The Empire and their Plot Against the Region of Tarn

DETAILED INFORMATION

The Region of Tarn...

(ADVENTURE of the DAMNING GNUBBAPOD)

The Aligorian-Narran region of Tarn seethes with greed and power-hunger.  The Natiaon of Narra and the Aligorian Empire dispute the lands here.  Both sides of the river have rich mines of precious mineral resources.
On the Narran side, there lies pristine, high grade iron ore and plentiful coal, and the supply seems never to deplete.
The Aligorian side, known as Sevoya, has rich farming lands, and gold with which to trade… The Empire becomes more and more greedy, coveting the Narran side of the Tarn, and its iron and coal.
The Duchy of Trinkovia--an adjacent region, friendly with the Empire--eyes the neighboring lands and subtly fuels propaganda that the Tarn belongs to Aligoria. But the ways of subterfuge become frustrating for the Duchess and her government..
The emissary from the Duchess Enya Lembora of Trinkovia seeks special favor from the Empress Queen of Aligoria, in the form of troops to attack and occupy Narran Tarn.
The Queen’s Third, Jiv’Aire Monnak, meets secretly with the emissary and takes from him a large sack and mysterious gilded treasure chest, along with a document officially dedicating “sufficient” troops from several regents close to Tarralus, to the Aligorian-Tarnen cause.
The emissary signs in the name of the Duchess, and Jiv’aire in the name of his Empress Queen.
Meanwhile, although they thought their conversation was hidden, a young, intrepid palace gnome named Gilroy Nibnoggin--in an invisibility cloak and on a dare--took footage of the entire thing on his Gnubbaguddy (a gnomish holographic video recorder).
Unfortunately for him, he was caught in the act of filming by eyes that could see him, and he barely escaped the castle with his life. Also, he had with him the video stored on a chrome pod (a Gnubbapod).
But Gilroy is long gone, never to be seen again as far as anyone knows. His accomplice Hipper (“Hip”) also ran. They fled deep into “the vastness” below the northwest city.
They say there’s a gnomish burrow somewhere down there, in the oldest part of the city, permanently away from the surface of things.
A Laran diplomat from Narran named Tarra--with her own connections--has gotten wind of the event, and if she can find willing heroes (underworld people themselves) to send into the underworld to retrieve the pod, she will offer them reward--some up front.
She has her own underworld savvy, and she knows it’s out there somewhere, that a gnome-boy has fled with it deep beneath the city. She strongly expects that Gilroy has fled to Knubb, the under-city of the Tellarian Gnomes.
She knows nothing about things that deep under the city however, except that the burrow lies rumored somewhere in the Vastness.
Tarra has clandestine connections in both the Senatorial Palace of Governors and in the lower parts of Terralus, and these two sources of information have proven useful in this situation.
So heroes could be tasked with the underground adventure to retrieve the recording, to prove the corrupt deal.
Should they take this job, they are told who Gilroy is, and to “find the one-eyed gnome in the tall dark hat.” They know they are to find a pod, and to also bring back the Gnubbapod so the pod can be played.
Gilroy Nibnoggin is indeed hiding in Knubb, far into the vastness. He is afraid, mostly just fearing ever getting caught. He has thrown the pod into the old sewers, but still he fears retribution at the hands of the Aligorians.
The heroes discover an entire world going on down below, complete with an economy, a government, religion, etc., and they must navigate it to achieve whatever they decide to achieve. There is a large underground city called Nether.
What they know: Gilroy Nibnoggin has a record of the shady deal. He has fled deep into the “vastness” and must be found, to present the evidence to the senate, for what it’s worth.
Tarra is desperate to find him; there may soon be war. They are not told exactly what the pod has recorded.
Meanwhile, the Senators not aligned directly (read: in the pockets of) the Empire begin to connect the dots. Representatives from Narra and Algase are particularly disturbed, and they begin sending subterfugal missions, especially to Tellarus, to gain more evidence.
The kingdoms of the far east, especially Yellienne, are on the teetering edge of giving in, and they are geographically cut off from their home, so they have no guidance. (Nor might they anyway.)
Other small nations of good intent are similarly in a quandary. The just function of the Senate in determining the government and actions of the Empire is decaying before their eyes.'
MORE: Narrans allied with the Greyleaf Elves... a war might light up a multi-regional conflict Empress beginning to sell imperial forces out to regions

ALIGORIAN GROWING AMBITION IN NARRA and ELSEWHERE

• The Aligorian Empire is centered (politically at least) in the Metropolis of Tellarus,
• in the vast Palace, a walled compound unbelievable opulence, in which lives the Empress of Aligoria,
• Darnova Strignario: Great High Empress of the Magnificent Land of Aligoria behind waves and waves of protection.
• The Imperials, by her lead, have alliances of many houses and guilds in the city and to the east beyond.
• They all want to side with a winner, and with the police and the military behind her, they have been eager to sign up. The parties, balls, and banquets, hosting in the Imperial Castle of Events, don't hurt either.

Empress Darnovia Strignario has now begun (in 927) to sell Imperial troops to fight in various small battles around the nation,

• and perhaps a force of imperial mercenary soldiers will invade Narran space, to take resources--
• ostensibly only for the border cities, but they are paying the Empire for ther forces.
• Empress's ambition begins to accelerate...
• The Empress and her ministers are making every effort to attempt (so far with wild success), to consolidate Aligoria's power.

Aligorian Imperial Military

The Narran people--a nation to the northeast--have been included in all this wining and dining and woo-ing.

• The Empire wants their support too, but her her generals and ministers have been making plans to use this "alliance" to invade Narra and take in over foreceably
• "occupy it" as it were.
• Once the military action is over, Narra will (ostensibly) belong to Aligoria, and the Empress will have gain momentum in her "conquest"

• It's important that the plot against Narra be known only to the guild-chiefs, high ranking military officials, and the Empire's highest ministers.
• They know about it and keep it secret
• And will do anything to stop the news from spreading
• That is, until the time of the invasion

• These decisions are dangerous because Narra (with its Elven allies) may or may not respond with direct warfare.
• Aligoria expects them to simply submit (in their “weakness”).
• [[Also, the Empress is fanning the flames of rebellion and independence of the eastern regents.]]

Narra and Greyleaf: Preparing for War

The savviest Narrans--their cleverest, astutue leadership--knows what's happening.  They've place spieds within the palace and its grounds.  The Narrans have an alliance with the Greyleaf Elves, a force that will back up Narra by an informal agreement of mutual defense.  They may well end up helping, should war break out.  And the Narrans are fully ready to defend their homeland from imperial invasion.  The Elves have little love for the Empire and its Tessinae people.  It has been thousands of years since any cooperation between them, and the Elves resent the power-hungry approach of the Empire, as well as the real possibility of war and invasion.

Resistance in the Gutter

There is a resistance gaining momentum in the north of Tellarus, where Imperial troops are much more sparse, and in other out-of-the-way places in the city.  The city watch, the Imperial army, the merchants' guilds--the latter but for the very rare who might be harmed by Imperial power, especially small independent businesses.  The resistances need take care, for the Empire has more feelers out than one might think--even in the Gutter--and they're expecting the opposition, and to stamp it out.

TARRA NARGANNA (See "MMPF2e: NPC's) and the GNUBBAPOD

Tara is a representative of the Narran state, an advisor to Narran senators in the capital

• Narran law-makers are few in the senate, and often passively bullied by the Aligorian congress-people
• Remember: The Narrans are Lawful Good
• They cannot take on this issue themselves ("Evidence presented from the outside will be much more likely to be accepted."
• "Our spies have been watching, and we know you wish to help our people," she says with a flat brow, "and at the same time, we believe you owe us a favor..."

So Tara seeks help, and has information about the party about the "GNUBBAPOD"

Apparently TRUGGA'BEE WINDYGATTER: "The Eyes of the Palace"--keeper of the Gnubbapod

• (Trugga'bee Windygatter: servant to the Viceroy of Trinkovia, who is on very good terms with the Empress)
• (Darnova Strigario: Great High Empress of the Magnificent Land of Aligoria)
• Tara will seek the party and be waiting for them, a grim but good young wizard (lawful), and her magic monkey friend

THE GNUBBAPOD must be found and be a subject of debate in the Senate, then used at the High Imperial Court court

TRUGGA'BEE WINDYGATTER: "The Eyes of the Palace"--keeper of the Gnubbapod,

• was in the corner of the conference room by accident
• and caught the final deal between His Intelligence the Head Imperial Minister of Forein Affairs and the representative of Genereal Temakoi,
• the deal giving the Empress's green light to invade _____