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Seniosh · 02-03-2008, 03:12 AM,

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orag Tong Backstory

Please comment on the story thus far, and check back for updates. This story isn't quite done yet, and there are one or two points that i really need help with.

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Morag Tong Questline Background

A) A new leader has taken control of the Silgrad Region Morag Tong.

Unlike previous leaders, Llathis is young and energetic; a reformist in a position customarily held by the conservative elite.
Many are discontent with Llathis, because he got his position directly from the Morag Tong high council, instead of a nomination and election as usual. The central guild leadership has only stated that the guild needs change, and that Llathis is the man to do it.
Llathis is also inexperienced, and is accompanied everywhere by his advisor, Galdas, who's age and vast experience have garnered support and legitimacy for this new leader.

B) One of Llathis's major reforms has been increased oversight

Every writ must be issued, approved, and recorded by a local guild leader
Every writ must be turned in to the regional guards once a target is assassinated
The Morag Tong will only accept special, or non-assassination jobs if a majority of local guild leaders approve it.

C) There is a "Gray Faction" inside the Morag Tong who have made a substantial amount of money by accepting off-record writs, which violate guild policy, miscellaneous jobs such as smuggling, espionage, thievery, and other criminal acts

With Llathis in charge, crackdowns on such activities have begun, severely hurting this illegal business.
The Gray Faction, and those who profit from it, have turned their attention towards Llathis, plotting to overthrow or kill the leader before he destroys their underground activities forever.
Unfortunately, once the non-Tong smugglers, criminals, and other contacts were let in on it, the Dark Brotherhood overheard.
Seeing the malcontent parties, and the divided state of the guild, they immediately began a plot of their own to bring down the entire Silgrad Region Morag Tong.

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Into this maelstrom steps the PC, intent on navigating the dangerous waters of betrayal, infiltration, assassination, and politics. There are many ways to rise to power, and ten times as many ways to die in the process.

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ere starts the real story

It's not done yet, expect updates (i'm only like halfway done)
Part 1: The Gray Faction

You have joined the Morag Tong during a period of reform and renewal, and rise quickly through the ranks, assassinating people with precision and ease. The Gray Faction of the Morag Tong has recognized your great potential, and attempts to recruit you into the criminal underworld. However, the local guild leader, Velthas, also has his eye on you, and convinces you to become an informant in what he suspects is a large, centuries-old criminal operation.

With an informant in place, the guild leaders build up a picture of the true extent of the workings of the Gray Faction, their involvement in criminal activities such as smuggling, illegal writs, and thievery, and a more hidden plot. Finally, you are asked to attend a "planning session", where you realize that they are going to overthrow/kill Llathis.

After figuring out the time and place for the hit, Llathis decides to let them try to kill him. You will shadow him, and assist him in the fighting. The petty criminals and small-time murderers are way out of their league, and easily dispatched.

Next Llathis asks you personally to make an example out of the faction. You will find and kill a group of smugglers who were in on the plot to bring down Llathis, and you will kill them, making sure to leave a note explaining that illegal activities will not be tolerated. However, this has no effect, and Llathis sends you to confront the leader of the Gray Faction, who is none other than Velos, the Morag Tong alchemist, who is exiled from the guild, with the understanding that if anything else happens, he will be killed. (actually a very merciful decision)

This effectively ends the Gray Faction, but remember the prologue? The Dark Brotherhood knows there is strife in the guild. All of the former Gray Faction members are either dead or in hiding, weakening the guild. And this time, nobody in the guild has any idea what's coming.

Stay tuned for part 2 of the main quest, probably sometime tomorrow (or considering time zone differences, sometime later today, after i go to bed and wake up)

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Part 2: The Dark Brotherhood

After the purge of the Gray Faction, the guild is visibly weaker, but still intact. More blows come when writs start going wrong. The first to go is an Associate, who was set up and killed while in mid-assassination. A tragedy, to be sure, but not particularly unusual.

Then, however, a higher-level assassin is killed, and signs of the Dark Brotherhood are found at the scene. Furthermore, the target never existed, it was a fabrication created solely to start picking off members of the guild.

The Morag Tong decides to fight back, sending you on a writ that they are certain is another set-up. Aware of the danger, you are able to overpower and kill your assailants, whom are certainly members of the Dark Brotherhood. At this point, conspiracy is the only answer; a plot to bring down a weakened Tong, and establish the Dark Brotherhood as the dominant force on the mainland Morrowind

Llathis calls a meeting of the guildmasters in Silgrad to discuss the crisis, and requests you attend, having been involved in the Gray Faction affair, as well as the botched writ. When you arrive, Llathis, Galdas, Velthas, and Ravnel are all discussing the situation. Suddenly, Lucan bursts in, and whispers hurridly with Llathis, who then announces that Fadvan has turned traitor and killed Sermis, the highest ranking MT official to die yet.

The situation is no longer safe, and infiltration by the Dark Brotherhood seems likely. Galdas proposes they gather the entire guild together in their ancient place of refuge, a cave located in the Silgrad Hills, where the Tong has retreated in times of crises

Velthas must return to the Soluthis guildhall to make sure nobody else has turned traitor, as well as lead everybody to their new temporary base of operations. Velthas privately asks you to meet him at his house in Soluthis, giving you a key to get in, and tells you to hurry.

Once there, he reveals that has a suspicion he may be attacked, and he asks you to shadow him to the guildhall. On the way, Ravnel appears, and attempts to assassinate Velthas. The two of you overpower Ravnel, proving Velthas correct. The rest of the Soluthis guild is informed, and led back to what is now a pitifully small gathering of the last members of the Morag Tong.

The Tong needs intelligence, so Llathis sends you to track down Velos, and offer him his old place in the guild in return for information. Velos accepts your offer, and give you the locations of some of his old criminal contacts who would likely offer up information in exchange for money.

From these contacts, through threats or money, you obtain the hiding place of the Dark Brotherhood in Silgrad, and Llathis immediately rushes off. Galdas runs up, and asks you to join him to try and restrain Llathis, who has ceased to listen to reason. Both of you burst into the DB hideout to find Llathis battling a speaker of the Black Hand and several other assassins. During the battle, both Llathis falls and Galdas is incapacitated, leaving you to defeat the Speaker yourself.

Once the Dark Brotherhood's presence in Silgrad is eliminated, You are unanimously elected as the next Guildmaster, with Velthas as your assistant. The Morag Tong will slowly regenerate, and a new generation will take control of the guild, leading it in new directions.

Seniosh · 02-06-2008, 09:58 PM,

There! I'm finally mostly done with the Storyline! I'd love any comments on it, suggestions, a reaction, whatever.

The thing i'd like to specifically request suggestions on is the deaths of Llathis and Galdas. If anybody noticed, i used a single sentence to kill both of them, which is very vague. What would be the best way for them to die? A sinister trap? Simply being overpowered? What if the Dark Brotherhood had some sinister secret weapon that they sacrificed themselves to destroy? Something slightly dramatic. I really haven't been able to figure out a good way to kill them off.

Heck, if you have an ending where only Llathis dies, i'll listen to that too. Or even something different altogether.

Basically, any comments you can give me are appreciated. I'm basically set on most of the story, but i'm very flexible with the ending

Krisi-_ · 02-07-2008, 05:33 PM,

I'm uncertain what kind of hideout you've got i mind for the Dark Brotherhood, but for the player to be free to do whatever he wants, the advisor should survive.. Old and wise he'd know not just to run after Llathis into the hideout..

As for what killed Llathis, the player shouldn't know right away. DB is bound to have some trick up their sleeve.. A trap the player can't be exposed to would be best. (Don't make it as the battlemage in the OB MG story)

And would a Speaker run a high risk operation like this himself, especially as they are so few left after OB story. A Silencer should be capable enough, he might be faked as a Speaker.

Seniosh · 02-07-2008, 10:46 PM,

Right, wasn't quite certain on the ranks of the DB, silencer would make sense. I think Galdas (the advisor) will survive then, it does make things less complicated.

As for the trap, i've got to think of something spectacularly hideous, that would also set up a good ending. Maybe they turn Llathis into a zombie? Or what if they sacrificed him to summon some powerful daedra, or even the night mother herself? We'll have to think of something.

for the hideout itself, i was thinking something such as an abandoned Velothi Tomb would be nice.

The other thing about the DB - The OB story hasn't happened in this questline. the DB has not been weakened, its members have not been killed off, ect. That's because i'm not going to let members of the DB join the Morag Tong, which means that logically the whole Dark Brotherhood questline never happened,

Krisi-_ · 02-09-2008, 01:28 PM,

Quote:The other thing about the DB - The OB story hasn't happened in this questline. the DB has not been weakened, its members have not been killed off, ect. That's because i'm not going to let members of the DB join the Morag Tong, which means that logically the whole Dark Brotherhood questline never happened,

Someone else would have done it.

Danaran · 04-22-2008, 04:21 PM,

well that is possible but it also means ya need to make a new character who hasnt joined the DB yet, since msot higher chars have most of the time joined all factions or is the leader there, or so am i with me higher chars.

Seniosh · 04-23-2008, 02:05 AM,

It's my intention to force players to create a new character. That way, the story makes more sense (the DB hasn't been weakened in that character's timeline), and it makes the level balancing much much easier.

There's simply no fun in being level 50, and just being able to kill everything in sight

Danaran · 04-23-2008, 05:25 AM,

indeed tbeing lvl 50 and going anywhere while you can kill everything sucks, though getting a char to 50 is quite boring after some time. So i find it a good idea, i can get to make some writs for ya also

makmania · 09-06-2008, 01:47 AM,

i think the story is great, i think also as leader of the morag tong you should get a special set of the morag tong armor that is in development Wink

or... was in development Sad

Seniosh · 09-06-2008, 01:13 PM,

Thanks for the compliment!

The morag tong armor is actually complete and in-game, and i didn't have any plans to create a special set of it, but if VABG or anyone else feels inspired to create something else, i'd definitely consider it.