The Drow War Book Two. The Dying Of - RoseRed

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from Svarth and 10,000 from Caldraza (if the country
in question is on the Player Characters’ side).
The Games Master should only include this objective if
the Player Characters are likely to enjoy the experience.
If the Player Characters really have no taste for a
campaign involving intrigue, politics and diplomacy as
well as adventuring, they can leave the military side of
things up to Archimandrus and their other allies.
Investigate Possible Tactical Strikes: The drow only
hold Crom Calamar because they were able to plunge
the city into darkness and call upon an ancient dragon.
If the odds are to be improved, the Player Characters
must find out as much as they can about what the drow
have been up to and what they plan for the future.
Nimian Archimandrus and his conclave are their best
source of guidance here. Archimandrus is happy to
carry out research and send the Player Characters on
quests to gain new information or to strike at the drow.
See the section below on the Conclave.
Event: Playing Politics
After the tempestuous meeting in the Halls of Concord,
it is clear that there are three sides: those in support of
the drow, those against them and those who are neutral.
Visk, Kandang and the drow themselves form an axis of
powers; they immediately begin to make plans and bind
themselves to a formal alliance.
The anti-drow countries, by contrast, are not even
allied. They all oppose the drow for their own reasons:
Chillhame on principle, the Topaz Dominions through
religious conviction and Svarth through loyalty to the
humans of Jehannum. Caldraza may also be on this
side, depending on how Book One played out. Unless
there is a common rallying point, there is no chance of
concerted action and victory will go to the drow.
The Coalition: The Player Characters’ first task is to
arrange an alliance. This means persuading the delegates
of the anti-drow countries to meet and sign a treaty with
one another. The Games Master should not make this
an easy task. The dwarves of Svarth are suspicious of
the sun-loving humans of the Topaz Dominions, while
Chillhame and Caldraza have never been on good terms.
Plenty of Diplomacy checks should be called for.
The Games Master should bear in mind that the Player
Characters, though heroes, do not have any political
authority. Any one of the delegates can shout them
down on the grounds that they are mere citizens with no
right to represent anyone. If this becomes a problem,
Lady Arigane steps down as Chillhame’s representative
and gives the office to one of the Player Characters.
Being spokesman for a small island is not much of an
office but it does at least guarantee a seat in the Halls
of Concord.
If there are bored combatants in the group while all the
politics is going on, the Shadow Troupe can always
mount an attack!
Successfully forming a coalition should net a story
award equivalent to overcoming a CR 15 challenge, as
it is such a critical objective.
Bringing In New Countries: This is an ongoing task,
not one that will be resolved in one session. As the war
unfolds, the political map is likely to change and both
the coalition and the axis will gain new allies.
In order to bring a new ally onto their side, the Player
Characters must of course meet with the country’s
delegate and discuss terms but there are also hidden
conditions that must be met. The list below explains
what each country needs before it will even consider
joining the coalition. The Player Characters must meet
these conditions themselves and cannot look to the other
countries to do so. For example, if a financial incentive
is specified, they must provide the money out of their
own pockets instead of asking a friendly country to
come up with it.
Every new ally that the Player Characters bring on
board should grant them a story award equivalent to
overcoming a CR 14 challenge. The game effects of
these alliances are narrative rather than mechanical.
They determine how likely the Player Characters’
assault on Crom Calamar is to succeed.
Kahoor: The ruling Kahoori are chauvinists par
excellence, totally convinced of their own superiority –
a trait they inherited from the elves back when that race
ran the country. The Player Characters must offer them
tribute if they intend to open negotiations. Without a
gift of at least 500,000 gold pieces in coin or items, the
Kahoori will not spare them the time of day.
King Parhav XXXI sees no obvious profit in helping the
humans of Jehannum, who seem to him to be warlike.
He does, however, want to expand his empire. The
legions of Kahoor are willing to participate in an attack
on Jehannum to drive out the drow, so long as they can
retain one-fifth of Jehannum as a dependency of Kahoor
once it is reconquered, along with the city of Dun
Brondel. Naturally, the Player Characters cannot speak
for the people of Jehannum but they can guarantee that
Ibon Presno Gonzalez (order #73006) 8