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Introduction
In last week’s post, World Building: Betrayal System Overview, we began exploring tools for creating actually interesting intrigue in our TTRPG games.
I’ve been exploring systems presented by The Grainbound’s Tony on YouTube and I have a setting I’m slowly building out that needs more life breathed into it. This week we’re going to do some reps building out loyalty chains and thinking about how we can create an interesting backdrop for political intrigue.
The Thing
The recently raised up family of Kassick has taken over a barony along the southern frontier border as a lesser vassal house owing allegiance to the noble leadership of their nation-state of Sil-Dimas.
Area sketch of hex 32AE
Forging a Web of Loyalty Chains
Immediately we need a couple things. The house of the High Priestess, the “great house”, needs a brand and chain links between her and Baron Kassick.
The Great Pontiff, High Priestess Clio of House Tektaros
Tektaros House Brand: Known for righteousness and ruthlessness. The scales of balance and the blind maiden of justice are used as symbols.
As there is currently no central “kingdom” in this setting, I’m treating each of the five nation-states as their own Duchy competing for ultimate control of the entire region of Catastros.
The Great Pontiff resides within the Sil-Diman capital city of Pyrgos, the central seat of power. The High Priestess is both the leader of the nation-state and the self-appointed leader of the Tetrarchy faith - akin to a pope.
The power rankings in Sil-Dimas, 1 being the highest:
The Faith (Tetrarchy Orthodoxy)
The High Society (Nobility)
The Learned Mages
The Merchants
The Unlawful
The Laborers
In the hierarchy of power in Sil-Dimas, just below the Tetrarchy faith, resides a very powerful class of nobility that tempers the Great Pontiff via the “The Forum” - a governing body elected by and of the noble families tasked with policy-driven stewardship of the nation-state.
Baron Kassick’s purpose is to secure a road on the southern border and serve as a forward outpost in espionage against the neighboring nation-state of Malkant, but Kassick is one of a number of smaller baronies serving as lesser vassals organized under a major vassal.
We need a link in the chain between Baron Kassick and the High Priestess Tektaros to serve as a major vassal... Insert Count Drakon Orenadai, The Count of the Setting Sun.
Adding some definition to these loyalty links:
Great Pontiff Tektaros <-> Count Orenadai
Initial Loyalty: Ideological - House Orenadai are true believers in Tetrarchy Orthodoxy and the leadership of the High Pontiff
Loyalty Mechanisms: Rewards, Economic Control, Oaths and Tradition
Top Vulnerability: Expectation of reward
Count Orenadai <-> Baron Kassick
Initial Loyalty: Ambition - House Kassick has ambitions of rising in the ranks and was recently rewarded with a barony for their service to House Orenadai
Loyalty Mechanisms: Economic Control, Military Dependence, Shared Enemy, Rewards
Top Vulnerability: Alternative economic options
Cross Connections: Married to a lady of House Ruzzier, Spies on rival baronies Gryllo and Leobanid
We’ve got a vertical chain from top to bottom, let’s fill out that lesser vassal layer a little bit with two more houses that have links to Count Orenadai...
Count Orenadai <-> Baron Gryllo
Initial Loyalty: Profit - House Orenadai protected House Gryllo and established them as a respected noble house.
Loyalty Mechanisms: Military Dependence, Shared enemy, oaths and tradition
Top Vulnerability: Failure to protect
Cross Connections: Has blood ties to House Orenadai, Has spies within the Tetrarchy Orthodoxy
Count Orenadai <-> Baronness Leobanid
Initial Loyalty: Fear - House Leobanid was rival with another house that was wiped out when they crossed House Orenadai.
Loyalty Mechanisms: Marriages, Oaths and tradition, Secrets/Blackmail
Top Vulnerability: Blood betrayal
Cross Connections: Widow once married to a member of house Orenadai, Trades in secrets with House Bulbola (Malkant)
Now we’re getting a picture of how the nobility gained and are keeping loyalty from their subordinates and already I am awash with ideas on how to break these things to create an interesting environment for story and play. there’s more to do to completely map out Sil-Dimas but for today we are just working with southern Sil-Dimas and northern Malkant.
Baron Kassick, Baronness Leobanid, and Baron Gryllo are rival lesser vassals under the greater vassal of Count Orenadai whom serves The Great Pontiff - High Priestess Clio Tektaros - sovereign leader of the nation-state of Sil-Dimas.
Moving across the border on to the nation-state to the south east: Malkant.
The Malkani government is led by The Potentate, the merchant prince among The Conclave with the highest percentage of ownership in the state interest operating out of the capital city of Ostiamozzo.
The High Potentate, Gaspar of House Lugazano
Lugazano House Brand: Known for daring and generosity. Their symbol is a sea faring ship with sails and wings.
The power rankings in Malkant, 1 being the highest:
The Merchants (The Conclave)
The High Society (Nobility)
The Faith (Tetrarchy Orthodox)
The Learned Mages
The Laborers
The Unlawful
For the second link in the chain, we will look to Countess Palmira of House Deacatis.
Potentate Lugazano <-> Countess Deacatis
Initial Loyalty: Ambition - House Deacatis wants to rule, they’ve been rising in the ranks with tenacity and have been seeing results in serving house Lugazano.
Loyalty Mechanisms: Economic Control, Marriages, Rewards
Top Vulnerability: Alternative Economic options
Countess Deacatis <-> Baron Ruzzier
Initial Loyalty: Blood - Lots of intermarriage between Deacatis and Ruzzier
Loyalty Mechanisms: Marriages, Oaths and traditions, Rewards
Top Vulnerability: Blood betrayal
Cross Connections: Married to a member of house Deacatis yet unfaithful, Looks down upon and spies upon “upstart” houses
Countess Deacatis <-> Baron Bulbola
Initial Loyalty: Grudge - Was betrayed by an enemy which bound Bulbola to Deacatis
Loyalty Mechanisms: Military dependence, Secrets/Blackmail, Shared enemy
Top Vulnerability: Failure to protect
Cross Connections: Trades in secrets against his rivals, Never intends to marry.
Countess Deacatis <-> Baronness Ezzio
Initial Loyalty: Debt - Ezzio owes Deacatis a debt from generations back
Loyalty Mechanisms: Oaths and tradition, Military dependence, Marriages
Top Vulnerability: Chaos
Cross Connections: Spies on rival Baronies, Sends spies into Sil-Dimas.
Conclusion
This exercise has been really great for fleshing out some ideas I’ve not had fully fleshed out till now. I was able to come up with a whole web of intrigue ideas in a relatively short amount of time. I need to come up with more systemic ways of randomizing the vulnerability mix and the cross-connections. But I am feeling good about where this is going.
I think next time we will see what shakes out when we press and break one of these links and see where we can use the fallout.
What do you think? Comment your answer!
Till next time!
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