main story forward. As he approaches his inevitable confrontation with "Guildenstern", one can't help but wonder to what lengths Gustave might go to secure Lavinia's love. Even with one death and raising under his belt already, he has been an excellent character to watch evolve - even potentially being in for an alignment change, already!
Crimson:
She has always been the big question mark, to be honest. A later addition to the character line-up as we approached the campaign, it was wondered how this supposedly innocent lady would fit in with three sneaky rogueish men. Yet, she has proven herself to be possibly sneakier than any of them. Her manipulation of Max has helped the party on many occasions, and her blunt words have put everyone on the spot at one time or another. In many ways, she remains a big wild card, as I don't think any of her allies trust her completely, just yet.
Lavinia:
While at this point her character development has been more reactive than proactive, in terms of simply getting hit with blow after blow, from the betrayal of her husband and brother to the deaths of her parents... Lavinia has begun to evolve in the past few sessions into a more ruthless and brave character than might have been suspected, willing to go to vast lengths (including a bit of crime and the occasional murder) to get what she's after: the truth, and a measure of revenge. With her relationship with Gustave progressing a bit more every week (gotta love those car rides home, in that regard), things are getting quite interesting.
THE BAD GUYS
Anzak:
He has been more of a behind-the-scenes villain at this point, since the party have mostly seen the results of his deeds, rather than the commission of them. Yet, from his gambling debts and association with the Lotus Dragons to his more recent murders of Lavinia's parents, he has begun to evolve into a greater mystery. Not only in terms of what is controlling him and what his motives are, but also how Lavinia and Gustave will deal with him in the end, when a real confrontation takes place.
Vanthus:
He has definitely been under-the-radar to a great extent so far, yet the party does know that he has been involved in many heinous acts. He is believed to be behind the murders of the blacksmith, Kiva the Cartographer, Lux Seoni of the Witchwardens - and indirectly, Captain Shadwick. All in all, especially considering that his negociations with Garland led to his escape, Vanthus has slowly been building himself up to be the legendary captain's archnemesis, by attacking all that Garland holds dear, and playing him for a fool. In time, as we see more of Vanthus, this rivalry will quite likely escalate quite a bit more.
Rowyn:
She remains more of a mystery, at this point. It is known that she is the daughter of local nobles, and has been the love interest of Vanthus for quite some time, yet her exact involvement in the Lotus Dragons had remained a bit more secretive, with the exception of Garland's eavesdropping beneath that window in Shadowshore... That time, the conversation he heard made it pretty clear that both Anzak and Vanthus were beneath her in the group's ranks. Yet, as it now appears that Rowyn and her pet felldrake dwell within the Lotus Dragon Guildhall most of the time, we may soon see her step into the spotlight at last.
Orbius:
His relationship with the Lotus Dragons remains the most mysterious of all, as he has only been encountered once: being the prime initiator of the breakout of Vanthus and Rowyn, with the assistance of seven gauth followers. Is he a part of the Lotus Dragons, or merely returning a favor to its leaders? Only time will tell. Yet, with his Finger of Death spell killing Garland's father figure, Captain Shadwick, his relationship with the PCs is off to a rocky start.
Dracktus:
Only with this past session can Dracktus' name officially be added to the company of the other four. Yet never was he really trusted. The leader of the Dawn Council and effective mayor of Sasserine has been a thorn in the party's side from even before the campaign started, as he has in his possession the Sea Wyvern, the ship of Gabriel Gansworth that both his sons long to recover. Since then, he has cemented himself as distrustful as he seemingly set Garland to take the fall for the escape of Vanthus and Rowyn, in addition to publicly naming Gustave as an enemy of the Lotus Dragons. It is known that he had the Dawn Council broker a deal with the Lotus Dragons. Dracktus was also the one who suggested that the party follow Max's trail, only days before Max himself was disposed of by the Lotus Dragons themselves, trapped in the Parrot Island cave along with the party. As he now conveniently has left town, while giving the party the "help" of four Dawn Council members who then turned on them and tried to kill them, one can only wonder just what Dracktus is truly up to. Suffice to say, his next encounter with Garland and the others will likely not be a peaceful one.
And so, that pretty much sums up the status of things at the end of the first ten sessions. With the exclusion of the Olmans, we now have a balanced equation of five heroes and five villains - Garland, Glaive, Gustave, Crimson and Lavinia, versus Anzak, Vanthus, Rowyn, Orbius and Dracktus. More will certainly be added to both lists as the campaign goes on, but what you have there is already the foundation of most of what is to come, as those villains and their motives will gradually be revealed, and our heroes begin to discover the extent of the danger ahead of them.
And as this session brings the party into the Lotus Dragon Guildhall itself... it likely won't be long before things start to get very heated indeed.
Definitely having a blast so far... can't wait to see what the next ten sessions bring us!
THE GOOD GUYS
Bakura:
The young dragon shaman was a delightful character to have for the pre-campaign, as the four sessions truly told a great story arc for him. Where he began as an unproven boy with great ambitions, he evolved into the new leader of his people, paving the way for their survival after the greatest of disasters. He had a lot of pressure on his shoulders, since much of the storyline depended on him and the decisions he would make, but in the end, things worked out to perfection in my eyes.
Immortal:
Definitely a pleasant surprise, to me. Of the three Olmans, I can honestly say that I was by far the most worried about how he would fit in with things. While the main Savage Tide campaign has plenty of room for comedy and occasional sillyness, the pre-campaign needed a more serious tone. It had to tell the story of a great tragedy, and the heroes who saved their people afterward - and with Immortal's visual image being Papa Shango, and his main character trait being a likelihood to kill off his friends - I was fearful that he would either ruin the tension, or bring things to an unpleasant ending. But in the end, I need not have worried. He developped quite nicely into a heroic figure, with the "unpleasant ending" part coming at the perfect moment as well - bringing the right tragic note to the end of the pre-campaign, like something straight out of a Shakespearian drama.
Meleeki:
Could not have asked for more, as Meleeki unexpectedly became not only a hero, but a martyr of sorts, giving up her life in order to save so many others. Her sacrifice, in my opinion, combined with Immortal's reaction to it, elevated the pre-campaign beyond even my expectations for it - turning the four-part start of the campaign into one of the most memorable stories our group has even taken part in.
Garland:
The whaler began the campaign as a hireling in all aspects of his life: working for Captain Shadwick and the whaler's guild, working for Verik Vanderboren as a goon to protect Gustave, even working for his mother in doing her a favor by accepting the Vanderboren job. Yet he has since evolved quite nicely into a leader, instead. With the death of his Captain, he has become one himself. With his starting up of Gansworth Investigations, he has taken an active role in helping the people of Sasserine. Even his relationship with his brother has evolved into something far more cordial than the start of the campaign would have suggested. And now, with revenge against Vanthus, Rowyn, Anzak, Dracktus and Orbius on the mind, the Captain is well on his way to becoming Legendary indeed.
Glaive:
He has proven to be far more sneaky and manipulative than might have been expected, so far in the campaign. Against all odds, he has earned himself control of a 10,000 gp ship within the first chapter of the adventure, as well as putting himself in a position to make multiple demands on just about everyone in his life, from his mother to Lavinia herself. Not to mention that it was his actions that directly led to the original arrest of Anzak, then later Vanthus and Rowyn. Indeed, the warmage is more of a power-player than expected, so soon in the campaign. In time, one can but wonder what kind of ship captain he might turn out to be.
Gustave:
Where once Bob wondered if Gustave would have enough motivation to be part of the campaign, circumstances have instead made him the roleplaying centerpoint of it, as his relationship with Lavinia is a large part of pushing the main story forward. As he approaches his inevitable confrontation with "Guildenstern", one can't help but wonder to what lengths Gustave might go to secure Lavinia's love. Even with one death and raising under his belt already, he has been an excellent character to watch evolve - even potentially being in for an alignment change, already!
Crimson:
She has always been the big question mark, to be honest. A later addition to the character line-up as we approached the campaign, it was wondered how this supposedly innocent lady would fit in with three sneaky rogueish men. Yet, she has proven herself to be possibly sneakier than any of them. Her manipulation of Max has helped the party on many occasions, and her blunt words have put everyone on the spot at one time or another. In many ways, she remains a big wild card, as I don't think any of her allies trust her completely, just yet.
Lavinia:
While at this point her character development has been more reactive than proactive, in terms of simply getting hit with blow after blow, from the betrayal of her husband and brother to the deaths of her parents... Lavinia has begun to evolve in the past few sessions into a more ruthless and brave character than might have been suspected, willing to go to vast lengths (including a bit of crime and the occasional murder) to get what she's after: the truth, and a measure of revenge. With her relationship with Gustave progressing a bit more every week (gotta love those car rides home, in that regard), things are getting quite interesting.
THE BAD GUYS
Anzak:
He has been more of a behind-the-scenes villain at this point, since the party have mostly seen the results of his deeds, rather than the commission of them. Yet, from his gambling debts and association with the Lotus Dragons to his more recent murders of Lavinia's parents, he has begun to evolve into a greater mystery. Not only in terms of what is controlling him and what his motives are, but also how Lavinia and Gustave will deal with him in the end, when a real confrontation takes place.
Vanthus:
He has definitely been under-the-radar to a great extent so far, yet the party does know that he has been involved in many heinous acts. He is believed to be behind the murders of the blacksmith, Kiva the Cartographer, Lux Seoni of the Witchwardens - and indirectly, Captain Shadwick. All in all, especially considering that his negociations with Garland led to his escape, Vanthus has slowly been building himself up to be the legendary captain's archnemesis, by attacking all that Garland holds dear, and playing him for a fool. In time, as we see more of Vanthus, this rivalry will quite likely escalate quite a bit more.
Rowyn:
She remains more of a mystery, at this point. It is known that she is the daughter of local nobles, and has been the love interest of Vanthus for quite some time, yet her exact involvement in the Lotus Dragons had remained a bit more secretive, with the exception of Garland's eavesdropping beneath that window in Shadowshore... That time, the conversation he heard made it pretty clear that both Anzak and Vanthus were beneath her in the group's ranks. Yet, as it now appears that Rowyn and her pet felldrake dwell within the Lotus Dragon Guildhall most of the time, we may soon see her step into the spotlight at last.
Orbius:
His relationship with the Lotus Dragons remains the most mysterious of all, as he has only been encountered once: being the prime initiator of the breakout of Vanthus and Rowyn, with the assistance of seven gauth followers. Is he a part of the Lotus Dragons, or merely returning a favor to its leaders? Only time will tell. Yet, with his Finger of Death spell killing Garland's father figure, Captain Shadwick, his relationship with the PCs is off to a rocky start.
Dracktus:
Only with this past session can Dracktus' name officially be added to the company of the other four. Yet never was he really trusted. The leader of the Dawn Council and effective mayor of Sasserine has been a thorn in the party's side from even before the campaign started, as he has in his possession the Sea Wyvern, the ship of Gabriel Gansworth that both his sons long to recover. Since then, he has cemented himself as distrustful as he seemingly set Garland to take the fall for the escape of Vanthus and Rowyn, in addition to publicly naming Gustave as an enemy of the Lotus Dragons. It is known that he had the Dawn Council broker a deal with the Lotus Dragons. Dracktus was also the one who suggested that the party follow Max's trail, only days before Max himself was disposed of by the Lotus Dragons themselves, trapped in the Parrot Island cave along with the party. As he now conveniently has left town, while giving the party the "help" of four Dawn Council members who then turned on them and tried to kill them, one can only wonder just what Dracktus is truly up to. Suffice to say, his next encounter with Garland and the others will likely not be a peaceful one.
And so, that pretty much sums up the status of things at the end of the first ten sessions. With the exclusion of the Olmans, we now have a balanced equation of five heroes and five villains - Garland, Glaive, Gustave, Crimson and Lavinia, versus Anzak, Vanthus, Rowyn, Orbius and Dracktus. More will certainly be added to both lists as the campaign goes on, but what you have there is already the foundation of most of what is to come, as those villains and their motives will gradually be revealed, and our heroes begin to discover the extent of the danger ahead of them.
And as this session brings the party into the Lotus Dragon Guildhall itself... it likely won't be long before things start to get very heated indeed.
Definitely having a blast so far... can't wait to see what the next ten sessions bring us!
posted by Markus the Mad | 8:04 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home