Captured by ghosts (My players keep out, please!)

[Henrix]

I need your help, fellow DMs, EN worlders, all!


Last session my players (well, their characters, really) went off in a totally different direction than I had intended. They decided to go explore some old ruins, the Gardmore Abbey.
The abbey has a short description on p.206 in the 4e DMG. Essentially it's an old monastery dedicated to Bahamut, abandoned due to them having found a dark artifact, which got the place invaded by evildoers. Or so the story goes - it might not be true.

I fully intended to scare them off by showing them a couple of ghosts (they had a bad run-in with such a beastie a little earlier). I don't want everything they meet to be 'leveled' to a sporting encounter - some things are too tough to fight (and perhaps best left to later), in particular as they're still level one.

Anyhow, as things often go when PCs are around, they didn't fall for it. They didn't try to fight their way out of it, or run away, but stood meekly and just did as the first ghost to approach them asked them to. Which was, after a few blanked out split seconds on my part, to take them into custody. The ghost was, after all, the ghost of a guard patrolling the abbey.

So, they were taken in front of the orderly, who tried to ask them what they were doing there, and, pointedly, if they weren't there for the treasure. Now, one of the characters, an eladrin wizard, had been talking incessantly about the chance of finding a treasure there, and when the orderly asked about it, he couldn't keep his face in check (that was what the player wanted, by the way). So he concluded that they were there to rob them, which he couldn't have.

I've played the ghosts as morose shattered beings, and my intention is that they are somehow cursed to this bleak existance, probably by the 'artifact' or in any case the cause for the abbey's downfall. (Another of the players asked if there were nothing they could do for them, but the orderly just said, in a raspy voice, that there was nothing anyone could do for them - doubtless he's wrong, but that's what they think.)
I don't think the ghosts are Evil. Nasty customers, yes, and not above leaving people to starve to death in their dungeon, but more sad, cursed souls who, very deep inside them, are devotees of Bahamut.

And that's where we parted for the evening, in a nice cliffhanger.

So, where in the abyss do I go from there?
The PCs have gotten themselves good and surrounded (not by my intention, mind you) and will have a hard time getting out. (There was some hopeful mention that the guards might just be minions as we wrapped up. So that's out of the question.)

I'm thinking of just throwing them in a deep dungeon (literally), without waepons and stuff, but with the leavings from earlier stupid gits (a.k.a. 'PCs'), and let them find an unknown way out. Perhaps beat them unconscious first, so that they have no idea of the way in. (I've always wanted to do a Daggerfall/Oblivion kinda thing. I might even use the first dungeon map from Daggerfall, which might tickle one or two of them.)

But I'd like them to learn something about the abbey, the 'artifact' and the curse on their way out. Something they can come back to later. Something that can let them help the poor cursed sods. Perhaps something that ties into KotS, Thunderspire, Pyramid of Shadows, or something else entirely.

The problem is that I'm somewhat stumped. Not to mention down with an awful fever.

Any ideas on how to make this memorable?

 

[fba827]

Do the ghosts know they're ghosts? ( am guessing yes by a sentence you said there) and is time more or less "standing still" for them?

if they don't know they're ghosts or if time is more or less standing still for them, there may be issues with the feeding of them as prisoners (either ghostly food or the ghosts are never hungry so they never think about it for the prisoners).. either case would be a good prompting for the PCs to know they need to break out of there or starve to death.

Also, when the ghost is tossing them in jail, have him make some subtle reference to "can't let theives in here again!" -- OR -- the ghosts think these are the same ones who robbed the place before so they will be insisting that they return (artifact). Either of those directions would give a subtle or not-so-subtle hint that the place was robbed and of the background associated with the place.

As for escaping, any guard with the dedication to even become a ghost bound to the spot won't be some idiot. So having some forgotten passage hidden in the cell or the door isn't locked just seems to weak. Another ghost might help them escape (though you'll need a good reason -- perhaps the ghost belives the PCs are the original theives and wants the PCs to go get the item and bring it back from their hideout in order to end the ghost curse).

 

[Rechan]

I'm thinking of just throwing them in a deep dungeon (literally), without waepons and stuff, but with the leavings from earlier stupid gits (a.k.a. 'PCs'), and let them find an unknown way out. Perhaps beat them unconscious first, so that they have no idea of the way in. (I've always wanted to do a Daggerfall/Oblivion kinda thing. I might even use the first dungeon map from Daggerfall, which might tickle one or two of them.)

But I'd like them to learn something about the abbey, the 'artifact' and the curse on their way out. Something they can come back to later. Something that can let them help the poor cursed sods. Perhaps something that ties into KotS, Thunderspire, Pyramid of Shadows, or something else entirely.

My first thought is that the PCs might have something on them which hampers ghosts. Cold Iron, salt (from salted meat, maybe), or something else they have on their person which they could use to prevent a ghost from approaching them. They could simply inch their way out with the material, since the ghosts couldn't cross it. But, that might either not be an option due to what they have in their pack, or might not be how you want to run your campaign.

The next thought is to offer the PCs the option of being heroes. The Ghosts are dead, yes. But there might be something going on at the abbey that they are scared of. Perhaps there's a creature bound to the artifact that enjoys taunting/hunting the spirits (think of an cat playing with a bunch of regenerating mice). The entity attacks while they are being led to the dungeon, disrupting their armed escort. Or, while they are in the dungeon, one of the guards might think the PCs have something that could hurt the beast, or otherwise prevent it, and he could release them in a fearful hurry as the entity approaches.

Or, something a little simpler. A bunch of fledgling necromancers want to come in and study the artifact. Or they could be trying to control/bind a ghost or two as a minion. So the necromancers, while coming in to toy with the artifact, stumble across the PCs and offer to release them, in exchage for some sort of dark purpose. Another option would be one of the ghost guards, again, releasing the PCs in a frantic hurry, begging them to fight the Necromancers (who have power of control over the ghosts).

(Sidenote: the big bad in the Pyramid of Shadows has his spirit/body/whatnot bound to the pyramid, his spirit split into three halves, etc. Maybe the same thing is happening here, either giving insight on dealing with him, or once they stop him, it allows the PCs to come back and find the necessary elements to release the ghosts).

 

[Henrix]

The next thought is to offer the PCs the option of being heroes. The Ghosts are dead, yes. But there might be something going on at the abbey that they are scared of.

Letting the PCs feel special is a good way - I'm not certain I want a pure ghost eater, though, it feels a little simple.
Perhaps the ghosts aren't exactly scared, but there's something that bothers them, something that the PCs, due to being alive, or unique in other ways, can do something about?

Perhaps there's a creature bound to the artifact that enjoys taunting/hunting the spirits (think of an cat playing with a bunch of regenerating mice).

Maybe the presence of the artifact, which was never retaken by the icky evildoers, is what powers the curse. Perhaps it might be lifted if the PCs take the artifact and carry it around (leaving it will, of course be impossible - it can only be taken).

(Sidenote: the big bad in the Pyramid of Shadows has his spirit/body/whatnot bound to the pyramid, his spirit split into three halves, etc. Maybe the same thing is happening here, either giving insight on dealing with him, or once they stop him, it allows the PCs to come back and find the necessary elements to release the ghosts).

That's a nice idea. Tie-backs are good.