My players and I have played "Whispering Cairn" as is - where the PCs are natives of Diamond Lake - but somehow stopped after the part of defeating the 3 wolves. We ditched it and started off on an Eberron campaign, using the Forgotten Forge as a start.
I plan to introduce the Whispering Cairn again to them in the very near future, but as visitors and not as natives of Diamond Lake. All I need then is a good adventure hook, besides the default one and one that involves outsiders coming to town, to get them involve in the adventure.
Many thanks in advance.
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Dude, I made it so my players are in the Diamond Lake area looking for a source of undead. The adventures are running themselves. The players weren't keen on continuing searching the Whispering Cairn, at first, when it became obvious the undead weren't there. But since the moment they got to Filge its been smooth sailing. I definitely recommend you send your players hunting for undead. It's made my job as DM a whole lot easier.
Where in Eberron do you plan on putting the Whispering Cairn?
Another possible hook is Lady Elaydren d'Cannith, the PC's employer in the Forgotten Forge. She may send the players to a known cairn site nestled in the outskirts of a nearby mining town (Diamond Lake). Unbeknownst to the players, she had already funded one mission there on behalf of Merrix d'Cannith; the failed Seeker expedition. Merrix knows of the Whispering Cairn, and is intrigued at what could be found from the relatively-unspoiled tomb. The Wind Dukes of Aaqa were legedary (if obscure) magic item crafters, and he may be interested in tracking down some of their knowledge to assist his own research. Make sure they meet up with Allustan somehow though (he could have known Lady Elaydren before his retirement), otherwise the players may unknowingly turn over items like the Talisman of the Sphere to Merrix, who would be loath to give it back.
My goodness, why can't I think of such great and innovative ideas like those? Maybe it's because I just don't have the time to think and design adventures of my own and depend too much on time-saving and ready made adventures from such sources like Dungeon. Again many thanks to both of your ideas, they're inspiring.
Where in Eberron do you plan on putting the Whispering Cairn?
I planned using as is in the Overload but after reading it and looking at the map it seems that the PCs will have to take a ship from Diamond Lake to the Free City (Sharn) and vise versa. What about you?
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I planned using as is in the Overload but after reading it and looking at the map it seems that the PCs will have to take a ship from Diamond Lake to the Free City (Sharn) and vise versa. What about you?
I also found the location of Diamond Lake in the overload to be odd. I, originally, planned on placing the town on the Hilts eastern edge and have Diamond Lake be Moonwatch's twin on the other end of the Hilt. I was also planning on using Flint Keep for "Encounter at Blackwall Keep". But then I got lazy and decided to run the AoW in a generic Greyhawk. My biggest interest in the adventure path, was that it's a ready to play campaign. I just didn't feel like changing nothin' from the mags. No matter how easy it is to do.
There are any number of ways to get the PCs out there: send them hunting schemas through House Cannith, if there's a follower of the Silver Flame, they can be sent to bring the wayward branch back into the fold, they could be hired on to protect an Orien trade caravan to Diamond Lake and while they have some free time can investigate the Cairn. The main thing you have to do, is take a look at the party, check out all their backgrounds, faiths, even family. Anything could be used as a hook to get them to Diamond Lake, and that's all you really have to do, just get them there and let the module take care of the rest.
This is the sort of thing that's helped me in my 12+ years of DMing :)
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Another option to get them there is the map that is included in the little treasure trove at the end of Forgotten Forge. At least I think it was Forgotten Forge that had the treasure map. Or if you have characters that would actually care about the family of the murdered Provost, let Eladrin slip out the information that he had family in Diamond Lake. Or you could have a new entry show up in the diary after they enter the vault. This would work especially well if you have a Cannith character in the party (make them the only ones that could read it). Or after the party emerges from the sub-levels of Sharn, have someone hired by Smenk ambush them and steal the schema that they were going to return to Eladrin. But be sure to drop plenty of clues that they worked for Smenk and where they can find them. That's just what popped out without anything to really reference.