My characters just defeated Drevoraz and are taking a short break from the main STAP storyline. I need them to go to Evermire and pick up a new party member (an elvish druid) along the way or at Evermire. I figure that is perfect b/c Evermire has the elvish runes and it is close enough that I can get them there and the druid into the party quickly without a break from "reality" as opposed to going somewhere further from Sasserine.
I saw Heathansson's suggestion for an adventure at Evermire: "They could work security for a sage who wants to go to Evermire(?) and make a copy of the elven runes on the tree. And get attacke by (bullywugs, lizard men, deranged swamp people, etc...)"
So now comes my question: I like the suggestion above, but does anyone else have a suggestion for Evermire or have your partes adventures there?
I've thought of a couple other things. We have a cleric of Wee Jas who is getting a little disgruntled with his character. I've had Lavinia cry up a storm about Kora's death and lay hints about raising her. The High Magus of the Wee Jas church is capable of that. So when they go to see her, she will Commune with Wee Jas (required before raising per the Wee Jas Core Beliefs article). Instead of paying for the Commune, she will have the characters escort Nayin Lem (so the cleric will recognize the NPC from the Core Beliefs article) to investigate the Evermire ruins & runes per Heathansson's suggestion.
I just can't seem to solve the riddle myself of what happened there! I wish I'd stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I can't come up with a plot for tomorrow's session. Help?
Wow. I've never seen this board quite so speechless on a topic. I'm still having difficulty and only 16 hours to showtime. Anyone got any ideas? Even crummy ones? :-)
Again, I'd recommend Dungeon 144's lizardfolk adventure. If you haven't run it it might be perfect for the area--easily adapted.
So basically BWG is over for your guys ?
If it is not quite, have the Bullywugs elope with something valuable or essential to Lavinia's plan (if any Bullywugs escape - after all they might try to take along _some_ loot ). Say like the journal of her mother, navigational charts for the Isle, deeds or othe rimportant legal documentation.
Characters would follow them in (close ?) pursuit, possibly to their hideout and perhaps a more nefarious "overchief" of the tribe, like say a Yuan-Ti ?
On the other hand though, always helping Lavinia out of a pickle might get a bit stale.
So perhaps have them approached by one of her business contacts or backers (perhaps Lord Meravanchi, the Elder ) who has heard of her new, capable henchmen and might like to "borrow" them for a "quick job" ?
Say, like looking after his plantation and the sole son of his ( Avner of course) who has gone there "for the weekend" with his newest conque... ahem victim ! Who's father and seven brothers have threatened to call-out Avner if the girl is not returned safe and un... well, mostly safe and intact ? Especially "honourwise" ?
And now the place is overrun or besieged by... whatever... frogs ? Snakes ? Babboons ? Bats ? Driven there by a nasty druid who has a score to settle with the Meravanchi clan, or perhaps Avner in particular. Maybe the poor hapless sod recently molested the druid's daughter or favourite godchild, maybe there is another, older grudge with the family ? Feel free to conjure a suitable motive, although you might want to pick one, that will leave bringing Avner back alive a decent option.
In any case, the PCs get to be the rescuing cavalry and possibly have to rescue a mook, they will regret to have helped later on
This would certainly help set Avner up a "no-good" cad, nuisance and idiot who the character will have learned to hate intimately even before SWW. This plot might also provide a motive for Meravanchi senior to send him off to the Isle - to "cool his heels"
Idea number three..... Someone in Sasserine has found out where the animals smuggled by the Lotus Dragons end up and get to fight in exclusive bloodsport arena battles (oerhaps with high-stakesbetting, which might not be legal in Sasserone ) - a lonely and semi-abandoned mansion near the swamp, where the customers can discreetly arrive by barge or shady lonesome path through the swamp, and enjoy illegal "bloodsports" in suitably nice surroundings. Perhaps throw in a touch of bordello or house-of-pleasure as well to provide a proper level of decadence
All of it sponsored and set up by Rowyn Kellani or perhaps a sibling of hers (if she rests in peace already ). Chance to meet some old favourites like the Rhagodessa again - perhaps in a buffed up version (with spiked armour or extended artificial claws or on drugs ?). Good chance to meet up the new character - who might try or have tried to save the animal(s) or has been caught and pressed into "volunteering" for gladiatorial combat.Perhaps do some foreshadowing like showing off a "terror bird" in combat or as a freshly stuffed specimen in the mansion ?
Cross-plot potential with "rescue Avner" is certainly possible, if Meravanchi the Elder wants his brainless son beneficially kidnapped from this place as a major law-enforcemnt raid is coming down onto it in the after math of the Lotus Dragon fiasco... And of course he doesn't want to be seen near such a vile, socially ruinous establishment so he sends in some disclaimable dupes, aka Lavainia's strike team.
the whole Meravanchi angle might even be the key to him co-financing the expedition, so there might be some pressure from Miss Vanderboren herself.
hope this helps some.
I REALLY like the last idea--it has touches of the Depression era thriller plus Conan the Barbarian in it. You could use "Porphyry House Horror" or use say the Scuttlecove adventure for some inspiration for that one. I'd love to hear how it turns out.
I REALLY like the last idea--it has touches of the Depression era thriller plus Conan the Barbarian in it. You could use "Porphyry House Horror" or use say the Scuttlecove adventure for some inspiration for that one. I'd love to hear how it turns out.
me too.... but it will be the most complicated to set up. Lots of nobles and impromptu detail to establich and keep the athmosphere, and some means to involve the characters with the fights to make that aspect more than just background material. Plus, you will have all sorts of people who might have a reason to eliminate the unwanted witnesses afterwards....
... but it should play well with the "savage" and "less than savoury" theme of the STAP
Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions!
OK, here's what I did. Feel free to copy if you want.
In order to raise Kora, the Wee Jas High Priestess had the characters escort awizard to copy the "riddle" of Evermire from the tree. I decided to make it something for them to finish off after they complete the STAP and are 20th+ level.
So, I decided Evermire would be the name of a Great Wyrm black dragon (the whole swamp thing going on here) wanting to be a dracolich or aiming to be one. That way I can use my gargantuan black dragon mini someday...and/or the gargantuan dracolich mini purported to be coming out. I've decided the village of elves were all "kidnapped" by dragon cultists and taken somewhere for sacrifice. The lone elf survivor scribed the riddle then died. I had some harpies, shadows, giant frogs, crocodiles, and a rat swarm for adversaries around the town and along the way.
So, to stay in line with what is in Dragon, I had to have a bunch of Jibberish interspersed with the word "Evermire" on the tree. So I created a "poem." There are 8 lines of 16 syllables each. Every other line ends with "Evermire" and the other lines rhyme with it. Each line, excepting the word "Evermire", has either 40 or 50 letters so the code cipher will work. (They found the "key" on a skeleton of the author.)
Here is the riddle in all of its stages from what they actually saw (already translated from Wingdings...I mean Elvish) on the tree. Note that each line (except Evermire) has exactly 10 letters.
wsuehtiscr
fbaeihchhs
tiuslalens
oadcahtofr
Evermire
hietehcamw
roouufryfr
iwohilvesf
enhghchisu
eitrdridnt
vlcisesene
sistnigpat
etiheyarss
lvfiatleoe
Evermire
cesnnaexit
tpnuoefbae
ieosgsoodn
tdayjneopr
eitrehmosd
esmttsillay
filsyrtoal
cceeormwhn
denamaeud
Evermire
efhthtouga
nyuahrisfr
rwtardageo
hestsdthea
eierdeidrt
uypoeprhas
eakcgnHoof
svaioculdd
ndietehehd
fgiowdelln
Evermire
nohohtougn
okafdeares
iboefrearf
ebsjgntheu
eiirtcofhs
Then they found this key: 0869213457
The key represents the mixed up columns. For example, letters currently in the the first column should really be in the tenth column,letters in the second column really should be in the eighth column, etc.
Here are the letters when placed in the proper columns:
thiscursew
hichhasbef
allenusist
hatofdraco
Evermire
hecamewith
furyforour
livesofwhi
chhishunge
rdidnttire
essenceliv
ingpastits
yearsisthe
taleofevil
Evermire
anexistenc
eofbaneput
sgoodonesi
njeopardyt
hemostdire
stillamyste
rytoallisf
romwhencec
ameundead
Evermire
thoughafte
rhisfuryan
dragetowar
dstheeasth
edidretire
perhapsyou
ngHookface
couldadvis
ethehidden
dwellingof
Evermire
thoughnoon
edareaskfo
rfearofbei
ngthesubje
ctofhisire
When condensed to the 8 lines we have:
ThiscursewhichhasbefallenusisthatofdracoEvermire
Hecamewithfuryforourlivesofwhichhishungerdidnttire
EssencelivingpastitsyearsisthetaleofevilEvermire
Anexistenceofbaneputsgoodonesinjeopardythemostdire
StillamysterytoallisfromwhencecameundeadEvermire
ThoughafterhisfuryandragetowardstheEasthedidretire
PerhapsyoungHookfacecouldadvisethehiddendwellingofEvermire
Thoughnoonedareaskforfearofbeingthesubjectofhisire
And then in plain English:
This curse which has befallen us is that of draco Evermire
He came with fury for our lives of which his hunger didn’t tire
Essence living past its years is the tale of evil Evermire
An existence of bane puts good ones in jeopardy the most dire
Still a mystery to all is from whence came undead Evermire
Though after his fury and rage towards the east he did retire
Perhaps young Hookface could advise the hidden dwelling of Evermire
Though no one dare ask for fear of being the subject of his ire
This obviously took me a while to put together. Whew!
Nice Job and a return to Sasserine at the end will be nice as well. My PCs have invested a lot of background in Sasserine, but we are about to take them out of that.... all in all: YOINK. black draco lich... maybe with two heads though...