Planar Bad Guys (my players keep out!)

[Emperor Valerian]

Ok... first things first... Isida, dragn fly... yep. Thread about the session. You know the drill.

Those who read "Into the Icy Darkness." Yup. Thread about the campaign. You've been warned about spoilage.














Ok. My campaign as progessed along quite nicely, now at 17th level characters (perhaps 18th level party depending on who the PCs drag with). The PCs goal was to get a very powerful, very evil artifact... a staff that contains the soul of Graz'zt. They have done so, and its attempted to take control of several of their minds (quick thinking dullminded PCs saved those who saw the possibilities that they could have with Graz'zt at their fingertips ). The staff is currently inert, sitting in a massive pool of holy water in the largest, best warded Temple of Pelor in this part of the Kingdom.

But, alas, it can't remain there. It is much too powerful... and due to my cosmology, it can't be destroyed (the artifact can, which would destroy Graz'zt forever. However, good and evil function on a pendulum in my cosmology... most things even as large as a balor don't touch the pendulum, but should something as massive in terms of evil power as Graz'zt be destroyed, the pendulum would swing to good, then at some future point swing back towards evil, and keep osciliating till in the distant future, it was at equilibrium again. In essence, killing Graz'zt would do good in the short term, but cause mass evil in the midterm, and in the longterm, not do much).

So instead they're going to cart it off to GRaz'zt layers of the Abyss and leave it. Too bad the Court Mage that was supposed to get them the directions has not yet returned from Sigil and the Outlands. Did I also mention there's a slight complication of matters... namely the husband of one of the PCs just became Emperor (making her Empress)? (the previous Imperial Majesty died storming some city walls the PCs were behind)

Here's where my problem arises. Next session I've got them headed to the outlands to find this mage, and/or directions to the location where they need to leave the staff and skeddadle. I was thinking there should be a mystery of some kind, but I'm running into mindblocks on:

1) What happened to the mage sent to find the information? Has he been kidnapped? Merely gotten lost? Eaten by some beast?

2) Where would the party find information such as "leave evil staff at the X on the map?"

3) Who would be trying to take the staff from them along the way? I'm assuming devils would (chance to knock off a demon lord), demons (chance to steal a demon lord's power). But who else in the Outlands and in Sigil? Yugoloths? Mages? Pink Fairies with sleeping dust?

I have a way to draw the player who is Empress in, despite her rank... namely that no one else wants to touch the thing to move it or get rid of it (the authorities in this Empire had a tendency to put their heads in the ground and try to click there heels to make things go away). And its not like there's some NPCs the party trusts laying around to act as stewards and/or beat up any would be rebels (in the course of their adventures, the party now has a sizable force of metallic dragons as good friends).

In addition, the party has been itching to get rid of this for two sessions, so chances are they're eager to jump in and get it out of their plane, regardless of their wealth... the instrument has caused them much grief (family members being killed, turned to evil, mutiliated, turned into were-creatures, burned down cities, killed armies, etc. etc. etc.) Vengeance can be a pretty good motivator of even the richest people...

I need some creative minds to help me get some ideas rolling on those three problems. I just need some ideas on getting the ball rolling... I've never planned a campaign or session that involves planehopping before either...

 

[Nightfall]

Okay as an Orcus fan this would be something Orcus would have an interest in. Control over Graz'zt would give old Horn Head a major step up on Demogorgon. So here's the deal.

Orcus, thanks to some well placed spies inside Graz'zt own realm, and a few deals with Fraz'ur'll(sp), has his best assassins track, kill and then raise the mage as an undead of substantive power. Now he's set to build a small army to send forth against the city, to also raise more undead, infilterate and then get the staff.

However unbeknownst to Orcus, Demogorgon already KNOWS all this because the apprentice of the mage is his servant. So now Demorgogon wants to get rid of the staff to keep it from Orcus. So in this effort, the appretince summons a marilith general, who polymorphs into a celestial. The celestial "appears" the party and tells them where to go. Unfortunately the place they are going is a contested battle ground between Graz'zt and Demogorgon. Only they don't KNOW this. Demorgogon believes in two outcomes 1) Graz'zt gets the staff and the stalemate continues or 2) Demogorgon gets the staff and he gets the advantage. Either way, Orcus doesn't benefit and Demorgon remains as is. Plus he can always insinutate to Graz'zt that it's because of Demorgogon, his "soul" remains involiate if he should lose.

Pretty good eh?

 

[Piratecat]

3) Who would be trying to take the staff from them along the way? I'm assuming devils would (chance to knock off a demon lord), demons (chance to steal a demon lord's power). But who else in the Outlands and in Sigil? Yugoloths? Mages? Pink Fairies with sleeping dust?

Rogue angels. Nothing is more interesting than forcing the group to deal with hostile lawful good, and a self-involved solar who wants to further good might want the item to take back to the heavens for protection. Of course, it would corrupt him and cause him to fall... thus giving you a new bad guy who blames the PCs for his condition. Alternatively, how do they convince him that he's wrong?

 

[Emperor Valerian]

Hmmm... I like both ideas... and as there are two sessions left... it works out conveniently.


For the upcoming session in Sigil... the party has a "crazy-angel" type that might work. A oneshot character I made for a friend that wanted to play. He's an asura, originally assigned to guard one of the NPCs (the husband of the PC Empress).

He didn't know any of the PCs, and promptly threatened them (including the wife of the guy he was guarding) when they came close. The whole time the character was played as an uber-intense, "good must triumph over evil," guy... he also had an independent streak as well,which would go close to the "rogue angel" aspect PC spoke about. He's dedicated, and very very determined... the only reason he isn't with the PCs anymore is because the BBEG 'dismissed' him when he tried to stop her... hmm... I like the drama that could set up...heh heh

Problem is that straight up he's only 14th level... so I'd need to level this guy up in something. Or say that his normally tactless mouth managed to talk some planetars or other angels into helping him, "protect his charge," by destroying the evil staff...


Next session afterwards (last regular session of the campaign) the party heads to the Abyss to drop off the staff... and while I love the Demogorgorn and Orcus plot, it might be a litte convoluted for one session. I love the concept however, just need to figure out how to parse it properly.

 

[Piratecat]

If the asura has recruited allies, it gives the PCs a chance to sow dissension in the ranks and create a non-combat solution.

 

[Emperor Valerian]

Excellent idea... a unique test for the rather force-minded members of my group... and a devil or two might just try to intercept them before the arrival of the celestials, trying to destroy the staff and change the Blood War... (give thema chance to get beating things out of their system)