I've just finished what I am referring to as "Season 1" of my "A Game of Petal Thrones" campaign. Set (initially) in the run up to the civil war. As the name implies the PCs will eventually get caught up in the events of the civil war, but the first few "seasons" of the campaign will be centred around the build up to it and towards another threat to all of Tekumel (in this case coming form the Godess of the Pale Bone and not white walkers!). The PCs need to be built up a little for the role they will play in these major events - not so much statistically built up as socially and in regards to their positions. Currently they are lowly clan cousins of a medium status clan, they are young, and they are yet to make their mark on the world.
At least that was the case but after their first adventure they are already attracting notice form tier superiors.
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Their first adventure began with a simple rent collection gone wrong. They quickly discovered a Pariah Deity cult cell on an island owned by their clan and leased out to two foreigners. These foreigners had fallen victim to a powerful artefact dedicated to the Goddess of the pale bone with the result that one of them was dead and the other held in a stasis trap.
In the course of the adventure the party unwittingly freed a member of the Pariah cult who infiltrated their party and helped hem find the artefact that had been causing all the problems on the island. The party were able to stabilise it before the enemy within struck, "Terrorizing" them and escaping with the stabilised artefact through a nearby nexus point into a strange dimension of biological tunnels (arteries, actually) and strange illusions. Once the party recovered their wits the priestess of Thumis reopened the nexus point and they gave chase.
In the strange dimension they encountered phantasmal versions of themselves and were almost overcome until the priestess of Avanthe was able to ensnare the enemy in a "Web of Kryag, lover of Atluns". Pressing on they found their quarry back on their version of Tekumel, through another nexus point and locked in combat with two Hra. The party wisely used stealth, waited till the fight was over and then struck at the Pariah cultist just as he slew the second Hra. Taking him by surprise their two Aridani warriors and one male warrior (My party is Aridani heavy since most my players are women) killed him before he knew what was happening, grabbed the artefact and the whole party escaped before the Hra regenerated.
They were later able to free the surviving tenant from stasis, overpower the rebellious Pygmy Folk mercenaries that had turned on the tenants when the artefact had first begun to have odd effect on the island, collect eh back rent due and return to their clan elders.
Currently they are ridding high on the good reputation this has built for them in their clan and temples - it won't be long before the artefact they brought back begins to be more trouble than it is worth as various factions will begin to squabble over who should take it and try to keep it safe from the Pariah cultists who will want it back as soon as hey figure out where it is.
The players have loved the game so far and have asked if we can go strait into "Season 2" next week instead of taking a brief hiatus to play something else (our usual pattern between major sections of a campaign). Just as well really, since that was my intention anyway 🙂
Next week they are to be sent on another rent collecting mission - partly so their elders can remind them they are still just young, lowly members of the clan. Partly because the GM wants to run "High and Dry" 🙂
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