Soon I'll be using a reskinned (Ancient Greek) Skinsaw Murders adventure path for my campaign, and I know at some point the players go to Magnimar.
Now, in my game the players (and the Skinsaw events) are in a nice little city called Pōtama, ruled by a kind and just king. This city's refusal to take part in slave raids is making things tense with a huge, militaristic slaving city which they have a loose alliance with, part of a larger League. Think Sparta. One player, a member of the tribe seen as sub-human in Not Sparta has good reason to hate the city, and has already sworn to serve the king of Pōtama against Lakeros if need be.
What I thought would be cool is if the players go to this Magnimar/Not Sparta needing something from the King, and the only way to get it is by helping him take Pōtama. Obviously, I hope, but if not, ah well, the players will refuse. Meaning they need another way to take the item. I'll leave that up to them.
This is happening against a backdrop of rising undead (which have never existed before) and arcane magic becoming stronger and more prevalent, which is outlawed and punishable by death.
I'm having trouble setting this up. What item should it be? It has to be something incredibly important for the PCs to want to risk their lives for. Maybe a god instructs them to get it (they've been having odd dreams lately), in preparation for when they become Mythic. And it will have to be set up and alluded to right through the adventure path so as to not feel tacked on.
Any suggestions would be awesome.
Bump
What item should it be?
The golden fleece?
Well, we don't really have enough information to go on here. Are you playing through all of RotRL? Where are your PCs in it? How much do they know?
"Help King Bad Guy conquer your home town" is pretty extreme. Most PCs are not going to go along with that unless the alternative is something truly horrible.
Doug M.
Yeah you're right, my apologies.
No, only the Skinsaw Murders. The players have entered Potama and found out that people are going missing. They are tasked with the king to find them. They will track the kidnappers down to a magically hidden cave, fight a graven guardian and use a monument in the cave to be teleported off the island onto the mainland. I made a point of saying that if anyone discovered a way onto the island with an army, the city would have a very difficult, if not impossible, time defending itself. They follow the continuing tracks now on the mainland to dungeon. Turns out undead have risen and are taking people for unknown purposes. The players complete the dungeon and free the prisoners. This is when the Skinsaw path comes in, the Sihedron rune being replaced by a symbol of Thanatos, spirit of death.
If need be, I'm using some parts of Burnt Offerings. Definitely using Shayliss Vinder.
The PCs have only just been tasked with finding the people, they're very far off yet.
They know they have to tread carefully around Not Sparta. They came across an emissary who was visiting the king and, um, the barbarian punched him in the face after he barged past them.
Exactly, I hope they won't help King Bad Guy and possibly work against him to deal a blow to Not Sparta, but I want the choice to be difficult.