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This coming Wed is the big night for my PCs--the grand banquet with Prince Veech. However, my players are looking at the prospect with considerable dread, for they are somehow convinced that Veech is in actuality the black dragon Ilthane.
At the beginning of "A Gathering of Winds" my PCs ran from the dragon into the Whispering Cairn. They spent several days there, and when they finally exited the dragon was gone. In returning to Diamond Lake they found the place in utter ruin, with all of the friends they had made there dead.
ONow, on the eve of the banquet, they have followed all of the threads available, save for seeking out Rorsk and investigating the traitors graves. The former I'm sure they'll follow up before the party, but they are most reluctant to venture into the graves where they seem to believe that they'll have to confront the dragon in his lair.
aS WELL, The prospect of confronting Prince Veech--whom they consider to be Ilthane--without weapons, seems absolutely suicidal to them.
My question is, what should I do about it--or should I do anything about it at all?
Whatever the players decide to do, I am also considering ending the game with a confrontation with Ilthane--sutiably levelled-up, of course.
Any thoughts?
Well, just make sure the PCs learn about the lair and let them decide what to do. They seem to fear the dragon, which is nice, so if they decide to confront her, see to it that they are not disappointed. So, I'd definitely level the dragon up to make her a real challenge. Combined with her children, she'll be a true match for the PCs.
If the PCs don't follow up on the Ilthane lead, don't worry about it. You can always use her later in the campaign. The PCs will miss out on the wonderful potions she keeps in her lair, but that's their loss.
If the PCs don't visit the lair before the party, I'd even play out their fear that Zeech might be Ilthane. Stress his raven black hair and the bestial glare he sometimes gets in his eyes. You could even have him sniff his food before eating it or lick his teeth when he sees blood in the celebration events. It fits well enough with his character, even without being a dragon.
The nice thing is that the PCs suspect the wrong NPC of being a dragon. The one they ought to fear, Lashonna, should benefit from that, since the PCs will be focussing on the wrong NPC.