gideonpepys
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
Some of my players have developed pretty interesting back stories for their characters which, now that we are heading deeper into the campaign, I’d like to find some way of weaving into main storyline, rewarding them for their efforts. This is something I do in every campaign, but there is a slight difficulty here in that we (quite understandably) have only a bare bones outline of what will happen in paragon and epic tiers.
My intention was to improvise as episodes are released, but the hallucinations that afflict each character in the Ziggurat of Apet would be a great opportunity to give hints about what is to come, and it got me to thinking. I’d really like some suggestions about how folks think I can weave the following plotlines into the main campaign arc, especially from the writer(s) of future episodes:
Korrigan was transformed into an earth genasi by a schism on Axis Island during Yersaol IV. He has now learned how to manifest watersoul as well. He also has the subplot (purloined from Colmar) of a fey curse hanging over his wife, who made a bargain to sacrifice their first born in return for Korrigan’s survival during the war. I’d like to try to make Korrigan’s growing mastery of the planes a key to the ‘world altering’ climax of the adventure, and maybe make his son key to that too.
Rumdoom seeks the ‘Stone of Not’ as discussed in my ‘Continuing Adventures...’ thread. RangerWickett and Cheezmo Miner already made some fantastic suggestions here, so I kind of have this covered, but I’m wondering just how feasible it is to make the Deep Ones (aboleths who feature heavily in my buffer adventures and possess the stone) fearful of the return of the Gidim, and keen to aid anyone who can prevent that happening. They might be ancient enemies from the plane of Mavisha or something. Trouble is I don’t know how far I can safely go with this.
Krauss has only a minor role so far, but I include his story here because it links to Rumdoom’s: He was abducted and operated on by the Deep Ones, to create a kind of ‘warning beacon’ (programmed to watch out for warning signs of renewed planar travel – such as Distant Madness). Thanks to his DIY lobotomy, he is now aware of this fact (however confusedly). I’m already concerned I’ve gone too far with this bit of improv and am hoping it won’t mess up future plotlines.
Leon was once General Dax Corbeau and now masquerades as his own assassin. For a long time I have wondered what to do with this thread. I had the party stumble upon the hideout of the fey maiden who rescued Leon during adventure #1. He thinks she was captured by the Danorans. The first part of my tentative plan is to have her instead recruited by the Colossus cell and feature in adventure #5 somehow. (Her half-built golem, also recovered by the unit in #1, will be at her side perhaps – and her expertise put to work in the creation of Borne.) But in a slightly more audacious twist I’m toying with the following: Leon (as General Dax) was an original member of the Golden Cell (tasked with ensuring the capture of Axis Island at all costs). For some reason – perhaps he learned too much about their ultimate goal; or sought power for himself – he fell afoul of the Ob who moved to take him out. Fearing pursuit and reprisal, he somehow (alone or with the help of his eladrin rescuer) exorcised the geas that afflicted him, removing or repressing the memories it controlled into the bargain (including his own mastery of arcane power – hence his return to ‘first level’). Leon’s memories may slowly begin to come back to him during the mid to late stages of the campaign.
Waddya think?
Too much?
My intention was to improvise as episodes are released, but the hallucinations that afflict each character in the Ziggurat of Apet would be a great opportunity to give hints about what is to come, and it got me to thinking. I’d really like some suggestions about how folks think I can weave the following plotlines into the main campaign arc, especially from the writer(s) of future episodes:
Korrigan was transformed into an earth genasi by a schism on Axis Island during Yersaol IV. He has now learned how to manifest watersoul as well. He also has the subplot (purloined from Colmar) of a fey curse hanging over his wife, who made a bargain to sacrifice their first born in return for Korrigan’s survival during the war. I’d like to try to make Korrigan’s growing mastery of the planes a key to the ‘world altering’ climax of the adventure, and maybe make his son key to that too.
Rumdoom seeks the ‘Stone of Not’ as discussed in my ‘Continuing Adventures...’ thread. RangerWickett and Cheezmo Miner already made some fantastic suggestions here, so I kind of have this covered, but I’m wondering just how feasible it is to make the Deep Ones (aboleths who feature heavily in my buffer adventures and possess the stone) fearful of the return of the Gidim, and keen to aid anyone who can prevent that happening. They might be ancient enemies from the plane of Mavisha or something. Trouble is I don’t know how far I can safely go with this.
Krauss has only a minor role so far, but I include his story here because it links to Rumdoom’s: He was abducted and operated on by the Deep Ones, to create a kind of ‘warning beacon’ (programmed to watch out for warning signs of renewed planar travel – such as Distant Madness). Thanks to his DIY lobotomy, he is now aware of this fact (however confusedly). I’m already concerned I’ve gone too far with this bit of improv and am hoping it won’t mess up future plotlines.
Leon was once General Dax Corbeau and now masquerades as his own assassin. For a long time I have wondered what to do with this thread. I had the party stumble upon the hideout of the fey maiden who rescued Leon during adventure #1. He thinks she was captured by the Danorans. The first part of my tentative plan is to have her instead recruited by the Colossus cell and feature in adventure #5 somehow. (Her half-built golem, also recovered by the unit in #1, will be at her side perhaps – and her expertise put to work in the creation of Borne.) But in a slightly more audacious twist I’m toying with the following: Leon (as General Dax) was an original member of the Golden Cell (tasked with ensuring the capture of Axis Island at all costs). For some reason – perhaps he learned too much about their ultimate goal; or sought power for himself – he fell afoul of the Ob who moved to take him out. Fearing pursuit and reprisal, he somehow (alone or with the help of his eladrin rescuer) exorcised the geas that afflicted him, removing or repressing the memories it controlled into the bargain (including his own mastery of arcane power – hence his return to ‘first level’). Leon’s memories may slowly begin to come back to him during the mid to late stages of the campaign.
Waddya think?
Too much?
