No, the OP is asking what sort of things should happen to the wandering NPC adventurers - not the player. I don't know if the wandering adventurers are going to be "simulated" as they head off into parts unknown to unleash unintended consequences on your territory or if it's more "party X goes into dungeon Y select outcome from list Z", but either way these player anecdotes are intended for that use, not what the Sovereign is doing.

I would ask what way you would include quests in a meaningful way into the game? For alot of us, being apart of a living world is better than being the only thing alive in a dead world. People want heroes with great legends and such to venture through thier kingdom because that is what gives the game a soul. If done wrong, then yes it could feel like an unintuitive waste. But if done right - the potential for a real, meaningful world exists. If you just want fantasy spreadsheet kingdom, then I would look elsewhere.

In an old gurps campaign with a few close friends we played as a group raiding a werewolf hideout. Well, they played and I GM'd but whatever. The most interesting thing was when my girlfriend was faced with how to kill the werewolf, she paused and began to ask about the philosophy behind walking into a creatures home and killing it for loot and glory, and how that somehow made them "heroes". Her thoughts were deep, and somewhat rocking for a longtime rpg'er. Perhaps one thing about this stood out most of all however...

While my girlfriend was musing on the topic, and trying to convince us the heroes were actually the bad guys, the werewolf was beating the living hell out of the other two adventurers. The team was ultimately wiped because she got to a point where she was convinced the heroes were in the wrong and that the wolf had the right to slaughter them. Our groups next few sessions were, as you would imagine, very interesting.

Elurian Teldarien was an elven paladin/sorceror who specialized in augmentation magic to strengthen both himself and his party.  In the final battle against the undead hordes of Aeloryk, Thrall of Acheron, Elurian fell to the Dagger of the Damned. With his last breath, he was able to lend strength to his oath-brother, Induriel Bladebane, who managed to drive Aeloryk off...though not before the vampire flung Elurian's body in front of the saddle of his skeletal steed.  When Induriel and his allies finally faced the Vampire Lord Acheron himself, they were distraught to find Elurian at his right hand, mounted on a black dragon and wielding his blackened silver greatsword, Magebane. 

Erolan Gwyddyn, rogue and magician, founded the Order of Fire and Shadow to stand against the threats others feared to face.  The order was funded by a large trade network established with gold acquired by slaying the chitinous Thckacyl, the insane offspring of the Lady of Tears.  Few could stand before his rapier Shadowseeker, which existed only partly upon his home plane and could thereby penetrate most defenses.  Even fewer could harm him, especially when protected by the arcane form of fire he was inclined to sheathe himself in before battle. 

Some (relatively) recent RPG experiences come to mind.

In D&D (Ebberon) two years ago I ran a changeling (shape changer for the uninitiated) diviner specialist wizard  /unseen seer while he was a very interesting psychologically and morally complex character who had lots of great adventures none of that is going to help the game.  But what "he" was could work as a cool NPC.  What he was, was a character who was a master of deception who could read minds, cast divinations, enhance his personal senses and take on any appearance that he wished.  (he was hopeless in combat situations)

The NPC cold be a sort of spy for hire to have your sovereign or his opponents purchase information from, hire for specific missions, and/ or try and win the allegiance of.

My most recent Ars Magica game had our characters trick the two nearest dangers to our covenant into going to war with one another so we wouldn't need to worry about them trying to control us.  While the situation in my game was quite complex, in the simpler setting of the computer game you could do this:

You could set up a few wizard heroes in a tower.  When one of the nearby factions starts poking around the tower or fails to win the  hero magicians to his side, both that faction and its nearest rival faction start suffering small raids from folks who look like the other faction and people in nearby cities start to warn the factions about the impending attack from the other.

Karma point if you know where I got this from.

Quest Background

How the quest would be like for the player

Branit Leaflef - A mage of ill repute. Part of a mage heavy party that specilized in acquiring knowledge of and objects from distant antiquity. He had an unfortunate knack for being singled out and as a result researched some formidable defensive and retributive spells and developed a sense of paranoia (a wonderful game but a bit off topic).

The party was very focused on their activities and were a bit oblivous to other things. It seems several other groups of adventures made a living following us around and cleaning up what we left (which was frequently a lot). Well when we eventually stumbled on these other groups it didn't go so well for them and we spent a decent while covering our doings by hunting down these other groups where ever we happen to have found them (which led to some ugly urban conflict). The party lived on the edge of society and usually were concerned not one wit when third party civilians were between us and our goal. We eventually learned to use these other groups as gate crashers when we used deception leading them to areas we wished to tread but were weary of. By our reputation these other groups had little fear entering places they thought we had already visited, which came in handy during times of deception. It usually did not fair well for these other groups, though we did reach accomodation on a few occasions.

After some close calls the party developed an acute phobia for intelligent undead (of any flavor) or anything that even looked non-coporial. When encountering such creatures the two usual options were kill it with extreme violence (usually way over kill) or, run away. Our group usually was on the cusp of what we could handle and had no problem retreating to fight another day.

Governments either didn't know or care of our doings but were we had a reputation it was usually accompanied by wanted posters....which explained some of the follow on adventures.....

Darvroth

ahhh so many walls of text who reads all this?

Me. :p

Anyways, I think my favorite characters so far are the Arch-Lich Mortemeer and the Scout Leonon.

The "quests" I found to like the most were the Undead Lands of Outlaw and the Merchant Kingdom of Demiansky.

Of the submissions I, myself, have presented, the character I am most proud of is Yuri Alexandre, and the Setting I am most proud of is the UnderGround City of reptiles where Succubus Marcel lives (as well as the Yuanti, Kobold, and Orc wandering champions)

Some characters from our D&D campaigns to populate the world as champions:

Deklina Tetrax: a gnome priest (worshipping Kombzin, father of the mountains and the gnomes) clad in a black coat with a black pointy hat. Fights with a mace and cross-bow.

Dardnew Crescent – a taciturn fighter ready to go out on adventure for some gold or anyone in need. He is also the personal bodyguard to:

Ydvi Emeraldeye – a noble lady travelling with various groups of adventurers to protect her from old enemies.

Prisla Kasote: a generic champion with a peculiar name.   

Garovel Tacklén: a most unpleasant person. He is in his 60s and has kept his finger nails growing since at least a few decades, with macabre result. He is very proud of his long “claws” and (if magic will be available for these champions) uses them to point out victims of his lightning bolts.

Iddi and Ugge: an inseparable duo of two ugly people (married to each other), and lacking both intelligence and wisdom as well. At least they both have a heart of gold. They serve the mysterious Sibyl at her dwelling deep inside an enchanted forest to the best of their abilities.   

Fimirka: an affront to any aesthetically minded person. Her hair is pitch black, in the nose that is - her hair on her head is flaming red and stands up much like a volcanic eruption. She wears orange clothes in combinations with green and other colours depending on her mood. Not much of a fighter, but at least she has a dagger. She is much better at creating trouble for people nearby. She is the maid of a noble lady out on adventure.   

Princess Lefoloth: young, attractive spell caster clad in a red dress slit very high up the legs indeed. She is accompanied by her personal bard and body guard.

if i had some time i would write about all the fun i had with D&D, shame i moved away from my friends

Name: Bytor

Race: Elf

Class: Cleric/Fighter

Alignment: Chaotic-Good

Str:10

Dex:18

Con:12

Int:10

Wis:18

Chr:16

(stats as of level 1)

He was a cloistered cleric for most of his upbringing and as an Elf has an affinity for bows.  You can think of him as a standard D&D cleric that also happens to have enough dexterity and natural ability to make use of bows.

His low strength meant he had a hard time carrying much beyond basic supplies, and cannot wear chain/plate due to slowing down the party.  He also functioned as a "wannabe-rogue" when it came to searching for secret doors.  Unfortunatly he has had such bad luck that he almost drowned in still water, while not under attack.  He has spoken with the dead, tasted wine that can give someone in the most dire situations hope, and has aided in the slaying of countless spiders and spider-like beings.  His hatred for Drow has caused him to strike one down without being threatened.  He considers this a flaw of his character and seeks repentence from his god.  There are hints of copper dragon blood flowing through him.

Just remembered this, please add a Noh NPC that can be interracted with by the NPC adventurers, or at least the standard "Some chick in a dungeon who gets taken out of said dungeon" thing.
http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Noh

Lance Siccure was once a fine priest, taken in and tutored at a young age.  After coming of age, however, his desire to have more of an impact on the world around him led him away from the quiet life and into a series of intense, individual studies into the realms of magic - specifically of the frozen variety.

Known for waltzing into a room with his staff beit to meet with a king, dragon, or old friend, his calm, relaxed demeanor gave him immediate charisma and leadership.  His white cloak accented his blue hair and eyes.

"The Raptor," however, was completely different.  After an unfortunate encounter with a twisted spider caused her to kill her own parents, she gained a constant, sick desire to make others feel fear.  Her unloving eyes and few words sent chills down her opponent's spine.  Onlookers would say she was a rogue, a torturer, a spy; infact she was more of a knight, who's quiet fight against the evils in the world echoed in her struggle against internal demons.

Unlike Lance's diplomatic ease, The Raptor's hardened look from inside her leather armor set her aquaintances on the defensive from the outset.  They had no thought to admire her brown hair, even if it wasn't hidden behind a hood.

The two characters met, and perhaps Lance's relaxed demeanor chilled Raptor's demons, or maybe just a combined purpose caused them immediately to fall into step, as if they had never missed a day.  They fought for a small, aging organization called The Keepers of the Flame, designed to protect against the greater evils in the world, but often they found their struggles against its own power hungry members.  

Eventually they would form their own party, which operated out of an abandoned keep at the crest of a once important hill.  The treeline overgrown closer to the walls, and the stone walls casting shadows against themselves.  The scarce daylight that danced in through the old stained glass windows lead to the name "Dark Mystic Castle," and it stuck.

As the days grew longer, Lance Siccure's ambivalant, too relaxed nature caused him to drift back into his own studies, and eventually leaving the castle - although never officially.  Those left behind grew dreary, and left, one by one.  Without Lance's presence, The Raptor succombed more and more to her demons - and without Raptor's intense drive and focus, Lance slipped into depression.  A dark and depressed Lance Siccure stowed himself away in his tower, and The Raptor left her controlled life to prowl the world.

*epic music*

Legends whispered speak of The Rogue Captain. Who is the RC?  Nobody knows but the tales of his deeds go far and wide throughout the world.

Okay that was really really lame but it would be cool if Stardock would reward its players by adding their names to the random hero name generator.

Interesting pick. Might you expand on that fine L1 build?

Sure!  He is a gestalt character (3 sometimes 4 players in our current group).  Since he gets so few skill points the majority have gone into concentration, knowledge:religeon, and healing.  So far at about level 4 he has added one point in Wisdom, and has point blank shot, precise shot, rapit shot, combat casting, and maybe one or two more.  (I purposely leave the character sheet with the DM so I don't remember everything about him).  I tend to prefer role playing over all other aspects of pen and paper, since I have more freedom in that format.  His memorized spell list tends to favor healing, controlling spells, and spells that allow him to feel more like a cleric might act if it were real.  His god is Corellon for obvious reasons.  His traveling companions consist of other custom/gestalt characters but you could generalize them by calling them a "paladin", "swashbuckler", and "spell sword".

Don't know how you can work this into Elemental, but here is my most memorable D&D engagement:

I was a ranger, wood elf I think.  This one time our DM was playing a game where he would send us private notes about the events going on.  We could share the information with others, or we could keep it to ourselves.  I protested, saying this was a terrible group dynamic, yet still, my party members mostly kept the information to themselves when they got it, and my party members were getting more of these special messages than I was...

We came upon one section, where there was a room, and each of us entered the room one at a time.  I was the third to enter, and according to the note the DM handed me, the first two party members who had entered were lying there unconscious, with a chest in the room wide open, full of treasure.  The first two tried to get the treasure for themselves but both times they set off a trap which left them unconscious--and without knowing the contents of the chest.  I was the third to enter the room, and by then the traps were exhausted, and the contents of the chest were all mine, without anyone else knowing what they were (except the DM).  That was the main loot of the entire dungeon.

So I kept the treasure for myself, which was substantial.  I rationalized it that obviously the first two party members to enter the room had tried to do the same, and nobody had been sharing any secret information with me.  But my chaotic good guilt got the better of me, so I dispensed with treasure by donating it all to charity.  This lead to some fun role-playing with various citizens of the town we were in, and puzzled suspicion from my fellow party members.

EDIT: the name of the ranger was Benthyr-of-the-woods, since you asked, but I can't recall the other names.

Conan would be great

link

Bogus the Troll bio:

I like short walks on the beach, liberating virgins, attacking commanders, sieging castles, going berserk, wearing heavy armor, cutting Hoburgs in half with my huge sword and I need alcohol to get through the day.

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Sandwich_Stoutaxe

/thread

General Trinklevox - The leader of a 1000-man army


One rainy day a strange man wandered into a small coastal town. He called himself General Trinklevox and acted like he was some legendary hero and a commander of a mighty army, even though he was dressed like a simple peasant and nobody had ever heard of him. All day long this so-called "general" tried to recruit more men into his "army" using quite peculiar methods. He usually just grabbed the arm of the person nearest to him and yelled: "Hey you! Want to join my army?" A typical response to his question was, "What army? What are you talking about?" Then the general would respond by yelling: "My army! My one-thousand-man army!", and running away laughing maniacally.

Most people in the town realized that the man was absolutely insane and avoided him at all cost but there were few not-so-bright individuals who actually believed that he was a true hero and chose to follow him. As days passed the general seemed to gain more and more followers but one day he suddenly decided to leave the town with his recruits and nobody ever saw him again. Everything was peaceful and quiet again but then a couple years later stories started to emerge about a crazy man leading a one-thousand-man army and doing all kinds of heroic deeds somewhere in the north. Maybe it was just a coincidence or maybe the general actually managed to get a real army and become a true legend.
 

Pumpulipallo the half-naked bard and his band of fully-clothed thieves

It's a well known fact that brigands, murderers and other nasty people like to live in the woods because it's a great place to hide. It was also the home of Pumpulipallo the bard and his group of thieves. They specialized in ambushes which were always planned very cleverly. One trick they often used was to leave few expensive-looking weapons or pieces of armor in the middle of the road and wait for some greedy heroes to come by and pick them up. While the hero was busy inspecting the loot, Pumpulipallo and his thieves would attack from the bushes.

Pumpulipallo would always lead the attacks because he was a very valiant man but there was one strange thing about him: He was a true naturist by heart. That's why he didn't really enjoy wearing much clothing so his battle outfit consisted only of a plate helmet and white underpants. This strange combination usually made his opponents burst with laughter which usually led to their downfall. You can't laugh and fight at the same time, it's just not possible.

Solka Truesilver lovable soundrel sorcerer, master of Mind Magic, who travels the world trying to both avoid and stir trouble. Not an evil person, just a free soul travelling in search of fun, not wanting to own any long-term allegiance (except if it REALLY sounds fun and interesting). He usually is found in company of one or two powerful but simple warriors who he beguiled with his magic. He helps them keeping out of trouble by "leading" them cleverly, they keep him out of trouble by smashing dangerous people's head.

edit: I should've mentionned, yhea. That character was a lot of fun to play. No fireballs, no flashy spells effect. Just charms and some buffs.

Here are a few champion types I thought would be entertaining: 

Gene Frenkle:  Physically weak champion, he grants positive offensive and/or defensive bonuses to all those around him through his skillful instrument playing.  Once per day, he could "perform the hell out of [his cowbell]" and the bonuses would be temporarily doubled or tripled. 

Bruce Campbell:  Boomstick toating champion, able to reduce enemy morale though special trash talking ability.  Requires greater than average maintenance costs. 

William Wallace:  Physically strong in combat, he provides dramatic improvements to accompanying troop morale. 

I always enjoy movie and other character references when I play games.  Little things like having Bruce Campbell say funny movie lines when repeatedly clicked on are entertaining and go a long way.

Oathbound of the Black Oak.

They pursue a foul priest of the Withering God called Shadowblight, who has done many an ill deed to the people of the world, and personally grieved each of the Oathbound.

Summoned together by the spirit residing in the Black Oak, they made an oath to catch the priest and exact vengeance on him.
But the priest's power is strong and his influence wide, they cannot assail him directly. Gathering allies and sometimes new enemies, they journey the land, visiting city-states and working for them, so long as the deed does not help Shadowblight.

Many a great foe did they fell, warlords and tyrants, slavers and wizards. Sometimes the nefarious path of the road becknoned to them, and they answered it's call. The assasination of a princess loved by her people, razing of the temple of the Sunlord, and plunder of countless tombs.
As they pursued Shadowblight, they were pursued as well. A cruel wizard they failed to kill, disfigured permantently by a blow to the face from a torch, chases after them with magical beasts, his burnt face appearing in the campfire, sprouting blasphemies at them. The king who grives for her assasinated daughter has posted a great amount of silver for their capture, which causes great troubles for the Oathbound, no matter where they go.

They even meddled in the wars between city-states, at times commanding small armies, sometimes stealing important resources.

Some of their most disasterous things include accidentally awakening a small host of swamp puppets that pillaged the countryside, of which our heroes took advantage of as well. But perhaps greatest of all, after burning down the temple of the Sunlord and taking the Eternal Sun from within, they managed to douse it, which made the Sun itself vanish from the skies, and for a month no one could see farther than a few meters without a torch. Ultimately they managed to correct their error, a set of deeds they saw wise not to brag about.

Rachne, a past middle-age woman who excels in both sword an sorcery, she who supports the group with her strength, of the Trunk.
While not physically too strong, her skill and experience at battle is her truest asset, both martial and magical. Her magic is mostly use of wind for strange purposes, buffetting her enemies away and blowing their spirits away with magic wind, leaving them in panic, as well creating magical walls and barriers out of many strange materials, both magical and natural.
The sacred ancestral relic of her clan was stolen by the priest and she is on a quest to retrieve it.
Her steady nature is the balancing nature of the Oathbound. More than once has she held Boarface in place when he has tried to do something that might otherwise become famously stupid. Where Rosamia might lapse into uselessness, it is her steadiness and resolve that endure until the troubles are over.

Rosamia, a priestess of the Withering God herself, was forced to sacrifice her husband and child to sate the apetite of her god, she became a renegade and swore vengeance. Hers are the Leaves, sometimes blooming, at others, withering away.
Strangely, she still recieves the blessing of the Withering God, but only periodically. Neither she or anyone else knows why, for as she has forsaken her faith, she should not be blessed anymore. Yet she is, which is a testament to the strange ways of her once deity.
Periodically causing great mischief and great aid, she is an unpredictable element in the group. When things are going very well, she might do something very foolish and ruin the day, yet when things look hopeless, it is she who solves the situation.

Fenster, a wily merchant and negotiator, as well as a dabbler in illusionary magic, he who provides for the group and is symbolised by the Roots.
His reasons are mysterious and his own, not even his companions know what drives him.
His abilities mostly lie in the non-combat area, befuddling foes both politically and enviromentally, allowing them to plunder many places without being seen. When forced to do battle, he misleads his opponents and conceals his comrades from sight to the best of his ability, for he is no match for even the worst of soldiers.
He is the one who most of the time gets our heroes out of trouble, both with his magic and his silvery tongue, and strangely enough, he is never the one to actually get them in trouble, despite his abilities in deception. His wisdom is that which holds the group in place.

Once a hero, a mighty warrior, now cursed to have the head of a boar, a deed done by Shadowblight to him in vengeance for him having slept with the sacrificial virgin and for having stolen relics of the Withering God. Known as Boarface, his domain are the branches, he who spreads influence of the group far and wide.
His brute strength, endurance and pig-headedness are the stuff of legends, and few who know of him(and almost everyone does) dare to challenge him, except the errant young warrior wanting to prove his worth by defeating Boarface. These challenges never end well for those who challenge him. Wielding the spear made from a branch of the Black Oak, a weapon he calls the Festering Death, and a huge sling which in his hands doubles as a siege engine, he is a truly terrifying foe on the battlefield.
When he was cursed by the priest, not only did he gain the head of a boar, but his apetites all grew. His greed for treasure, his hankering for food and his carnal needs all cause the party trouble where-ever they go, as if they didn't have enough of it. Laying with the daughter of the Chief of the Silver Hall, plundering his treasure and eating his famous white bull, is the most famous of his triumvirate of vice. But he is also the one to always save them from any physical trouble, whether it be strange monsters or fierce warriors of an enraged chief.

One day they will challenge Shadowblight directly, but for now they must bide their time.

(I probably forgot something, but likely nothing of huge importance. Obviously the heroes ultimately felled Shadowblight and his cult, dispersing after that. So in the scope of the game, they would still probably be on their quest to defeat him. Game system was a homebrew, influenced by the Conanic tales. The tale is slightly embellished to be a more fun read ;))

As for how they'd be incorporated, probably as a band of rampaging good-for-nothings who could be hired sometimes to do your bidding. Of course, simply killing them might yield some of the loot they have, which might be necessary if they decide to do something stupid.

Cohen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohen_the_Barbarian