Ideas for a "Repair the seals" campaign

sfedi · Jan 24, 2019

Hello! I'll be running a 4e campaign in Eberron, Eldeen Reaches.
2 Druids, 2 Barbarians (one with a Defender build)
From level 1 to level 5.

Loosely, the structure will be:

Investigate strange events in the vale
Figure out that the seals containing an ancient evil are broken
Repair the seals while protecting the vale

But I'm stuck, I'm blocked on how to answer the following questions:

What was the ancient evil that was sealed?
Who/what broke the seal?
How can it be repaired?

I know that "Daelkyr/aberrations" are the obvious answer, but what specifically? What's their agenda?

Anything will be useful, it will help me get the creative juices flowing.

Bawylie · Jan 25, 2019

sfedi said:
Hello! I'll be running a 4e campaign in Eberron, Eldeen Reaches.
2 Druids, 2 Barbarians (one with a Defender build)
From level 1 to level 5.

Loosely, the structure will be:

Investigate strange events in the vale

Figure out that the seals containing an ancient evil are broken

Repair the seals while protecting the vale

But I'm stuck, I'm blocked on how to answer the following questions:

What was the ancient evil that was sealed?
Who/what broke the seal?
How can it be repaired?

I know that "Daelkyr/aberrations" are the obvious answer, but what specifically? What's their agenda?

Anything will be useful, it will help me get the creative juices flowing.

The ancient evil that was Sealed is an Ascendant Councilor, ancient elven holy necromancer that was seduced by a daelkyr (let’s say romantically) and corrupted by an astral view of Xoriat and now all its power is a poison on the land. The councilor was sealed by heroes of a forgotten age, when they found they couldn’t defeat it outright.

Recently a sect of elves of Aerenal discovered part of the history. Believing a great blasphemy has occurred and that their holy councilor is wrongly imprisoned, they work to find and break the seals (kept in the tombs of those ancient heroes) that imprison the councilor.

The seals can be repaired by braving the forgotten tombs, overcoming the elven guards and wards, and conjuring the spirits of the dead heroes who will give their very souls to ensure the councilor never leaves the vale.

Meanwhile a very motivated Daelkyr lurks in the shadows, dropping hints and weapons to the elves, slowly corrupting them too, to free its long imprisoned love.

sfedi · Jan 26, 2019

Thank you Bawylie! Very inspiring!

Anyone has another idea?

Ratskinner · Jan 26, 2019

dunno Eberron or the Daelkyr....

The "evil" is currently unknown, but can be discovered through a research campaign...

It isn't a being, but a device/force that would effectively destroy the world's native life while making it more compatible with Outsider life.

As seals go unsealed, over time they "leak" force that warps the areas near the seal. That concentrates the outsiders around the leaking seals. Probably would also attract cultists (perhaps anti- and pro- outsider cults) who use the radiation to gain "blessings".

Wouldn't be bad to have an anti-party working against them. I wouldn't be shy about having the party "lose" one of the seals to them and creating a regional disaster (at the appropriate levels.) Re-sealing that seal might require more research and a bigger fight than normal.

anyway, that's OTTOMH