NPC Profile: Prince Jorum Edmund

Prince Jorum Edmund has ruled the Principality of Edmund from his seat at Edmund Keep for about thirty years since the untimely death of his father, Prince Josseth Edmund. The people of the Principality accept his rule and see Prince Edmund as a just and benevolent leader looking out for the well being of his people. He has recently taken an interest in the history of his family and wishes to reestablish the Principality as a force to be reckoned with in the World. He has in mind an ambitious plan of expansion that includes taking control of all of the lands near the current borders of his Principality with particular interest on the lands ruled in the time of the fallen Oshland Empire three hundred years ago.

Prince Edmund has two living children: his son and heir, Prince Justin Edmund, and his half-elf bastard daughter, Jordin Edmund. He has spent the lifetime of his children grooming them to rule in his stead when he leaves the World. He sees Prince Justin as a young, brash version of himself that needs some additional years of molding before the boy will be ready to rule. He views his daughter as an accomplished leader ready to take the reins of the Keep Guards or the army at any time.

NPC Cards

In running the role-play/skill challenge scene in the first game, I used a new method to introduce NPCs that seemed to work great. For each of the important NPCs I created a character card as follows: color picture of the NPC in question (mostly from Character Builder, but a few google image searches), plus name in large script and three adjectives to describe the character. I could fit three of these character cards on a single sheet of 11.5 x 8.5 cardstock paper in portrait layout. The picture took up the left half of the sheet for each NPC and the words on the right half. Cut them out so that you have a bit of cardstock about 2.5 x 8.5 inches for each NPC.

For example, Prince Jorum Edmund had the adjectives benevolent, just and ambitious.

I then laid all the cards out on the table and told the players to paw through them and let me know when they saw someone they wanted to talk to. There were about a dozen NPCs represented on the cards.

Whenever I spoke in character as one of the NPCs I would hold the card up to make sure everyone got a good mental image of the NPC.

This method was great fun. I hope it will have the effect of imprinting the NPCs on the players' memories so we can avoid the "Hey, let's go talk to old what's-his-name, you know, the king guy" that I see and hear about in nearly every game.

Session 1 Wrapup

This was our first game, and three of the players were brand new to Dungeons and Dragons. It was a great game. The combat, four 1st level PCs vs. 600 xp worth of kobolds, took about an hour and a half, as expected. I spent a great deal of time explaining the rules to people who have never played any version of D&D. They quickly grasped the fundamentals, picked up on some basic strategic options and basically had their way with the bad guys. There were a few tense moments, like when the eladrin wizard dropped to four hit points while the dwarf paladin and the eladrin ranger's cat were also bloodied, but good fun was had by all.

The court presentation and skill challenge went exceptionally well. I did not explain to them that it was a skill challenge until about half way through it. Basically, I had various people approach them and discuss things of interest to them and try to elicit some response from the players. Occassionally I would ask one of them to make a skill check. After four successful skill checks I told them that this was a role-playing skill challenge and that what we're looking for is the opportunity to learn information and move the plot forward through the use of role-play and skill use. They jumped on it and became more interested in the story and what people had to say.

It was my original intention to have the Prince set them up on a mission to a nearby village to "evangelize" on his behalf in preparation for him taking over territory, but they really jumped on the bits about the dragon and pushed that more than I expected.

I had written the kobold's battle cry, "Bring me the dwarf's head for the glory of Gafir!" before the game, but I really had no idea what or who Gafir was. I decided during the game that Gafir was a black dragon. I really was just making the dragon bits up regarding the 100 year torpor, the battle with Prince Jorum's grandfather and pretty much all of it.

Game one and already the game is going in an entirely unexpected direction. I love it! It was their idea to tell the prince about the dragon and to set themselves up as the diplomats to go and visit the dwarf kingdom. Looks like I need to make up some dwarf NPCs!

In the meantime, unknown to them, there are some potential trouble makers at court. The prince's legitimate son, Prince Justin, sees Jordin as a potential rival. He's not worried about her taking his throne, but he is concerned about the amount of attention she gets from their father. Also, the situation with Kharas could get interesting. I initially had him ready to be a mentor type for the dwarf paladin, but as it played out he bacame a crafty, conniving type looking to make a profit. We'll have to see where that one goes. Finally, the Lady Caer Branloth, a tiefling noble woman, approached Aeral and engaged in some small talk. Along the way she dropped a hint that she might hire the heroes for business of her own in the future. I have no idea where that will go.

This game is off to a fabulous start. We'll see where it goes from here.

Session 1 Recap (part 2)

The Silver Elites return to Edmund Keep victorious. Captain Tiberious Johns greets them at the gate and congratulates them on their success. He advises them to clean up and get some rest as Prince Jorum has planned a special festival for them on the morrow.

The heroes take the clean up advice, but not so much the rest . . . they decide to make a night on the town which is mostly uneventful.

The next night Prince Jorum Edmund and his court greet the heroes in his great hall. With everyone dressed in their finest and a bountiful table laid for the feast the heroes find a rousing good time. Prince Jorum addresses the court and calls on the people of the Principality to treat the Silver Elites with the respect and honor they have earned. He particularly calls on the people of Fallcrest to praise them. Prince Jorum awards each of the heroes a silver pendant with gold highlights and the Edmund family crest inlaid on it. Then the feasting begins.

Throughout the feast various dignitaries approach the heroes to offer them congratulations and adulations. Count Dougal Arken, the ruler of Arken County where Fallcrest lies, meets with Melantha and offers her a personal reward of a magical longbow as thanks for the service to his family. He gives this family heirloom to her and begs her to use it further the glory of his family.

The festivities continue into the late hours of the night. The heroes meet in small groups or in duos with numerous courtiers, retelling the glory of Phausziek's demise and catching up on court gossip.

The night takes a more interesting turn when Jadestar Kaldoran, the dragonborn borderguard captain from Fallcrest meets them. She asks many probing questions about the kobolds and takes great interest when Koron recalls Phausziek's battle cry, "Bring me the dwarf's head for the glory of Gafir!" The name, Gafir, reminds Jadestar of something. Over the next hour or so the heroes piece together bits of information from their own knowledge and from that gained from others. A black dragon by the name of Gafir terrorized the area around Fallcrest about one hundred years ago. He led a band of devoted kobolds of a unique nature (they had wings and razor claws) on many raids against the people in and around Fallcrest. The dragon's tale of woe and blood ended when Prince Joshua Edmund, the current Prince's grandfather, led a massive army into the hills. The army exterminated the kobolds and gravely wounded Gafir, but at great cost. Prince Joshua and many hundreds of warriors died in the battles. The dragon fled the field and no one has heard of it since.

But now, one hundred years later, a kobold tribe in the hills north of Fallcrest invokes the dragon's name in battle. Melantha proposes that the dragon may not have died these many years ago. Dragons will sometimes enter a long hibernation, or torpor, to recover from wounds or otherwise pass the centuries. Could it be that Gafir is awakened from the long sleep?

The heroes ask around some more and finally Koron manages to learn something of extreme importance from the dwarf merchant, Kharas Fireaxe. The seemingly drunken dwarf lets slip to Koron that he knows of the wizard Gafir. Koron, sensing a falsehood presses the dwarf for more. Under some duress Kharas hesitantly admits that some people, maybe dwarves, may possibly have heard of a treasure, maybe, that was the horde of what might possibly have once been the dragon called Gafir, and it's possible that maybe they . . . woke the dragon from its sleep. But you really never can be sure of such things when no one returns from the quest for treasure, now can you?

The heroes leap into action. They pool their knowledge of dragons in general, more especially of black ones and even particularly of the dragon Gafir. With a bit of input from Jadestar, Captain Tiberious and the Prince's Steward, Lord Gregor Austin, they decide to go to the Prince.

Prince Edmund meets with Lord Gregor, Captain Tiberious and the Silver Elites to assess the situation. They determine to send an emissary to Stonehome, the dwarf kingdom, to find what the king there knows of the situation and to make plans to solve the problem. Koron suggests that the Silver Elites should make this trek for the Prince as he is not sure they can trust Kharas. Prince Edmund agrees, and the heroes retire for the evening to make plans.

Rewards: 100 xp; flameburst longbow +1

Session 1 Recap (part 1)

in media res . . .

Prince Jorum Edmund, the local lord and ruler of the Principality of Edmund, has sent the Silver Elites, his elite strike force, into the hills north of the town of Fallcrest to deal with a bandit crew of kobolds. The kobolds, led by the powerful wizard Phausziek, have raided outlying farms in the area for about a week. They murdered two farmers and stole numerous cattle.

Having fought their way through twisting caverns and a veritable horde of kobold guards and minions, they have made their way to the palace room of Phausziek. They see a massive underground chamber, neatly bisected by a river with a narrow wooden bridge snaking across it. On the far side, raised well above the river lie the crumbling ruins of a once beautiful, but fallen temple. Nearly a dozen kobolds stand ready to attack having heard alarms and other warning of their approach.

As the heroes enter the place the kobolds rush to defend their chief. Two heavily armed and armored soldiers rush to take positions on the bridge, while a pair of slingers move to flank the intruders from high ground on the far side. A band of minions take up protective positions around Phausziek who strides foward confidently. The kobold chief screeches, "Bring me the head of the dwarf for the glory of Gafir!"

Aural and Jordin hold position far away from the oncoming soldiers and lay low a pair of minions with arcane blasts. Koran makes his way to the bridge and charges at one of the guards, laying down an awesome blow with his massive war axe. Melantha and her cat, Leona, pounce foward, and Melantha looses a barrage of arrows on Koran's target bloodying him badly.

The pace of the battle quickens and the kobold slingers bring their dangerous shots into the game. Leona bursts into flame as one of the kobolds lands a flaming burst on her. Melantha continues to pick her way forward, pelting her foes with arrows and her great cat takes up position to aid Koron. While the cat and Koron keep the soldiers engaged, Aeral and Jordin bring down the remaining minions around Phausziek. It is a tough and bloody fight, but when Aeral blasts the kobold chief with her flaming sphere the tide turns decisively in the heroes' favor. Even as more minions come to the aid of their beleagured chief, the Elites enter the mop up phase of the battle bringing down foe after foe in short order.

The adventurers pick over the corpses of their fallen foes, finding some gold and silver coins. They also retrieve a magical wand and a silver necklace from Phausziek. Finally, Koron hews the head from the kobold leader to return to their lord as proof of their heroic deeds this day.

Rewards: 150 xp each; 80 gp; silver necklace with saphire pendant (100 gp); wand of witchfire +1

The Heroes

Aeral: eladrin wizard; magic scholar; Aeral comes from the magical eladrin city of Mithrendain in the Feywild. Mithrendain appears in the World once every ten years for thirty days. When the city appeared in the World last, Aeral traveled to Edmund Keep at the behest of the eladrin elders to establish relations with the humans in this area. She didn't make it back to the city in time and has been stranded here for several years. Over the last few years she has befriended Jordan Edmund, the Prince's bastard daughter.

Jordin Edmund: half elf bard; noble scion; Jordin is the bastard daughter of Prince Jorum Edmund. Prince Jorum has trained and groomed his daughter for some as-yet-undetermined "great task". She, along with the other PCs, is a member of his elite "strike force" that handles delicate problems for him.

Koron: dwarf paladin; prison conversion; Koron committed some terrible crime in the past (details to come), for which he spent many years in the Prince Jorum's dungeon. During his stay in prison he found solace in the teachings of Moradin. Through a fortutious encounter with Captain Tiberious Johns, Koron's newfound holiness won the stern captain over. Captain Tiberious prevailed upon Prince Jorum to free the paladin. Prince Jorum went a step further and installed the stalwart dwarf in his strike force. Koron has a deep life debt to both Prince Jorum and Captain Tiberious.

Melantha: eladrin beastmaster ranger; eldritch harlequin; Melantha was part of the same criminal crew to which Koron belonged. When Koron got caught, Melantha laid low and avoided trouble. She has skulked about the area for years always on the edge of getting caught in something that would be her downfall. When Koron got out of prison she came to him and he has, perhaps unwisely, vouched for her. She is allied with the heroes in their service to Prince Jorum, but why exactly and what her ultimate goals may be are a complete mystery.