So far, Olangru and his team have captured all the surviving NPCs (and in this order): Urol, Amella, Avner, Tavey.
The player's characters will soon be heading for the shrine of Demogorgon and I feel that I - in my responsibility as a DM - should have Olangru kill off (/sacrifice) at least one of those four to show the players just how brutal Demogorgon's minions really are.
Who should it be? Don't really want the boy to die but otherwise I can't decide. Which of the characters has developed the strongest ties to anyone further on in your campaigns? Who is needed? Or whatever reasons come to your mind to kill one above the other?
I'd kill the kid. Show them you (and Olangru) mean business.
I'd kill the kid. Show them you (and Olangru) mean business.
I would really consider killing off the the NPC that has the closest relationship with one of PC's, and I really plan on playing up Tavey's role with the party, so in my likely order of precedence it would be Tavey, Amellia, Urol, and I would do my best to keep Avner alive, to continue to torture the party at every possible opportunity.
I find it can be more immersive if the players have some kind of emotional stake. But thats just my opinion.
Cheers!
I agree - kill off whoever your players have developed the best relations with. Probably the kid. Your going to get the most bang for your buck out of that.
Kill them all, except possibly one. They get 24 hours after each kidnap to save their NPC friend (or Avner), and if they take too long their friend (or Avner) is gone forever. If they were attached to the character, tough. If they wanted the character's assistance later on, tough. If there are long-term political consequences for the character's death, tough. Olangru does not care; he offers sacrifices to Demogorgon, and those sacrifices have arrived.
No metagaming. Just act with ruthless brutality. The PCs' success or failure is in their own hands.
Kill them all, except possibly one. They get 24 hours after each kidnap to save their NPC friend (or Avner), and if they take too long their friend (or Avner) is gone forever. If they were attached to the character, tough. If they wanted the character's assistance later on, tough. If there are long-term political consequences for the character's death, tough. Olangru does not care; he offers sacrifices to Demogorgon, and those sacrifices have arrived.
No metagaming. Just act with ruthless brutality. The PCs' success or failure is in their own hands.
I have to agree with short, red and scaly here: Olangru is a fiend - and his sacrifices will reflect that. The bits they've run into on the trails thusfar should give you some idea of just what the chap is capable of doing - and I suspect after he does his sacrifice with a given NPC, he will seek out a point on the PCs' probable route of travel and leave them a small reminder every day ... until thier are no more reminders to leave.
If your players can stomach it, I'd make them progressively more horrific as each day passes.
Although done right, you could (theoretically) solicit a degree of compassion for Avner once Olangru has had 3 days to play with that particular chew toy ...
Roll 1d4.
On the other hand, if I were stuck in this situation, I'd probably opt for Avner. While I know how infinitely useful he is as an NPC (from a DM-perspective), it would strike me as a suitable end for the foppish cur. But that's just me.
And we all know how much fiends enjoy torturing such beings... or perhaps Avner makes a rather foolish bargain as his mind disintegrates after watching 3 people sacrificed to Demogorgon (let alone thier preparation into motivational devices for the PC group)...
From a role-playing standpoint, Avner has interesting things to do back in Farshore. The rest of the NPCs are expendable. Avner would be my last pick.
>> and I suspect after he does his sacrifice with a given NPC, he will seek out a point on the PCs' probable route of travel and leave them a small reminder every day
Wow, that's really good. I'd definitely do that. Hmm, what sort of ritual would O be attempting? The longer the PCs take, the worse things will be for them once they reach O - extra Unhallow, turn the NPCs into undead, or sacrifices summon extra demonic assistants - something along those lines.
>> or perhaps Avner makes a rather foolish bargain
Wow, great ideas as well. I see Avner promising any and everything to not be killed - he offers to do the sacrifices himself, he takes on a half-fiend template, he agrees to be bait for a trap. Makes for even more fun when the PCs return to Farshore and a string of killings occurs - Avner continuing the sacrifices to keep Demogorgon from collecting his soul.
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Wow, great ideas as well. I see Avner promising any and everything to not be killed - he offers to do the sacrifices himself, he takes on a half-fiend template, he agrees to be bait for a trap. Makes for even more fun when the PCs return to Farshore and a string of killings occurs - Avner continuing the sacrifices to keep Demogorgon from collecting his soul.
Well, at least that would keep Avner from campaigning for his uncle :)
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Wow, great ideas as well. I see Avner promising any and everything to not be killed - he offers to do the sacrifices himself, he takes on a half-fiend template, he agrees to be bait for a trap. Makes for even more fun when the PCs return to Farshore and a string of killings occurs - Avner continuing the sacrifices to keep Demogorgon from collecting his soul.
hm....this has many many opportunities.
perhaps he can be a subtle orchestrator of big D's plans on the isle...when the more obvious threats (Olangru, Khala, the Golismorga bunch) are taken care of, there's still someone making trouble and bringing demon-monkeys to the area.
even better...he can get hold of and play around with some savage critters...infecting wildlife and releasing them to the jungle...
just imagine a savage t-rex...complete with the fiendish template if you really want to get saucy.
combine with some other orchestrations, and you've got another recurring villain the party should have dealt with permanantly a long time ago.
and then, when the encounter
-the hamster
>> or perhaps Avner makes a rather foolish bargainWow, great ideas as well. I see Avner promising any and everything to not be killed - he offers to do the sacrifices himself, he takes on a half-fiend template, he agrees to be bait for a trap. Makes for even more fun when the PCs return to Farshore and a string of killings occurs - Avner continuing the sacrifices to keep Demogorgon from collecting his soul.
This is a cool idea but I'd not give him the half-fiend template. Demons use simpering cowards for their own ends but making him a half-fiend seems kind of like a reward.
Have him remain a run of the mill human - around other humans he is overblown and self confident (my allies are Demons!) but around Demons themselves he is an eager to please simpering coward desperate to stave off his ultimate 'reward' for just a little longer. He'll make a great secret cultist for his new masters and can easily lead a cult and try for political power in Farshore - thats what influential cultists traditionally do after all.
perhaps let him develop into the direction of a thrall of Demogorgon as a "reward"... but don't dish out a template, which is for one easy to note and second, would raise him too much, too quickly.
Problem is - the players will likely not know (anytime soon) that he made a bargain right there and then, taking a lot of fun of the plot development out of the story for them - so take precautions to let them know of the treachery he committed at some later point.
For one, this will make his depravity public and second, they might just blame themselves for the troubles their "dawdling" caused.
Oh, and perhaps have him kill his uncle later on in a bid for power ? Or start doing really unsavoury things to the female population of farshore - crossbreed his lecherousness and sense of entitlement with the bestiality typical of Demogorgon, and you get something truly nasty. this might get rather adult/mature audience though, so use some discretion.
As for "who to kill" - kill Tavey ( most severe emotional impact ), then Amella (unless she is not really important for the group), then Urol. Just my 2 cents
Alternatively, let Olangru maim them permanently, like sacrificing only some part of them... say their hands ? Their eyes ? Take off their faces ? Or split their personality - into a savage, berzerk half and a desperate "normal" half, both exchanging control randomly or at least at inopportune moments.
Finally, I wouldn't let Olangru have the ability to inflict "savageness" onto them - for one, it links Demogorgon to the Shadow-pearl plot far too early.
Second, the "savage" effect is something brought on by the pearls - if Demogorgon or his servants could do it at will, there wouldn't really be a need for a masterplan using the (slow to produce ) pearls and all the inconvenience caused by that.
Also, I agree with the PoV espoused in the STAP, that a local outbreak of Savagery woulkd burn itself out too quickly - infected beings killing off each other, or depriving themselves of food and starve to death. After all, a "savage" creature does not attack to wound and infect, but rather to kill and eat or rend apart...