My idea is to link Adimarchus directly to Dry'yrd and therefore the Cagewright plans. This will create a better flow in the final stage of the path and give the players a better reason to hunt down the fallen angel in the end.
Adimarchus is the ultimate bad guy of the Path. He is the final encounter of the campaign and final step to ensuring Cauldron remains safe...yet he is locked in a cage and doesn't control anyones actions.
In reality he is a toothless villian who only starts to effect the party and the Cauldron in the final adventure. Sure a few Cagewrights are effected by his 'madness' including Fetor (SotSP) but if you removed him from the SCAP altogether it would minimial to no impact (Test of the Smoking Eye adventure the exception).
To me this seems an anticlimax in the extreme.
The Cagewrights are the real villians of the Path. They are the ones from the first adventure manipulating the city, hunting down Shackleborn, weakening the churches and guard, infultrating(sp?) the government and ultimately almost destroying the whole city. Where does Adimarchus fit in here?
Adimarchus' madness
My idea is to have Dry'yrd be completely 'controlled' by a far more coherant/conscious Adimarchus. From his prison Adimarchus can reach out with his insane nightmares and gradually corrupt a persons mind. He did so with Fetor, Shebeleth, Alurid and others to varying degrees.
My idea is to have Dry'yrd completely corrupted. He was the first creature to be touched by the fallen angels maddening dreams and has gradually fallen more and more under his control.
Cauldron for the location to create the permanent planar gate because of the large amount of Shackleborn, availabilty of future 'prisoners', isolation from potential threats (ie other cities/forces of good) and because it was directly aligned with Skullrot - Adimarchus prision.When the gate is created the demodands would pour through but also Skullrot would tumble from the sky destroying the prison and releasing the fallen angel.
When the party face Dry'yrd the smaller head holds Adimarchus directly. It orders screams insanely at Dry'yrd to destroy the party. When they finally kill Dry'yrd the smaller head remains alive and tells them - 'His death matters not, he was but a servant a pawn, there are other Cagwrights that still live. I have hundreds of corrupted minds that I can control even in your own group' and laughs insanely before staring directly at the party member with the Smoking Eye and/or Dream Haunted Trait.
This party member feels a flash of searing pain and falls to the floor holding his head screaming. Have them make a Will Save DC 30. If they fall they attck the party laughing insanely as they do. Each proceeding round the character can make a new save or the party can intervene.
Before the character is realised Adimarchus will say - 'It is only a matter of time before he/she is completely corrupted and mine to control..'
In the aftermath of the battle the party will find Dry'yrds mad wanderings written down on a parchment made of dryed human skin revealing his/Adimarchus plans (anyone have an alternative method for revealing this other than the clique diary?)
Hopefully this links the Dry'yrd with Adimarchus, gives the party more reason to hunt down the other Cagewights and ultimately the fallen angel.
As usual, just my thoughts at the moment
Delvesdeep
#@&**@%!!!!
Sorry - this is a double post. I hate it when that happens especially when it is an actual thread! Please ignore this thread and use the other one if you have a comment/suggestions.
Once again sorry.
Delvesdeep