Stone Statues in Mayor's Garden

[dyskko]

My group has been playing Shackled City for about a year and a half. We are currently at the beginning of Secrets of the Stone Pillars. When this campaign started, I was using PDF's of the published magazines and not the hardcover version. It was also my first time as a DM, and I'd only learned to play a few months before. This message board has been a great help to me -- though I only discovered it after playing a few chapters.

I say all this to try to set up the question at hand.

The PC's met the Mayor in the first chapter, there was a description of the Mayor's statue garden, and the information that Vhalantru had "commissioned" statues of brave heroes. My players are pretty savvy, so when the Beholder showed up at the end of Chapter One, they put this information together and have been on a quest to free what they suspect are petrified heroes.

I won't go into the details of all four of the failed attempts they've used for the past year. Suffice to say they tried several methods that were underpowered magic. Finally, last night, they were powerful enough to cast the proper spell, and released Dwem Stormshield from his stony prison.

And now the questions I post to anyone who wants to help brainstorm:

1) How many heroes are in the Mayor's garden?
2) How many years in history has this been going on?
3) What are some background ideas for the characters who have been turned to stone?
4) What will be the range of attitudes of people becoming unpetrified? How many would want to help the PC's?
5) What will be the range of attitudes of Cauldronites?

Thanks for any help.

If you want to read the history of the Dungeon Divas campaign, you can read about it here:
http://blackmoonlilith.com/divas/

[anarce]

I don't have the SCAP book in front of me, but I think Vhalantru has been in town for about 15 years, and he's probably been making "statues" for less time than that. Figure maybe 1 adventuring party of 4-5 characters per year for 10 years, that adds up to 40-50 statues. That's a lot to make up backstories for. I'd think about parties from past groups I've played in for inspiration for a few of them. I think it would be quite a shock to go from the moment of petrification to suddenly waking up in a garden with some strangers. Some might think they are still in battle and attack the PCs. Some might be thankful just to be alive and want to live a peaceful life. Others would definitely be mad and want another shot at the beholder.

[Moorluck]

40-50 sounds about right. I wound up doing an equal share of adventurers and just interesting folk(attractive couples,mothers with babies,etc.) that just had the misfortune of catching his eye over the last 15yrs this saved me from having an army of ticked off adventurers ready to back the PCs up (I still had to deal with a couple dozen though) and dont forget the ones in the house and catacombs... thats a lot of stone to flesh spells. Regardless you've got your work cut out for you, I'll try and see if I can find the list I had made up if you think it would help.

[Shimrath]

Or, alternatively, you could institute a rule that says that after a certain amount of time petrified by a beholder, only wishes can change you back to flesh. It's heavy-handed, but solves the problem.

[christian mazel]

The numbers and the statues are described (those which are in the manor at least).
In my campaign they know that adventurers disappear for month even years, some from the Cagewright, some from Val.
Petrified adventurers are linked with some of the PC and groups named in the story:"Varmint patrol" and "The green sword" for exemple.

[dyskko]

christian mazel wrote:

The numbers and the statues are described (those which are in the manor at least)...

Yes, I feel like I've read descriptions before, but now I'm not able to find them. Is it in the original magazines or in the hardcover? I have both, can you give me some help?

I comfortable with 40-50 missing adventurers. And some unfortunate collateral damage (Ha! Moorluck!) I figure I only need a representative sample. Surely not _all_ the adventurers have been gifted as statues, just the _most_ prolific. And, some statues have of course been fallen, broken, attacked by lichens, petrified too long (like that twist, thanks Shimrath)etc. So 10 would really be plenty.

Dwen and Imogen Stormshield were named as the disappeared parents of one kidnapped orphan in Life's Bazaar, so that was easy. As a new player, I don't have a lot of experience to draw from, so if anyone has a hero they'd like to volunteer for the sculpture garden, I'd appreciate it.

[Moorluck]

Dyskko, starting on pg238 of the hard cover (in House Vhalantru) the statues are in the following areas with the names I gave them in ():
V2-Male dwarf ftr in full plate w/great sword(Duncan Grimwall),Female halfling rog/sor w/sword and staff (Tinia Applehill),Male human monk (Alton Teramarkus),Male gnome cleric of Garl Glittergold w/morningstar and sheild(Thwindle Grobbert).

V9-Female elven wizard w/wand(Annedahlia Ellisinae),Male halfling rogue(Eli "mouse" Handerin),Female human druid+cheetah companion(Rowayn Dawn+Kilva),Male human ranger w/longsword&shortsword+black bear companion(Winston Aricor+Dumba).

O14-juvinille black dragon(Onyx),juvinille minotaur(Rintrah),Harpy(Shika),an Otyugh,a Rust Monster,a Kuo Toa(Bliblopool),and a Phantom Fungus.

O1-several victims that I lost the notes on but it list 21 of them.

Double check that chapter(8) to see if I missed any but I hope that helps.And if you want more names I'd be glad to dig through my old PCs for names and stuff, just let me know.