Canonfire!

Sat Nov 13, 2004 9:19 pm The Vermillion Queen - Scarlet "Sisterhood?"

In the aftermath of the GHWars, the Scarlet Brotherhood is to me a shell of what it was. It has territory but is no longer a secret, threatening organization. It is a nation state that uses state-sponsored terrorism (assassinations) to conduct asymetrical warfare.

How to save the Scarlet Brotherhood?

I suggest the Vermillion Queen has the capacity and the potential to be an epic villain (see Epic Greyhawk Folder) and _the_ savior of the Scarlet Brotherhood as a DMs tool after it was so terribly outed in the GH Wars.

Has anyone developed the Vermillion Queen in their campaign?

Check out LGJ Vol. 1, No. 4 if you haven't met the VQueen yet.

The Scarlet "Sisterhood?"

GVD
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GVD

Sat Nov 13, 2004 10:13 pm

Ah yes the Vermillion Queen. I wish I had developed something, never quite stuck in mind until you dredged it back up. Hmm. I bet some of our LG compatriots might have some developed info on her. Isn't she in the Keoland area?

Sun Nov 14, 2004 9:14 am

In Living Greyhawk Journal #4 she is mentioned as 'a person of unknown identity believed to be a secretive Suel noblewoman who is a mastermind in both politics and the assassins' art.' While I have not stated her out my impressions leave me that she is a artistocrat/assassin/cleric of Syrul.

If I had to come up with a background, my thoughts lead me to believe that she was recruited to the Brotherhood from the Keolish noblity unsatisfied with the fortunes of her family, she then moved up by clever manipulations, incriminations and subtle threats. Before long many of her 'superiors' found themselves serving her rather than Hesuel Ilshar. She may be leading on offshore 'heresy' within the SB agents abroad who succumb to her charisma, leadership and successes. Perhaps she positions herself in such a position to hide other plots of the Brotherhood or may be dissatisfied that the fraternity of the Brotherhood has a glass ceiling. Smile

In any case she adds a bit of mystery and allure that has been missing from the SB for a while and offers many ideas for gaming with the members of the Scarlet Sign.

Sun Nov 14, 2004 10:22 am

Thanks for reminding us about the Vermillion Queen (which in turn triggers memories of the Resident Evil films). Reviewing the passage in the LGJ also raised a few pertinent posts from GreyTalk.

First, Rip van Wormer, aka Rasgon, once posted a delightful take on "a dualistic cult based primarily in Monmurg, based on the reverence of both Lydia and Syrul." See "The Lark and Serpent <dmd>," Posted by Rip Van Wormer on 12/22/1999 06:11:53 PM, at http://www.greycitadel.com/greycitadel/Greytalk.nsf/SearchResults/D756910E350AF2AA8525684F00839119?OpenDocument. This religious organization provides a good example of an obscure tradition that is distinctive to the Kingdom of Keoland, which rivals the age of the Kingdom of Shar and its secret society, the Scarlet Brotherhood.

The Vermillion Queen also reminded me of an old work by Terry Harrison, a GH fan from New Zealand, who authored a seven part series of "Keoland Notes" that were richly detailed and distinctive for presenting Keoland as a setting rich in political intrigue. For a GreyTalk search page, see http://www.greycitadel.com/greycitadel/Greytalk.nsf/SearchResults?SearchView&Start=1&SearchMax=200&Count=10&Query=Keoland%20Notes.

Part 7 presented NPCs, and one of these, a Duchess Azzalia, was presented as a follower of Syrul, hidden amongst the nobility. Her tradition of assassination practiced the "Dance of Knives." For that post, see http://www.greycitadel.com/greycitadel/Greytalk.nsf/SearchResults/76B048C5CF310EE28525698A0081B513?OpenDocument.

I provide these links so other interested GH fans can review past works that feature political intrigue in Keoland and to support my brief suggestion: while the Vermillion Queen may be related to the Scarlet Brotherhood, she is not necessarily its agent. To the contrary, the Vermillion Queen may compete with agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood -- being a leader of a secret society that is based in Keoland and which disagrees fundamentally with the ideology of the SB -- even if it shares some of its tenents, e.g., notions of essential Suel superiority. (This idea derives from Kirt Wackford's amazing "Geopolitical History of Keoland" article, which was once available on the now-defunct Codex of Greyhawk website and which is being revised for publication in an upcoming issue of the Oerth Journal -- though likely not the upcoming issue 16.)

While the LGJ article indicates that members of the Silent Ones believe the Vermillion Queen directs the activities of the Scarlet Brotherhood in Keoland, this need not be the case. She may instead represent an organization that the Silent Ones believe destroyed many centuries past.

Of course, many of the suggestions made by Dethand could also provide interesting adventure. However, I suggest that any chauvinism in the Scarlet Brotherhood be limited: based upon past discussions of the several major human cultures of Oerik, Suloise culture seemed less patriarchal than Oeridian and Baklunish ones. While the Suel were not necessarily egalitarian (in contrast to Flan cultural ideals, perhaps), certain segments seemed to have an androgynous aesthetic. Perhaps the translation of "Scarlet Brotherhood" is a conceit of a translator who was influenced by his Oeridian(?) culture? Alternatively, these notions of Suel androgynousness may derive from the SB and be in contrast with the ancient Suel culture. Kord anyone?

Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:45 am

ahh..excellent links and postings mtg! Smile

My thoughts were based in my lack of knowledge and many thanks for sharing them with us! At least we are in agreement about her being a cleric of Syrul. That said I also was basing my thoughts on an empty slate and was more musing that using my GH lore to its fullest effect to which like a buddist master your keen rap on my skull brings me back to clarity.

I would concur that there is less chauvanism in the SB than my post implied, it was based perhaps on the character I was envisioning..afterall imagined slights occur many times and even unintentional ones have the same effect as intentional slurs and actions. But nonetheless my veiw would be that as a cleric of Syrul would espouse in 'coverting' agents sent to silence her, or may yet be another 'guise in which she would cloak herself, misdirecting those who would strike against her towards the Brotherhood instead of herself.

Any way you slice it ..it got us talking about the SB again!

Sun Nov 14, 2004 12:12 pm

Mon Nov 15, 2004 11:52 am

Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:06 am When I was young

When I was a young player (20 years or so ago), my group loved the wild coast. Today, I have grown to love the Sheldomar. I am continually amazed at the quantity (and quality) of material in this region. This thread has added greatly to my reading list.

I just wanted to thank everyone, you are greatly improving my campaign.