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As a preface, let me say that this is not a call to action. No action is required or even requested. This is just an analysis with an eye towards problems that I see in getting the modules to ‘fit’ together and tell a single, cohesive story. Burnt Offerings takes a bit of a beating here, and that’s really unfortunate because it is one of the best modules I have ever had the pleasure of running. Also I’d point out that my approach will lead to a more conceited, less ‘realistic’ approach to telling this story. I see an opportunity to re-use and reinforce themes from the very beginning of the story, which should require less work overall and should certainly confuse the players less. Remember this thing takes the better part of a year to run, so anything to be done to tighten it up without making it boring is probably a good thing to try and do.
The goal of RotRL, as I see it, is roughly as follows:
“Introduce the concept of ancient Thassilon first as a vague threat, and then as a very real risk to all of Varisia.”
The situation, in a nutshell is:
“One of the Runelords foresaw the end of Thassilon and prepared for the fall. He is now awakening and if allowed to restore his full power, will conquer Varisia.”
My first proposal is that all the major elements support one of these two concepts. Not the tangents, mind you, those are fine and add depth, but the major elements.
Let’s examine some problem points, and touch briefly on fixing them.
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I. Nualia/Wrath
To recap, Nualia is an assimar girl who was disgraced by pregnancy and fell to wrath. She now serves Lamashtu and endeavors to destroy Sandpoint. The thematic keys here are ‘wrath’ and ‘Lamashtu’. Neither has much of anything to do with Karzaoug, and connecting them requires explanations that will probably never reveal themselves through actual play. They’re there for the GM to know and understand, for certain. But that leaves me feeling like I need to manufacture some reason for the players to know this information.
Some possible solutions –
a) Replace Karzaoug/greed with wrath. This makes Nualia a GREAT way to bootstrap this situation, gives a reason for the recent rise, etc. This also represents a gigantic retcon of the scenario, possibly reverberating all the way through ‘giants’ and the like. It’s a big concept to squeeze into my brain, and I’ll admit I haven’t fully looked into it.
b) Replace Nualia with someone greedy instead of wrathful. Perhaps a Scarni princess who sold her deformed baby to a cult, if you wanted to preserve the links to Lamashtu. Driven by greed, she sees giving birth to monsters as a way to power – or something like that.
c) You could certainly come up with a way to replace Lamashtu’s influence with someone greedy as well. But I haven’t come up with anything along those lines yet, and this would create Lamia problems later.
Note that whatever changes made here will need to be made to Erilium and the Scribbler as well.
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II. Goblins
The goblins of Thistletop, while unique and interesting, have absolutely no ties into the overall story arc at all. They do happen to be sitting on top of Mal’s prison, which was a former Karzauog holding, but that’s the extent of it. In fact, not only are they unaware that Karzaoug even exists, but so are Nualia and her crew. They haven’t discovered the projection yet.
Some possible solutions –
a) Replace them with something linked thematically to giants. Admittedly I have no idea what that might be (that would still be level appropriate for beginner characters). But such a replacement would at least be foreshadowing for the later chapters.
b) Modify Mal’s allegiance to Karzaoug, and put them in contact. Have Mal be actively manipulating Nualia and the goblins in an attempt to hasten the Rise. In fact, you could devise a ‘runeslave cauldron’ for them in an effort to cause their greedy souls to feed through lense. Again this foreshadows the giants later, and should make the larger cauldron that much more intimidating.
There is a link actually. Xanesha. And the method of subverting Nualia is to have her wanting to wipe out Sandpoint NOT because of her "daddy" but rather a treasure she believes is underneath Sandpoint that will allow her to get in good with her mentor... and with Xanesha's boss (the Big K himself).
She could even be disdainful of her early actions. While she worships Lamashtu, she realizes the Runewell's activation caused her to kill her "daddy" quickly rather than turn him. And she even suspects he knew about the treasure.
In fact, she didn't take his body to become a half-demon. She took it because she's interrogating his body in order to learn about the treasure. The treasure being the Scribbler and his secrets about the Runeforge, but she doesn't know that. ;)
The goblins are just patsies she's using to gain her goal. They can stay. And Mal is a prisoner still of the Runelord of Wrath - Nualia wants to find him not to free him... but to learn what HE knows of the "treasure" in Sandpoint. And maybe to subvert HIM as well.
Thus really the only thing you have to alter is Nualia and her reasons. The rest can pretty much remain the same. (As for the Quasit... Nualia plans on subverting HER to Karzoug as well, through their shared worship of Lamashtu and offering her power as part of Karzoug's return.)
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If I were doing what you are proposing, I would change up the raid of Sandpoint to include more pillaging. Nualia instead of burning it all to the ground, wants to take all they have leaving them with nothing and her with everything.
The raid is also a diversion, (just as it is in the original writing) but instead of Tobyn's Crypt (or perhaps in addition to) she is breaking into the vault of Abadar. Perhaps Tobyn and Nualia were of the faith of Abadar instead of Desna.
I think less work will need to be done this way, and it makes sense to me.