The Succession Crisis

Spoilers.

Stop reading if you are a player. There are heavy spoilers below and it may damage your game experience.


Campaign Premise

King Theodore Meridante, ruler of Tarsus, is dying slowly from a poison no healer can purge. Those closest to him know this truth; the wider court whispers and suspects. With no male heirs — only two daughters — the line of succession is contested by law, ambition, and blades in the dark.

The King’s impending death creates a maelstrom of plots, with every house, guild, and cult vying to shape the next reign or plunge the realm into chaos. The true culprit behind the poisoning is intentionally obscured — the GM can decide, reveal gradually, or even change it mid-game to suit player actions.

⚖️ Succession Crisis

  • By law: Only males inherit the throne. A female heir may only be crowned in exceptional circumstances, requiring Crown Law reforms or overwhelming support.

  • The Daughters: Noble, intelligent, but politically vulnerable. They can become pawns, symbols, or rallying points depending on faction agendas.

🕵️ Suspects & Motives

Dynastic Threats

  • Grand Duke Malcolm Meridante: The King’s brother, closest male claimant. His ambition is an open secret.

  • House Halcrist: Rivals to the Meridante line, openly coveting the throne. Known for cunning alliances and serpent connections.

  • House Bragrash: Expansionist hill-lords; some say they’d rather crown a bull than a bear.

Silent Killers

  • Onyx Assassins: Elite killers-for-hire, if chosen, likely acting at the behest of another power.

  • House Ellvarra: Bannermen of Meridante, masters of perfume, poison, and silk-dagger politics. Loyalty or betrayal?

Foreign Enemies

  • Iron Dominion: Militarist empire to the east, would love to destabilize Tarsus before conquest.

  • The Northern Raiders (Stormhowl, Reavers, Speartide): Often raid borders or rivers, and have had great success with the fall of House Valeheart; they would profit from chaos in succession.

  • Sultanate of Zahara: Southern border skirmishes worsen; ambitious lords might have brought about the King’s fall by the Sultanate's assassins.

  • Serpentkin (far southeast): Poisoners of legend — perhaps their venom was sold through intermediaries.

Shadow Guilds & Cults

  • Crimson Synod (blood mages) or Umbral Covenant (shadowmancers): Both thrive on destabilization.

  • The Oathbroken, Ascendent Carrion, Shattered Star Sect: Outcast cults who hate the Twelvefold Faith and crown alike.

  • The Hollow Lanterns, Talvessaro Syndicate, Bellavrone Cartel: Criminal guilds who profit in chaos, perhaps hired as intermediaries for poison.

⚔️ Arc Structure

Act I – The Whisper of Poison

  • Court intrigue, rumors spread, subtle signs of the King’s decline.

  • Factions begin to maneuver openly; whispers of “who poisoned the King” spread.

  • PCs may be hired as agents, spies, or bodyguards.

Act II – The King’s Decline

  • Theodore visibly weakens; healers fail.

  • Noble houses escalate: duels, alliances, marriages, and accusations rise.

  • PCs may investigate suspects, uncover contracts, or witness assassination attempts on heirs.

Act III – The Death of the King (GM decides timing)

  • The King dies; his heirship is contested.

  • Multiple factions make moves: coronations, coups, civil war, or attempted reforms.

  • PCs may protect an heir, back a claimant, or reveal the poisoner’s true hand.

Act IV – The Reckoning

  • The truth of the poisoner (if revealed) reshapes the political order.

  • If hidden, chaos deepens, with players shaping the realm’s fate.

🎲 GM Notes & Tools

  • Keep the Poisoner Unknown: Don’t lock in too early — let suspicion drive the story. Shift blame to whichever faction fits player actions best.

  • Every Faction Benefits: Whether guilty or innocent, all factions try to profit. No house can be dismissed outright, even those unlisted here.

  • Player Hooks: PCs can serve as investigators, guards, spies, agents of heirs, or hired by guilds. They may even be offered devilish contracts (“help us place our heir, and you’ll never lack power again”).

  • Tone: This arc should feel like a slowly tightening noose: paranoia, betrayal, and desperation. Every session should raise the stakes.

🌑 Adventure Seeds

  • A letter from the Iron Dominion is intercepted — promising “aid” to a Meridante cousin.

  • A Bragrash banquet erupts in a duel after a poisoned cup nearly kills a guest.

  • A member of House Ellvarra flees the capital, carrying vials of rare venom.

  • A cult sermon claims the King is cursed for defying the gods.

  • A witness swears the Onyx assassins’ sigil was seen near the royal kitchens.