Re: Rock of Bral

> Ok, for specifics, the Drow have infiltrated a group of Duergar who have
made them an underground base,
> which now has 4 portals inside. The entrance through the surface is an old
abandoned house. Tactically
> speaking what would have to be neutralized on the city side of Bral?
> The Mercenary groups? or could they be bribed?
> Are there patrols of the Royal Guard, or just city watch in Bral. Do the
guard keep to themselves, or do
>  they patrol the city too?
> In otherwords, if the drow seize the palace, the guard barracks, the three
city magistrate offices and the
> three? mercenary Headquarters is that it? Or am I overlooking something?
Is Bral that easy to take over?

    Well, yes and no.  Here's how I see it:

    The best way to take Bral would be through bribery and a strong arm.
Most of the nobility are cutthroats that made it big.  It would not be
inconcievable for the drow to build a small army of agents (half-elves,
humans, half-orcs, ogres) that work from the shadows to build an alliance
against Andru.  With a few bribes and promises for greater power, they could
win to their side the more powerful and ambitious NPCs, such as House Kuliek
& Cartan, the Chainmen, the Tenth Pit, and maybe a couple of underbarons.
Of course, none of them would know they're secretly allying themselves with
the drow.  Stage a coup, and put in place a puppet government, with the drow
pulling the strings.

    An interesting scenario would be to have the drow discover evidence that
Andru murdered his brother.  With it, they forge an alliance in secret of
most of the neutral & good houses of Bral to stage a coup and put Aric
Corzar in place as their puppet.  Of course, nobody knows that Aric's
"secret benefactors" are really the drow.  He might not even know himself,
but suspects something, but his burning hatred of Andru drags this good man
into the depths of evil :)

    As far as the actual coup itself, taking the city shouldn't be too hard.
A few assassinations & "accidents" could put agents into key positions or
eliminate potential rivals.  Dopplegangers would help to keep everyone from
catching on too quickly.  When the time is right, allied units march out
from the positions to seize key points throughout the city, such as the
magistrate offices, guard barracks, and weapon emplacements.  The Palace
would become a battleground as loyalist & rebel forces fight for control.
Most everyone else will probably just barracade themselves in their homes or
flee.  Mercenary units would use the chaos to get good pay for whatever side
hires them, maybe even switch sides a few times as the tide turns back and
forth.  It should probably be a close affair where the tide is turned on the
actions of the PCs (such as exposing the drow connection or be the ones to
kill Andru & his bodyguards).  Make it nice & chaotic, with everyone afraid
for their lives and no one knows friend from foe.  Followed up, of course,
by long months of tyranny where people loyal to the losing side are hunted
down, imprisioned, and ultimately killed in some cruel and horrible way ;)

Adam