Campaign finale - input sought

[Napftor]

So here's the lowdown on my FR campaign. Orcus has a weapon in orbit of Toril which the Demon Prince of Undead plans to use to throw the rocks of Selune's Tears on to the planet surface. The largest rocks will be slamming into the major cities of the Realms guided by electronic sensor boxes that his minions are placing even now. After decimating most of the planet's population, Orcus' minions transport from the last destroyed planet in the form of giant steel towers. The Realms' corpses will be collected into these towers and then animated to join the Demon Prince's massive armies. The PCs have been given knowledge of this dire future by a time-traveling evoker (who learned of a plot to slay his infant self which is why he returned...but that's another story.)

To protect the planet, the PCs journeyed to a druidic library to investigate a power known to the PC druid as the Liferoot--a great living root that courses through the entirety of the planet, its power innately preventing all other planes from intruding on the Material Plane (each planet has one; a bit wacky I admit but that's what's in my Realms). A temple in the Gulthmere Forest housed the Curator of the Liferoot--a wizened halfling female. After saving the Temple of the Liferoot from undead intrusion, the PCs discussed with the Curator how they might stop the threat from Orcus. It was decided by the group to attune the Liferoot's power in such a way that teleportation from outside the Realms would be deflected (into the Plane of Fire in this case). It's the PCs' hope that once Orcus realizes that he cannot colonize the Realms, his attack will not occur.

Here's my dilemma. It's fine that the party chose this course of action. They are currently acting to retrieve the third of 3 components the Curator said was necessary to attune the Liferoot in the fashion they desire. But even if and when that happens, I would think that Orcus would destroy the Realms out of anger, or even spite. Orcus' weapon has already begun to hurl the smallest rocks at the end of Selune's Tears (which haven't hit anything major but don't require the targeting devices). The evoker from the future warned that this happened in his own timeline and that in less than a week's time the larger rocks will rain down on the Realms' metropolii.

With two adventures left (one of them to retrieve the third component), I'm looking for finale suggestions. I'm moving to a planar-based campaign after this one with a connection to the Realms so I don't want to totally destroy the planet (and end the campaign on a downer). My thoughts are to have the weakened Curator (in pain from the assaults of the smaller meteors felt via her Liferoot connection) send the PCs to an ancient mountaintop city where the components they've gathered must be--I don't know--used somehow. Of course, undead will be dogging them and/or already at the site they're going to (but cannot enter the "sacred place"). But how to end the campaign without destroying the world and how to allow the PCs to be the one's to save it are the questions.

Any suggestions? I need some inspiration here.

 

[Ultrazen]

Well, the first really big tear needs to head for Elminster's tower, for a start....

But more seriously, I'd try to engineer some sort of reverse gravity device to intercept the tears and fling them back at Orcus. Or maybe create a Disjunction bomb. The PCs have to travel to Orcus' weapon, plant the bomb, and get out undetected before it goes off and renders the weapon nonfunctional (assuming this is a magical weapon). Or maybe the Liferoot components do nasty things to undead. Perhaps the Curator needs to delicately remind the PCs that they haven't done anything yet to prevent the destruction of the Realms, just its occupation, and that Orcus isn't really the type to give up just because a simple teleport spell isn't working?

 

[scourger]

A choice is only meaningful if there are possibly positive and negative consequences. Whatever the PCs plans and however great the odds of success, there must be the chance for utter failure. If they fail, the realms just become dark. Heck, there's a whole campaign setting written on a similar premise. The (surviving) PCs can still use it as a home base or starting point for a plane-hopping game. It's just not all nice anymore.

Here are some other questions. First, what reaction do the denizens of the plane of fire have to the PCs plan? Maybe they don't want a bunch of undead orcus minions, or worse, rerouted to their home. You could have some powerful fire outsiders very interested and willing to intervene in these actions. Perhaps a fire god puts a stop to orcus' plans. Perhaps it becomes a three-way struggle. Maybe the PCs really need to pit orcus against the fire lords on the premise that the demon lord is trying to annex the fire plane.

Also, if all attempts to teleport into the realms are redirected to the plane of fire, how do the realms become the center of the next inter-planar campaign? There's no going back to the realms once you leave, right?

 

[Napftor]

A choice is only meaningful if there are possibly positive and negative consequences. Whatever the PCs plans and however great the odds of success, there must be the chance for utter failure. If they fail, the realms just become dark. Heck, there's a whole campaign setting written on a similar premise. The (surviving) PCs can still use it as a home base or starting point for a plane-hopping game. It's just not all nice anymore.

Actually, the next campaign will involve new 1st-level PCs and begin in Sigil. The organization that hires them is Realms-affiliated.

Here are some other questions. First, what reaction do the denizens of the plane of fire have to the PCs plan? Maybe they don't want a bunch of undead orcus minions, or worse, rerouted to their home. You could have some powerful fire outsiders very interested and willing to intervene in these actions. Perhaps a fire god puts a stop to orcus' plans. Perhaps it becomes a three-way struggle. Maybe the PCs really need to pit orcus against the fire lords on the premise that the demon lord is trying to annex the fire plane.

The PCs assumed that all diverted teleporting towers would simply burn up in the Plane of Fire (which was OK with me). What the denizens think is a repurcussion I don't need to worry about until it actually starts happening. Although your 3-way struggle is an intriguing idea.

Also, if all attempts to teleport into the realms are redirected to the plane of fire, how do the realms become the center of the next inter-planar campaign? There's no going back to the realms once you leave, right?

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

 

[Napftor]

Let's BUMP this back to the first page and grab the weekday crew's attention.