D&D 5E Princes of the Apocalypse campaign recaps

[Nebulous]

Session #11 - Rivergard Keep

https://app.box.com/s/lx24ym2rhodo08o4zwhk7ikm6th6zuex

 

[g0gmag0g]

I think this is the way to go. I also want a contact in Beliard to know this, somehow, and relate it to the PCs. Including Windharrow as a spy and betrayer and his purpose as Aerisi's second hand.

I will play up the nature of the delegation's mystical and investigatory significance, and this is why they were falsely led into a trap and killed and kidnapped.

It nicely fits in with the 'tactics & philosophy' of the cults as well. The Air cult "work in secret, using stealth", so placing agents is perfect. On the other hand, the Earth cult are "brutal and straightforward" - they saw, they smashed, they took.

The only possible missed opportunity here is the Water cult. Page 40 says that the Earth cult paid them to ferry them across the river - surely that was a great chance for the Water cult to double-cross them and grab the delegates for themselves? I'm tempted to have had some sort of mid-river fight that allows the Water cult to grab a delegate captive for themselves. This combat weakens the Earth cultist group and leaves them vulnerable to the Air cult attack slightly later. I might add a delegate to one of the Water cult bases - or at least their remains and some useful clues.

 

[Nebulous]

It nicely fits in with the 'tactics & philosophy' of the cults as well. The Air cult "work in secret, using stealth", so placing agents is perfect. On the other hand, the Earth cult are "brutal and straightforward" - they saw, they smashed, they took.

The only possible missed opportunity here is the Water cult. Page 40 says that the Earth cult paid them to ferry them across the river - surely that was a great chance for the Water cult to double-cross them and grab the delegates for themselves? I'm tempted to have had some sort of mid-river fight that allows the Water cult to grab a delegate captive for themselves. This combat weakens the Earth cultist group and leaves them vulnerable to the Air cult attack slightly later. I might add a delegate to one of the Water cult bases - or at least their remains and some useful clues.

Yeah, that dovetails nicely with the plot. At this point I think all 4 Temples need at least one delegate prisoner. Or maybe if not a fight (you mean between Earth and Water right?) then just a peaceable "you take this dude, we'll take these." I think I want to play up the Air/Fire alliance and the Earth/Water alliance.

Someone in Beliard, most likely the Emerald Enclave contact, whoever that is, somehow knows the identity and maybe deduced the purpose of Windharrow in the group. Maybe this EE contact realized it too late to warn the delegation ("I know I've seen that guy somewhere before (Windharrow). But where? Oh....crap.")

I need to figure this out because we're supposed to play again tomorrow night, and Beliard is the next stop.

 

[Nebulous]

Windharrow could even be a known assassin from the Dalelands or something like that and on the Enclave's radar, like the FBI Most Wanted.

 

[Nebulous]

Session #11 - Rivergard Keep

https://app.box.com/s/lx24ym2rhodo08o4zwhk7ikm6th6zuex

I doubt my players will read this, they don't like to spoil it for themselves. Regarding the "three bursts of lightning", yeah, they were right, it was a ritual. Aerisi summoned 3 invisible stalkers to inhabit the Spire for a month and a day and kill any living thing that sets foot inside. Including the roof.

 

[g0gmag0g]

Yeah, that dovetails nicely with the plot. At this point I think all 4 Temples need at least one delegate prisoner. Or maybe if not a fight (you mean between Earth and Water right?) then just a peaceable "you take this dude, we'll take these." I think I want to play up the Air/Fire alliance and the Earth/Water alliance.

Someone in Beliard, most likely the Emerald Enclave contact, whoever that is, somehow knows the identity and maybe deduced the purpose of Windharrow in the group. Maybe this EE contact realized it too late to warn the delegation ("I know I've seen that guy somewhere before (Windharrow). But where? Oh....crap.")

I need to figure this out because we're supposed to play again tomorrow night, and Beliard is the next stop.

Hah, yes, I meant an Earth/Water cult-off.

I see what you mean about doing more with an alliance between those two cults (and with Air/Fire), but as I read the adventure it seemed more like Earth and Water have just about enough affinity to tolerate one another and cautiously agree reciprocal deals, like ferrying across a river for cash. It's just that Earth and Air wouldn't ever do anything to help one another even if it's in their own interest. But I didn't see it as any cults actually working together, let alone anything remotely 'peaceable'. I think they all want to screw one another over whenever possible.

This doesn't help me bring in the Fire cult, though. However, I *might* pinch your idea of an EE contact showing up to talk to the PCs in Beliard to reveal that Windharrow is an Air cult agent... but actually it's Elizar Dryflagon in disguise, spreading chaos and causing problems for the Air cult. It would be fun for the next EE contact the party meet to say to them, "The Enclave contact in Beliard? But there isn't an Enclave contact in Beliard...".

Sorry, not much help for your game tomorrow night, of course!

 

[Nebulous]

Hah, yes, I meant an Earth/Water cult-off.

I see what you mean about doing more with an alliance between those two cults (and with Air/Fire), but as I read the adventure it seemed more like Earth and Water have just about enough affinity to tolerate one another and cautiously agree reciprocal deals, like ferrying across a river for cash. It's just that Earth and Air wouldn't ever do anything to help one another even if it's in their own interest. But I didn't see it as any cults actually working together, let alone anything remotely 'peaceable'. I think they all want to screw one another over whenever possible.

This doesn't help me bring in the Fire cult, though. However, I *might* pinch your idea of an EE contact showing up to talk to the PCs in Beliard to reveal that Windharrow is an Air cult agent... but actually it's Elizar Dryflagon in disguise, spreading chaos and causing problems for the Air cult. It would be fun for the next EE contact the party meet to say to them, "The Enclave contact in Beliard? But there isn't an Enclave contact in Beliard...".

Sorry, not much help for your game tomorrow night, of course!

Yeah, "peaceable" is a good way to describe it, for my game anyway. They won't attack unless there is clearly something to be gained, otherwise they'll use each other. They are not chummy, Earth and Water, Fire and Air, but they have at least some respect for the other, but each still considers their own clan superior.

Furthermore, going back to the delegation, I had the idea that they had a SECRET mission with four elementally-inclined high level druids who were going to take on the responsibility of solving the problem in the Sumber Hills. They didn't make it that far.

 

[Nebulous]

I like this. There's a good summary of what's in the book about the delegation here, and frankly, it's not much. It's just a "trade delegation" with no clear goal or consequence for their capture, other than a bunch of unrelated vague faction hooks. It reminds me more than anything of The Phantom Menace.

thanks man, this helps. I'll definitely flesh it out. Three of the four captives in each Temple i think will be part of the "special task force" of druids sent to combat the problem in the hills. The Waterdeep noblewoman in the Howling Caves is not a druid.

Bruldenthar, Teresiel, and Rhundorth were all druids, possibly and probably well known Enclave delegates on a secret mission, along with a 4th member who was slain in the ambush and whose corpse can be found at the ambush site along with the guards and the cracked, smashed, desecrated coffin of the Icewind Dale Knight (solving one of Hadrian's Gauntlet missions).

 

[Nebulous]

FURTHERMORE, my Emerald Enclave contact in Beliard (Markus Damaskus) will have relevant clues about some of the Side Treks, such as the Hand of Yartar rumors that they've stolen an elemental weapon and are hoping to pawn it off. Markus also knows that Bargewright Inn is a hotbed of Zhentarim activity and has connections with Yartar. He's also aware that Iceshield Orcs are raiding the lands east of Beliard, and have already burned Anderil Farm.

 

[g0gmag0g]

thanks man, this helps. I'll definitely flesh it out. Three of the four captives in each Temple i think will be part of the "special task force" of druids sent to combat the problem in the hills. The Waterdeep noblewoman in the Howling Caves is not a druid.

Bruldenthar, Teresiel, and Rhundorth were all druids, possibly and probably well known Enclave delegates on a secret mission, along with a 4th member who was slain in the ambush and whose corpse can be found at the ambush site along with the guards and the cracked, smashed, desecrated coffin of the Icewind Dale Knight (solving one of Hadrian's Gauntlet missions).

That's a pretty nifty solution. Nice stuff. Although sending a low-medium party in after the disappearance of "high-level druids" sounds like a risky and unlikely strategy. Maybe a group of highly erudite sages, but ones who aren't used to missions in the field (i.e. low adventuring levels).