|
Hello all, my party is going through Three Faces of Evil and I thought I would share something I had Theldrick do during the course of the module.
The party has essentially been tackling the different parts of the cult in the order presented in the module. They managed to walk into the Hextor trap and yet somehow survived all close to 14 different enemies raining pain down upon them. When the dust settled all three of the Hextor priests were still alive. After some interrogating the PCs tied all three of them up and left them in The Beast's pen and chained the doors behind them. They intend to return later and bring the clerics to the garrison to face their punishment.
They then moved on to the grimlock caverns and ended up sleeping there after defeating all of them. In the meantime I've decided to have some of Theldrick's goons return to the temple while the PCs are sleeping. They will discover the chaos and end up finding Theldrick. Once released he will pen a note and ride the elevator to the top of the shaft. Once safely on solid ground he will have his men cut the chain and let the elevator drop violently back down to the bottom of the shaft with his note pinned to it. It will read something like this:
Faceless One,
Today the dark covenant you and I formed is broken. Heretics tear through the Dark Cathedral and I suspect they have already killed Grallak Kur and his barbaric tribe. You claimed that these events were necessary for the rise of the Overgod but I never remember hearing you say I had to die along with the rest, therefore I have chosen to live on and witness its rise for myself. However, I fear that you will not share my fate.
Your damnable secrecy may have prevented me from coming to understand the nuances of the Triad but it will also be your undoing. While you and your birds sit and scour tome after tome it has been my Hell Guards that have defended this Cathedral and it has been my petitioners that has been in charge of getting supplies. It is because of them that I now have the chance to pen this letter. For you see, when some of my men returned from the surface they found me, left for dead by the heretics, and released me.
I wish you luck Faceless One, for the heretics will be coming for you and your ilk next. However, it does not matter who comes out on top in this conflict for the winners shall be forever trapped beneath the surface of the earth. Since the latest supply run was only a trick to allow the invaders in I estimate there is only enough food left for three or four more days. You could always sacrifice yourself to Black Pool if the pain of hunger becomes too much for you. Do not bother trying to scale the elevator shaft. In less than a day my men will have managed to collapse the mining tunnels leading to this place and your entombment will be eternal.
The Ebon Triad will continue on, do not concern yourself with such worries. Only seven of my Hell Guard were slain in this invasion, and I have many more petitioners willing to replace those that were lost in the arena. This entire fiasco has the odorous smell of Smenk and I believe I will have him killed, immediately. Perhaps I will also dispose of Dourstone as well. He may have betrayed us as well. No matter though, my men and I will regroup and begin anew. Good bye forever you pathetic fool!
“He shall be obeyed!”
Theldrick
How does this sound? Could the letter be improved? Thanks.
I wouldn't refer to the PCs as heretics. That would imply that they follow the religion of Hextor. Instead I'd call them pagans, heathens, the infidel, blasphemers, or unbelievers. A heretic is "A person who holds controversial opinions, especially one who publicly dissents from the officially accepted dogma of the Roman Catholic Church." In this context, a heretic would be one who dissents from the officially accepted dogma of the Hextorian church, but that would be Theldrick and his lackeys, not the PCs (although they probably consider the "official" church of Hextor heretical too).
My players just entered the mine shaft and are going to fight the Hextor area first. I often thought about having Hextor followers come in after the battle and find the carnage, it makes sense for only them because they interact with the town on some level. I also wanted them to disable the elevator, but rig it to collapse when the PC's try to use it again. It would be more dramatic to get in the elevator and tug on the chain to hear it snap 100's of feet above them, then watch them scramble to get out of the lift before all that chain rips it to pieces as it crashes down.
I'm sure they will find a way out (climb, friends lower rope, etc.).
Anyhow, thanks for the post. I hope you do not mind if I use parts of it.
"I wish you luck Faceless One..." - I like the letter, but I don't think I would have Theldrick wish anyone any kind of luck. I know what he is trying to say, but maybe just omitting that part of the line could work as well....
That's pretty damn good. That inspires me to do something similar should the opportunity presents itself.
I'm going to find some way to use this, even though Theldrick bit the dust in a big way last week. Anything that makes the players think the world is moving around them is a good thing.
I was thinking about this a little more - when would you have the players find this? If my group saw it before they took on the Faceless One (they're in the grimlock cavern now), they'd bail out before the mines got closed. If they find it afterward, it seems a little dramatic - timed just right as they're leaving. Maybe just as the Aspect comes out, though...
|
|
I'm likely going to have them find the letter as they exit the grimlock caverns. I'm pretty sure that my players will still try and get a hold of the pages they are searching for which means they'll still try to attack the Cult of Vecna.
I think I'll change the line, "I wish you luck Faceless One..." to "Pray to your lich god Faceless One...". Does that sound any better?
I think I'll change the line, "I wish you luck Faceless One..." to "Pray to your lich god Faceless One...". Does that sound any better?
Much better. More disparaging and bitter, just like it should be.