A BR game

[X-EOM/SS (Marco)]

Hi guys...I'm so excited....the previous week I've started a BR  table game with 7 friends of mine (5 males and 2 females) with my wife enjoying watching us and my son happy to wander around...

we're going to play every monday night (about 4-5 hours for every game session) with 2nd edition rules with a lot of house rules as well. I must admit I've taken a few ideas from RoE II (I've asked permission to Bjorn months before  )

Game has started in 1524 HC and it's primarily settled in Roesone.

one of the female is Baroness Marlae
her boyfriend is Marlae's younger brother Danael
the other female is Marlae's cousin Shielin
two other guys are two priest of IHH (one is the nephew of Wallac Isilviere, who, IMC, is the lieutnant of Hubaere Armiendin)
one is a mage being tutored by Saedrie Bellamie
one is thief at the Baroness' service

all of the players are blooded scion but only one is, for now, a regent.

None of them ever played BR and, after the two first gaming sessions (well, in fact the first was used only for creating characters and explaining the setting) they are very very happy...

 
 

[X-Coeranys/WD (Greg)]

That's cool Marco!  I'm jealous 
Keep us posted on your progress/storyline

[X-EOM/SS (Marco)]

thanks Greg,

here's the stroy so far

TURN 1

IHH's High Prefect Hubaere Armiendin has just completed the Investiture's ceremony.
The Seneschal Gerard Biersen presents the major events that need the Baroness's decisions.

they're 3 main events

1) Goblins and gnolls are raiding Bellam defeating the army of Count Bellamie and are plundering the County. They're roughly 3 units of goblinoids in the area. The Count asks for help to the Baroness

2) A lot of undead are reported causing many troubles around the village of Thaenhold, in the County of Ghoried. The Count Deneored has located the starting point of the undeads in a crypt a few miles afar from Taernhold. He had ordered some of his men to go there and destroy the undead. They went with two IHH low level priest but none has returned. The Count asks for help to the Baroness

3) Some months before Jaison Raenech had killed Gerlod Moergen, Duke of Osoerde, and he has taken the power of the Duchy of Osoerde. He asks the baroness formal acknowledgement of his rightful rule. Rumors tell IHH's helping William Moergen, heir of the late Duke, in his rebellion and IHH's also hiding William


Round one of turn one

The Baroness, before taking any decisions, wants her vassals to show fealty to her. So she calls them to Castle Blacktower.

Count Denoered, Ari's father, sends her older daughter Delfrene. Delfrene renews House Denoered's fealty to House Roesone.

Count Vaesin Isilviere, Mutlu's grandfather, arrives with his heir, Daesin. He renwes his fealty to the Baroness and he introduces his son. He says he will no longer the active ruler since he's to old and frail. Daesin shows fealty as well.

Count Bellamie, Ari's magical tutor, arrives but he points out he had preferred to receive help for his land before being asked for fealty. He states that is not the way Marla's father and grandfther would have acted. Marlae replies she shall help Bellam after Count Bellamie will show the fealty he ows to her. She's the rightful ruler of Roesone and Count Bellamie must swear his oath of fealty. Count Bellamie reluctantly does it but he mumbles something about fealty extorced with an iron hand around ther neck.

Then Mutlu, charged by Marlae, asks to his uncle Wallac Isilviere, lieutnant of Hubaere Armiendin, if it's true IHH's helping and hiding William Moergen. Wallac Isilviere replies he cannot reveal anything beacause IHH goals, in this situation, could not completely adhere to Roesone's goals. He then charges Mutlu of a task. Mutlu must be IHH's ears and eyes in Marlae's council. IHH has no plan to overthrow the Baroness but want to keep a close eye to the Baroness since the High Prefect feels Marlae might not be suitable as a ruler. Mutlu accepts then he says to the Baroness that his uncle Wallac said rumors about IHH and William Moergen are completely false.

Marlae then sends Mutlu, Odronu, Ari and Danael, with 3 members of her personal guards, to the County of Ghoried and orders them to find any clue about the crypt. she also orders them not to enter in the crypt. A few miles afar from Thaenhold they're attacked by a group of skeletons and zombies. They barely saved their life while the 3 guards remain dead. After having reached Thaenhold, Danael prefers to hide himself. He goes to the local sheriff, a loyal man, and he stays in his office, while the other 3 go to the local tavern, the Broken Anvil, to find some news. Locals say the area is plagued by both undead and, since the previous weeks, also by huge spiders. They confirme none has returned from the crypt. They then send a message to inform Marlae and wait for her new orders

[X-EOM/SS (Marco)]

Round 2 of Turn 1

Marlae invites Count Vaesin Isilviere, an accomplished general who had won several battles for Roesone, to an hunt int the Baroness' private game reserve and ask to him to return to an active role and to take command of the unit she's planning to send to Bellam to crush the goblinods.
Vaesin, who has the major blood ability Battlewise, is honoured but again replies he's too old. He suggests Marlae to give command to his son Daerin, swearing he has the same blood ability. Marlae accepts and she gathers units planning to move to Bellamie in the next round.

Marlae receives the message from Mutlu, Odronu, her brother Danael and Ari.

[X-EOM/SS (Marco)]

last monday night another gaming session. a lot of fun we had

let's go with the journal

Continuing round 2 of turn 1

Baroness Marlae gathers one unit of archers, one of pikemen and join them with the Count Isilviere's units (1 archers and 1 infantry) She gives command of the army to Count Isilviere's eldest son, Daerin Isilviere and she moves troops in County of Bellam joining them with Bellamie's forces. Their base camp in in Castle of Bellamie. She then recalls Mutlu, Odruno, her brother and Ari from Ghoried and orders them to reach her in Bellamie. They quickly do so.

Then General Daerin (well... me   ) decides to send scouts around the Count and they find evidences Goblin are located in the hills circling Tarkal Deep. Basing upon scouts' reports he judges Roesone forces outnumbering goblins units in a 3:1 ratio.

General Daerin decides for an attack from both flanks. PC's are assigned to a pikemen unit.

Some skirmishes with goblins where PC's act generally well.

Goblins are easily defeated and scattered outside Roesone.

Count Bellamie is happy and thanks Marlae. PC's, expecially Mutlu and Darin, become suspicious because they think victory was too easy. they investigate in order to find if the Count's previous defeat held something strange. After some questions to some Bellamie's soldiers they decided the defeat was largely because of their unskilled leader.

Round 3 of Turn 1

They return to Caercas in Proudglaive deciding how to handle the undead problems in Ghoried. There a messenger brings news of the dead of Count of Ghoried Ancharael Denoered, Ari's father. He died fighting outside the crypt plagued with undead. A mysterious hooded figure, just came from the crypt's entrance, killed him with a powerful blue blast of energy.

Marlae reserves to give to Ari his father's title and holdings, because she wants to judge how Ari will act in the next months.

PC, with the exception of Marlae, go to Ghoried to solve the cryopt problem. Because they'll must deal with (probably) powerful undead, Marlas asks IHH for help and IHH sends along with the PC an NPC, Brother Merredit, a middle aged bald and fat priest but well known in Roesone for his personal crusade and hatred for undead.

In Ghoried Ari has some quarrels with his sister Delfrene. After intterogations of the soldiers who survived the clash where the Count lost his life, Brother Merredit states that a portal between Cerilia and SW must be active in the crypt. PC blame the Spider for this.

They decide to not face undead but instead to block the entrance of the crypt to, for now, further avoid more outcome of undead or spiders. They go to the crypt, but while they're deciding how to block the crypt a blue ray exitx from the crypt killing many of the soliders that had gone with them. Tehy then have a brief clash with some spiders but at the end they manage to close the crypt.

Then they return to Prodglaive to inform Marlae

[X-EOM/SS (Marco)]

tonight third session...

just a little preview

Marlae will abdicate...who will take the realm? Command has beeb offered to her younger brother Danael, but, since Luca (the player) is characterizing him like an easy-going guy with no real interest for realm matters, he could refuse. What will happen then? (any suggestions are welcomed) 

[X-Medoere & RCS/KE (Thorsten)]

tonight third session...

just a little preview

Marlae will abdicate...who will take the realm? Command has beeb offered to her younger brother Danael, but, since Luca (the player) is characterizing him like an easy-going guy with no real interest for realm matters, he could refuse. What will happen then? (any suggestions are welcomed) 

Marlae abdicates, and the younger brother refuses the throne himself? I imagine some nobles might see that as a sign, that the Baronesses family isn't fit to rule. Why be a vassal to a barony that the barons themselves does not wish to rule?

Perhaps some guilds will back a new contender to the throne then, a powerplay to wrest control of Roesone from the Roesone family... they are all a bunch of hillbillies anyway, and descendants of a mercenary-become-baron.

[X-ETN/Maire Cwyllmie (Libor)]

tonight third session...

just a little preview

Marlae will abdicate...who will take the realm? Command has beeb offered to her younger brother Danael, but, since Luca (the player) is characterizing him like an easy-going guy with no real interest for realm matters, he could refuse. What will happen then? (any suggestions are welcomed) 

If there is not clear line of succession, there will be turmoil and maybe even civil war. Powerful vassals will support their own candidates and powerful neighbours wil do the same or just use the opportunity to take some parts of Roesone for themselves (either by direct military action or by "persuading" vassals of Roesone to "take their protection").

Just a suggestion. I know it would be tough for DM

[X-ETN/Maire Cwyllmie (Libor)]

tonight third session...

just a little preview

Marlae will abdicate...who will take the realm? Command has beeb offered to her younger brother Danael, but, since Luca (the player) is characterizing him like an easy-going guy with no real interest for realm matters, he could refuse. What will happen then? (any suggestions are welcomed) 

And another quick thought. Marlae has no husband or offspring, right? She can find herself under considerable pressure to marry and pass the rule to her husband (again from vassals and neighbours alike all suggesting their own "horses"). Since she knows that rejecting all proposals can lead to civil war or ravaging of Roesone by foreign armies, she will have to consider carefully ...

[X-EOM/SS (Marco)]

last monday night 3rd gaming session.

First of all Marlae didn't abdicate. I've spoken before the game with the player, Stefania, and she said she had changed her mind and she's determined to go on as Baroness (well I prefer her to be the Baroness after all)

then we have another player, Giampiero, who will be the Master of PCE, Essafah el-Hadid.

Round 1 of Turn 2

Marlae, following the advices of her more trustful hirelings, confirmes Ari as Count of Ghoried.

Then the Imperial Chamberlain Caliedhe Dosiere sends her a dispatch saying the next Tournament Sword&Crown (set for summer 1525, turn 6) will be held in Roesone, if the Baroness accepts. Marlae says yes.

Then I, as a DM, have chosen to play an official Birthright Adventure, The Sword of Roele the I must warn for SPOILERS.

Marlae receives in her court in Caercas the visit of

1) an unknown Khinasi astrologer who says in a tomb in the Chimareon she will find a fragment of the Iron Throne. He offers a key of the tomb to her and he saysd he wants to be rewarded with 2 stars running with blood.

2) an henchmen of the Three Brother Mages (TBM), mages in Chimareon and Coeranys, wo says the TBM offer her to plunder the tomb and let it opened for them. In the tomb rest the Sword Michael Roele held in his final battle with The Gorgon. If Marlae woul open the tomb for them she could take the Sword.

3) The Chimaera asks Marlae her help to defeat the TBM. In exchange she will reveal the exact location of the tomb and Marlae could take the Sword.

Malae accepts both #1 e #2 proposals and she asks PCE for am anonymous ship to travel a group in Chimareon. PCE accepts then they from Abbatuor to Chimareon

Party is made by

all the players with the exception of Marlae and Essafah. With the party will go Captain Broderick (captain of Marlae's personal guards) and Fenris al-Dued (a Khinasi Thief at the service of PCE) controlled by the players of Marlae and Essafah.

Sea travel is, luckily, without any events and then we they arrive in the Chimareon they find the TBM, they had some skirmishes with gnolls while moving throguth the Chimareon, and the younger of them, Rassan, invites them in the Cypress Valley where he says the tomb is located. While in Chimareon they also try to find some clues about the real indentity of the Khinasi Astologer (they detected in the court audience in Roesone a lot of magic and evil in him) but with no success.

When they arrive in the Cypress Valley they had a brief fight with some lizardmen

Then Rassan told them he knows excatly where the tomb (made by an ancient knightly Khinasi Order of Avani) lies but he doesn't know where the entrance is.

Meanwhile Mutlu and Odrunu are now at 3rd level

[X-Alamie/CA (Marco)]

The search for the Sword has ended.

The party eventually found and retrieved it. They managed to avoid the undead guarding the sword with a clever trick (very well rewarded with xp at the end) and they even avoided to be caught b the Chimaera at the exit of the tomb. Danael Roesone managed to hit her 3 times with Roele's sword and she fled.

The Three Brother Mages rewarded all the PCs with a minor magical items each and with an istant teleport to Roesone.

They gave the Sword to Marlae and they're currently thinking about what to do next.

They had a visit from the Monkey King, disguised as an old astrolger as usual, who told them a brief ballad rhyme full of obscure (or not so obscure) clues.

at the end og the gaming session the Imperial Chamberlain, Caliedhe Dosiere, has announced his arrival at Caer Caercas, the castle of Marlae