Need some advice on building a fun test

[Dirk Vanleeuw]

First of all, if you're one of my players, get out now! I mean it! Shooo!

And now on to my question.
First some background. I'm currently running a homebrew campaign. it's set in Osirion, in an as yet undetermined past. (undetermined because it hasn't yet come up when it's been set, and it leaves me some room to maneuvre around)
The party is now 5th level. it includes a half elven cleric of Sarenrae archer (she's taken a nobility background and is a new player), a Paladin of Sarenrae who's her bodyguard, a bard loremaster, a catfolk rogue, a cavalier, a sorcerer and an oracle of life.

The basics of my starting plot are as follows.
The crownprince of Osirion has at some point during a diplomatic mission been enthralled by an evil wizard; (in fact a lich who's harbored a grudge since the early days of the Osirian history)
The wizard has lived for some time in the royal palace as an advisor to the prince, which has given him time to plot and scheme.
Somewhere halfway through my first session the players are confronted by a rebellion in Sothis. Guards fighting guards, ... In short: the king and most of his family die in the rebellion, and the party (which at that time came together) fled the city and headed elswhere to recuperate and plan their moves.

Now they've approached one of the temples of Sarenrae in the Soth of the land and explained that the rightful rulers had been killed and replaced by usurpers. And that as far as they know, the only remaining member of that family is their priestess of Sarenrae. And that they intend to return rulership to the rightful people.
Now, the high priest in that place has asked them to prove in the light of Sarenrae that they are telling the truth and have good intentions. I did this because it's good roleplaying and such.

But right now, I can't seem to come up with a good test.
All I can come up with so far is that it should reflect the tenets of faith of Sarenrae.
I've been at this for days, and it should be ready by this weekend.
Anyone have some good ideas here?

[Nullpunkt]

Check out the Faiths of Purity companion. It has the paladin code for Sarenrae in it that I guess will instantly spawn ideas for challenges in the spirit of the goddess.

[Rory]

Send them on a short quest, a task for the temple (to retrieve a scroll of Sarenrae history from an ancient runes, maybe). In the quest, have them come across the discovery of some valuable, flammable item (a bit/lot of diamond dust). The only way to retrieve the scroll from the quest to unlock a vault/door/orb is to destroy the valuable item in holy fire upon a pedestal, reciting the holy tenets of Sarenrae. The vault/door/orb is opened, the scroll obtained, the "loot value" lost, and purity of truth and honor confirmed.

[Dirk Vanleeuw]

Thanks guys.
I know of the code, but sadly that didn't spark any ideas.
And that's an interresting idea Rory, and I intend to use aspects of this.

But for this test I'm more looking to build some kind of 'grand test' if that makes any sense. I would like to put the party in a position that lets them prove they are worthy of this task, and their partymember is worthy of taking up the role of pharao.

This may be a quest that takes up multiple sessions.

Right now I'm thinking of sending them to a remote area, to some place that's special to the faith of Sarenrae. (any ideas there are welcome)

I intend to have them undergo a ritual (thanks to Rory for some ideas for a ritual)

And this ritual might put them in a trance or some kind of dreamworld. And there they would be confronted by a situation that lets them prove themselves. Any ideas for this?

[Dirk Vanleeuw]

Anyone have some interresting ideas?

[Rory]

DirkVanleeuw wrote:

Anyone have some interresting ideas?

In the dream world, have them prove their leadership traits.

Provide a landscape with five different factions.

- Make them use diplomacy to get one group to follow them. This can be done by simple speech, or by task of saving the faction's heir apparent, obtaining the staff of leadership, etc.

- Use diplomacy/subterfuge to get two more groups to stop a blood feud between them. Have the PCs approach both groups separately, discover what they want and what started the feud, have it be something that the PCs can illuminate for one group to hold back while they solve the other group's real problem. An example could be that a deranged alchemist had kidnapped the wife of one faction, laying evidence that it was done by the second faction. These two groups then follow the PCs.

- The fourth group must be conquered by the "right of might" in conquest using the first three groups before it can join with the fifth. This can be because an evil hierarchy is in control of the group and the only way to beat it is to beat its army and then cleanse the hierarchy scourge.

- The fifth group's leaders, in desperation at the PCs overwhelming success so far with the four other groups, sacrifice their people to draw the power of an evil embodiment that ultimately threatens all. This evil is too powerful for "normal" mortals. The PCs must then face down this evil embodiment via their small group while the other factions flee/hide in safety. You can have the PCs stealth into an evil temple that was used as the origination of the evil embodiment, and defeat the evil high priest (demon) in an "epic" fight.

In summary, you have diplomacy, dispute solving, military strength knowledge, and willingness to self sacrifice for the people. That seems to encompass a lot of what Sarenrae might deem appopriate leader potential.

For a longer term campaign, this could serve as a foreshadowing for the eventuality of how the PCs are to save the country and become the rightful pharoah.

[Dirk Vanleeuw]

Yeah, thanks man, this is the kind of stuff I was looking for.