There have been a lot of threads asking what to do after the AP, what have you changed in the AP, side quests ran, etc. So far I haven't responded to those threads simply due to having to go into a lot of detail. This thread is to show how my AP has evolved and what I have planned.
First of Turaglas apeared in DRAGON 312 pg 66. Due to the info in this thread being hard to use w/o the issue, I will not explain glossary terms in the article (ex. what's a "Mouth of Turaglas?"). However I encourage all to read if it sparks, buy a back issue.
Let me start with how perfect Turaglas fits into the AP. I planned on adding Turaglas as soon as I read his article. I figured I'd just add little things and start an epic campaign where the AP leaves off. However he is now a vast center of my story arc. Occupitus, is The Ebon Maw's previous layer of the Abyss. With his imprissonment the plane grew smaller and became unimportant, a place for deserters, until the war w/ Celestia and Adimarcus' reign. The description of the plane fit's in perfect w/ Turaglas' portfolio and indicates the power he still has from w/in his void. He has been manipulating Adimarcus as much as Adimarcus has been manipulating the Cagewrights. Also Turaglas created many demon species. The FF says the Demodand's were exciled from another plane (say the Abyss) due to some unknown reason (say servant's of Turaglas). Also the Shator's and Kelubar's blame th Farastu for this. Maybe because it's the only one not slothfull by appearance.
I have placed a rather large Feast in Caldron. Many members of the Cagewrights are members of the Feast, including most of the CW's leaders. Turaglas has manipulated Adimarchus into the idea of his freement not knowing that it will set about events allowing the Demodands to kill in Turaglas' name helping to free the Ebon Maw. The Feast members in the CW help incourage the process along fully aware of what's really happening. Due to the recent events the Feast becomes slightly more open than normal.
Whenever the party has been in need of a side quest to increase level I have somehow tied it in w/ the local Feast. Recently I let them compete against a group locating one of the Fangs of Turaglas. I let my party roll which of the 8 weapons it was and it turned out to be the shortspear. The party hasn't had a mental image yet but it will be very funny once they do. I am about to attack them w/ the Breath of the Void, lead by the Wrath of Turaglas. The party has argued over the spear already so what will happen once the get White Talon? On Occupitus I intentionally threw in encounters w/ Turagathshnee.
Clerics of Turaglas have attacked the party using spells like Cannibalize, Caustic Bile and Insatiable Hunger.
After the AP I plan to have the party have to find the Burning Toungue and fight the Keeper, eventually encounter the corrupted Vuren Krabath (and maybe a summoned Turaglas in Tragathshnee form), have the party attempt to recover and destroy various Fangs, and finally encounter the Ebon Maw himself, in trus form, surrounded by minions and followers.
I'll post more details later as time permits but I at least wanted to get the idea in the open.
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Actually,this makes more sense than the adventure path as written by Dungeon. The Ebon Maw will make for a better villain than Adimarchus. Wish i thought of this myself. Two questions though, 1. what part (if any) would the shackleborn play in this? 2. can it be possible for the sake of arguement that Vhalantru(?) the beholder might become an unlikely ally for the PC'S?(i doubt even he will want to lose his power base in Cauldron as well as his own life to a cult that wants to consume the entire world;esp. with him in it at the time.)
The way I plan things Adimarcus is still running the show using the shackleborn to open the portal. The souls are consumed by Turaglas as well. You could just as easily cut Adimacus from your campaign and have the shackleborn be a ritual to try to release the Ebon Maw, but remember his CR is 27 in his weak form.
As far as Vhalantru, if you still use the AP as written just adding in the additional storyline, he could possibly be convinced to help the PCs if they can give prove that Turaglas is running the show (an unlikely event). If you cut Adimarcus or decide Vhalantru is not only a cagewright but also a Feast member (possibly the Mouth) than his devotion to Turaglas would make him want everything destroyed by his God. The fanatical devotion of the religion is that Turaglas will consume everything. His followers help 'regrow' what is left behind so that there will be more to consume again. It would still give Vhalantru a base of power. Also members are fully prepared to die in Turaglas' name if it will further his return, believing they will be raised in the end.
Thank you for your feedback on the idea and post how things turn out.
Interesting...very interesting.
A few more thoughts on Turaglas:
Ghouls make good followers, especially Ghoul Clerics, double-especially Spellstiched (FF/CAr) Ghoul Clerics.
Famine Spirits (FF) are also appropriate Turaglas encounter critters, though very high level.
A priest of Turaglas could also very easily wind up being an Entropomancer (CD). Entropy is very in keeping with Turaglas.
Finally, the Gluttony Domain from the "7 Deadly Domains" article of Dragon 323 (page 63) is also very appropriate.
A Spellstitched Ghoul Cleric/Entropomancer of Turaglas with the Hunger and Gluttony domains? *shudder*
The party recently got attacked by the Breath of the Void. I had 2 small parties attack the group. The first was a weak suicide group sent so that a scry spell could see how effective the group was. Further down the road a second suicide group attacked. This group was a little larger and whose intent was to drag a fight out over as much time as possible. This way when they were almost all dead the real threats jumped into the fray. This way the PC w/ the Fang was almost out of rage and spent most of the real fight fatigued!! The real threat was an 9th level sorcerer beaffed with combat spells like bull's strength, cats grace, enlarge, mirror image, mage armor, shiled, haste, stoneskin and armed with spiked gauntlets. With him was an 11th level martial cleric with rightous might, divine favor and such already cast, and oh yeah, the Wrath of Turaglas with White Talon and his other wounding sword. It was almost a TPK. Two dropped dead and the other two each were in the negatives at some point.
After the fight the mul got his Int check to think the one short sword was like his spear so he picked it up. He just took 2 weapon fighting and is using both weapons. It kinda sucks since I have to keep track of all the Con damage by the wounding weapons but the mul would actually do more damage with his greatsword due to his feat selection.
The party is now breaking into the church in Secret of the Soul Pillars. If they think to try I'll let them find out a little bit about these mysterious fanatics and the weapons from the soul pillars.
That's about it for now since a scheduling change has us only playing for 3-4 hous a week. I do however want to thank Mouseferatu for his complement. Also thank you for writing such an excellent article!