Plot ideas for the future of my campaign...

[Breakstone]

I'm just pondering some ideas for the future of my campaign. Here's what's happened so far:

The characters joined a caravan, and have been fighting a bunch of orc slavers who are commonly refered to as the Skull Slavers, due to the skull masks they commonly wear.

The caravan tried to pass through the Jackal Plains, home of the Violet Claw Tribe of pygmies. Usually, the tribe is peaceful, but the Violet Claw Tribe had recently started attacking caravans, and attack the pc's caravan.

A shaman claimed that they were fighting for "the Reincarnated One, who defeated the asp at Lake Omingawo."

The caravan was forced to detour through Drake Canyon, where they fought Earth Kobolds and had to negotiate with Skyla, the alchoholic mother Blue Dragon. Gar, the half-orc reincarnated as an elf-Wizard died here, and has become a ghost (unknowing to the current PC's).

The two remaining characters, along with half the caravan crew, managed to reach the next town safely. They're now traveling to Bear Mountain, where they will be meeting up with the Bear Clan, a friendly clan of Dwarves.

So here's what I was thinking:

The Orcs could be trying to infiltrate the Bear Clan. They have amulates of Alter Self to look like the Dwarves. The PC's need to find and "take care" of these Orc assassins.

To accomplish this, the characters will have to be able to tell apart the Bear Mountain dwarves from the Orcs. I suppose I'll have to flesh out the Bear Mountain Clan some more. Any ideas on this?

Also, I was thinking of tying the orc slavers in with the "Reincarnated God." Maybe the PC's can check out Lake Omingawo, and find out who really defeated the Asp there.

Any ideas?

 

[Loric]

Are the orc slavers really simple slavers or are they a cult working towards resurrecting/bringing back a god, avatar, evil being etc etc. They could simply be covering as slaves in order to capture enough bodies for a mass sacrifice, thereby releasing enough energy to achieve their goal. A trip to the lake might be a nice way to clue the pcs in. Perhaps they stumble across a small shrine, buried temple, what have you, inside they find mosaics and reliefs but don't understand them. However, they do find a skull mask in the temple somewhere, and there is your tie in to the orc slavers.

Perhaps the orcs are merely working for someone? The power behind the slavers may actually be the religious cult type thing, while the orcs are simply doing the grunt work. This could be a way to introduce a new race/ plot line/ into the campaign.

As far as the orcs infilitrating the dwarven clan, I just don't see that happening, the societies are simply to different for a mass infilitration. Perhaps one or two but nothing more. More interesting might be a rogue dwarf of the bear clan seeking revenge against those who cast him out. He goes to work for the slavers, who in return for his good service, grant him an amulet of alter self. He really only needs to change his appearance, but since he in really familiar with the nuances to bear clan society finding him would be difficult. To tie it in with the slavers, perhaps the bear clan has something the slaver's want and in addition to his personal reasons for wanting to destroy the bear clan, he is attempting to steal item/ kidnap or kill person etc...

just some thoughts

Lorics

 

[Breakstone]

I like your ideas of the mass sacrifice. Maybe to bring a big ol' demon Dark Lord type in from a portal that requires that huge of a body count.

Hm... maybe the "Reincarnated God" (let's call him Black Bart for now) knows that the portal is located somewhere around the Jackal Prairies, thus he's fortifying his position to prevent any trespassing...

About the Orc/Dwarf conflict thing- I'm planning on only having one or two. It ought to be neat, having the PC's figure out the habits of the Bear Clan and trying to find the one who doesn't fit in...

Any more ideas?

 

[Loric]

Rather than knowing the exact location perhaps black bart's minions are searching for, thus giving them an excuse to wander about the plains, intereacting with whatever tribes.societeis they find there. The pcs can catch a rumor or hint of this by stumbling across a smoking caravan, battle ground, what have with a single survivor who has obviously been tortured. He could clue them in with a description or clues to the activities....'the raiders..they attacked us without warning......I tried to run but was captured....They kept asking about....(insert appropriate name of place object or ruin here)' and then work from there.

I like the idea of the evil group attempting to hire, bribe, curry favor with, or dupe, one or of the societies on the plain itself. Perhaps as guards/scouts for them. A rival tribe could then be recruited by pcs, or could even ask the pcs to help them, with the subverted tribe, allowing the pcs to come at it from a slightly different angle as well.

Hope it helps
Loric