Zinovia
Explorer
Sure, it's just a bunch of rhymed couplets, but this is prophecy we're talking about. Isn't it typically delivered in rhymed couplets?
Contains KotS spoilers - don't read this if you're a player who's likely to play through the module sometime.
[sblock]I wanted to beef up the backstory for KotS by tying together some of the elements better, as well as adding some poetry as either a hook early on to motivate the characters, or as information obtained later to help clarify what is going on. Here's the poem, followed by some explanation of the changes I've made to the backstory. I'm not sure yet where to include the poem, or if it's giving too much away.
In shadowed keep of tumbled stone,
A peril hides, for years unknown,
Sir Keegan Kinslayer guards it yet,
'Gainst the very child he did beget.
The thing of evil sent dark dreams,
Nightmares wrought of tortured screams,
The vowed defender's sword did rend,
Murder to fate's hand forfend.
Awakened to the awful truth,
Shattered bones of men and youth,
His wife and children, pride and joy,
Seen as demons, he destroyed.
Sir Keegan met his death alone,
For wicked deeds he would atone,
So awaits he for the fated time,
Forgiveness grant for hated crime.
Sole survivor of that cursed line,
Now wakens the unholy shrine,
Dark power craves as men do thirst,
Confining spells to be reversed.
Trembling on the edge of doom,
Unholy rites 'neath Keegan's tomb,
Prevent the opening of the gate,
Or embrace a dark and bitter fate.
I decided (as others have done) to make Kalarel the son of Sir Keegan, who was the last guardian of the Keep before he went crazy and murdered everyone. Kalarel is a half elf, which would explain why he's still alive all these years later. Kalarel is not entirely sane, given that he still remembers his father murdering his mother and siblings, and leaving him for dead as well. Kalarel was rescued by the guards who fought Keegan back into the keep, and raised by friends of the family far from the keep.
Sir Keegan was beset by dreams and whispers from the dark powers of Orcus and the Shadowfell. What drove him over the edge was the true prophecy that his own child would be the one to try and open the rift. It was too much, and he snapped, killing everyone but Kalarel, who survived - or alternately was the only one that could be resurrected since he had an unfinished destiny and the others of his family did not. Keegan finally realized just what he'd done under the influence of Orcus, and killed himself. He was discovered by the remaining guards, along with a note saying that no man could withstand the insidious whispers of the evil from the dark portal, and that they should abandon the keep. He was entombed, and the truth of what exactly lay beneath the keep was hushed up as much as possible. Rumors abounded, but few knew what actually occurred. He is not normally called "Kinslayer" but the prophecy knows all.
So Kalarel is now twisted by a desire for power, and believes that the lord of the undead can bring his family back to him somehow. He has spent his lifetime searching for information about the keep, and so found the secret of the gate to the Shadowfell. Further research finally revealed to him the means to unlock the gate.
The rest should proceed more or less as written (although I'll be changing some other bits of Winterhaven and the Kobold lair around).
So should I introduce the poem somewhere? Early on as a hook from a priest who had a prophetic dream? Or perhaps later somehow as more is discovered about the situation? One of the players could dream it as well, although the group lacks a cleric. I don't want the characters to head straight for the Keep without considering the other things going on around Winterhaven, but they should get there eventually. I also wanted to include a hint with the poem that they need to try and disrupt the ritual in the final battle. [/sblock]
Contains KotS spoilers - don't read this if you're a player who's likely to play through the module sometime.
[sblock]I wanted to beef up the backstory for KotS by tying together some of the elements better, as well as adding some poetry as either a hook early on to motivate the characters, or as information obtained later to help clarify what is going on. Here's the poem, followed by some explanation of the changes I've made to the backstory. I'm not sure yet where to include the poem, or if it's giving too much away.
In shadowed keep of tumbled stone,
A peril hides, for years unknown,
Sir Keegan Kinslayer guards it yet,
'Gainst the very child he did beget.
The thing of evil sent dark dreams,
Nightmares wrought of tortured screams,
The vowed defender's sword did rend,
Murder to fate's hand forfend.
Awakened to the awful truth,
Shattered bones of men and youth,
His wife and children, pride and joy,
Seen as demons, he destroyed.
Sir Keegan met his death alone,
For wicked deeds he would atone,
So awaits he for the fated time,
Forgiveness grant for hated crime.
Sole survivor of that cursed line,
Now wakens the unholy shrine,
Dark power craves as men do thirst,
Confining spells to be reversed.
Trembling on the edge of doom,
Unholy rites 'neath Keegan's tomb,
Prevent the opening of the gate,
Or embrace a dark and bitter fate.
I decided (as others have done) to make Kalarel the son of Sir Keegan, who was the last guardian of the Keep before he went crazy and murdered everyone. Kalarel is a half elf, which would explain why he's still alive all these years later. Kalarel is not entirely sane, given that he still remembers his father murdering his mother and siblings, and leaving him for dead as well. Kalarel was rescued by the guards who fought Keegan back into the keep, and raised by friends of the family far from the keep.
Sir Keegan was beset by dreams and whispers from the dark powers of Orcus and the Shadowfell. What drove him over the edge was the true prophecy that his own child would be the one to try and open the rift. It was too much, and he snapped, killing everyone but Kalarel, who survived - or alternately was the only one that could be resurrected since he had an unfinished destiny and the others of his family did not. Keegan finally realized just what he'd done under the influence of Orcus, and killed himself. He was discovered by the remaining guards, along with a note saying that no man could withstand the insidious whispers of the evil from the dark portal, and that they should abandon the keep. He was entombed, and the truth of what exactly lay beneath the keep was hushed up as much as possible. Rumors abounded, but few knew what actually occurred. He is not normally called "Kinslayer" but the prophecy knows all.
So Kalarel is now twisted by a desire for power, and believes that the lord of the undead can bring his family back to him somehow. He has spent his lifetime searching for information about the keep, and so found the secret of the gate to the Shadowfell. Further research finally revealed to him the means to unlock the gate.
The rest should proceed more or less as written (although I'll be changing some other bits of Winterhaven and the Kobold lair around).
So should I introduce the poem somewhere? Early on as a hook from a priest who had a prophetic dream? Or perhaps later somehow as more is discovered about the situation? One of the players could dream it as well, although the group lacks a cleric. I don't want the characters to head straight for the Keep without considering the other things going on around Winterhaven, but they should get there eventually. I also wanted to include a hint with the poem that they need to try and disrupt the ritual in the final battle. [/sblock]
