My campaign has a myriad of complex NPCs, and as DM, I get easily overwhelmed by the amount of explaining I have to do when I have several key characters in the room. The answer? Predict the future and get a group of amazing voice actors together for plot dumps on my players, who can go back and refer to the audio tracks for notes. This is a first for me, but if it works, I'll be able to make this a semi-regular thing, and perhaps even get the entire story voiced when the campaign ends.
MAJOR ROLES:
Farenghar: Talkative Illusion Wizard. The younger identical twin of two famous wizards in the world of Cidaline, and part of a very successful adventuring party aside from the PCs group. Really wants help with finding a lost wizard friend somewhere in the world.
Villefort (Vill-eh-four): Quietly studious Evocation Wizard. The older twin, and part of a long-disbanded group of wizards who founded an entirely new type of magic, which they were hunted down for creating, assassinated one by one. He may be the last one, and his Illusionist brother does what he can to stop him being found and murdered.
Pandera: (War) Trickster Demi-God. Currently losing control of a carefully executed plan to become a fully-fledged god, at the expense of these wizards and at least one member of the PC party. She is very aware her current competitor, the other trickster demi-god (of thieves), is hidden in one of the mortals. This is a problem because there can only be one Trickster God at the end of the campaign. She has taken the more ruthless role, and is generally known for walking battlefields and convincing people to turn the wrong way into danger, or fight their own people. A victim of her own emotions and ambitions, but incredibly dangerous and manipulative. One of the 'Big Bads' of the campaign.
Kaleel: Demi-God of Protection. Has tasked one of the party members with finding his brother, the demi-god who is ironically trapped in one of the other party members. All he cares about is making sure no-one gets hurt, and his priority is those who cannot save themselves, run fast enough, the undeserving victims of violence. He has a heart of gold but has a habit of wearing himself thin trying to protect everyone. Very Captain America about dealing with problems. An innocent boi in the crossfire of the two trickster demi-gods at his side.
MINOR ROLES:
General Sweeney Zamboni: The Major General, in command of the barricaded city of Greenspire and the high elf citizens. Is trying to deal with a sudden insurgence of werewolves, and the appearance of several previously well-stealthed main characters suddenly in his office headquarters. A very straight-backed man of the law, requires information and warriors to deal with the city's immediate problems. Eloquent and tactical, not a man of many words, unlike Farenghar, with whom he is constantly in a vocal battle to be heard.
Threadwalker Thruum: An ethereal entity, Thruum the Threadwalker travels time and space walking on tightropes anchored between various realities. A fully-fledged god in the campaign's pantheon, those who see him just see a galaxy shaped in a humanoid form. In more casual moments, he's known for speaking entirely in emojis and wingdings. Since meeting the party, he's become enamoured with these individuals, and has taken them on many tours of the universe, overjoyed he can finally share the sights he usually explores alone. However, he must carry out the will of the head god, and stop the chaotic motions of one of the trickster demi-gods (once again). Really, he's a sweetheart who must lay down the law.
