I’ve recently finished my preparation of the ending of the Shackled City Campaign. Since I was not quite pleased with the final adventures in the original AP, I changed them completely.
Over the course of my campaign, I've found a lot of inspiration on these boards. Especially people like Delvesdeep planted seeds in my mind to alter the SCAP. Since I found many good ideas here, I consider it my duty to share my own ideas as well. I have already contributed to various threads on these boards, so if you want to find out more about my changes, you can also check there.
In this thread I’ll try to give a short summary of my alternative ending.
Let me start by giving some information on my campaign. The background story is based on the Lucifer saga: Adimarchus rebels against the gods because they have decreed that ‘mankind’ is to be placed above the angels in heaven. This rebellion is partly inspired by a false angel Layah, who is actually Graz’zt’s daughter. During a large battle in heaven, the rebellious angels are cast into hell, where they undergo a terrible transformation into demons. As the new ruler of Occipitus, Adimarchus starts a war with Graz’zt and is betrayed by Layah again; leaving him the prisoner of Dark Myrakul in Skullrot.
The XIII (as the Cagewrights are called in my campaign) want to open a portal to the dimensions of hell to summon Adimarchus’ prison to the prime material plane, where the magical powers of his prison won’t be able to hold him any longer. When the prince of Occipitus is free, he plans to wipe out the race of ‘men’, that was responsible for his downfall in the first place.
The leader of the XIII is one of the fallen angel-demons, Dyr’ryd. Dyr’ryd is a black-winged angel with the Sign of the Smoking Eye and a cancerous growth on his shoulder in which the face and will of Adimarchus is hidden. Of the original Cagewright members from SCAP only Thilfirane Rhiavadi, Embril Aloustinai, Fetor Abradius and Gau Kleeoch remain. Alternative members include Nabthatoron (the glabrezu from ‘The Demonskar Legacy), Viela (a succubus, based on the character from ‘The Iron Satyr in Dungeon # 108), Penfavasta (a marilith, based on ‘The Seventh Arm’ in Dungeon # 88), Drusalakas (a death slaad, based on ‘Headless’ in Dungeon # 89) and his elven sorceress companion Eldrua (also based on ‘Headless’), the human spellcaster Markosian and his demon ally Nyxthseht (based on the bad guys from ‘Strike on the Rabid Dawn’ in Dungeon # 111). The thirteenth member is Valanthru, the beholder.
Over the course of the campaign, the PCs have learned of most of the XIII and they have fought and beaten a few of them (fought more than beaten, of course).
In my campaign I have used and will use all of the original adventures from SCAP up until ‘Foundation of Flame’, with minor or major changes. To these I’ve added about twenty other adventures. The PC with the Sign of the Smoking Eye has been having dreams since his return from Occipitus, revealing Adimarchus’ background story.
During the nobles’ meeting at the beginning of ‘Foundation of Flame’ I will have some of the XIII port into the room and wreak havoc (instead of the derro sorcerer), giving the PCs a new opportunity to kill off some recurring NPC enemies of the XIII. When the red dragon Hookface attacks, he does so at the temple of Wee-Jas (I’ve always considered the tower he is holding onto in the artwork of the adventure to be the spire of said temple). When the dragon falls, he will bring down part of the temple, revealing a huge spellweaver tomb underneath. This leads to the headquarters of the XIII, in which the remaining members of the organization are encountered. At the end of the complex the PCs reach some kind of temple, where they fight Embril Aloustinai and her resurrected spellweaver minions.
The temple leads into a huge cave that looks a bit like the inside of Mount Doom in TLOTR. From a boiling pool of lave rises a single stone pillar. Several holes in the wall spill out streams of lava. The Tree of Shackled Souls stands on top of the pillar which is connected to the temple by a small stone walkway.
As the PCs approach, Dyr’ryd tears himself loose from the trunk of the Tree. The conversation he has with the cancerous growth on his shoulder reveals that he is nothing more than Adimarchus’ servant. When the PCs beat him, his body explodes in pure energy, which serves to complete the summoning ritual. The trunk of the Tree bursts open to reveal Adimarchus in his cage. The fallen angel rips his prison apart and fights the PCs (note that I’m only using his demon form in this encounter).
After this fight the PCs will end up in Occipitus (either because they died and reappear in this dimension or because they travel there to destroy Adimarchus once and for all). They meet Saureya again (from ‘Test of the Smoking Eye’, one of the good angels who accidentally fell with the bad angels and was stuck on Occipitus). Saureya shows the PC with the Sign of the Smoking Eye how to control the fabric of Occipitus in order to close the portal to the prime material plane and destroy the demon army that has gathered here.
Saureya was the co-creator of the three tests of the Smoking Eye, but he tells the PCs of an extra test he created, the Test of True Faith. Using his power to influence Occipitus, the PC with the Sign of the Smoking Eye reverses the column of fire rising from the eyesocket in the central skull and opens the way to the final test inside Adimarchus’ mind. This test is based on the fact that Adimarchus always retained a spark of hope to redeem himself and save himself from his sour fate.
Entering this dimension, the PCs end up in a room with six doors, one of which is a big black gate with five locks. Each of the locks is made of the same material as the five other doors. The PCs have to overcome the challenges behind each of these doors to open the black gate.
The doors only open in a fixed sequence. The first one is a small wooden door which leads to a gray island in a sea of blood. This place represents the last shred of hope in Adimarchus’ mind. The PCs encounter a crying female angel (Nidrama, who used to be Adimarchus’ love before his fall) at the feet of a cross on which Adimarchus has been crucified upside down. The PCs have to free him from the cross and have to restore hope to Adimarchus and Nidrama through roleplaying.
The second door consists of screaming faces and leads to the dimension of insanity. The PCs encounter Adimarchus’ torturer Dark Myrakul behind this door and simply have to destroy the lichfiend and his minions.
The third door, one consisting of bleeding thorns, leads into the dimension of agony. When the PCs enter here, they fall down like the angels cast from heaven and finally land on the Occipitus. The PC with the Sign of the Smoking Eye transforms into a demon while the other PC (I only have two players in this campaign) remains pure. The PCs have to fight each other. Obviously, the pure PC has to win.
The fourth set of doors are a remarkable artwork of gold and ebony. They lead to the dimension of pride. When the PCs enter here, they encounter Adimarchus right after he raised his army of rebellious angels to fight the gods. The PCs have to confront him by learning him about humility and servitude, either by defeating him in battle or through roleplay (or a combination of both). I will use the angelic Adimarchus form in this encounter.
The fifth door is made of razor blades and leads to the dimension of betrayal. The PCs encounter the false angel Layah here, right after she convinced Adimarchus to ‘go to the dark side’ and betray his own gods and fellow angels. If the PCs managed to defeat her, they will have completed all the challenges behind the five doors, which will have unlocked all the bolts on the black gate.
The PCs can now enter the final stage of their quest. The black gates lead to Adimarchus' current mind, a dimension of EVIL. Inside the PCs become helpless victims in Adimarchus' fantasy, until Adimarchus personal ‘demon’ interferes, the 'angel' Nidrama who used to be his lover until he betrayed her. Nidrama frees the PCs from Adimarchus’ insane mind games and forces the prince of Occipitus to attack in person, with his balor minions (again I’m using the Adimarchus demon form here). If the PCs defeat them, they are returned to Occipitus. A beam of sunlight shines down on the PC with the Sign of the Smoking Eye, who is now capable of lifting Occipitus back into the heavenly realms of Celestia.
In Celestia, the angelic PCs now find themselves at the beginning of Adimarchus’ story. They witness how the angels are informed of the fact that they have to serve mankind. Unlike the first time, Adimarchus does not protest to this order, but he embraces it whole-heartedly.
As the PCs enjoy the success of their quest they are approached by a beautiful female angel who subtly tries to find out if the angels in front of her really agree with the gods’ command. The PCs recognize the false angel Layah … (open end).
Many of these ideas sound familiar. I'm just trying to think where I heard them...;)
I particularly like your trek into Adimarchus Nightmare Realm. My 'realm' is structured differently ad based on the Haunted Dreams but many of your ideas here are excellent. I like your idea with the two characters dropping down into Occiptus and transforming but I'm unsure how it will play out.
Why would the 'demon' character try at all? Just an idea but maybe instead of fighting each other they need to fight the other angels that fall and start to transform around them while they have to fight off their own transformations (Will Saves modified by how they react to the angel/demons ie give mercy + 5, slay in cold blood -5, give aid to dying angel and own expense +10 etc)
Great work
Delvesdeep
Why would the 'demon' character try at all? Just an idea but maybe instead of fighting each other they need to fight the other angels that fall and start to transform around them while they have to fight off their own transformations.
Well, the reason I'm having one of the characters transform and not the other is really all about balancing. The character with the Sign of the Smoking Eye has plenty of opportunity to 'shine'. He's the one getting all the dreams, he's the one that can manipulate Occipitus, he will also receive some advantages in the fight against Adimarchus, he gets an extra casting level ... So I really needed a good opportunity to have the other character shine as well.
In my campaign both characters are worshippers of Ilmater, the FR deity of endurance, suffering, martyrdom and perseverance. The character with the Sign of the Smoking Eye is a cleric, the other character is a powerful melee build. When the campaing started, the melee character got a vision in which Ilmater asked him to be his champion. This episode will give that character the chance to truly become that champion.
Before the characters plunge into Adimarchus' mind, Saureya tells the melee character that he is pure, unlike his companion, who is tainted by the Sign of the Smoking Eye. To become the true champion of Ilmater, the melee character will have to see things through to the end, whatever it takes. If he's willing to do that, Saureya shows him how to claim Adimarchus' old sword, a blade a pure energy that can only exist in the hands of Ilmater's champion.
The confrontation between the transformed and pure character will make the melee character's role indispensable in overcoming the challenges in Adimarchus' mind. I feel that such an episode is necessary in keeping my players happy.
So what is the 'demon' characters role? As a character I can see the logic but we all know players don't always play 'in character' if it may harm their characters interests so why would he attack his ally as a player?
Why not just make the 'tainted' character weaker during the battle than the 'pure' character. Perhaps the 'pure' character recieves wings, a holy sword etc to mimic their angel personification.
Once again great ideas overall
Delvesdeep
So what is the 'demon' characters role? As a character I can see the logic but we all know players don't always play 'in character' if it may harm their characters interests so why would he attack his ally as a player?
I don't expect any problems here, the player will play in character. Saureya already told the PCs that the traiterous angels who fell and transformed into demons immediately attacked and slaughtered all of the good angels who accidentally fell as well and made it alive, except for Saureya himself, who was kept alive for Adimarchus' pleasure.
The demon angels are filled with an all-overpowering hate for the good angels. On that basis the PC will feel the need to destroy his companion and I'm confident the player will go along with that.
As for the sword suggestion, as I've mentioned earlier, the melee PC has just received Adimarchus' old blade (from the time when he was still a champion of Ilmater himself). So he has an excellent weapon to use in this fight.
Props to Delvesdeep for staring this alternate ending concept.
I’m not sure how I'm going to use it all yet, but I have over a year to figure it out.
I do like the role playing aspects of the ending given here. As for the Player on Player aspect, I think that’s largely a roll play encounter. It's not will the demon player fight back but will the pure character strike down his brother for the greater good.
To make it more of a combat, you could add angel and devil allies. If the champion stops fighting then the army attacks. This can be a purely figurative army but it would add fangs to the fight. One wins or both lose.