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I apologize ahead of time for the length of this.
Hello all I’ve been DMing a recent plot arch using a mixture of homemade adventures and a good number of Dungeon modules. However, I’ve run into a small snag on how to end the arch and was wondering how different DMs would handle it? In a nutshell the PCs are basically soldiers in a large multination alliance and have been sent into a small rural nation surrounded by forests for reasons not made clear to them. In the nation in question there exists a large number of Malar worshipping lycanthropes who have allied with an evil druid organization that also worships Malar. Together these two groups are trying to bring about an event called the “Furious Hunt”. This would involve a massive series of attacks on civilization by the druids, animals they control, and the lycanthropes. These attacks would cause huge numbers of deaths and could potentially disrupt the stability of this nation. For the last 12 years a certain organization within the alliance has been trying to disrupt and prevent the “Furious Hunt” but just as they are about to close in on the leaders the lycantrhropes and druids just disappear into the forest and can never be found. This time a daring leader within this “anti-hunt” organization has decided that the best way to stop the hunt forever is to let it begin unhindered. He hopes that small groups of soldiers unaware of their true reasons for being the in the area have the best chance of gaining information on the hunt without causing it to be moved again. He hopes that the gathering point of the hunt can be learned before it begins and that he’ll be able to send troops there at the last moment in order to take out all the enemies at once. So here is how it has gone for the PCs.
After a short intro. adventure the PCs arrived at the city of Deepwatch deep within the Malorne Forests (the name of the nation). They were only given the instructions to “investigate several disappearances”. While there they discovered that a several children of high standing had been robbed from the city and that the situation was being blamed upon bear attacks. In fact, the children were taken by an evil druid named Vermil who using his bear animal companion and large amounts of misinformation and trickery hoped to have the abductions blamed on a local were bear tribe. The were bears who were intrinsically good were indirectly preventing Vermil from preparing the forests around Deepwatch for the hunt. So...for a short time my PCs took the bait and even fought several of the were bears before realizing that they had been tricked. Using excellent diplomacy and cool heads they managed to find out the location of Vermil and even got a were bear to go with them to help kill the man. When they found the druid he was handing a message to a werebabboon (Tongue-eater from “Flood Season”) who immediately bolted. After a short fight the druid sucided himself against the party (he did not wish to be questioned as he was very loyal to the cause) and the party started to track down Tongue-eater. After finding and fighting him in an incredibly bloody battle (Tongue-eater should by named TPK-maker) the party finally prevailed and got a moment to relax. Amongst the items of both the druid and the lycanthrope the party found notes written in Sylvan which hinted toward greater happenings to the north and a druid named Kazok.
The next part of the plot involved the party following up on the notes they found. When they returned to Deepwatch they were contacted by an agent of the organization that sent them here and told to give an update on the situation. When the agent read the notes he “suggested” they follow up on them and figure out who sent the druid. He reminded them that they were not being ordered to do so but rather were simply adventurers following up on evidence. This was important because the organization believes that if the PCs actually know what they are investigating it might end up leading to the lycanthropes and druids deciding to go back into hiding. So the PCs began their journey north where they stopped off at the town of Redrick where a harvest festival is just beginning. This was the beginning of the module Cry Wolf where the PCs basically discovered that a poacher had trapped a local ranger and was attempting to hunt his animal companion down. The PCs easily wiped the floor with the poacher and his pals and saved the ranger. The ranger explained that he was a member of a group of druids called “The Council of Pines”. He was sent by them several years ago to guard the forests around Redrick and he suggested that when the party move up north they should give them a call if they needed help tracking anyone down in the woods. Questioning of the poacher also gave the PCs information on a bandit/druid named Loris who had paid the poacher to “keep the ranger busy” for about two weeks...The plot thickens.
So now the party has reached the large town of Berlingford and started the module Forest of Blood. They have learned that animals seem to be attacking citizens at the edge of town and that many women have gone missing over the last few weeks. It is at this town that the druid Kazok, a member of the inner circle of the evil druids, has decided to begin his portion of the hunt. In order to do so he has told all of his students (including the now dead Vermil) to gather here when they have completed their individual missions. While he awaits them he has taken some actions of his own. First, he has been raising a group of wolves that he is now using to attack civilians and woodsmen. He has also joined forces with a were boar by the name of Remus who has formed a tight unit of rogues and scoundrels. Remus, Kazok, and all their minions have completely eradicated the Council of Pines leaving only a single druid alive and trapped inside Kazok’s lair. He has also kidnapped a cleric of Silvanus who he intends to sacrifice to summon a beast of Malar. Finally Kazok has developed a poison made from a black fungus which can cause people and animals to go insane and eventually feral. Unfortunately for the party his first test subject was one of his students...Loris...who has since gone insane and is useless to the party when they tried to question him.
So that is where the party is right now. They have tracked down Remus and his gang and managed to defeat the powerful lycanthrope, but they have yet to face Kazok and his small army of druid students who have gathered to witness the summoning of the beast and the beginning of the hunt.
When the party inevitably meets up with Kazok and defeats him they will have prevented the hunt from starting up in the surrounding area but they will have only cured a symptom of the greater problem. However, this is where I’m kind of stuck. I want the PCs to face off against the leaders of both the lycanthropes (Based loosely off the People of the Black Blood) and the druids (most likely lead by a chosen of Malar). But I also want a clever setup where they have to infiltrate a meeting between these groups, discover where they intend to begin the hunt and finally they get that information back to their commanders without the enemy discovering them. But I’m just pulling a blank on how to even start making an adventure like this. Any suggestions would be very appreciated. I’ll stop rambling now, thanks for listening!
How about having the groups coming together for the hunt being unknown (at least directly) to each other? So, recognition passwords or signs could be written down in Kazok's belongings for the PC's to find, allowing them to infiltrate the meeting. If you wanted more interaction than just attending the meeting, you could make the meeting some sort of ritual gathering to petition Malar etc, where the participants have to engage in trials of devotion/contests of strength and hunting prowess etc over several days. This gives lots of roleplaying and opportunities for setting the different factions at each others throats whilst trying to remain undiscovered and seem to participate in these (sometimes evil) rituals. eg Can the players rescue the little gnome girl from the hunters whilst pretending to have helped hunt her down, and who will they try to shift the blame on to if her escape seems a little too convenient? Maybe the party can become trusted enough that they can lead the forces of evil into a trap set by their employers to finish the threat once and for all... Hope these thoughts help!
First off, I'm amazed by how similar your campaign is to some ideas I've been using in the background of mine. The events as you describe are also happening in my homegrown game, only the PCs don't really realize its going on, have run into a few events and have yet to be tangled up into the greater plot. I've even used some of the same orginizations and NPCs that you mention from Dungeon Adventures.
Anyway, I like Tim's ideas. A big meeting of leaders of the Furious Hunt might take place for planning and preparation. Set it someplace that has spritiual significance, like an ancient ring of standing stones or other ruins on a hill which is the nexus of crossing ley lines. (As an aside, these ley lines might give druidic magic more power, or something of that nature.) The PCs might use a letter of introduction found on one of the main bad guys they killed, or a password as previously suggested, allowing them entrance to the meeting.
Once the PCs have gained the leader's confidence (as previously suggested) they can learn the plans and then try to get them back to their superiors, dodging their pursuers the whole way. You might want to use a modified version of Racing the Snake for this part.
Keep us posted on how it goes, and we can give more concrete advice.
Why wouldn't they (the baddies) try to ambush your PCs on the battle groung of their choosing? This could result in captures or even a member or two of the party being bitten by the were beasts. What eaiser way to infiltrate a lycanthrope group than to become one if only temporarily. Your PCs might even like a change in abilities. Of course there are always side effects..:)
That's a pretty cool plotline so far. I hope the PCs are enojying it.
Meeting in a sacred place with ley lines and all that sounds like a good idea. In fact, maybe it's so sacred, that no one is allowed into the meeting while in human form. Both the Lycanthropes and the Druids must shapechange into animals to conduct the meeting.
The PCs could make a deal with an affiliated Wizard who is willing to ploymorph everyone in the party inot a particular animal. When the PCs arrive, they will find that each group also has it's own subfactions... i.e. werewolves hang with wolves, rats with rats, snakes and lizards together suspicious of everyone, baboons howling and laughing in the corner, and so on... Each faction within the faction would have it's own personality and set of goals for the Furious Hunt, adding to the roleplay.
The PCs would have to bluff their way in, polymorphed as a nonrepresented animal, such as bunch of Stags, or Tigers, or Hawks, or something like that... the PCs can choose how the Wizard polymorphs them.
In the end, they can escape, and head back to their superiors. Of course, the may owe the Wizard a big favor and some GP, but that's another story...
Let us know how it goes... !
Sorry... thought of something else
Or maybe the PCs are carriying around the proper Dispel Magic, and can jump back into human form at the opportune moment to stop the hunt.
The Natural battle for supremancy ensues, and the leader square off against each other... while 100s of different factions howl on in encourangement.... :)
What you need to do is set up a situation by which one lycanthrope escapes to identify the PC's as a threat. Once that happens, you have what I refer to as "Inevitable Minion Progression."
With this, the big bad guy decides "Ah, I have opponents. We must hunt them down."
Fortunately, your choice of religions justifies the use of non-overwhelming force.
For cruel ideas, watch the following films:
No Escape
Hard Target (My favorite, I cannibalized this and ran it for my PC's with the Cult of Malar as the Bad Guys. Plus, a bad guy named "Pic Van Cleef" Beat THAT!)
Sniper
Pitch Black (No Fooling)
Read:
The Most Dangerous Game