Kingdom of Thorns

The City State of Thorns

"We wanted to be saved… Just not by you"

Weeping children, jack-booted ghosts, an ancient city groaning beneath tyranny, a smiling, despotic undead sorcerer-king: These things might inspire players and Storytellers alike to seek stories of redemption and rescue, with the players’ characters storming the city with their armies and battling the Mask of Winters in an epic duel. In many ways, this chapter is about precisely such stories (though others are possible), and Storytellers should not be discouraged from running such a series. Thorns exists to be saved (or to add a note of tragedy and darkness to your series). But if players expect parades and flowers to be thrown at their characters’ feet after the liberation of the city, they might have a few surprises coming their way.

The people of Thorns were deeply proud. Many still are, and they cling to this pride as their only means of maintaining hope in the face of so much misery. These people also rely on their deep-seated faith in the Immaculate Order to pull them through these dark times, often attending hidden Immaculate ceremonies to rekindle their faith. Those who do not retain their pride and adhere to the faith often turn to the Mask of Winters’ generous hands, soaking themselves in indulgent excesses and betraying their city. The former dream of a day when the Realm will save them, while the latter hope to delay any rescue so that they need never answer for their crimes.

Solars (or most any Celestial Exalted) who save the city will find themselves reviled as demons. Citizens who follow the Immaculate Order closely will believe Thorns has merely exchanged one despotic monster for another, and the Solar Exalted might find themselves battling the same resistance the Mask of Winters had. Those who served the Mask of Winters might serve the Solars, but do the Lawgivers truly want such vipers in their service? Even those who are willing to see the Solars as true rescuers will have their pride wounded, for it took outsiders to save them.

While Dynasts will have an easier time pacifying the city after liberating it, they too will face troubles. While the faithful citizenry will celebrate them, the members of the former regime will not, fearing retribution for their actions. The old Thornguard and bureaucracies will work against their rescuers to either regain the city for the Mask of Winters or take it for themselves. Worse, these people have the most experience ruling the city in recent days and make the best choices to appoint to bureaucratic positions. Even among the faithful, some resentment will linger over the length of time the Realm ignored their plight, and this will worsen if the Realm treats Thorns’ poorly.

Of course, not everyone will hate their rescuers. Many will forsake the Immaculate Order after hearing the inspiring speeches of Lawgivers and watching these golden-wreathed warriors duel with the champions of the Mask of Winters. Dark men will repent of evil deeds and bow before their new rulers, hoping to work together to improve the city. This sidebar merely raises the point that not everyone will be so inclined and that the rescue of Thorns needn’t be the end of a series.



Places of Note

The Twilight Amphitheater

The Stowing Lanes

The Shackle Maw Penitentiary

The Seven-Tiered Sanctuary



Beings of Note

Ruler

Mask of Winters
Mask of Winters

Key Governmental Officials

Chief General
Chief General
Administrator
Administrator

Additional Abyssals of Thorns (Original Blog Post)

  • Total of 4 Dusk Caste, 3 Midnight Caste, 2 Daybreak Caste, 1 Day Caste, 1 Eclipse Caste
Ruin of Ages...
Ruin of Ages...
Flickering Obsidian...
Flickering Obsidian...
Adamant Sadness
Adamant Sadness
Lady of Darkness...
Lady of Darkness...
Apostate in Tatters
Apostate in Tatters
Void of Truth
Void of Truth
Icy Monsoon...
Icy Monsoon...
Illuminant Guardian...
Illuminant Guardian...
Typhon
Typhon

Unreprentant Soldier's Advisors

Domestic Advisor
Domestic Advisor
Military Advisor
Military Advisor
Religious Advisor
Religious Advisor

Other Luminaries

Lilia
Lilia
Onee-sama
Onee-sama
Osama Bin Zombie
Osama Bin Zombie
Red Famine
Red Famine
Zombie Commander
Zombie Commander
Zombie Destro
Zombie Destro
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