Les Ombres d'Esteren - Forum officiel

So wasn't sure where else to ask but I am at a bit of a crossroads here. The party consisting of two premades out of book 0 and a single original creation we have played through all 3 scenarios in book 0 and they are currently in Dearg's Vale. Arven seeks to join the Hilderin Knights, Mor the Ionthen seeks to become a full fledged Demorthen and has even learned his first ogham so Wailen has seen fit to send him off to take his final test to make the step between Ionthen to Demorthen something she as his teacher and myself as Game Leader feel iffy about considering player knowledge regarding Demorthen lore is still nill. So I was pouring through my other books trying to decide what to do with this party with no unifying theme and saw the scenario "A Life Choice" which seems like it was intended to show a good part of the world and last for a short campaign. Skimming through it, I can definitely do a lot of good with it now that I have them hooked trying to fully immerse them in the lore of the world. Here is my issue, I am not sure what to do with such a divided party and the scenario suggests starting far north in either Baldh-Ruoch or Farl. Either one can work but they are all the way in Dearg's Vale and even if i could get them up there just to have them leave again?

My possible solutions to this problem so far:
1) Have them reroll new characters that are of their own creation instead of the premades provided. The player of Arven showed interested in an original character but the player of Mor might object since he is having fun with Mor.
2) Time lapse a year and tell them their journeys have brought them to one of those two cities. Arven being well on her way to full knighthood and Mor already passed his test.
3) Any mix of the first two allowing those who wish to reroll tell them, now is the time.
4) Pick a different city further south that accepts magience.

Up until now i have been playing Esteren as an episodic campaign each scenario detached from the other by an amount of time so they have had little control over their circumstances but now I want to put the control back in their hands of their own fates.

Also another question, if i should let them keep their current characters are there any suggestions for a party varying in ideals?

The player of Arven said she was interested in learning a few miracles, and wanted to join the Hilderans. With the more traditionalist Demorthen I am worried that this combination might cause a rift in the party's goals even if they aren't hostile to each other. And i need to figure out a way to involve the third player a bit more heavily who wants his backstory to be about a corrupt knight who led a raid to wipe out his home village and is now traveling. So he harbors bitter resentment towards the temple but other than that doesn't have too much going for him.

Hello !

I hope you'll have a good time with "A Life Choice" and I think we certainly can find some solutions for your group !

For example :

1. Your group is part of a village community, and they may be sent to sell some local product in Kalvernach. It's not so far as Farl or Baldh-Ruoch, and still a place where you may find a lot of magientists. You also may play "Say it with flowers" before "A Life Choice" and decide that your group will then have an opportunity to meet Anaïs Cruyssec


2. Anaïs Cruyssec has already begun her journey to find her son, but she has an accident (or whatever you want) and needs to ask help to a new group ... your group... and so you begin the story in Dearg or near it.

Not sure it may help you (because it's written in frenche). I try to propose some solutions to use the official scenarios :

http://ombresdesteren.blogspot.fr/2014/ ... arios.html
http://ombresdesteren.blogspot.fr/2014/ ... os_15.html
http://ombresdesteren.blogspot.fr/2014/ ... els-3.html


?


About your group... I think the simpliest solution is to ask them : "hey, what's about finding common interests ?"

It's a quite usual problem... I had some ideas about it, well, more to analyze it than to find a solution : http://iris-d-automne.over-blog.fr/2014 ... quipe.html ... To resume the idea : you can often predict the group unity once you identify the desires of each of its members. To have a "functional" group, you need at least one common desire. The more abstract and elevated it is, the more the group will be strong.

Its a bit hard to read but im using google translate. They seem to assume having Dearg which isnt out in english yet

One of the main use for Dearg is the description of the vale and some precision about the fact that they produce copper object in the village, so that they may be sold in other town (Kalvernach...)

I think it's not a problem to use it

I think I may have found a solution, I can use Night of Fright to get them to kalvernach via travelling merchant or another city and run Say it with Flowers after arriving. Then I can start a life choice. Since i dont think night of fright actually specifies the villages location just that its in the mountains.

The only concern I have is somehow consolidating the various beliefs within the party. The player of the hunter character right now wants to make an occultist which with the new book coming out I am inclined to encourage. I want to use my new shiny afterall. But the Demorthen just learned his first ogham at the end of the last scenario i ran and the player of Arven was considering asking for miracles at some point after joining the hilderins. Having three magically capable characters in the party feels a bit too over the top for the setting and somehow getting a unifying theme in the party where they tend to have beliefs that seem to be at odds with each other. Follower of the one, demorthen and occultist. He wants to reroll his hunter now that he has a better idea of what the world is like and wants a character more inclined to urban settings.

It seems odd to me to have a hilderin knight (who are tight to the Taol-Kaer crown) who is also an "Elu" (I don't know the term in English) of the Temple (condition to have access to Miracles). Arven will have to explain how she manages this!

Think it might have been a misunderstanding of who the hilderin knights are. Still wouldnt joining them take years even for arven

@Evolena I believe the English translation for 'Elu' is the Elect.

Thanks
Maybe I should read my Book 2 English pdf beyond the summary to enhance my vocabulary!

Haha, I envy you - Dearg hasn't even been translated into English yet and you already have access to it in French.