For An Elf Maiden's Love!

[SHARK]

Greetings!

A player in my campaign has a female High Elf Druid; her brother, a powerful elven fighter, has been a member of the group, and is very protective over her. She is of high noble blood, and is in love with a powerful High Elf Wizard. In absence of their father, her brother has declared that the elf wizard needs to perform a great quest to prove that he is worthy of her love, and worthy of joining the ancient noble family. The wizard is epic level, and very powerful, as is her elven druid.

What kind of quest would you think adequate to the task, and suffciently impressive? The brother, of course, knows that their father would want only the best man to marry his beautiful daughter, so the standards are very high. Naturally, other relational qualities are also required, but the elven community that they come from has a tradition of being led by heroic leaders and great champions, thus, the father, and therefore the brother, want to see some primary example of the suitor's heroic abilities, as well as leadership skills in accomplishing some great deed, as befitting a great elven noble. What might you suggest?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[blackshirt5]

I don't suppose slaying a dragon would be too obvious for ya, would it Sharky?

 

[kengar]

Or to ascend the throne of Gondor & unite the Northern & Southern kingdoms?

 

[blackshirt5]

How about Killing a Demilich and taking it's stuff...for dowry and gifts?

Kengar, is that your dog as your avatar? He's adorable.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Nice to see you back SHARK seems you've been away awhile.

Anyway, make him go on several short quests to recover stuff by whatever means necessary (skull of "X" moster, staff of "verb" ing, etc.) and when he gets all of the items together, have them form some kind of puzzle thathe must solve ("What do all f these itmes have in common" etc).

Yes it's short on specifics, but I think the quest should be somewhat more than "kill something"...I wouldn't allow my daughter to be married off to a guy based solely on the fact that he could swing a sword.

Have them scry on him...Did he get the Skull of whatever by negotiation (Yay!)? or did he steal it (boo!)? (Vice versa if the father is a thief)

Did he kil the last unicorn in the world to get it's horn (boo!)? or did he stop and think that he might get a Unicorn horn elsewhere, like recovering the horn fo the last unicorn's life mate...long ago killed and taxidermied by some minor godling?

That kind of thing.

Man, I'm rambling.

 

[Wycen]

How about a 10 year long voyage, with a visit to the underworld, island of cyclops, pig farm, and the sirens call. Oh wait, that's been done before.

 

[barsoomcore]

Depends on the brother. If he's crafty and pragmatic, he might chose some sort of goal that would benefit the elf nation (defeat the goblins of the Northern Plains). If he's so focussed on his sister's worthiness he'll probably think up something without much practical benefit (bring me the jade bracelet of the Spider Goddess!).

Furthermore, what is the brother's feeling in all this? Does he approve of the wizard? He might choose a completely impossible and insanely dangerous task in the hopes that the wizard will fail and die in the attempt. Or vice versa, he might choose something pretty simple.

None of which helps you much in deciding what the task actually IS, I know...

Here are some broad ideas:

Real Estate
- clear out a formerly sacred site of blasphemous intruders
- restore a lost portion of the kingdom
- drive out unwanted invaders

Folks
- make peace with the hated rivals
- bring down the hated rivals
- embarrass the hated rivals
- rescue the loved ones
- impress the allies

Magic
- develop a new item
- recover a lost item
- steal a rightfully held item
- transport an item

Monsters
- slay the beastie, wee and timourous
- exterminate the race (drow, anyone?)
- render the kingdom safe from
- tame

Nothing earth-shattering there but lots of starters for ya...

 

[frankthedm]

something very long in undertaking. Elves are a patient lot and a 50 to 60 year ordeal should be about right.

 

[Black Omega]

Recovering a Simarill (sp) from the Iron Crown of Morgoth is a traditional and suitably impossible task

 

[Oni]

Travel to the netherworld or where ever it is that elves go when they pass from the world in your campaign and seek the blessings of the maidens greatest ancestors (who might in turn have their own quest to gain said blessing). If the progenitors of their line find him worthy, what farther test could possibly be needed.