Last week we kicked off “A Fork in the Road” series with the set up of an adventure designed to put player choice first, rather than scripted outcomes. This week, we’ll delve a bit further into the Duchy. Sandbox style adventures require a well developed setting for the PCs to play in, otherwise the absence of detail limits the perceived availability of choices. In our case, we want to make sure the PCs have all the details needed so they have the right context for their decision to either side with the Rebels or join the Duke in fighting them.
The Duchy of Darimus
Geography
The lands that make up the Duchy border a vast forest to the west. The locals call it the Endless Forest, as no travelers have come through that forest and no travelers that have set off through the forest have ever returned. The center of the Duchy is the seat of power for the local lands, the city of Darimor. The city is dominated by a massive castle surrounded by a sprawling urban crawl that heads down the banks of the river, Thousand Pikes, which runs North-South through the city. To the north, a treacherous path leads up into the mountains where many of the tributaries of the Thousand Pikes River begin. This mountain haven is the home of another of the Lords who pay homage to Duke Darimus. A small mountain pass allows for trade with lands north of the mountains, but it is a rarely used passage in the current age.
The largest town in the Duchy is the port town of Trayan, at the mouth of the Thousand Pikes River. The eastern lands of the Duchy are the open plains that support most of the populace with food stuffs. A mostly wooden six foot wall marks the entire running boundary of the eastern part of the Duchy.
Politics
The state of affairs in the Duchy are in flux. In the western part of the Duchy, a time of mourning has arrived for many of the nobles and even peasants. The Lord of the land died during a recent holiday, his only son was also slain. While some mourn, other noble houses maneuver and vie for control of the Lordship.
The eastern lands, which are far more important to the survival of the Duchy, are filled with words of revolt. Two noble houses, one local (the Lollygaggers), and one from Darimor (the Blarfelts), have recently been charged by the local populace with using commoners for their sick games. Apparently, the two houses have been taking commoners captive, taking them out far from their villages, and setting them loose to run for their lives.
Duke Regibald Darimus
The Duke is very concerned about the implications made against these two noble houses. What he is most concerned about though, is the revolt of the commoners. He can’t simply hand over the heads of the Lollygaggers and the Blarfelts without a good deal of backlash from his nobles. Duke Darimus sends out a call from his own personal riders to spread word that he seeks out individuals outside of the nobility to help him keep this situation under control.
Tying in previous works
The Hope Day Massacre describes the Manor of Sir Boon, a local lord. This local lord is the same described in the current state of affairs of the western lands. Assume that the cottage of The Krampus was located within the edges of the Endless Forest. If that encounter ended with the result of one of the players vying for the lordship of Sir Boon’s Manor, they could also be heading to court to help solve the Duke’s problems to prove their worth.
