I need a little help with a side-quest I have been building up, as I have suffered from a bit of the writer’s block. Allow me to set the scene, and then describe the preferred result(s)
The players have encountered a human named Piety who lives on the outskirts of Diamond Lake (if there is such a thing) in a small disheveled hut, and is extremely intimidating in his always-worn black full-plate and grizzled face. He lives a hermit lifestyle, performing menial tasks for Diamond Lake garrison and/or Allustan to keep busy, but has no real personal interactions with either entity. Piety has told the PCs that he has never lost a fight, and that the gods have cursed him to eternal victory. (Note that unlike Loris who is trying to beat time, Piety HAS in fact beaten time). He has of course gone mad, living beyond what any mortal should have, watching his friends and loved ones die without being able to save them.
Allustan knows only that Piety has been here as long as Diamond Lake records have been kept, and that assuredly some mystical energies surround him, as the evil forces that surround the Mist Marshes and even dangerous wild life avoid contact with this individual as a rule. “A secret better left untold” Allustan wouls admit.
Well, Piety is in fact a cursed Epic-Level Paladin named Sir Pinnacle – his vanity and lust for glory was beyond even that of Heironeous’ liking, and forever deemed that Pinnacle would live a life where he would learn, only after it was too late, that upholding the life befitting of a champion meant more than winning.
Enter the PCs: I want to give them an opportunity to release Piety of his curse, allowing him to pass into the afterlife in peace, and teaching the PCs a lesson through the life of Piety. This task probably would include combat where “winning” is the goal, and it might be something that Piety could have never accomplished because he could never lose. This is where I need the help – what type of quest might something like this be?
When the PCs complete the quest, Piety will be grateful beyond words, and will learn one last secret: the secret of the golden sword Zildjian (I always thought the symbol manufacturer made for a nice fantasy name….). Zildjian, the most powerful bastard sword on Oerth (perhaps a holy avenger), was wielded by Pinnacle in many battles, and is lying at the bottom of Diamond Lake, awaiting a new champion to once again wiled it against evil.
What do you want to happen with Piety when this is over? Does he give up all his victories and pass on? Does he go on to be a champion again, living many more years, and triumphing time and again? Does he give the players the secret of the sword, or use it for himself?
What do you want to happen with Piety when this is over? Does he give up all his victories and pass on? Does he go on to be a champion again, living many more years, and triumphing time and again? Does he give the players the secret of the sword, or use it for himself?
I thought that Piety had seen enough for many lifetimes (he predates many mortals long forgotten, although he knows nothing about the ancient Whispering Cairn); enough life, death, victory, and loneliness through slipping sanity. He would regain his sanity and compsure if only momentarily, and pass on into the after-life.
I thought that it would be cool to tell the players the secret of the sword, even if they themselves could not make effective use of it: surely they could find a just knight that could.
Any thoughts?
The Sword idea is cool, and an option you might explore is to tie it into the final episode of this adventure path. Maybe Kyuss and this lonely knight are somehow tied together. I haven't read the AoW yet, but I've gleaned enough information from Dragon and various posts that it involves a Kyuss type plot to rule the world.
I would tie your side quest to the main quest without making it appear like that until near the end...and then you can probably let one of the super high level PC's have that powerful magic sword. It might be a great end to the campaign....
If I was a player I would be disappointed if I went to a lot of trouble to free this cursed knight and then had to hand over the Sword to someone else. Maybe the PC's can go on a final epic quest with the Sword, where they realize that the attention the Sword brings is not worth holding on to it forever...and then they turn it over to some other power, willingly and gladly.
I don't have anything helpful to add, but the background is great!
The only thought I have is that maybe Piety has nto considered just surrendering in a fight, or yielding to another. Maybe his hubris is because he has always fought to win or lose, never considering negotiation or surrender.
That's a pretty awesome idea, Ultrazen.
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Don't get it! Shall the PCs do the job for him?
How about having his soul/gost (or whatever) join with the blade upon his dead?!
To win his freedom, he should loose a fight (die) and therefore find eternal rest, or a new mission as a spirit bound to the blade.
Just think about his final words before he passes away:"Thank's my friends. Now go, and search me at the bottom of the fluid diamond!". The Diamond Lake?!
Sorry, if I am totally off-track here and got it wrong. I might have misunderstood you...
edited: Oh, and how about foreshadowing the fight with the "Apostel of Kyuss" in THE CHAMPIONS BELT"? Maybe you could make this fight the mission for the PCs. Piety could give them a prophecy to slay this gargantuan undead creature in order to restore/help/release him. Than they have one more reason to fight this thing in the Free City arena...
I appreciate all the help with this problem I have been mulling over and I knew I could count on the Dungeon/Dragon community! In particular I want to thank Farewell for the idea of bringing back Sir Pinnacle/Piety for one last battle after his early exit from the curse to take on Kyuss...that was sheer genious. Of equal brilliance was the actual solution to the problem by ultrazen - I hope my lurking players haven't/will not see this thread since I will hit the notebook to bring this plot to life. I would have liked to do a little foreshadowing with THE CHAMPIONS BELT like Dryder thoughtfully reccomended, but unfortunately the games will soon be afoot and I don't think I will be able to slip it in by then.
By the way, the time frame for this to happen will likely be right after the games when the PC make their way back to Diamond Lake to search for Allustan.
Million thanks to all posters who commented...
We had to comment. You do have reach, after all.