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Hello, I just had a question for other DMs running Age of Worms. In "The Champions Belt" it is mentioned that Loris Raknian tries to kill the PCs because they might have discovered a link between himself and Theldrick of The Ebon Triad. Of course, we all know that as written 3FoE makes no mention of Raknian, and that he is actually screwing himself by trying to asassinate the party. However, I was wondering if it would be more interesting (and logical) if there actually was some kind of subtle piece of evidence that indicated that the Ebon Triad was being funded by someone in the Free City and that this piece of evidence would make the PCs a real enough danger to risk having them killed.
Can any of you think of something that the PCs can find that could serve this purpose?
Creative Director
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Hello, I just had a question for other DMs running Age of Worms. In "The Champions Belt" it is mentioned that Loris Raknian tries to kill the PCs because they might have discovered a link between himself and Theldrick of The Ebon Triad. Of course, we all know that as written 3FoE makes no mention of Raknian, and that he is actually screwing himself by trying to asassinate the party. However, I was wondering if it would be more interesting (and logical) if there actually was some kind of subtle piece of evidence that indicated that the Ebon Triad was being funded by someone in the Free City and that this piece of evidence would make the PCs a real enough danger to risk having them killed.
Can any of you think of something that the PCs can find that could serve this purpose?
Although giving the PCs such a link makes for excellent foreshadowing... you have to also manage the hint so that they don't immediatley go to the Free City to follow up on this link, in which case they'll miss out on "Encounter at Blackwall Keep."
The best piece of evidence they could find is one that doesn't outwardly implicate Raknian but that, in hindsight, makes sense to have implicated him. I'm not sure what that would be, though.
You can also spin Raknian's attack on the PCs as less of a "Kill them before they reveal my evil secrits" and more of a "Kill them cause they killed my friend Theldrick and ruined a profitiable alliance," scenario.
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I'd suggest a personal letter found within Theldrick's effects:
— I'd have the letter addressed to "Rick" and signed by "Lori", aliases they use intentionally suggesting correspondence between lovers.
— In the letter "Lori" describes how preperations have already begun for the upcoming festivities. "Festivities" is vague enough, especially in Greyhawk with four Festivals built into the calendar.
— "Lori" mentions "Auric's Warband" by name and whether they'll take the day for a third year. Perhaps the Free City Trio will provide more of a adversary now, albeit as a red herring of sorts.
— "Lori" relates how "she" had to dispose of "her" lover from the Southern Lands, and how "she" misses "his" Suloise features. This will, in hindsight, be the evidence they need to help Ekaym come to grips with Lahaka's disappearance. The PCs just need some concrete proof to confirm the letter.
Other elements can be added but the above is more than enough to get the foreshadowing going. After dealing with the swamp and doppelgangers, this letter will likely be forgotten. Only when the PCs notice some parallels will the lightbulbs go off and make the scenario seem even more real.
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I'd suggest a personal letter found within Theldrick's effects:
— I'd have the letter addressed to "Rick" and signed by "Lori", aliases they use intentionally suggesting correspondence between lovers.
— In the letter "Lori" describes how preperations have already begun for the upcoming festivities. "Festivities" is vague enough, especially in Greyhawk with four Festivals built into the calendar.
— "Lori" mentions "Auric's Warband" by name and whether they'll take the day for a third year. Perhaps the Free City Trio will provide more of a adversary now, albeit as a red herring of sorts.
— "Lori" relates how "she" had to dispose of "her" lover from the Southern Lands, and how "she" misses "his" Suloise features. This will, in hindsight, be the evidence they need to help Ekaym come to grips with Lahaka's disappearance. The PCs just need some concrete proof to confirm the letter.
Other elements can be added but the above is more than enough to get the foreshadowing going. After dealing with the swamp and doppelgangers, this letter will likely be forgotten. Only when the PCs notice some parallels will the lightbulbs go off and make the scenario seem even more real.
Unbelievably awesome idea. Thank you very much.
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Unbelievably awesome idea. Thank you very much.
Honestly, thank you for the catalyst thought. You make a very relevant point about Rick and Lori, er, Theldrick and Loris. Thinking about it more, I'd suggest having some other correspondence in Theldrick's effects to minimize the metagaming players will do: the DM has facts from the letter, it must be important to the game. Red herrings are a DM's friend.
the DM has facts from the letter, it must be important to the game. Red herrings are a DM's friend.
Your forshadowing idea is really good but I'd use the red herrings sparringly. Players quickly get frustrated if everything is a lie, IMO.
Worse yet they start to become paralyzed. They don't believe half of what they hear and they don't want to act if its just another lie. You start having to drag them through the adventures by the nose - or this is what I have found. You give them the lead - they argue among themselves, quickly convince each other its probably bull and then simply wait until thats cleared up...which it can't be if they won't follow the hook.
Voila - stalemate until you get out the plot train and run them over with it.
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I'd suggest a personal letter found within Theldrick's effects:
I'm not strictly running the Age of Worms campaign, but I'm using the individual adventures as part of the game I started before the Whispering Cairn appeared (it was so cool, it had to get used, as are most of the other parts :) ). The PCs are currently trying to get the youngest son of the local baron unkidnapped. The kidnappers are, of course, the Ebon Triad (but more criminally-minded than as written, they're still a tri-partite cult though).
I was planning on having a messenger from Raknian to Theldrick turn up at the end of Three Faces of Evil, pointing them towards the Champion's Belt, and an impending sacrifice. Your letter ideas are just what I need, and I think I shall make that communique a lot more vague because of them...But specific enough to let the PCs know that they HAVE to get into the games, and make them worried about who the sacrifice might be, heh, heh, heh.
Thanks!
Ukos
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Just as I feared, the long period of real calendar time since the Hextor Temple was defeated caused the players to forget the Raknian foreshadowing. After defeating Zyrxog (barely) the PCs found the following note in addition to the illithid's ledger of Black Market dealings:
Goxryz,
The payment of 13,000 Orbs in 13 diamonds is found within. This is for additional services to avenge Rick and make the Wind Dukes suffer. In addition, The Owlbear is yours to keep until his next match.
Lori
The "Wind Dukes" is the party name they had to come up with on the spot after "saving" the city from the rampaging chimera...the bards need a name to sing/cry to deliver the news to the masses. "Rick" is a reference to Theldrick, whom the PCs had defeated. "The Owlbear" was one of the PCs that had wandered off to the Fant Mine Office to be abducted by Zyrxog's thralls. After some conditioning (and relating the fate of the Ebon Triad in Diamond Lake), the PC became one of Raknian's gladiators and Zyrxog's bodyguard. The set up of PC vs. PC for the Zyrxog finale was priceless. I had to repeat "Rick/Lori" several times before one of the players finally remembered the Theldrick reference.
I realized I had promised posting the original note on Paizo 17 months ago and plain forgot to! So here it is for posterity's sake. I hope those that have recently started Three Faces of Evil can use the material for their own foreshadowing.
Dearest Rick,
I hope this letter finds you well. Your previous correspondence leaves me worried that the capital investments made have not been directed towards a unified goal. Any time you bring three different ideologies together, there will be debate but this debate must be fruitful. If there is anything I can do for you from Greyhawk, let me know.
As it is I am in the middle of preparations for the grand event. Being the 10th anniversary of the festivities, there is much that has been promised for this year’s event to be unparalleled in the history of festivals in Greyhawk. I feel that the Lord has things well in hand that will meet our mutual goals, Rick. A vital recipe is in the works for the final meal of the event. The Boss Chef has already started preparations. The Lord has also made the first attempts of luring Auric’s Warband to his stable. Their previous manager took a huge percentage of the winnings, something that is easily sacrificed considering the conditions! I’m sure all will be in place in time of Ulaa’s Hunt.
I’m surprised by your regards to my Suloise companion in your last letter. I was sure I had related to you the companion’s fate when we last visited during the Elections of Brewfest. As much as I appreciated my companion’s disposition, another had come between us. I could not accept this arrangement. Prayers to Hextor are the best way to give your regards now, dearest Rick.
I hope to make it to Diamond Lake within the next few weeks. I’m sorry I couldn’t make the Emporium’s Readying Three-Dragon Ante tournament. I hope you represented well.
Fondly yours,
Lori
Red herrings are a DM's friend.
I love red herring. It's delicious!
...But, yes, I do love dropping a red herring into the proverbial lake of plot hooks. For the most part, one man's red herring, is another's means by which to build a sidetrek.
In one sidetrek in Midnight's Muddle, a note written by the niece of Iomandi (the little girl was dead) was uncovered in some rubble. When--after many months of real time--the note, still in possession of one of the players, was presented to the paranoid wizardess, she opened up to them, and has become one of their best allies in Alhaster.
Loris has been one of my all-time favorite NPCs, who while he is statted out--like Okoral--might never see combat. He is certainly important, but I gave a wide berth between his activities and the PCs, until they discovered his true nature at the conclusion of HoHR.
But, to each his own. Many NPCs in the arc are flexible enough to adapt them as you see fit. The backdrops are fantastic in this respect. (Forwell Hog's horror-inspired sidetrek still gives one of my players the shivers.)
Weirdly enough, I just did this in my campaign. I'm running 3FOE and happened to be reading Champion's Belt, and I was thinking 'why aren't these two more connected?' So I added another entry to Theldrick's journal. Here's the text:
"The Laws of the Warlord are Held Most Holy,
I received a message this morning from Loris; it is the first time I have heard from him in some time. He has taken Bozal Zahol’s advice to heart, and I believe he will be more useful to the Triad now that he has been indoctrinated. His part in all of this is unclear to me still, but Zahol never wastes time on foolhardy schemes. I only hope he is not disappointed with his latest pawn.
Kendra informed me this morning that the Faceless One is courting another one of those foolish mine managers. This one is called Smenk, and he is supposedly going to begin bringing us supplies on a weekly basis. Of course, the Faceless One wants to keep the drop-off point in the Dark Cathedral, but the route our suppliers will use is under Varthinax’s watchful eye. If we find ourselves at war with the cursed Vecna priest as I now believe is inevitable, it will not be difficult to waylay the couriers and take what we need.
The honor-blinded fool Valkus Dun has been asking questions in the town again. He knows in his heart that servants of the greater Brother are near, yet he has no proof. Still, a few precautions may be in order. The petitioners will have to begin staying here; it would be unfortunate if one of them was followed to our temple by crusaders."
Not nearly as elegant as your solution, but I think it should work out alright. I made no mention of Greyhawk, so they think Bozal Zahol and Loris are denizens of the Diamond Lake area. I am gambling that when their initial investigations prove fruitless, they will forget about the reference until right around the end of Hall of Harsh Reflections.
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Weirdly enough, I just did this in my campaign. I'm running 3FOE and happened to be reading Champion's Belt, and I was thinking 'why aren't these two more connected?' So I added another entry to Theldrick's journal. Here's the text:
"The Laws of the Warlord are Held Most Holy,
I received a message this morning from Loris...
Excellent material.
A potential concern is the name recognition that "Loris" induces. Loris Raknian was a famous gladiator for a number of years and is still a celebrity in the Domain. If you PC's ask around for a "Loris", the common Diamond Laker will likely respond "Loris Raknian, now he could kick some arse back in the day!". A modern parallel would be asking someone if they knew "Arnold". They'd likely respond "Palmer or the Governator?".
A way to mitigate this is have "Loris" be a relatively common name. A few finger points in the Feral Dog/Emporium/Spinning Giant to various Loris(s) will give the PCs the idea that the Loris in the note could be anybody...but don't be surprised if the players immediately foresee their paths crossing with Loris Raknian.
Good luck!
Thanks for the feedback! I actually thought Bozal Zahol was a more dangerous name to feed them, since it is more obscure. Loris is an old celebrity, so chances are a lot of babies were named after him back in the day, right? These babies are all grown up now, so I have plenty of red herrings should the need arise. I do see where the issue would crop up, of course. But my players are fresh off of an Eberron campaign, so they will suspect that the first name I give them is the red herring. They are so jaded :-)
Bozal Zahol, however, is a very weird name. When I first saw it, I thought it was a typo. If they pursue this lead via divinations (word of mouth won't work, since Bozal isn't exactly in the public eye) before Champion's Belt, I'll definitely have to improvise.
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One can always be creative with the misinformation.
Bozal Zahol: A svirfneblin spirit distilled from phosphorescent fungi, similar to the potent gogondy in that albino cave crayfish mash is used to filter the spirit before it is bottled in hematite decanters. These decanters give the spirit it's tell-tale rusty glow and effectively makes the spirit poisonous to non-svirfneblin.
A decent Gathering Information check (DC 20) should track down a rock gnome that would recognize the name.
Having a batch of male children named after the famous Loris Raknian is a perfect explanation for the commonality of the name. He's been directing the Arena for 10+ years, so his acme would have been 15-20 years ago, the perfect age for the debtors working in the mines of Diamond Lake.
My fear about the gladiatorial scenario is that if the PCs know that Raknian is their enemy, they simply will not put themselves in a position where he could so easily do away with them quietly. The scenario will still work if they don't participate in the games, but my player and I are unhappy about missing out (and also concerned about the EXP hit). So I'm doing the opposite--trying to direct attention away from Raknian, and find other reasons why the PCs need to get into the Caenoby. I am changing some clues that pointed at Raknian to point directly at the Kyuss-priest instead--because the PCs *don't* know who he is, and therefore won't freak.
Entering yourself in gladiatorial games that are being run by someone who is trying to kill you--you know, that just doesn't sound like a really bright move! It would be awfully easy for an accident to happen, wouldn't it, and no one would be the wiser?
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Entering yourself in gladiatorial games that are being run by someone who is trying to kill you--you know, that just doesn't sound like a really bright move! It would be awfully easy for an accident to happen, wouldn't it, and no one would be the wiser?
The initial interaction with Raknian is based on Raknian not knowing that the PCs know he's been paying illithids and such to kill them off. Raknian plays it cool.
Honestly, I have trouble accepting that premise. Divination spells are too easy to come by to learn the truth of the matter.
So yes, the PCs purposefully entering the "home turf" of a powerful figure in the Free City is potentially not a "bright move". Yet what better way to lure Raknian out to gather the overwelming evidence needed to get the support of the Directing Oligarchy? The big reason the PCs cannot move forward immediately after Zyrxog's demise against Raknian is Raknian is too valuable to the Oligarchy. When many members of the Oligarchy have likely had "hits" on antagonists, the PCs being targeted will not be worth their time. Get Raknian caught attempting to murder them and in the process learn the truth about his plans for the City...the Oligarchy will be inclined to intercede.
Depending on the final outcome, perhaps Auric would make a suitable replacement as others have suggested and maintain the tax revenue the Arena provides.
I introduced a few letters of correspondence between Theldrick and Loris, discovered by the PCs amonst the defeated Theldrick's belongings. A couple of the letters were damaged (torn, burnt, waterlogged) so some of them only included a line or two. I called Theldrick by name or initial T and signed the letters L.R. or just L. I had liked the idea of correspondence between them to foreshadow Loris but was wary of the reverse gender red herring as I figured this would only confuse and frustrate my players. I generally try to avoid red herrings for just the purposes stated - it can lead to player frustration, argument, and stalemate.
My players were intrigued by the letters but had no real way to follow up. Therefore, they continued on the Blackwall Keep and HoHR without complaint. Like Rexx, so much real time often passes between gaming sessions that clues/connections are more often forgotten than over-pursued. The players went "oh, yeah" by Champion's Belt but only after a few heavy hints to the old letters by yours truly. Still, the foreshadowing is worth it so the whole plot flows better and the modules connect better.
I went about this in a more circuitous fashion, with much going on behind the scenes that the party was mostly unaware of. After the raid on Dourstone Mine, the cultist guards up top split town to warn their boss's boss, Bozal Zahol. Kullen & co. mysteriously disappeared from town for a couple of days--the party didn't know about the cultist guards or that Smenk sent his minions to kill them so that the guards wouldn't rat on him. This all happened while the party was doing down time in Diamond Lake after TFOE.
One of the cultist guards got away, though, and warned Bozal Zahol's Ebon Triad cell in Greyhawk. BZ sent a tiefling spy to Diamond Lake, who arrived just before the party headed for Blackwall Keep. Dourstone was found in bed with his throat cut the morning of their departure, but they didn't get the news until their return from the swamp. The spy stuck around, and eventually got caught trying to raid Allustan's alchemy lab, where the party wizard had been decanting slow worm infested potions. She was captured, spilled the name Bozal Zahol, but very little else of interest before hanging herself in her cell at the garrison.
So Bozal Zahol was the hook that got the party moving toward Greyhawk. Of course when they got there, the party bard couldn't dredge up anything about this very secretive and unknown figure, but the other events in HOHR soon distracted them.