It's no secret that I'm not the wealthiest gamer here, and a tight summer budget caused me to miss the past few issues of Dungeon and Dragon. I did manage to score a copy of the last issue with the Savage Tide grand finale, but that grand epic makes me even more upset that I missed the steps leading up to it.
Does anyone care to give me a summary of what happened since the PCs went to Scuttlecove to rescue Lavinia?
Did they find her? Where did Celeste come in? Do the PCs get back to civilization any time after leaving Scuttlecove? What are the memorable high-points from those adventures?
While you're at it, what did the Savage Tidings articles in Dragon add to it?
Thanks for your time. Hopefully your answers will tide me over until I can scrounge the scratch to buy some back-issues.
They first went to Divided Ire in the Abyss to rescue Lavinia and kill Vanthus for the second out of four times. Lavinia may or may not be rescued, as she is in the possession of one faction out of many and the situation is dynamic. For shopping needs, there are convenient planar merchants from the Epic City of Union. There are several potential high points, depending on how they interact with the denizens of Divided Ire.
After hopefully rescuing Lavinia, they were directed by a series of evil outsiders to rescue an imprisoned Demon Lord from the Wells of Darkness. They have to pledge their souls to another Demon Lord in the process, and when they rescue Shami-Amourae she tells them to talk to Iggwilv. There's shopping in Red Shroud's territory before they get to the Wells of Darkness, but they mostly sell evil stuff there. The adventure ends with a three-way battle between the minions of Demogorgon, Shami-Amourae, and the PCs while the River Styx floods the layer.
After pledging their souls to Ahazu and swearing to gather a CR24 monster to replace Shami-Amourae, they gather allies for the assault on Demogorgon's realm. Celeste is a high-level Eladrin in the service of Gwynhwyvar, and her people are one of the potential allies the PCs can gather. Iggwilv, Orcus, Malcanthet, Obox-Ob, and one of Demogorgon's generals are some others, and generally speaking they are MUCH more reasonable about their bargaining than Ahazu. Anyway, this leads into the ultimate confrontation with Demogorgon, which is in the issue you said you have. Excellent stuff.
I don't remember all the Savage Tidings, but the one for Wells of Darkness had a whole bunch of useful vestiges for a PC binder to use. Well worth buying if anybody wants to play one, since Dragon is basically the only ongoing support that class has. The one for Enemies of My Enemy has a sort of rundown of what sorts of potential allies the PCs can reach from the banks of the Styx, and which ones are more likely to be willing to cooperate. The information therein is PC-safe, but it may require the DM to improvise interactions with additional planar exemplars, since there are a couple that it depicts as promising but aren't detailed in Enemies of My Enemy.
That sounds pretty epic, thanks.
How were the other-dimensionals introduced? Was there an assumption that the players would know who they were or are they presented as more of an introduction?
I mean, no player is NOT going to know Orcus or Demogorgon, but Malcanthet? Gwynhrwyf? I hope the adventure isn't expecting my guys to go "THE Gwynherwyf? OMFG!!"
Ahh, funny you should mention that.
At the end of "Wells of Darkness," after Shami-Amourae tells them about the Savage Tide (and tries to seduce one of them- A wise target refuses...), the plane is flooded with the waters of the Styx from Demogorgon's final trap.
Just when the charachters think it's all over, out of the murky waters comes an imposing, robed figure, whose presence brings with it an almost tangible aura of dread.
Charon, boatman of the Styx.
However, all he wants is an apology. Demogorgon has annoyed Charon for the last time, and, sensing an oppertunity, offers to allow the charachters free passage on the Styx... So long as they promise to relieve the Prince of Demons of his heads. This is the closest the old guy gets to a mutal agreement.
Provided they agree (he's in a good mood, but he isn't above killing them to prove a point), he takes them to Iggwilv's mansion on the banks of the Styx.
Yes, THAT Iggwilv.
Once there, if the heroes can avoid getting kicked out, or worse, offending Iggwilv, she offers them numerous oppertunities to turn Demogorgon's enemies against him, including the identities of said enemies, his generals, the location of an aspect of Obox-Ob, and even writes them a letter of introduction for Orcus (He's got to be her b---h, I swear...).
If they succeed, they will be ready to take on Demogorgon and stop the Savage Tide!
And that's the Cliff's Notes version of "Enemies of my Enemy."