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Orcus Vs Strahd plot help
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<blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 7460149" data-attributes="member: 58197"><p>My suggestion:</p><p></p><p>Orcus's plan was to make Strahd into a walking locus of Abyssal power. Per "Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes," when the Abyss establishes a foothold in a world, its power can spread like an infection, ultimately consuming that world and turning it into another layer of the Abyss itself.</p><p></p><p>Orcus created a link between Strahd and Thanatos (Orcus's layer of the Abyss). In any world where Strahd dwelled for long, portals to Thanatos would start to open, demons and undead would spread across the land, and that world would become another layer under Orcus's dominion. Orcus would then send Strahd to another world and begin the process again.</p><p></p><p>Barovia was Strahd's nursery. Orcus cast Barovia into the Shadowfell, where Strahd's link to Thanatos turned it into a demiplanar prison. The intent was that Strahd would stay there until Orcus had gnawed away his mind, making him a willing puppet of the demon prince. Then Barovia would be destroyed and Strahd released. Strahd, however, proved stronger than Orcus anticipated; he fought the Abyss's madness for centuries, his mind slipping by inches but never fully letting go.</p><p></p><p>Now, Strahd is free and back in the material plane, and the corruption of Thanatos is spreading in his wake. Strahd doesn't yet understand the link between him and the Abyss, but he's apt to figure it out eventually. When he does, he will want out - he has no desire to spend eternity as Orcus's messenger boy. Of course, he still wants to keep his immortality and his vampire powers. He is very keen on having his cake and eating it too.</p><p></p><p>By the time the PCs track him down, the corruption has taken hold; killing Strahd will prevent him infecting other worlds, but it won't save theirs. In addition, there may be a way to use the link to Thanatos to their advantage. This sets up the possibility that the PCs will eventually find themselves allied with Strahd against Orcus, though having to watch their backs every second.</p><p></p><p>The Raven Queen is royally pissed off at Orcus having dumped a big pile of Abyssal corruption in her realm, and since she also hates Orcus on general principles, she will gladly help the party put a stop to his plans. On the other hand, destroying Strahd is her top priority. She wouldn't mind saving the PCs' world from Orcus, but if sacrificing one world is the price of saving a hundred others, that's fine with her.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dausuul, post: 7460149, member: 58197"] My suggestion: Orcus's plan was to make Strahd into a walking locus of Abyssal power. Per "Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes," when the Abyss establishes a foothold in a world, its power can spread like an infection, ultimately consuming that world and turning it into another layer of the Abyss itself. Orcus created a link between Strahd and Thanatos (Orcus's layer of the Abyss). In any world where Strahd dwelled for long, portals to Thanatos would start to open, demons and undead would spread across the land, and that world would become another layer under Orcus's dominion. Orcus would then send Strahd to another world and begin the process again. Barovia was Strahd's nursery. Orcus cast Barovia into the Shadowfell, where Strahd's link to Thanatos turned it into a demiplanar prison. The intent was that Strahd would stay there until Orcus had gnawed away his mind, making him a willing puppet of the demon prince. Then Barovia would be destroyed and Strahd released. Strahd, however, proved stronger than Orcus anticipated; he fought the Abyss's madness for centuries, his mind slipping by inches but never fully letting go. Now, Strahd is free and back in the material plane, and the corruption of Thanatos is spreading in his wake. Strahd doesn't yet understand the link between him and the Abyss, but he's apt to figure it out eventually. When he does, he will want out - he has no desire to spend eternity as Orcus's messenger boy. Of course, he still wants to keep his immortality and his vampire powers. He is very keen on having his cake and eating it too. By the time the PCs track him down, the corruption has taken hold; killing Strahd will prevent him infecting other worlds, but it won't save theirs. In addition, there may be a way to use the link to Thanatos to their advantage. This sets up the possibility that the PCs will eventually find themselves allied with Strahd against Orcus, though having to watch their backs every second. The Raven Queen is royally pissed off at Orcus having dumped a big pile of Abyssal corruption in her realm, and since she also hates Orcus on general principles, she will gladly help the party put a stop to his plans. On the other hand, destroying Strahd is her top priority. She wouldn't mind saving the PCs' world from Orcus, but if sacrificing one world is the price of saving a hundred others, that's fine with her. [/QUOTE]
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