Campaign Setting - Shaping Icons

Worlds Are Theoretical; Campaigns Are Alive

I love game world settings that come with compelling pillars and features, but leave an overwhelming majority of the map under a shroud of ambiguity. It gives me a lot of room to work with as a Dungeon Master. I don't have to run the same world the same way for different groups of players. I can fill out a massive campaign bible for various places ahead of time, and leave other places in a quantum sort of state - only finalizing their states once the players go to observe them. It's also great for encouraging players to build the world with / for me as we go. In this regard I've always preferred running my games in settings like the Nentir Vale setting from D&D 4th Edition or the Dragon Empire from 13th Age. I also love how games like World of Darkness turn well-known cities and towns into a completely uncharted wilderness full of horrors.

So we have a campaign game going now, and as Arturo and Vinto venture out into the world we have to start solving for some of these variables - in particular it means hashing out the Icons with whom they interact. When the players came up with their backgrounds they deliberately supplied their own hook into the adventure. Their idea is that the two "brothers" have been coerced into some sort of dangerous quest due to running afoul of the law. Arturo has been something of a malcontent in his social station and fell in with what the player's described as a some sort of shadowy syndicate. But when his associations caused Vinto to wind up imprisoned he took rash action and engineered an unsuccessful escape attempt, compounding the issue. Benefactors in the syndicate managed to expunge the offenses from the official record - but such things do not come without a price.

An organized crime syndicate in the Roman Empire? This Sounds like a job for the Gray Weaver icon. Mobsters from Sicily, nobody will ever see that one coming .... In particular, though, this forced me to consider what kind of interests this Icon had, and his relationship with the Empire itself. So the skeleton needs to be a bit more fleshed out. We already have an historical character for the Emperor (Justinian the Great) and there's a major historical event tied to smuggling and shady mercantile affairs in this era - the smuggling of silk worms from China into the Empire. So now an idea took shape - one I've been familiar with from many years with the Legend of the Five Rings franchise - an Icon who works as the Underhand of the Emperor. Of course, an organization like that needs mysteries and motives - so I did a little more digging and spun up just the right person (more on that another time).

So the Gray Weaver is ultimately working for the increased prosperity and security of the Empire as a whole, but is happy to use nefarious means and odious men to accomplish his goals. He'll obviously be concerned with the looming crisis of succession (Justinian is in his late 70s with no son and unable or unwilling to favor any of his nephews) and has his fingers in many pies. If the PCs distinguish themselves he'll start to take a personal interest. If he finds common cause with them, he may fold them further and further into the heart of his grand conspiracy. On the other hand, if he fails to see redeeming qualities in their character he won't hesitate to play his pawns ruthlessly ... even crime bosses have their standards.