Hook Mountain Help Needed

[James Martin]

Spoilers to follow:

Spoiler:

So the players got the Graul homestead, nearly got killed by Biggun and the boys, called out Mammy and killed her without exploring the house. I really want them to explore, as it's way too creepy cool not to use to its fullest extent. Right now Hucker and the young Grauls are all that's left. How do I get them to go inside?

They've camped for the night not too far away. Should I have Hucker kidnap one of the PCs? Steal something valuable?

Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!

[Joey Virtue]

You could sell the point there might be another Black Arrow Alive in the house or the reward my party loves sell the idea of treasure in the house

[Russell Akred]

Joey Virtue wrote:

You could sell the point there might be another Black Arrow Alive in the house or the reward my party loves sell the idea of treasure in the house

This is the big hook for me with my group as well. After all Jakardros, and Vale wouldn't give up hope on their fellow Black Arrows. Made them search every room of the house.

[Sir_Wulf]

If you emphasize another surviving black arrow as their reason for exploring, put another half-dead victim into the house. One of my groups had let Orik Vankaskerkin go (back in Burnt Offerings), so he became the ogres' next victim. If Orik died in the first adventure, perhaps he had a brother (Varik Vancaskerkin?) with a distinct family resemblance...

In my games, Orik spoke using Southern California surfer idiom, so they recognized him most by his speech...

"Thanks for rescuing me, dude! Those ogres were, like, totally torturing me! It was sooo gnarley!"

[Charles Scholz]

Spoiler:

Have Jakardros tell them he needs to retrieve his bow. A shocking longbow wielded by him will be great help in the fight to come.

[Selk]

They're sleeping?

Wake them up with blood curdling screams. Now that Mammy's dead, her little babies are hungry, and all they have to eat are the soft parts of a remaining Black Arrow that Mammy was keeping for "special luv time".

A good frothy panic might make the players careless. The traps will be much more fun that way.

[tbug]

Have they made any friends in Turtleback Ferry? You could let them leave Graulhome now then have them return to town after the Fort Rannick section only to find Turtleback Ferry post-raid in retribution for the PCs' actions, and their new friend(s) kidnapped and taken away.

You might need to buff up the Grauls to make this worthwhile for the group. Maybe a couple more come back from a raid while the PCs are away, or you could even have an ogre woman run away from the fort while they're there and turn up at the Graul homestead as the new mother-wife.