Schemes of Snake Women Priestesses!

[SHARK]

The large chamber was heavily-scented with the sweet smoke of burning incense in numerous ornate bronze braziers. The priestess Sybilla chanted to her ancient snake goddess, and completed the final elements of her fertility ritual. First, Sybilla had her way with the Archaedian warrior, Python, and was followed in her ritual by her assistant priestesses Dynissa, Ellonyth, and Sarmanda. Python lay stretched upon a great stone table, naked and gleaming with sweat and luxurious oils. Sybilla and her priestesses were startled to alertness from their revelries by the sound of fighting, and the screams of the dying outside the doors to the altar chamber. Python strained his massive muscles against the chains that bound him, and roared his defiance as the sound of fighting neared. Python thirsted for revenge, and hoped that the hour of his deliverence was at hand.

Greetings!

Python was soon rescued by his comrades as they burst into the altar chamber, hacking and fighting their way inside through the bloody and crushed bodies of the temple's defenders. Bodies of greenish-blue Lugonde lay sprawled about, as well as several of the lizard men's human allies. Ellonyth was killed in the savage fighting that followed, though Dynissa, Sarmanda and Sybilla managed to escape through a secret passageway that led down into the sewers that stretched below the town of Orsanjic.

Python and his comrades carefully sacked the strange temple complex, and discovered maps, business ledgers and other important documents that described a coded relationship with several members of the town's community. Precisely who these people in league with the eldritch snake men and their lizard men servants were remained a mystery that demanded further investigation. Python and his comrades knew that the nearby Neru Marsh must hold some clues, though the fact that some humans were also enthralled to the lizard-men was horrifying to contemplate.

Who are these wicked humans in league with the lizard-men and their snake-women priestesses? What schemes are the Lizard-men up to in the Neru Marsh?

I recently began a AD&D campaign, and developed some beginning adventures for the group, on the fly. The early game sessions so far have been outstanding. With some new details discovered recently, I thought I would ask you all for some help to flesh some things out in advance of the next game session!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Wycen]

Sounds like your group can handle adult themes, so how about Python and gang discover a brood of snakelings sometime in the future that look suspiciously like daddy. Moral quandries though shouldn't derail the adventure.

Some of the townfolk are just mesmerized by the swaying eyes of the snakemen, like the teacher who's reading stories to her class about the boy with the pet lizard. Some are in it purely for profit. Snake people got access to weird and wonderful exotic goods that sell for a pretty penny. Some are just plain twisted and work with them because they worship a similar god, and/or want profit and power.

Then maybe you got a hermit or somebody who isn't doing anything evil, just communicating with them through a proxy to get help decyphering an old language.

None of them have to be aware of others under the snakemen's influence, though maybe they suspect some others.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Hello SHARK,

I'm thinking layers upon layers here.

I'm thinking a faceless puppetmaster promising power to a group of townsmen and using the Lizardfolk to bring them undone while also accomplishing further goals with the relationship. The question becomes what are his motives? What is the vengeance he seeks? Is he appeasing some planar entity with promises that the PCs will eventually smash? Can the PCs see through the confusion or will they repeatedly become the anvil against which the puppetmaster can use his tools? Is an ally or friend of the PCs perhaps involved in all of this with a confession to make? Perhaps the head priestess understands more than the puppetmaster expects? What game is she playing in all of this? Has she betrayed the leader of her tribe? Can the PCs save the Lizardman leader or is he just another patsy meeting his doom? Perhaps the enemies of the PCs in town have also decided to play their hand while the PCs are under pressure? Perhaps a particular PC presents too juicier a target - some long-planned revenge to be accomplished? And what other resources can the puppetmaster bring to bear? These resources are again borrowed with a horrible currency he has almost fully spent - and is almost time to pay it back with such horrible consequences for the town at large?

Sorry for the wall of text, but I find a stream of questions can sometimes help in these situations. Apologies if they fail to answer your original queries.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[SHARK]

Sounds like your group can handle adult themes, so how about Python and gang discover a brood of snakelings sometime in the future that look suspiciously like daddy. Moral quandries though shouldn't derail the adventure.

Some of the townfolk are just mesmerized by the swaying eyes of the snakemen, like the teacher who's reading stories to her class about the boy with the pet lizard. Some are in it purely for profit. Snake people got access to weird and wonderful exotic goods that sell for a pretty penny. Some are just plain twisted and work with them because they worship a similar god, and/or want profit and power.

Then maybe you got a hermit or somebody who isn't doing anything evil, just communicating with them through a proxy to get help decyphering an old language.

None of them have to be aware of others under the snakemen's influence, though maybe they suspect some others.

Greetings!

Cool stuff my friend! Ok, I'll have a scholar that is involved in researching lizard-men ruins and culture, and she is in contact with several other scholars. (At least one such scholar is in the know--he meets with lizard-men regularly)--though the other scholars, including the female scholar the party meets, are entirely ignorant of any real contact, or nefarious schemes. Neat! One of the scholars is an old hermit, specializing in languages. Bravo!

Mmmm...and then a few merchants are also into trading with several other merchant contacts--a few of them are loosely connected with trading with the lizard-men, but the others merely deal with *those* merchants as middle-men. Nice touch there my friend!

A good mix and variety of different plots spinning off of several threads of involvement, many of which are innocuous and not nefarious in the least. I like it!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[SHARK]

Hello SHARK,

I'm thinking layers upon layers here.

I'm thinking a faceless puppetmaster promising power to a group of townsmen and using the Lizardfolk to bring them undone while also accomplishing further goals with the relationship. The question becomes what are his motives? What is the vengeance he seeks? Is he appeasing some planar entity with promises that the PCs will eventually smash? Can the PCs see through the confusion or will they repeatedly become the anvil against which the puppetmaster can use his tools? Is an ally or friend of the PCs perhaps involved in all of this with a confession to make? Perhaps the head priestess understands more than the puppetmaster expects? What game is she playing in all of this? Has she betrayed the leader of her tribe? Can the PCs save the Lizardman leader or is he just another patsy meeting his doom? Perhaps the enemies of the PCs in town have also decided to play their hand while the PCs are under pressure? Perhaps a particular PC presents too juicier a target - some long-planned revenge to be accomplished? And what other resources can the puppetmaster bring to bear? These resources are again borrowed with a horrible currency he has almost fully spent - and is almost time to pay it back with such horrible consequences for the town at large?

Sorry for the wall of text, but I find a stream of questions can sometimes help in these situations. Apologies if they fail to answer your original queries.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

Greetings!

Good to see you, too my old friend! Dayum, you have inspired me with several ideas with your post! Hmmm...layers and layers...the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing...some betrayals, some motives at cross-purposes, oh yeah!

A middle-aged cleric in the town has become enchanted with the attentions provided by a snake-woman priestess, and her lizard-men retainers...she has provided him with some items of interest, as well as strange intoxicants and drugs that provide him with energy, strength, and renewed vigor, making him feel like he did when he was much younger..*howling in glee*!!

He in turn, has lobbied for tolerance, negotiation, and understanding within the local Lord's Court. Meanwhile, in secret, he is serving as a supplier for such powerful stimulants to the likewise aging Captain of the Guard, who seeks to satisfy his much younger wife.

Meanwhile, a lesser nobleman is plotting a dramatic change in his fortunes, as he lobbies the local Baron for more funds and troops to finance military operations protecting local caravan routes--some of which are under increasing attack by lizard-men, which he has provided intelligence on caravans so that they can succeed even more so--while providing him with handsome, rich payments...

Hmmm...he uses several servants as go-betweens with the Lizard-men...one of which, is a young female mage. While she has been enthralled at the new knowledge, increasing power, some items, and new feelings of importance--she also deals with growing feelings of guilt and betrayal, and yearns to confess to someone she can trust...oh, damn yes!

Oh, and yes...a different nobleman, a lord that serves the Baron...has growing suspicions and concerns about the lizard-men threat, and is fanatically determined to crush them. Joining with him, are a local paladin of Ullaric, and a hardened cleric, who believes they should be cleansed from the land, and is ever suspicious. This lord, the paladin, the cleric, and a few devout merchant lords who also agree with them, are vigilant and increasingly watchful.

Great stuff Herremann!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Wycen]

And of course for some classic atmosphere : "a standard, two snakes facing each other" as a nod to Conan and Thulsa Doom

 

[Ycore Rixle]

Hm, sounds like you have more than enough plot points, so I'll toss out a few flavor ideas:

* One of the enchantments given to the young mage allows her to desquamate to take on a new disguise. Her former skin doesn't disappear, though, and in fact she can't lose the disguise until she slinks back into her shed skin. Imagine if someone found her skin while she was off in digsuise...

* The potions and poultices invigorating and rejuvenating the cleric and the captain of the guard turn out to be addictive, of course. Go without them too long and a) your body and mind become increasingly saurian or b) you take ability damage that can only be restored by a vile snake ritual.

* It turns out that the priestesses' ritual with Python established a bond. He wakes up at night, panting, his head filled with hisses and undulating coils swarming a dark shape. Each night the shape gets a little more visible.

 

[Voadam]

"The riddle of steel."

"Crucify him and let him contemplate this on the Tree of Woe."

 

[TarionzCousin]

If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, a recent Pathfinder Adventure Path dealt with Serpent People.

http://paizo.com/pathfinder/adventurePath/serpentsSkull

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Well, yuan-ti have to come from somewhere, right? Maybe they aren't their own race but are created by foul magicks, and this group is perpetuating the "yuan-ti species" in order to raise an army to destroy the world of men (and men-like demi-humans).