SPOILERS FOR BURNT OFFERINGS.
My group is fast approaching the climax of Burnt Offerings - and I believe they are on a path to divert Nualia from her destructive path.
Now, while I feel in my gut this is possible, I don't have a concrete idea of HOW the party can achieve this, and want to brainstorm with the hivemind so that I can be open to what my players may try to do.
First, some context:
- The party more or less know who Nualia is, and what has set her on the path of vengeance and violence
- they have already had some telepathic communication with her (via the lesser runewell) and have both left an initial impression on her, and are sympathetic to her anger
- Nualia has a living child - a daughter, raised by Master Ilsori (who I determined would have also been Nualia's initial guardian before Ezakien Tobyn adopted her). Part of Nualia's ritual demands she sacrifice her own daughter, and she has been communicating with her daughter in unholy dreams.
- the party are now bringing Nualia's daughter with them to Thistletop, along with Ilsori (whom they have convinced to go along with their plan as its for the good of Sandpoint)
The party are of the mind to steer Nualia off her current path. Nualia's daughter wishes to reunite with her mother. And Ilsori seeks to make up for his past mistake of passing Nualia's care into the hands of Tobyn, who valued Nualia's holy nature more than her personal and emotional needs.
Given this information, do you believe the party can use the means at their disposal to talk Nualia down? What are the potential obstacles? What factors and talking points could they bring up to help them win Nualia over and convince her she has a chance to start anew with her daughter? And more importantly, do you have any thoughts and suggestions of how I can facilitate this to make a climactic, satisfying conclusion to Burnt Offerings?
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If it were me, I would take inspiration from the redemption of Vader in SW. I would make it difficult. For every compelling argument that they make, I would make a tick noting it but continue with her plans. Each time, I would make the PC that is making the argument make a check (Diplomacy, probably) against her Will DC.
If they are successful, I would make her hesitation manifest during her final ritual, ending in her demon dragging her to the Deep with her screaming in fear. Her daughter would then become a major NPC moving forward.
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When I ran it, however, I allowed her to be fully reformed, but in the end I feel that it wasn't particularly dramatic. This was over ten years ago, and I have learned a lot since then...