| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Bladedancer |
Posted - 22 Dec 2006 : 17:20:12
In my Menzoberranzan campaign that is coming to a close I have had Selvetarm growing in power and becoming more independent. He gained much of his new power from Lolth's silence. When he was the one granting power to some of her clerics who turned to him in their time of need. With some of them keeping to his faith even after Lolth's return.
During the Spiderqueen's sleepy time I also had him wake up to how he was basicially just a pawn and a dupe of dear old grandma. Some of his father's shiftyness and guile finally shone through and he concocted a few plots to break free of Lolth.
1. He secretly made alliances with his Father (who would do anything to strike a blow against his mother), his aunt Elistraee and by extention he hopes Corellon his grandfather. and his mother Sharess (well kinda anyways as she is partly Zandilar the Dancer of the Yuir).
2. He had some of his more powerful priests (which by the end of my campaign included the party's leader) start to covertly recruit some of the more skilled males within noble houses (especially Weapon masters) to his faith.
3. Start to change the dogma of his faith to a more controlled form of warfare. Kinda like an evil Red Knight
4. To gain even more deific power by slaying the demi-god Garagos (who at this time has a very similiar portfolio as his own)
As far as his schemes so far
1. Has met with some success as Sharess and Elistraee has been at least receptive to his overtures as he truly wants to change his ways (just not to the way they think). While his father has rebuffed him.
2 Has met with a rather surprising quick reward in the drow city of Menzoberranzan where a rather charismatic priest (one of my pc's) has converted a rather large following of males in the minor noble Houses of the city. Also in the city of Eryndlyn his cult has made a comeback exceeding the power it had before by at least 10 fold. It has also made minor inroads in other drow cities.
3. Changing the dogma of the church is what has made plot 2 so sucessful.
4. This plot has been put on indefinte hold due to the fact of plot # 3's early success.
Just as a note: this campaign is currently about 10 years after Lolth's silence ended.
As we will be soon be discontinuing this campaign for a while while I take a break from dming for a few months I will be able to plan out some more things with this. Plus plot out the ramifications on drow society if Selvetarm's plots actually work out and be break free of the Spider Queen.
So any thoughts on this? I am looking for any input that you folks want to give. |
| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 27 Feb 2007 : 03:39:16
quote:
Originally posted by Bladedancer
Spoilers!!! From tha Sacifice of the Widow
Blech!! How anti-climatic if some mortal cleric of Elistraee could kill Selvetarm but his father Vhaerun a deity in his own right couldn't get the job done. I definetly will not be working any of these novels into my campaign. Also the Selvertaltlin in my campaign are the main reason Eryndlyn is now ruled by Selvetarm worshipping drow.
Well (highlight for spoilers):
I could be wrong, but I read that novel, and the text strongly suggests that it was actually LOLTH who killed Selvetarm indirectly; she just managed to get Eilistraee's priestess to do her dirty work for her (most likely with the help of Halisstra).
But agree that you should just do what you want for your own campaign. |
| Bladedancer |
Posted - 27 Feb 2007 : 01:01:56
Spoilers!!! From tha Sacifice of the Widow
Blech!! How anti-climatic if some mortal cleric of Elistraee could kill Selvetarm but his father Vhaerun a deity in his own right couldn't get the job done. I definetly will not be working any of these novels into my campaign. Also the Selvertaltlin in my campaign are the main reason Eryndlyn is now ruled by Selvetarm worshipping drow. |
| Talanfir Swiftfeet |
Posted - 26 Feb 2007 : 11:52:41
quote:
Originally posted by Bladedancer
I have not read Sacrifice of the Widow yet. I would like to know what happens to good old Selve (I don't mind spoilers) in the novel.
WARNING SPOILERS FROM Sacrifice of the Widow
A cleric of Elistraee went to the Demonweb pits to get the Crecent Blade that Hallistra Melarn left there, but when she was returning back to the portal that would take her back to Prime she had to fight against Selvetarm who was guarding the portal. She managed to kill Selvetarm with the Crecent Blade and with the help of Hallistra. And because Selvetarm was within Demonweb pits he died for real. Oh and on a related note Vhaeraun died at the hands of Elistraee in that book also because he failed to assasinate her.
On the other hand in the book there was a heretic cult of Selvertargtlin who worshipped him in his own right and not as the champion of Lolth. You could somehow try to use that.
Also you could try to use the "servant of fallen" feat. |
| nbnmare |
Posted - 24 Feb 2007 : 04:52:02
quote:
Originally posted by Bladedancer
On another note I am trying to come up with a plot hook for the 12th level Orog Ranger that is the group. His clan has served House Myett (the noble house all the group serves or is a member of) for about a century and a half. Any ideas?
Perhaps he is assigned to scout the environs outside the city, after reports of odd looking orcs in the area? Those who have spotted them have noted that their appearance seems almost demonic in nature, and one witness even reported seeing an orc using sorcerous magic. (They would of couse turn out to be tanarukks. What their motivations for travelling this far north, and their overall goals are, is of course entirely up to you. And your noble house may well decide they want to capture and enslave at least these creatures, rather than kill them outright.) |
| Bladedancer |
Posted - 24 Feb 2007 : 03:46:30
I have not read Sacrifice of the Widow yet. I would like to know what happens to good old Selve (I don't mind spoilers) in the novel. But I don't think I will change much of my campaign based on the novels. For example the reclamation of Myth Drannor has not happened and probably will never happen in any of the campaigns that I am associated with as a player or dm.
On another note I am trying to come up with a plot hook for the 12th level Orog Ranger that is the group. His clan has served House Myett (the noble house all the group serves or is a member of) for about a century and a half. Any ideas? |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 24 Feb 2007 : 02:04:42
quote:
Originally posted by turox
Well he said that it takes place 15 years after the end of the WotSQ and that was about 1374ish or so. So his campaign is taking place around 1389 or so IF he is following cannon.
Right--Sacrifice of the Widow was a great book, but Bladedancer certainly doesn't need to follow the official path if he/she doesn't want to. |
| turox |
Posted - 24 Feb 2007 : 00:05:59
Well he said that it takes place 15 years after the end of the WotSQ and that was about 1374ish or so. So his campaign is taking place around 1389 or so IF he is following cannon.
But good suggestion khorne he may not be aware of that and it could give him some more tips about Selvetarm.
I would love to read those books but darn that Robert Jordan. Because of him I won't read any series until it is done. The suspense kills me. 
NOTE: ish means give or take a couple of years either way. |
| khorne |
Posted - 23 Feb 2007 : 22:44:22
If this takes place during or after 1375 DR you might want to take a look at Lisa Smedmans novel sacrifice of the widow, because it has some important news about Selvetarm... |
| Bladedancer |
Posted - 23 Feb 2007 : 04:13:42
Update!
After recharging my dm batteries for the last month I have come up with the following plot points for my Menzoberranzan campaign. I will be fast forwarding the campaign to 5 years in the future from where we left off. Which puts in 15 years from the end of the War of The Spider Queen
1. Selvetarm has succeeded in breaking away from his grandmother's lethal embrace. Through the help of his aunt Elistraee and his mother Sharess (also through the very subtle influence of Corellon)
His dogma has switched from a rage filled battle deity to a controlled god of warfare based on strategy and cunning his alignment has drifted towards a more lawful bent.
2.His forces in the drow city of Eryndlyn has suceeded in overthrowing the other factions of the city. The faith of Selvetarm now rules there with an iron fist.
3. His worshippers that dwell in Menzoberranzan has grown slowly. Their fate will be closely tied to the success of their most charismatic and most powerful priest Tazrak Myett (the pc's party leader and minor noble in a fast ascending noble house which all the pc's serve or are members of)
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| Korginard |
Posted - 27 Dec 2006 : 17:05:55
I considered sugesting the posability of getting Shar involved, after all Shar greatly desires the Drow as potential worshipers and would "gladly" assist Selvetarm against Llolth. The downside of course is that he'd have no hope whatsoever of escaping any such "agrement" intact.
On the other hand, perhaps Shar HAS consumed Selvetarm and "his" recent actions are deceptions to maintain appearances while she tightens her grip on Drow society. When she's ready she can drop the deception and strike at Lloth directly, claiming the Drow of the underdark once and for all.
I'm sure it's not what you had in mind, but it's an interesting scenerio.
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| Bladedancer |
Posted - 24 Dec 2006 : 15:18:26
Well Toby Kikami at this point in Eryndlyn they are keeping a low profile. While quietly supporting all 3 factions of the city to slowly weaken each of them so they can eventuallt take over the whole city.
In Menzoberranzan the cult there is keeping an even lower profile bringing the male nobles of the lower house is just the first step. Eventually he hopes to bring the troops of said houses under his sway and eventually spread out to the commoners that get screwed over by the high houses and the priestesses of Lolth in paticular and bring about a new order in the city.
Lolth doesn't think Selvetarm 1. wouldn't have the stones for this type of power play and 2. is too stupid to actually pull it off he did have the guts. I figure once she finds out about it she will probably try to destroy him that is why he sought allies such as his father, mother (kinda), and his aunt who he hopes will also bring the support of his grandfather as well. But he knows bringing Corellon to his side is a long shot at best.
Thanks for the input Kuje and Toby Kikami.
Any other comments would be welcome |
| TobyKikami |
Posted - 23 Dec 2006 : 16:30:26
Well, you already know what I think of this, but just for the record... 
Anyhow, as for further input I agree that if the god-slaying bit goes forward (and maybe if it doesn't) Tempus is going to try to keep an eye on things, as mentioned in Lords of Darkness - though that book talked about the prospect of Garagos trying to overtake Selvetarm and rather ignored the prospect of vice versa. Go figure.
If he's looking to go for a more Red Knight approach, anyway, I'm guessing he ought to take care about snuffing Garagos. It's been speculated that Tempus leaves the other god alive so he doesn't have to take on the less savory aspects of war, and Selvetarm has a track record of sorts of being mentally overwhelmed by those he's "defeated." Witness Zanassu.
So far as Eryndlyn, what I'm curious about is the reaction of the other faiths in the city. Are the Lolth worshippers there (or, hey, in Menzo) trying to ship this new set of "blasphemers" out of the city? The Vhaeraun and Ghaunadaur-worshipping factions are already loosely allied because of the aftermath of Selvetarm's actions during the Time of Troubles - what do they make of this?
For that matter, what does Lolth herself make of this?
That's what comes to mind right now. Hope it helps, or at least doesn't annoy. |
| Kuje |
Posted - 22 Dec 2006 : 17:37:42
I'd involve Tempus somehow then since Garagos was killed and Selvet has made overtures to the Red Knight.
Otherwise, seems like a interesting campaign. |
