Help me fire my Chekhov's gun—The Double Axe Wielding Zombie Dwarf

[Viking Bastard]

Help me fire my Chekhov's gun—The Double Axe Wielding Zombie Dwarf

In the campaign's first adventure two things happened of importance to this thread:

• The PCs came upon a portal to the Shadowfell in a Goblin Chief's hangout. The Goblin Chief had aligned with forces stationed in the Shadowfell and the goblin band's Shadowfell contact used the portal to move between the planes. The PCs couldn't activate it, but as they investigated it, they all experienced a sudden feeling of dread and a cold shiver going down their spine.
• One of the PCs, a dwarven fighter, went a bit bonkers and was slain by the rest of the party at the end of the adventure. This was all in good fun as the player had already decided to switch characters.

I had originally meant for the unholy shiver to indicate that some incorporeal shadow-horror of some type had come through the portal and intended it to come into play later, but never got around to it (the game was going very slowly, so I abandoned a lot of ideas to keep things moving).

But the other day one of the players mentioned the feeling of dread and that she had expected that to pay off later, but we hadn't followed up on that whole "Gothic Shadow World Thing". I, of course, grinned and told her not to be so impatient. "We'll see", I said. I didn't think anyone remembered that little shiver, but they apparently all did.

So I got this idea: the shadowy horror possessed the dwarven fighter. It may not have triggered his insanity (that's up to his player), but somewhere out there there's a Shadowfell horror wearing his body, doing bad things.

But that's the extent of what I've thought up: A Double Axe Wielding Wraith Possessed Zombie Dwarf with a personal vendetta against the PCs is up to hijinks.

So I ask the EN World think-tank: And what?

 

[Mark CMG]

That's good stuff but I am not sure what to add to it. You seem to have it well in hand. I guess I might have some suggestions if I knew "Shadowfell" better or if I knew the player/character's background better. Would this Shadowfell horror even have any of the knowledge from the former character? Can it tap into memories? Can it step into the dreams of the other player characters and represent the lost soul of the dwarf, enticing them to come toward some trap? What of the possessions of the dwarf besides the axes? Does it now possess them and are any of them troublesome to the party? Does the horror have any way of enhancing the possessions even further so the party doesn't know quite what to expect? These are possible starting points, though without more information I'd be at a loss to suggest much more.

 

[saskganesh]

Could you show the gun on the mantlepiece in the First Act before it goes off in the Third?

You have a very nice set up, but I'm thinking that for maximum effect you may want to consider some form of premonition that zombie dwarf is coming for PC brains. Kudos to the player who noted the feeling of dread.

A dream about the dead PC by the same player? A third party rumour about axe sounds at midnight in the high forest? Another rumour about a vicious band of dwarf brigands moving into the area (it's only one dwarf, but we know how rumours have a life of their own)

Something subtle though. If the players are telegraphed that he is coming back in this form, the impact is lost.

 

[Viking Bastard]

The first game's characters were all pregens (as the players are mostly newbies) and "Little" Birnr (the dwarven fighter) never got much of a back story. He was unusually large for a dwarf and got picked on by the other dwarves because of it. This made him feel very inadequate and he was prone to anger.

For those not familiar with 4e's Shadowfell, it's the plane of shadow/negative energy/spirit world/Domains of Dread/the afterlife (for many). It's the place undead horrors originate, or at least, the forces that power them.

I didn't have many ideas of the horror's capabilities other than it being an undead wraith/ghost/spirit of some kind. I would assume it had full access to Little Birnr's memories and such--is even influenced by it, hence the grudge against the PCs--but otherwise is completely in control.

I just... don't know what to do with it beyond that.

I do like the premonitions idea. Little Birnr calling out as his soul is devoured by a dominating evil.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

What are the party's overall goals? Perhaps the shadowy horror has gleaned the dwarf's memories so knows what the party was attempting and the shadowy horror dwarf thing is trying to cut the party off at the pass so it can exact revenge.

For example if the party is trying to collect some artifacts with which to kill off a lich, the dwarf will join forces with the lich and help it stage attacks against the PCs as they try to find the artifacts. Also the dwarf probably has good knowledge of his former party and could provide the lich with typical tactics of the party and each PC's personal weakness.

Maybe you could set up a series of personal attacks by the dwarf on his former party that really hit home, leaving them to wonder how someone could know their weaknesses so well. Then you could reveal some of the mystery by having the dwarf make mistakes because his knowledge of the group only went up to a certain point. For example, he might make an attempt on the Fighter's parents only to find out they died after he did. Or he would make no attack on any new PCs who have joined the party because he wouldn't know anything about them.

Although that all directs to a simple revenge for killing me plot. Did the dwarf have any ambitions or goals before he was killed? Maybe you could twist them so he's still trying to accomplish them somehow.