Drow plotline -- need one, but got writer's block

[SurfMonkey01]

My group is meeting this coming weekend for the second session in my "Legacy" campaign. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the basics of my storyline now -- if you're not, my notes are here. I need help fleshing this next session out...

The first part of it I'm fine with.
* Vanderghast has to explain his motives -- why he didn't seek out the heir himself, why he hid his true identity, etc.
* The heir, Alec, gets to do meet n' greet with the PCs. After that, he of course has to face the people and hopefully get coronated.
* More fun Cormyr politics to draw the gang into.
* The tough part: the infant Azoun V was kidnapped and "killed" by drow, so they're gonna wanna go drow-hunting and either find the kid or proof he's really toast. And obviously, to keep things interesting, they're going to have to stumble onto some kinda drow plot that isn't even related to Cormyr, but is icky nonetheless. The problem is, I can't think of one. So please, help me?

 

[Calico_Jack73]

* The tough part: the infant Azoun V was kidnapped and "killed" by drow, so they're gonna wanna go drow-hunting and either find the kid or proof he's really toast. And obviously, to keep things interesting, they're going to have to stumble onto some kinda drow plot that isn't even related to Cormyr, but is icky nonetheless. The problem is, I can't think of one. So please, help me?

Surfmonkey... I go and hand you your campaign on a platter and again you come and bug me.

Okay, do you want the drow problem to involve the actual followers (I know who they are... just being evasive in case your players read) or do you want them to have done the old bait n' switch to throw off the PCs? I assume the bait n' switch. Have the drow lose the PCs in Cormanthyr... there are plenty of drow based there and it'd be a natural plan for your drow to try to lose them there. They are keenly aware of how the surface races all see drow as one and the same. Perhaps they use the PCs to destroy a camp of the Cormanthyr drow... the PCs could begin to be suspicious when they capture one of the Cormanthyr and when they question him about Azoun he tells them truthfully that he has no idea what they are talking about.

 

[EricNoah]

Well, let's start with some brainstorming... just gonna toss out some classic drow/underdark notions...

faerezz/Underdark radiation
illithid breeding program (they implant "tadpoles" into humanoid brains)
Lolth's Silence
Kiaransalee (drow godess of undeath -- not sure of spelling)
Drow locations: http://webpages.charter.net/ericnoah/noahrpg/under-gaz.htm

edit -- oops -- more thoughts...

does someone want Cormyr to go to war with the drow? Are there drow factions?
what would/could drow do with a royal kidnap victim? Are they working for someone else (aboleths, illithids, fiends)?

 

[takyris]

Here's what I'd do:

One of the drow is an old general who commanded the PCs back in their youths. The PCs, now successful performers, are headed off to a big show, only they get caught up with a few other PCs, and through a comedy of errors they end up in the Icewind Dale area, where they find out that their old drow general has retired and is running a ski lodge -- but because of the unseasonally hot weather, there's no snow, and his lodge is in danger of going under.

The PCs figure out that the best way to save their old commander is to put on a big show, with catchy dance numbers and great tunes, and get everyone to come to the ski lodge. Maybe some romance will pop up along the way, or maybe the old githyanki housekeeper will overhear the PCs plotting and mistakenly think that the PCs are plotting against the general. Oh, wackiness will ensue, but in the end, the PCs will get all their old army buddies back together again to salute the old drow general and show him that they still respect him. And then it'll start snowing, and all the misunderstandings will be forgotten, and the PCs can break into a musical number.

Um, I'm one of the few who hasn't read your campaign, so some of that might not totally fit perfectly, but I'm sure you can adapt it.

 

[SurfMonkey01]

Surfmonkey... I go and hand you your campaign on a platter and again you come and bug me.

Bastich.

Okay, do you want the drow problem to involve the actual followers (I know who they are... just being evasive in case your players read) or do you want them to have done the old bait n' switch to throw off the PCs? I assume the bait n' switch.

Good guess.

Have the drow lose the PCs in Cormanthyr... there are plenty of drow based there and it'd be a natural plan for your drow to try to lose them there. They are keenly aware of how the surface races all see drow as one and the same. Perhaps they use the PCs to destroy a camp of the Cormanthyr drow... the PCs could begin to be suspicious when they capture one of the Cormanthyr and when they question him about Azoun he tells them truthfully that he has no idea what they are talking about.

The prob with this one is simple: what I think I wanna do, and I shoulda added it to my post, is send the PCs into the Underdark. They've got a royal mad-on to hunt these drow down for what they did, so they're not gonna sit by and do nothing. However, I want them down in the Underdark while Alec leads a force from Cormyr to Cormanthyr to take care of the drow there himself (since the Cormyrians have a pretty good idea they were surface drow and not underground). Does that make sense, or am I being dumb?

 

[SurfMonkey01]

does someone want Cormyr to go to war with the drow? Are there drow factions?

With the Underdark drow, no. With the Cormanthyr surface drow, well, yeah. After all, A) they're evil and may have killed Azoun V, and B) the lich that secretly took over Vanderghast's body wouldn't mind have some Myth Drannor stuff to play around with.

what would/could drow do with a royal kidnap victim? Are they working for someone else (aboleths, illithids, fiends)?

Well, technically, the drow didn't kidnap him -- elves from Evereska that were loyal to Eliastree posed as drow and took him into hiding after that had a vision of an upcoming big icky and decided that they'd better get him to safety so that he stood a chance of being able to grow up and maybe do some good

 

[SurfMonkey01]

Wow, I reply to myself a lot... but I digress... here's what I've got so far:

The gang heads down into the Underdark to search for any leads. They encounter a drow city (I'll yoink a name from Eric's list later) that's been having a little problem of late. Seems there's a group of nasty illithids that have been stealing the drow's slaves and using them for experiments lately. Not the most pleasant little situation. And it gets better: one of the local drow's favorite kinds of slaves? Humanoid children, taken during surface raids -- often as infants -- and raised to know nothing but their lives as slaves. Their most recent raid? About the same time Azoun was taken. Too bad the illithids intercepted most of that bunch on its way back...

So, good? bad? ugly?

 

[Kugar]

How 'bout this?

Q: Why would the party go into the underdark?
A: The bad guys want them there because they are asking too many questions.

So one day a note shows up from the drow claiming that they still have Azoun's soul and are willing to trade it for something totally ridiculous. Say a handful of relics in the Cormyrian coffers. No one believes the drow, but communing with Kelemvore (sp) tells them the soul did not enter his realm. The lich know this because he tried it and came up with the same results. He wants the PCs to either die in the underdark or figure out what the drow did with the soul. It's hard being the criminal mastermind.

Q: What would be the most random drow thing to run into in the underdark?
A: Truly independent drow.

Chew on this: A drow Priestess/Mystic Theuge who was high up in her house during the time of troubles. Lloth in one of her jealous fits let the house be taken because of the MT's diversion from the true faith. The house that slaughtered her family missed the fact she had a clone prepared. Now they rule a small city while the ex-priestess roams the underdark with a couple of non-house servants that escaped the slaughter. When the priestess awoke from as the clone Lloth had abandoned her, and she took to Kiaransalee. We all know how well that turned out. So now after losing one god and going though whatever big O is doing to her current god, she has become a little eccentric.

Q: What role-playing possibilities does this hold?
A: A boatload

1) Straight-up fight.
2) The MT has heard about Lloth's silence and would want the party to get a drow cleric so she can find out more.
3) The MT sees Lloth's silence as an opportunity to get vengeance on the society that cast her out.
4) The MT sees Lloth's silence as an opportunity to take over the city.
5) The MT wants to test the PCs before using them so she sets them against some nasty underdark critters - Mind Flayers, Orcus Cultists, lawyers, etc.
In return she promises to do anything to recover the human's soul. What she got to lose really and this type of political weapon only comes along once in a while.
Hopefully the infiltration of a drow city will take up enough time to stir up the pot topside.
The lich will scry on the party constantly and starts to become obsessed with them, maybe he has had a vision about them?