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Looks like I am about to kick of my Age of Worms campaign in the next couple weeks. (There has been some chatter about plot hook issues on this board). This is compounded for me given that don't want my players going up two levels between adventures. I need to create several interlude adventures for levels 2, 4, 6, etc, without hurting the overall campaign momentum. In addition, my group is almost entirely neutral in alignment, which means they may not be motivated in saving the region. Here is the plan to deal with it, though I certainly welcome any suggestions.
The first thing I plan to do is to work a couple things into their background that will have a payoff later in the campaign.
- Local Events: In my game Age of Worms is based in Eberron. Diamond Lake is in the midst of an economic downturn as Sharn has begun importing their metal from overseas. Many more people are unemployed and desperate. I feel this gives more of an explanation for why Diamond Lake is so cuthroat and miserable of a place.
- The Druid Character: Nogweir (leader of the Bronzewood Lodge) has been told by some of the nature spirts/animals rumors of "unkillable zombies" and "green worms." He has sent out one of his initiates to each of the five nearby communities to quietly see what they can learn. The party's druid is the one to be sent Diamond Lake. The intent here is that she can helping steer the party toward investigating the worms further.
- The Fighter: The fighter and his girlfriend were recently laid off from Luzanne Perrin's payroll. Well before that, though, his girlfriend has been acting distant and just last week packed her bags and left. The odd thing is in a couple papers she left behind he found that "Worms Crawl In, Worms Crawl Out" poem. She is going to reappear in the Three Faces of as one of the cultists and will throw everything into singling out the character.
- Dwarven Wizard: He is the nephew of Ragnolin Dourstone. Unfortunately, he doesn't like the underground as most dwarves do and is an embaressment to his uncle, who generally tries to ignore him. When he finds out his uncle is hosting the "Ebon Triad," he should definitely be more curious about getting to the bottom of things.
- Changeling Rogue: She is one of the "workers" at the Midnight Salute. A one-eyed man with facial scars (Theldrick) arrived several months ago for "services." The rogue tried to escape notice, but one of her friends as a result was assigned to the job. Unfortunately, this friend has not been seen since. The character's friend was kidnapped by the Ebon Triad and used in some fell ritual. One of the skeletons in the Three Faces of Evil is going to have a tell-tale anklet that gives her away as the character's friend.
INITIAL GAMING SESSION
Most of the characters are recently unemployed and comiserating at the Hungry Gar. Also their are two Ebon Triad cultists having picked up supplies in town and the halfling tourists. Also their are the rival adventures. The rival adventurers are going to be waiting very impatiently for someone to arrive. During that time Khellek is going to be fairly rude to the waitress about the poor quality of his meal, while Auric (who has been drinking a little much) decides to egg on a couple of the characters. Basically, anything I can do to have the "rival adventurers" push their buttons. I want them to really not like the rival adventurers and then put them in a position to intercept the Cartographer's Map of the Whispering Cairn.
INTERLUDE BETWEEN WHISPERING CAIRN AND THREE FACES OF EVIL
They will find out all the proper information from Filge or his note with one exception. It does not reveal which of the local mines the cultists are in. To get that vital piece of information they will need to go through Smenk. I will see just how motivated the party is at that point to investigate further. The druid should definitely help push the party toward investigating things further, but if that is not enough then Smenk make secretly contact on of the other players about a missing girlfriend (fighter) or friend (changeling). Smenk will help them on the condition capture someone that owes him money. At this point I will introduce a "Box Full of Flumph," where they capture the Grackle of Smenk's behalf. Of course, Smenk really does want them to eliminate the cultists and figures he can kill two birds with one stone, by pretending he is doing them a favor.
INTERLUDE BETWEEN THE THREE FACES OF EVIL AND BLACKWALL KEEP
Unlike the adventure I think it is actually preferrable not to reveal anything about lizardmen, the Mistmarsh, or the Southern Hills at the end of the Three Faces of Evil. Instead it is actually more beneficial to have them think they have dealt with the threat at the conclusion of the Three Faces of Evil and go about their business and all is good with the world again.
Afterwords based on their reputation I am going to have them do some mercenary job that is completely unrelated to the AOW campaign. However, one of the players will still have recurring nightmares hinting that not everything is right.
The second "mercenary" job I will have them do is escort of shipment of supplies to Blackwall Keep for the garrison. Marzena will actually be the sister of one of the players and will hint that she may have some work for them when they arrive. The big payoff will be when the investigate the lizard men and find the "green worms" again... and now the unkillable zombie, they will realize that this problem is a lot bigger than they initially expected and the threat is not eliminated.
At that point they should start asking bigger questions and I am hoping that they will be the ones approaching certain knowledgeable researchers on their own.