Contacts house/new rule for Dark Fantasy X part II

In my last post, I discussed the concept of contacts, some rules for how to deal with them, and offered a few sample ones that would be relevant, especially in the SHADOWS OVER GARENPORT campaign, or the Hill Country overall. Here is a list of several more contacts. Some of these will not necessarily be Hill Country or Garenport centric, and may be OK to take in another campaign, such as CULT OF UNDEATH or MIND-WIZARDS OF THE DAEMON WASTES. Many of them are either important iconic PCs that won't make the cut anymore after the consolidation of iconic PC groups, others are patrons from earlier campaign briefs, and some are NPCs that, assuming that they survive and the PCs develop friendly relationships with them, could be added as contacts during the course of play.

Alys Alys is a contact that I came up with as part of the iconics group, and the later stages of the Garenport campaign. The idea was a classic one; the PCs have to make common cause with unsavory types, including some that in less desperate times they'd be hunting down themselves; sorcerers, witches, and even undead of various types. Because they've made this alliance, this "consortium" if you will, of sorcerous villains, have sent an ambassador to be with the PCs, to advise, and help them as needed (and also, they suspect, to keep tabs on them as well. 

While she could provide actual adventuring support, she's really meant to be a resource available for downtime consultations. She can cast numerous spells, work with all kinds of magic, and provide all kinds of advice and consultation on anything occult-like going on that the PCs might stumble across. Alys is young, pretty, blonde, and looks like a a classic beauty of the Hillman race. However, this is an illusion.

Alys is actually a wight; an undead horror, who happens to be a talented spellcaster as well. She is beholden to a more powerful undead master. However, her loyalties are somewhat divided. In spite of herself, her condition, and her situation, she will become fond of the PCs and will want to see them succeed in their endeavors, and wants to stay with them, even when they eventually become a risk to her master. Although she is beholden to this master, she also hates him, and would not weep if she were freed from her obligation to him.

Well, she's an undead creature. She won't weep anyway. But you know what I mean.

If playing a SHADOWS OVER GARENPORT game, she would be available to the PCs fairly late, but the real exciting drama with Alys would come most likely in the CULT OF UNDEATH campaign; with the assumption that the same PCs would play both campaigns back to back. She's kind of an interesting option for a contact, because she's more of an active NPC than most contacts would be in most respects. She wouldn't be available at character creation, but is a contact that could be found in game, and her level would presumably rise as she spends more time with the PCs and becomes more fond of them over time.

Brythe Aermeld This young lass can be placed wherever you need her to be. She was young, pretty, and ambitious, and was a student at whatever university or academy that needs to be nearby for the campaign you're in—good candidates include Garenport, Barrowmere, Lomar, Mittermarkt, Simashki, or any other significant enough city that will play a major role in your campaign. She is a brilliant, if somewhat acerbic and sharp-tongued sorceress (or witch, if you prefer), but she's also an object lesson on why exactly witchcraft should be avoided. Corruption from her exposure to thaumaturgical rituals and energy has mutated her body. While she's still beautiful, after a fashion, she no longer looks remotely human, and is considered by sages to be a non-born cambion; i.e., a person who's exposure to witchcraft has made them half-daemon rather than one who was born half-daemon.

Because of this, Brythe almost never leaves tower in... again, whichever city you need her to be in. She will receive the PCs in the lobby of the tower, if they come to visit her in person, but will probably not show herself, preferring to keep the lobby very darkened, and her physical form hidden behind thick curtains or even a grated door. If she is gained as a contact, however, she doesn't need to be physically present to contact the PCs (or vice versa) she will give the character a small round stone inscribed with a few curious runes. If the character sleeps with this stone in his bedroll, or pocket, or otherwise on his person, he can speak to Brythe (and she to him) in his dreams as needed. If this is done repeatedly, eventually the rune will start to appear as a small mark on the skin of the character, and when it is fully realized, the stone will no longer be needed.

Brythe is a prodigy in sorcery. She can, if convinced, cast spells for the PCs. She can give PCs spells that she believes that they are capable of learning. She can also offer all kinds of advice on occult and magical concerns. Most importantly, as she is constantly looking for a way to reverse her corruption and expand her own power, she will have things that she wants from the PCs, and is a great source of potential side quests and other tasks, which she will barter for with the benefits that she can provide.

Brythe is very bitter about what has happened to her, and this is reflected in her arrogant and angry way of reacting to the world. Unfortunately, she doesn't accept responsibility for her condition, and hates the world, her former teachers, or anyone else who she can rationalize as a person to blame other than herself for her mutations. Or for that matter, anyone she can blame for doing anything wrong or inconvenient for her at all. But she is helpful, if you can tolerate her abrasive personality.

Dean Bannermane Dean grew up on the streets of Simashki; an expatriate hillman boy in a harsh, criminal environment. And he thrived. First as a pickpocket and small time con artist, later as a cat burglar and entry specialist. But always, he had a vision in his mind of home, of a place where he wasn't forced to be a criminal. In truth, at some point he wasn't forced to it anymore either. He had become relatively successful and wealthy, and he had cordial working relationships with almost everyone who was anyone in the criminal underworld of Simashki. 

When one of his rash friends was killed in a job gone wrong, he remembered his dream, cashed out with his fences, and traveled in style by coach across the Great Northern Road. He'd barely reached the technical edge of the Hill Country, when his coach was set upon by bandits. Because he was carrying everything he owned, he ended up penniless because of this unfortunate setback, but still—he had skills that he could put to use, and he did to gradually start reacquiring his fortune... although it galled him to now be taking it from what he considered his own people in his own homeland. One night when robbing the wrong house... maybe it turned out to be the right house. The man was a ranger in Barrowmere; an old, venerable, well-connected ranger. And he saw something in Dean that nobody else had. Bannermane found a real job; as a spy; using his skills to help his people rather than take from them. After the initial shock of the change, Dean found that he quite liked the work, and he liked feeling like doing what he was good at was actually doing some good.

Dean can be consulted, if he's your contact, for all kinds of information; politics, the nobility and other important people, crime, and the comings, goings and likely secret intentions of many who come and go. Because his assignment is what it is, he can be found anywhere; much of his best work happens away from the Hill Country, but he can be found there too; albeit Bannermane isn't much of a rural kind of guy. Big cities, where the movers and shakers operate is where he's likely to be.

In a pinch, Bannermane can also part with excellent spy tools. Some very unusual things he can actually go and get that the PCs may not be able to, or be able to afford, due to his past as a cat burgler; a skill that he still has.

Dean keeps a much lower profile than when he was robbed. He's actually fairly wealthy, but he looks like a rather common, plain artisan; extremely non-descript and someone you wouldn't look twice at. He's also extremely talented as an actor, impersonator, and at disguising himself. If Dean himself isn't where the PCs are when they need him, someone who is part of the Ranger spy network who knows him may be, and can either get in touch with him quickly, or provide some portion of what Dean might if he were there.

Fredegar de Vend The de Vend family was once a Timischer noble family, but one who'd bought a manor in Barrowmere, and spent most of their time there. The Ranger Corps uncovered evidence that a bastard son, Audley Hardwicke, was involved in human trafficking for occult means; and that his biggest customer was Lord de Vend himself. Rather than coming quietly when the Rangers, stiffened by the Lord Mayor's Guard came to arrest him, there was a big fight, in which cultists of all stripes attacked the Guard. In the end, there were dozens killed and the manor burned down. The full story was hushed up, but snatches of it made their way like wildfire through the rumor mill for years. Young Fredegar, the nephew of Lord de Vend, was a teenager, away visiting family in Timischburg when it happened. Horrified at the revelations that his uncle and head of the house was a foul cultist and murderer, he vowed to make it his life's mission to root out such evil whenever he could.

The fortunes of the de Vend family, needless to say, took a severe downturn from that point on, but Fredegar was able to marshal most of what remained of the properties and valuables, set up his remaining cousins and elderly relations financially who—as near as he could tell—were uninvolved with the Troubles, as he calls them, and have enough for himself. All of the remaining de Vends live much more modestly than they used to, but they are still borderline idle rich, unless they are ambitious enough to take an interest in some enterprise, which many have. Fredegar's own inheritance has often been supplemented by money made by his younger brother in the fur trade, since his brother heartily approves of his mission.

Fredegar is kind of like a traveling knight-errant mixed with the Inquisition. As a contact, he is knowledgeable about geography, and especially nobility and the other wealthy and powerful (he often stays as a guest of former friends of his uncle when traveling). He can be approached for help in terms of items, gear, knowledge, or even first-hand support if one is going up against a supernatural or cultic threat. He is also a strong source of side quests of that type, and he does offer support for such side quests as well. He's a powerful warrior, so he can stiffen many a weaker party of adventurers if absolutely necessary, but he should most often be seen as too busy with his own pursuits to chase down every rumor or assist personally in every mission. Which is exactly why he's often a font of side quests; stuff that he doesn't want to leave unaddressed, but which he doesn't have time to get to himself. 

Once characters have Fredegar de Vend as a contact, they may also be able to contact the many branch offices of his cousins mercantile pursuit, drop the famous (among his family business, at least) knight-errant's name and receive some help second hand as well.

Lord Anstal Tane Anstal Tane is an NPC potential patron of the SHADOWS OVER GARENPORT campaign, and illustrates an interesting problem; what exactly is the difference between an NPC giving quests and a contact? Tane is a mercantile "prince"; based on Barrowmere, but traveling (or sending caravans and ships) all across the Hill Country, as well as much of Timischburg and up to the northern part of Baal Hamazi where trade contact with the rest of the world is still common. In the first case; merely an NPC giving a quest, it's probably a one time thing. The NPC has a quest, he promises a reward, and will answer questions about it. In the case of a contact, this is a more friendly ongoing relationship. Anstal Tane as a quest giver is just an "expatriate" Northumbrian who wants to know about his old flame and if she's OK, so he asks the PCs to check in on here while they're heading that way—presumably—anyway. Anstal Tane as a contact will have branch offices where help can be found, where the PCs can crash if they need, where they can get some basic supplies if they need, and most importantly, where they can get more work. Side quests and little favors abound, and they will drive adventure possibilities, while also making sure that the PCs are equipped to be successful in these endeavors. 

Anyway, as I said, Tane is a middle-aged merchant prince, originally from Northumbria. He was engaged to the Grand Duchess Josephina once upon a time, and left Garenport for Barrowmere years ago when it turned out that she was going to marry the Grand Duke instead. He's well connected across the entirety of the Hill Country, but also, as noted above, other lands as well. But outside of the Hill Country, you won't find branch offices, or a representative, or a wagon or caravan route (or docks; those are found on the Darkling Sea and a few river ports only) in smaller communities, only in the major cities.

Revecca von Lechfeld Revecca cannot become a contact at the beginning. She will only make a cameo in SHADOWS OVER GARENPORT if the PCs visit her father Alpon von Lechfeld. As CULT OF UNDEATH starts, the whole premise of it is that her father has died under suspicious circumstances, and she is left as a wealthy but young and naïve teenager who will need some looking after. She'll play a role as a damsel in distress for some time, but after being rescued she can become a contact; even an infatuated one, perhaps. 

When Revecca is a contact, this is after that; she has decided that rather than waiting to become a damsel in distress again, that she will take matters into her own hands. Her studies and training have allowed her to become a pseudomage, a safer although much more expensive alternative to being a sorceress or witch.

Because of her history with the PCs, she'll be a very accommodating contact who wants to help them as much as she can, including putting them up, giving them supplies, and maybe even sharing some of her magical items. The problem with Revecca is that she's a little too eager, and wants to come along. She can offer some good help, but she also still needs some looking after; she's pretty young and pretty green still. As well as being just pretty! :)

Sir Liamond Wreldane The final sample contact is Sir Liamond Wreldane, a high-ranking (although now semi-retired, at least publicly) officer of the Ranger Corps. Although the Ranger Corps doesn't officially acknowledge or admit to the existence of a Shadow Division that focuses on supernatural threats, the reality is that Wreldane is the head of that, and the Ranger Corps leadership sees it as probably the most important division. But it is very secretive. 

Wreldane, however, likes to do some of this work "off the books" with talented freelancers. Many of these are themselves former Rangers themselves, but former Rangers still willing to work in the field are few, so much of what needs to be done needs to be people who are unconnected in any way with the Ranger Corps. Wreldane carefully vets potential freelances, but if you have him as a contact, then you are already pre-vetted. 

In addition to being a major side-quest source, Wreldane is a font of information on how to successfully fight supernatural threats, as well as a possible source of the gear needed to fight them (silvered weapons, etc.)

You're not likely to talk to Wreldane himself very often; he's older, he has a political/administrative role within the Ranger Corps, and he spends most of his time in Barrowmere, consequently. However, he has many agents, and they identify themselves with a special coin, and he will often send them around to recruit or give information or help to his freelances.

Wreldane is a powerful force within the Hill Country, and while he does occasionally look further abroad, his influence and reach drops off precipitously beyond the borders of the Hill Country.