None Player Characters

Chapter One is getting ever closer to releasing a fully playable Beta. The first half of the module has already had some extensive testing, while the latter half has had none, so it seems wise to get some playtesting done before releasing an official final version, particularly as it is part one in a series and I won't want to put people off from looking forward to future episodes.
Although I envision the Beta being fully playable, it will be missing a few things anticipated for the final release. The town of Oasis will need some more townfolk to make it feel more alive. It will also need at least an end movie as the module will end on a bit of a cliffhanger and will feel odd finishing without an accompanying movie. A start movie would also be nice but not essential, so I suppose that will depend on how easy I find making the end one. Some of the scrolls I intend implementing might be missing but won't be a game breaker. There will also be something present that will be removed in the final release. At the moment the player gets feed
back when their rep with their henchman gets adjusted so I can get feedback if an adjustment feels out of place.

So, just to wet your appetite I'm going to talk about some of the NPCs present as that currently seems to be the most requested news in my poll here. As already discussed, "The Relbonian Chronicles" draws from a rich mythology that makes for a somewhat political setting where the Gods play an active role. As such, several of the NPCs are quite interesting. In some cases, they will play more active roles in future episodes and will only have cameo appearances in Chapter One, Zannaram being a classic example...

Zannaram was a once powerful Sorceror cursed by the Gods for his arrogance to assume the form of a Raven. As such, he roams the land in search of spell books to replenish the spells in his head. It's possible to have a very brief encounter with him about half way through the game, and again nearer the end where he might provide some assistance.

Math Skinnyfin is a Lith, a proud race of fish like people specific to Relbonia, being the earliest race known to exist (other than the "Ancients"). They are generally disliked by the other races, but there are some who recognise their loyalty and sense of honour, giving them the respect they deserve. We meet Math early on in the game when seeking passage on a boat. Later it's possible (but not essential) to rescue him, resulting in a reward that has consequences later in the game should he survive the rescue attempt. There are other conditions to the reward, but I don't want to post too big a spoiler here. Suffice to say it's good, and if the player doesn't like it, they're sure to be able to buy something they do like in Oasis after selling it. ;)

Gailin Both is much more in depth, being a henchman acquired at the halfway stage of the game. A runner for the Chronicle, he is initially annoyed with the PC for having his initiation ceremony into becoming a fully fledged Druid interupted by the arrival of the PC. Win his trust to increase control over him, otherwise you'll find him telling you to mind your own business when you suggest he changes his tactics. He's quite detailed now, to the point that even his posessions can cast light on the life of a runner.

Thon is a Half Orc met about halfway through who is initially sided with some bad guys the player can stumblle across who mistakenly presume the player is the help they have sent for. It's possible to have him switch sides, after which the player can either take him out too, or simply bid farewell. If you go for the latter option, he can turn up later, having been good enough to take out some other bad guys for you.

Another cameo appearance in Chapter One will be made by Allivanril, an Elven Sorceror due to make an appearance as the player character in a later chapter. Keep an eye out for him to gain a better understanding of what he's been up to when you come to play him. One of the main things that pleases me about this project is the politics involved despite the presence of magic and Gods. As an NPC Allivanril is clearly implicated in something bad, but that's because of his political motivations and an ignorance to the bigger picture. Sorcerors are frowned upon by those who derive their magic from the Gods, and to begin with, Allivanril is setting out to discredit the main body within Relbonia being representatives of the Gods, the Druids, by creating forgeries of the newsletter created by them, as he feels the ones penned by Druids offer a one sided perspective of world news. It is simply an unlucky coincidence that the man he hopes will distribute the forgeries for him is driven by far more worrying motivations that will later have our Sorceror acting on behalf of the Druids. Of course, his cameo appearance in Chapter One barely scratches the surface of this, but it does hopefully give you idea of the scope of the story.

Right, that's it for this post. Stay Tuned. :)