Enemies of Samardan: The Crime Lords of Kolgrat...

Good Afternoon, All:

In this post we are going to discuss our second Major Enemy for the World of Samardan campaign setting. From the information presented in the location pieces, there were few obvious options for this slot, so I started to consider less obvious options. I wanted an organization, because those don't die as quickly with the death of one person, and I wanted this group to be a lingering threat that requires the attention and concerted efforts of our protagonists to deal with. In the end, I decided that other Major Enemy will be Yaranu Moro, Master of Assassins and the Crime Lords of Kolgrat whom he represents. The reason I chose this route primarily is because I already had a mystic-based enemy and a warrior-based enemy. Therefore, I needed an expert-based enemy to for conceptual symmetry. After making the selection, Yaranu Moro and his fellow Crime Lords almost seemed to take on a life of their own in my imagination...

The Crime Lords of Kolgrat

History: The Crime Lords of Kolgrat have always been a tumultuous group, until they were forged into a secret alliance under the iron fist of Yaranu Moro, Master of Assassins. Rising up the in the ranks of Kolgrat's famous assassin's guild, Yaranu Moro achieved the rank of guildmaster through right of assassination and then began a ruthless campaign to force the other Crime Lords under his thumb. With his success, Yaranu Moro now appears publicly as the Master Assassin for the court of Kolgrat and the representative of the Crime Lords of the city in the Raganu's courtly affairs.

Personality: Some might believe that Yaranu Moro is paranoid, but it isn't paranoia if everyone really is out to get you, and that's the reality of his position. The only way to achieve masterhood in Kolgrat's assassin's guild is by right of assassination, and that's in addition to those Crime Lords he has had to manipulate and coerce into supporting his leadership. Yaranu Moro is known for his cruelty, which rumors depict as being even greater than that of the kelshrani. He has a particular love of poisons, and has been known to purchase slaves simply to serve as test subjects for his latest toxin.

Stat Blocks: The following stat blocks for each representative member of the forces of the Crime Lords are based on the Sword and Planet: An Old School Roleplaying Game of Planetary Romance. Please feel free to convert these stats to the system of your choice, if you wish to use them elsewhere.

• Thug: DEF: 13; HD: 1; ATK: by short sword (1d6) or short bow (1d6, Rng 12/24/48); ST: +2; SP: Sneak attack; SPD: 6; CL: 1/2; XP: 150.
• Thug Overseer: DEF: 14; HD: 2; ATK: by poisoned short sword (1d6 + poison) or short bow (1d6 + poison, Rng 12/24/48); ST: +3; SP: Poison (1d6/round, Fort DC 13 ends), sneak attack, skill mastery (1/rest); SPD: 6; CL: 1; XP: 300.
• Assassin of the Outer Circle: DEF: 15; HD: 4; ATK: by poisoned long sword (1d8 + poison) or long bow (1d8 + poison, Rng 12/24/48); ST: +4; SP: Poison (1d8/round, Fort DC 14 ends), sneak attack, skill mastery (1/rest); SPD: 6; CL: 2; XP: 450.
• Assassin of the Inner Circle: DEF: 16; HD: 6; ATK: by poisoned long sword (1d8 + poison) or long bow (1d8 + poison, Rng 12/24/48); ST: +5; SP: Poison (2d6/round, Fort DC 15 ends), sneak attack, skill mastery (2/rest); SPD: 6; CL: 3; XP: 600.

Enjoy,
Flynn