Consequences for Killing Major Named NPCs

[ZedAlpha]

Seriously, though, how far out in the world and the timeline do I have to plan all of the repercussions? Is this something I can plan out a basic skeleton for and improvise the rest? I don't want to burn myself out on the game before we have our fourth session, lol. 

[French Desperate WindChild]

24 minutes ago, ZedAlpha said:

Seriously, though, how far out in the world and the timeline do I have to plan all of the repercussions? Is this something I can plan out a basic skeleton for and improvise the rest? I don't want to burn myself out on the game before we have our fourth session, lol. 

you are the only one able to answer

what will do your players, after having killed the bigger boss of the world ?

you can decide that they kill him and that s all. You can decide there is no impact on the world, that the other big bosses will do nothing against / for you, that pirates will continue or say good bye.

Or you can decide, as other said, that they don't only kill one guy, but change the face of the world

Or you can decide that another trickster, better than your pc, has tricked them, and Harreck is still alive.

Or you can decide that Harreck is badly wounded but will be healed / is killed but will be resurected, and the world doesn't change except now, your pcs are just the target number one of the bigger boss of the world

[Eff]

15 minutes ago, ZedAlpha said:

Seriously, though, how far out in the world and the timeline do I have to plan all of the repercussions? Is this something I can plan out a basic skeleton for and improvise the rest? I don't want to burn myself out on the game before we have our fourth session, lol. 

Not very far at all! The main thing is to have an idea of what this provokes, which unfortunately is highly dependent on the stuff your players are engaging with and want to engage in. 

But let's lay out three rough frameworks:

1) Gunda concludes Harrek was killed by some master thief. She begins hunting down every legendary burglar, con artist, and pickpocket she can find. 

2) To do this, she hires the PCs through an intermediary or two, as trackers or enforcers. 

3) Eventually, they meet their mysterious employer and she rants about her revenge on the killer(s) of Harrek. 

Or:

1) Samastina or the Demiverge of Rhigos (another important Esrolian queen) gather a force of mercenaries, which they use to lay a trap for a large group of marauding Wolf Pirates. 

2) In the aftermath of this great victory, plans are made for a general crusade against piracy, starting with the firm establishment of an outpost on the Three Step Isles. 

3) Maybe the PCs are given a grant directly, or maybe they are employed by someone who does, but they now have to carve out a life on these isolated sheep-cursed isles, fighting assorted ghost pirates and weird winter storm spirits and bear demons, establishing peaceful ties with the locals to support this little fort, dealing with brilliant plans for improving the isles, etc.

Or

1) The death of Harrek opens up a space in the cosmos for someone to fill the space he occupied. 

2) Because the PCs actually killed him, they're one of the most qualified candidates, and divinations will show they are, but not necessarily why.

3) So they end up being beset by weirdos from around the world who challenge them to duels or strange magical contests, other weirdos who want them to take Harrek's position and carry out their plans to reshape the cosmos and its relationship with Death, and just possibly, they need to find another demigod like Harrek (Jar-eel, Androgeus) to help them complete the task or else firmly disqualify themselves...

All of which could be undercurrents added to other plots. 

[jajagappa]

37 minutes ago, ZedAlpha said:

Seriously, though, how far out in the world and the timeline do I have to plan all of the repercussions? Is this something I can plan out a basic skeleton for and improvise the rest? I don't want to burn myself out on the game before we have our fourth session, lol. 

I'd figure that the repercussions will extend about a year or so, and then depend on what way you take the result.  Assuming Gunda survives and is seeking who "killed" Harrek, and/or how to "resurrect" or "free" Harrek, then she may direct Wolf Pirates to search out that information.  This may diminish the "raids" somewhat, but the Wolf Pirates still around.  But there are plenty of other things going on to engage PC's attention.

If you wipe out Harrek altogether, and Gunda is off and cannot find him, then something else emerges "in his place".  

[soltakss]

On 2/1/2021 at 5:55 AM, ZedAlpha said:

My main question here is not the how but the what would logically happen next?

• Harrek is not well-liked, so many people would celebrate his passing and fete the adventurers as Heroes
• The surviving Wolf Pirates might seek revenge, but might just elect a new Captain of Captains and carry on their raiding
• Argrath might be annoyed, as he has lost an ally, but it depends on when it happens, Harrek becomes very unstable and might be seen as a liability
• Someone might HeroQuest to bring Harrek back, wouldn't that be fun?
• Harrek might come back to life himself, and he is not a forgiving person, so expect running battles with him
• The Lunars might HeroQuest to trap him in Hell, so that he can't be brought back

 

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, ZedAlpha said:

Is this something I can plan out a basic skeleton for and improvise the rest?

Yes, of course!

Timing is a big factor in terms of what you need to account for.  There are 4 main events you need to account for between 1624-1628.  Anything after that is irrelevant.

• 1624 Seaseaon - the Battle of Pennel Ford.  Harrek is central to the defeat of the Lunars, overcoming/shrugging off a massive Sunspear.  While Argrath and Broyan could possible pick up the slack, this is significant (and likely where most characters first encounter Harrek)
• 1624 unknown season - Sack of the City of Wonders.  Harrek and Wolf Pirates loot the City of Wonders and it disappears "forever".  If Harrek is gone, then perhaps Gunda leads the sack in the hope of finding a way to rescue/recover Harrek.  Otherwise, the City of Wonders is still there with whatever consequences that entails.
• 1627 - Harrek leads great raids throughout the Holy Country.  Leaders call upon Argrath to stop Harrek, and he does.  If Harrek is killed 1624-5, then use this as his return, and he is REALLY ANGRY!  So this is a great chance to bring a forked thread back to mainstream.
• 1628 - Battle of Heroes.  Harrek kills Jar-eel and takes her heart.  Big impact on Lunar Empire.  Even Argrath is going to have a difficult time stopping Jar-eel (unless the PC's have come into their own as heroes - OR, the PC's, seeing the consequences of what they have done, rescue and return with Harrek in time to battle Jar-eel). 

Edited February 2, 2021 by jajagappa

[ZedAlpha]

2 hours ago, jajagappa said:

I'd figure that the repercussions will extend about a year or so, and then depend on what way you take the result. 

I like that guideline. Since this campaign is set directly in the Sea Season after the City of Wonders was obliterated by the Pirates, then I just outline the next year or so. Got it. I think I can break that down into Immediately After, A Few Weeks After, Fire Season, Earth Season, Dark Season, Storm Season, At The Start Of Next Year, which makes this a whole lot more manageable. 

So let's go with Immediately After: 

1. Gunda the Guilty, if/when she survives, swears eternal Humakti blood vengeance on her friend's killers and leaves with a large chunk of the surviving Pirates. They quest ceaselessly for a way to bring Harrek back to life and then kill the fuck out of anyone who helped kill him. 
2. Another chunk of the pirates flees immediately up and down the coast. The few who survive Holy Country naval patrols and vengeful peasants on land end up as mercenaries or bandits. A large number end up in Prax, flocking to Argrath the White Bull's banner. 
   1. I'm going with the Multi-Argrath Hypothesis that I've seen thrown around here a few times, 'cause I like it. Argrath the Mariner, Orlanthi pirate scumbag and friend to Harrek is different from Argrath the Illuminated, Prince of Sartar, and Argrath the White Bull, Warlord of Pavis. At least in this timeline.
3. The rump of the pirates who survive and aren't immediately slaughtered by the Esrolians and whatever the volcano island kingdom whose name I forgot's navy swear allegiance to the killers of Harrek, giving the PCs some military force that might make the surviving Holy Country's leadership very nervous.

2 hours ago, Eff said:

1) Samastina or the Demiverge of Rhigos (another important Esrolian queen) gather a force of mercenaries, which they use to lay a trap for a large group of marauding Wolf Pirates. 

2) In the aftermath of this great victory, plans are made for a general crusade against piracy, starting with the firm establishment of an outpost on the Three Step Isles. 

3) Maybe the PCs are given a grant directly, or maybe they are employed by someone who does, but they now have to carve out a life on these isolated sheep-cursed isles, fighting assorted ghost pirates and weird winter storm spirits and bear demons, establishing peaceful ties with the locals to support this little fort, dealing with brilliant plans for improving the isles, etc.

Or

1) The death of Harrek opens up a space in the cosmos for someone to fill the space he occupied. 

2) Because the PCs actually killed him, they're one of the most qualified candidates, and divinations will show they are, but not necessarily why.

3) So they end up being beset by weirdos from around the world who challenge them to duels or strange magical contests, other weirdos who want them to take Harrek's position and carry out their plans to reshape the cosmos and its relationship with Death, and just possibly, they need to find another demigod like Harrek (Jar-eel, Androgeus) to help them complete the task or else firmly disqualify themselves...

All of which could be undercurrents added to other plots. 

I see the trap for the Wolf Pirates as prelude for the Harrek Must Die session that's coming up: the PCs hear that the Queens of Esrolia are massing a force of mercenaries, volunteers, surviving naval regulars, and allies from the Shadow Plateau and the volcano-god worshippers to either oust the pirates or die trying. While the fight with Harrek is going on, I can describe the naval battle to end all naval battles in the background. I like the plan that the queens decide on a general anti-piracy campaign and tap the heroes who killed the unkillable man to do it. Not only does that rally the common folk in support of the plan, it puts these ludicrously deadly and ambitious people far away from the Esrolian capitol where they can do any damage. We can call that the In A Few Weeks plan: the heroes get summoned to the capitol, feted as heroes, given honors, and one or two of them are let in on the plans for the future. 

While they're preparing to go to the Three Step Isles, all sorts of weirdoes pop out of the woodwork trying to use them to further their own cosmic shenanigans, or to just come at them fantasy gunslinger style. 

1 hour ago, soltakss said:

• Harrek is not well-liked, so many people would celebrate his passing and fete the adventurers as Heroes
• The surviving Wolf Pirates might seek revenge, but might just elect a new Captain of Captains and carry on their raiding
• Argrath might be annoyed, as he has lost an ally, but it depends on when it happens, Harrek becomes very unstable and might be seen as a liability
• Someone might HeroQuest to bring Harrek back, wouldn't that be fun?
• Harrek might come back to life himself, and he is not a forgiving person, so expect running battles with him
• The Lunars might HeroQuest to trap him in Hell, so that he can't be brought back

This'll be the Fire Season plan; while the PCs are in the Three Step Isles and establishing themselves, Gunda the Guilty and her allies are questing to bring Harrek back to life; meanwhile, the Bear God will be freed (more on that below), and his worshippers will be looking to find the PCs and reward them--presuming that they can keep Harrek from enslaving him again. Meanwhile, Argrath the Illuminated loses a potential ally against the Lunars, but will possibly reach out to the PCs after the Dragonrise happens next year. 

Earth Season and Dark Season can be spent adventuring around the Three Step Isles, looking through old ruins for magical artifacts, forging alliances with the locals, and doing all that neat stuff that @Eff mentioned above. I like it. It'll be a neat change of pace, and hopefully I can make it as exciting as the first four sessions of the campaign so far.

2 hours ago, French Desperate WindChild said:

Or you can decide that Harreck is badly wounded but will be healed / is killed but will be resurected, and the world doesn't change except now, your pcs are just the target number one of the bigger boss of the world

Oh, he will be, and when he comes back, he's pissed, but will probably be seperated from the Bear God, and thus without much of his power. He'll quest to get it back, and the followers of the White Bear God will try to stop him by entreating the Bear-Killers (the PCs) to counter-heroquest against him and keep it from happening. That's Next Year or Storm Season stuff, though.

On 2/1/2021 at 6:20 AM, Eff said:

- Harrek isn't around to pull Jar-eel's attention during the Battle of Heroes if this hasn't already happened, so either we get a much more even result/outright Lunar victory, or someone else steps up to fill the void. Perhaps a hero-band who have already slain a demigod once are called upon to fight another one... 

- Regardless, it seems very likely that Moonson Argenteus gets hard restarted by his sister and Fourth Inspiration still, because the driving force there is his inattention to critical areas of rule and the need for a more useful Mask. And the whole Pelorian Romance of the Three Empires period begins. 

- With a less clear Sartarite victory, Mularik's actions during the conquest, I mean 'liberation' of Furthest (assuming that still happens) may well prove to be so intolerable for any hope of holding Tarsh that Argrath is a bit less "will no one rid me of this turbulent Arkati?" and a bit more "someone whack this motherfucker for your pal Argrath?" 

I don't know what most of these words mean, but they sound cool and I'll look them up. 

On 2/1/2021 at 10:20 AM, jajagappa said:

 

• The White Bear (a god in its own right) is liberated.  Does one of the other Wolf Pirates take on its visage?  Or is it freed to return to Fronela and the Rathori?  Perhaps it allies with Valind, Himile, and other deities of the ice to bring the Glacier back across the world.
• Gunda, Harrek's best friend, is enraged and initiates a Dance of Death, and leads Humakt's Choosers of the Dead (noted above in one of Jeff's posts) against the PC's
• Or Gunda sends off on a Godquest to resurrect Harrek, or free him from the bonds of the Infinite
• The Wolf Pirates probably break apart - some follow Gunda, some join Argrath, others go off on their own, maybe some join Harrek's killer (if they promise booty and glory).  Probably helps the Holy Country at the immediate level, but maybe Gunda returns with something worse, and targeted at all the PC's love...
  .........
• The Powers of Destruction fall elsewhere.  Maybe someone from the merfolk following Wachaza, or a troll of Zorak Zoran, or an Alkothi follower of Shargash, takes up the "mantle" of Harrek.  Destruction does not prove to be eradicated, but shifts to another focal point or "icon".  (The last note on "icon" references ideas from the 13th Age RPG where there are a set of figures, "icons", that are the prominent leaders that influence the actions across the world.  Harrek certainly fits into this model, but his absence creates a vacuum that someone is likely to fill.)

Well, as far as powers of destruction go, the party's Humakti Duck player has said that long-term goals for his character involve rallying the surviving Durulz (and other beastfolk) to his banner and wreaking "apocalyptic revenge" on any clan, tribe, kingdom, or person who's ever so much as ruffled a Duck feather. With that drive to slay and burn, I could totally see Waddlestomp the Bloody-Beaked (for so he is named) be that icon if he survives long enough. 

 

On 2/1/2021 at 1:39 PM, jajagappa said:

Of course, this could all be a plot by the White Bear (i.e. the polar bear god) to separate himself from Harrek, or by the Rathori (the bear hsunchen, aka Bearwalkers - those men who are bears but are in human form) or rescue their stolen deity.  This doesn't mean Harrek loses "hero" status - he knows heroquesting, has come back from Hell before, has a place in the God's World, and is worshipped by the Wolf Pirates - but he would lose his god ally and that would force Harrek into other quests to regain some of his savage powers.

There might be "bumps" then in the official timeline, but Harrek still exists to perform various events.  (And likely is after those who "stole" his white bear from him.)

One approach to doing this would be to quest into the Godtime seeking the White Bear BEFORE it was skinned by Harrek, and then being present when Harrek comes to do so.  Saving the White Bear at this point would keep Harrek from binding the bear god into its skin, and drop Harrek out of the quest without his White Bear identity.  Perhaps Harrek is dropped out on the Glacier and has to find his way back to Dragon Pass?

I love this idea and am stealing it wholeheartedly. Storm Season's plots will be Rathori emissaries contacting the PCs and begging them to counter-heroquest against Harrek and keep him from re-skinning the White Bear God in the God time. If they succeed, they gain a lifedebt from a big, pissed-off ice bear god, who will then be free to rally the other ice gods against the PCs foes; perhaps the Lunar Empire has to fight a war on two fronts now? In the south, against Sartar, Prax, and the remnants of the Holy Country, and in the North, against billions of tons of angry ice? Can the glowline stop a glacier with a grudge? 

Then, next year, there's the Dragonrise, which throws everything into disarray. Sartar is freed, the Lunars are in chaos, and the Heroes of the Three Isles (if they survive all the magical shenanigans going on) might get called by Argrath the Illuminated to help hold the line against the inevitable Lunar counterattack. Or, I don't know, maybe Sartar invades Tarsh while the Lunars are distracted up north and the PCs go help with that or something. 

Anyway. That was way too long and should have been separate posts. Sorry. Thank you all for the ideas. How do they work as a rough draft? 

 

Edit: I was typing this up as @jajagappa was replying up there. Sorry, didn't mean to ignore you.

Edited February 2, 2021 by ZedAlpha

[Rodney Dangerduck]

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

Harrek and Wolf Pirates loot the City of Wonders

(emphasis added)

"Loot" is a gross understatement.  It was more like the Sack of Jerusalem in 1099, when most every inhabitant was killed.  Unless this has been changed in recent Glorantha history.

[ZedAlpha]

That's the version of history that I'm going with, yeah. This was an atrocity, even by the standards of a Bronze Age world. Certainly by the standards of a few kingdoms whose guiding principle seems to have been "There's Always Another Way" for the last few hundred years. 

[John Biles]

Suggestion:  When Harrek dies, the most powerful people he's killed in the past are now able to escape the Underworld.

So instead of Argenteus being killed by Big Sister, as in the canon, Emperor Igneus returns and has a civil war with him.

(This might require a Heroquest, but I can totally see Illuminated Argath going to the effort to bring back Igeneus and turn him loose in the Empire to make a mess.)

 

[ZedAlpha]

again, no idea who those people are, but I'll look them up. That sounds good. 

[John Biles]

1 hour ago, ZedAlpha said:

again, no idea who those people are, but I'll look them up. That sounds good. 

Argenteus is the Moonson, the Emperor of the Lunar Empire.  Imagine if Old Elvis was Emperor. 

Big Sister is... hard to explain but basically acts as the counterbalance to the Emperor.

Igenus is the previous Moonson, who got hacked to hamburger by Harrek in 1607.  He's the guy who conquered Sartar.

 

[Eff]

The most important thing to remember when dealing with Gloranthan lore in an RPG?

Make things up.

Why does the Red Moon take seven days to pass through Her phases? Because Greg Stafford wanted to create a thorny tactical problem where Lunar units would be at their weakest a certain number of turns after the start of play when making a hex-and-counter board wargame.

Why are places named "Nochet" and "Corflu"? One is a misheard "Not yet", the other is a misread "Cor.(rection) Flu.(id)".

Why Ducks? Because one of the early playtesters of the board wargame got to name a city on the map and said, "Duckburg", (negotiated to Duck Point).

If you find yourself needing to introduce a person or plot element... make something up, on the spot. Follow the Unofficial Gloranthan Style Guide as you do, of course, namely: mix terrible puns, decent puns, pure fantasy names, absurd titles, and straightforward literal descriptions in order to produce proper nouns.

It's not "canon". But Glorantha is a big, open, multiplicity of places, and just throwing things in there because you needed them or they seemed good at the time has lead the exploration of Glorantha down many an interesting and scenic road.

[Akhôrahil]

5 hours ago, jajagappa said:

 

• 1624 unknown season - Sack of the City of Wonders.  Harrek and Wolf Pirates loot the City of Wonders and it disappears "forever".  If Harrek is gone, then perhaps Gunda leads the sack in the hope of finding a way to rescue/recover Harrek.  Otherwise, the City of Wonders is still there with whatever consequences that entails.

One important thing here - if The City of Wonders doesn’t get looted, then King Broyan will be in a very strong position (doubly so for getting Harrek’s help and then not having to pay the price). Much will turn on him now, and there will be a big, more traditionalist faction, in play.

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, ZedAlpha said:

again, no idea who those people are, but I'll look them up.

Some of it is from backstory of Harrek.

From the Glorantha Sourcebook p.183: "In 7/36 (1607), to everyone’s horror, Harrek the Berserk killed the Red Emperor and then fled to the dark forests of Fronela."

This event is 17 years before if you are in 1624.  The Red Emperor at the time was the "Mask" (i.e. he appeared different) called Ignifer.  His successor "mask" is Argenteus.  As the Red Emperor is the son of the Red Moon Goddess, he is often called "Moonson".  There is also a daughter of the Red Moon called "Great Sister".  Whereas the Red Emperor is the centerpoint for the Lunar Empire and directs it politically and magically, Great Sister never "officially" is engaged in politics, but on spreading the word of the Red Moon through deeds for the masses, etc.

Some similar notes on p.187: "In 7/36 (1607), the Red Emperor was killed while he was with his family in Doblian by a murderous demigod called Harrek the White Bear, an assassin neither man nor beast, good nor bad, light or dark. To the wonder of all, the Emperor returned only seven weeks later, and took no vengeance."

To keep the Lunar Empire from falling into rival states, the Red Emperor encouraged the noble families to engage in "Dart Wars", i.e. all political intrigue handled through assassination, "dart" competitions, and other non-military intrigue.  Harrek was one of the assassins at the time in the employ of one of the noble families.

p.205 notes: "The White Bear is mentioned in nearly every history and tale of the Hero Wars. Chroniclers across the world wrote of the misfortunes he visited upon their lands. Harrek is a savage, half-mad killing demigod. He was originally a Skin-Changer from the forests of Rathorela, and became a Hero when he killed and bound his people’s god, the White Bear, to serve him (or perhaps he serves it). Harrek gained fame as a Dart Warrior, a warlord, the king of the Wolf Pirates, a mercenary for the gods, and an iron-fisted tyrant of his own realm. He never forgot his common origins and never let a poor man starve."

After he left the Lunar Empire, he found his way through Fronela, had some interaction with the "evil" warlord Lord Death-on-a-Horse, but did not kill him, then reached the Ygg's Isles where he became the leader of the Wolf Pirates.  1616 is when he arrived for the first time in the Holy Country and wiped out the God-king's fleet (but the Lunar heroine killed the God-king before Harrek could do so).

 

[jajagappa]

4 minutes ago, Akhôrahil said:

One important thing here - if The City of Wonders doesn’t get looted, then King Broyan will be in a very strong position (doubly so for getting Harrek’s help and then not having to pay the price). Much will turn on him now, and there will be a big, more traditionalist faction, in play.

Until Broyan gets killed by Lunar magic.  It may not turn on the fact that Broyan betrayed the City of Wonders, but likely some other broken oath can still be found.

Or, Broyan gets assassinated by some other means such as Blue Moon Assassins sent by the Lunars, etc.

While he could survive and be present, this takes the game far more off-the-rails and forces rethinking of more pieces.

[ZedAlpha]

This was set the sea season after the City of Wonders gets destroyed, unless I got my timeline wrong.

[Akhôrahil]

1 minute ago, jajagappa said:

While he could survive and be present, this takes the game far more off-the-rails and forces rethinking of more pieces.

With Harrek gone, that’s a foregone conclusion anyway - who do they have who can go up against Jar-eel now? And I can see a lot of interesting plot lines to having a traditionalist power centre (with Vingkotling aspirations) alongside Argrath’s radical one. 

[ZedAlpha]

Maybe the PCs, if they survive that long?

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Akhôrahil said:

And I can see a lot of interesting plot lines to having a traditionalist power centre (with Vingkotling aspirations) alongside Argrath’s radical one. 

Certainly that's one possibility.  But at the same time, such a presence would likely fracture the Holy Country further with power struggles emerging between Samastina in Nochet and Broyan, and perhaps the rising power of the Shadow Plateau between.  Could be a very interesting place!

But at the same time, that deviation requires a lot more preparation and thought.  I was focusing on ways you could incorporate Harrek's "death", yet still bring the timelines and events back together over a 1-3 year window without too much disruption of the main plotlines. 

[ZedAlpha]

2 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

Certainly that's one possibility.  But at the same time, such a presence would likely fracture the Holy Country further with power struggles emerging between Samastina in Nochet and Broyan, and perhaps the rising power of the Shadow Plateau between.  Could be a very interesting place!

But at the same time, that deviation requires a lot more preparation and thought.  I was focusing on ways you could incorporate Harrek's "death", yet still bring the timelines and events back together over a 1-3 year window without too much disruption of the main plotlines. 

That could be a neat way to take the campaign, if the heroes want to stay in the Holy Country instead of going North to Sartar and help the counter-assault against the Lunar Empire or East to conquer a kingdom in Prax. I could see it: the Holy Country splitting six different ways, the futile dream of heroquesting to revive the Pharaoh, Esrolian queens backstabbing each other, the Uz finallly getting close to removing the Trollkin Curse, the traditionalists in Heortland having increasing tensions with the radicals in Dragon Pass....and the volcano worshippers. I don't know much about them but I love the idea, for some reason. 

[jajagappa]

23 minutes ago, ZedAlpha said:

I could see it: the Holy Country splitting six different ways

Six ways, and Chaos on top of it!  Not only do you get Queen Gagix and her scorpion hordes, but maybe there is something more.  Maybe Harrek's sacking of the City of Wonders actually kept Chaos from emerging there?  Harrek's not there to sack it, therefore, something much worse emerges...

[ZedAlpha]

Harrek already did sack it. That was the inciting incident of the campaign. The Holy Country was grievously wounded, the City of Wonders is gone, the King of Heortland is a traitor, Lunar mercenaries are wandering the place trying to make their own little petty kingdoms, and pirates are attacking anyone within five leagues of the coast. 

I could see the City of Wonders being a sort of magical plug on chaos, though. It's gone, and now whatever it was keeping the cork on bubbles up to the surface. 

[ZedAlpha]

ooh, okay, now that's an idea: crawling out of the dimensional rift in the ruins of the City of Wonders comes another kaiju-sized chaos beast, an Anguirus or Gojira to the Red Bat's Rodan. Which better heroes than the Bear-Killers to find a way to slay it, or perhaps even divert it into the path of their enemies?

 

[John Biles]

22 minutes ago, ZedAlpha said:

ooh, okay, now that's an idea: crawling out of the dimensional rift in the ruins of the City of Wonders comes another kaiju-sized chaos beast, an Anguirus or Gojira to the Red Bat's Rodan. Which better heroes than the Bear-Killers to find a way to slay it, or perhaps even divert it into the path of their enemies?

 

Suggestion - Gojira's eggs were held hostage in the City to keep it under control and providing its magic to the city; Harrek's people stole the eggs and now the Wolf Pirates have them without realizing what they are.  (Further twist - Nysalorian Lunars think these are *more of the kinds of eggs used to make Nysalor* and are after the eggs.)

So Gojira is rampaging to find the eggs.