Plot Help: high-level plot twist needed after PC's ally with their foe.

[Gotterdammerung]

*** some spoilers from the 3.0 adventure path below ***







Hi everyone.

First, was there ever a "plots" sub-forum? I looked for one not wanting to clutter the general board by mistake. Mods, feel free to move this if it's not the right forum.

I'm soliciting some ideas for high-level adventuring where the (mostly good) PC's actually JOIN the forces of evil to accomplish a greater purpose. Most (if not all) of the encounters that I'd prepared to move the characters from 15th to 18th level will effectively be invalidated by this choice, so I've got quite a bit of development to do.

Here's some background:

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The PC's home world is a plane called the Pits of Banishment, created thousands of years ago when the creator god of all humankind sacrificed itself to seal away the ascendant Dragon God, Ashardalon. Millions of innocents of all races "fell" into banishment at this time and were lost to the realms above.

The king of Dragonkin, friend to both humans and dragonkind, was forced to trap the souls of his offspring for his bloodline to avoid annhilation. These trapped souls fell into the Pit. Two of the PC's are of this bloodline.

The PC's have reached the point where they know all this, and are watching their "world" fall into the hands of the invading Orc horde. The orc horde has been created by the first-born son of the King of Dragonkin, a mighty warlord named Imperagon. Imperagon hopes to re-forge the sword of his mother, draw Ashardolon forward, and slay him. This, he believes, will end the need for the Pits of Banishment and his new orc empire will escape to claim the lands above.

The PC's know (through divinations and oracles) that Imperagon's pride will cause his downfall, and Ashardalon will be freed to ravage all in fire.

Despite all the "morally objectionable" things that Imperagon has done up to this point (I can go into detail later if it comes up...), the PC's have come to the conclusion that his plan isn't half bad. A small but growing faction of them want to JOIN my big-bad-evil-warlord (BBEW) and see if their help offsets the prophecies of his downfall.


In summary:

Imperagon's plan is to conquer the realm with a mighty Orc Empire, with himself as Overlord. He'll draw Ashardalon into the realm, slay it, the Pits will be no more, and his empire will be free to expand into the "land above."

PC's want to join Imperagon.

Ashardalon wants the destruction of all life, and to set the Pits of Banishment aflame.

The Church of the creator god (currently run by demons in the god's absence) wants the seal to remain, Ashardalon to stay put, and humankind to remain dominant (since they are the easiest to subvert to chaos). Even if this means remaining in perpetual banishment.

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I'm looking for some kind of "unexpected twist" where another key player is introduced, who works to thwart the intentions of all four - PC's, Imperagon, Church, and Ashardalon... for some yet unknown goal.

Anybody got any ideas to throw my way? I'm leaning toward having the banished Celestials make a stand against anyone who attempts to unravel the Pit (their master's work). But a part of me feels like that's the easy way out.


thanks in advance!

 

[Poster Bard]

First, was there ever a "plots" sub-forum?

There was but it's part of this forum now so you did right.

Maybe one of the Celestials is a plant sent by some yet unheardof force that wants neither side to win?

 

[Kodam]

Hi!

Perhaps the Realms above are not empty but inhabited by beings that revere Ashardolon and do now act to save their god? Or some powerful race is dwelling there that is seeking a way to invade the pit since a long time and will do so if the pit is opened?

Kodam

 

[Toras]

Depending on what kind of flavor you want to go with, you could make the "Land Above" a place unimaginable horror, an idealistic paradise, or simply a reality greater than that of the Pits.

Imagine what might happen if their early experiments to attempt to bring forth the dark beast that they think they can slay results in them encountering one of these beings. A human who might be a peasant who in his own world wouldn't rate a second look in terms of strength being able to rip the Imperium in half like cheap card stock. They'd have evolved in a world where such things like your "Big Evil Thing" roam free.

It might shake the characters believe in their own abilities over what is considered common wisdom, and if they draw the attention of any villians from above notice the pits, they might get opportunistic.

 

[Chaldfont]

Maybe Ashardalon's destruction of the world is like a big bang event--a cleansing fire that allows the world to start over. The actions of the PCs are throwing a big wrench in the works and celestial agents (which are to the creator god as he is to mortals) are sent to make sure Arshardalon is freed. They worry that Ashardalon might actually be defeated before he can rampage.

But the renewing destruction can only happen "when the time is right", so these celestial forces might change sides at seemingly random times as they adjust events to their liking.

 

[LostSoul]

I remember some other poster doing something like this...

You could introduce another group that sulks in the background. Maybe they have some high-ranking members in Imperagon's army, as advisors or whatever. These guys have some kind of ritual that will allow them to take the energy released by Ashardalon when he dies and do something wicked with it. Maybe the prophecy that said that Ashardalon would destroy the world is being fulfilled because these other guys are using his energy to destroy the world.

I don't know if you have enough time to fore-shadow something like this so that, when it happens, it isn't really cheesy.

Just some ideas.

 

[Gotterdammerung]

Along the way I've hinted at other groups but never really fleshed out their goals. I'm using quite a bit of material from Monte Cook's "Requiem For a God." The PC's have become familiar with the "godflesh" from this ancient creator god. I may bring forward a group who has tapped into the mysteries of the god's mortal remains to find out what it really wanted when it self-destructed.

Perhaps it's time to bring in a group who doesn't know anything about the world above, Ashardalon, demons in the church, and who just want to save humanity from the invading Orcs.

I really like the idea of throwing into question whether Ashardalon's "clensing fire" is actually beneficial to the realm. From the point of view of the celestials, perhaps it is a good thing (which is why they haven't intervened)

I may have to run with that.

I've already dangled the prize of a paradisical "realm above" to my players. I think they'd riot if, after all they've gone through, it turned out to be just as dark and abyssal a place as they are leaving. From a rat-bastard DM's perspective, though, that sounds great!

Thanks for brainstorming with me, by the way.


-eric

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Maybe one of the Celestials is a plant sent by some yet unheardof force that wants neither side to win?

I don't think you can add the celestial template to plants.

 

[F5]

I like the idea of a new group that has no clue about the vast Cosmic struggle taking place, but just wants to save their home from the invading Orcs.

My first thought when I read through your post was "Maybe Imperagon's wrong. Maybe it's NOT the dragon god that the re-forged sword is going to draw forth, but something else".

To follow through on that, maybe re-forging the sword will also re-form the scattered essence of the creator god, reforming him in the World Above. Maybe the newly ascended creator god pulls his worthy faithful up into the world above with him. Maybe this reconstitution of the creator god is only possible through the sacrifice of another divine power.

Ashardalon, of course, is too powerful to be defeated, and once drawn forth he will annihilate the World Below. But Imperagon is the first-born son of a god, and his fall in the inevitable battle with the Dragon will be enough to fuel the Creator God's ascendance.

And, of course, when he gets back to the World Above, the demons that have been running his temple in his absence are cast back into the Pit, where they, and Ashardalon, and the wicked and the evil get to rage and burn and plot of all eternity.

That's why the Celestials don't interfere. When the demons figure out what's going on, perhaps they are the ones behind the "resistance movement" of regular people fighting the orcish invasion.

Golly, you've got an epic set-up here... Kudos to you.

 

[F5]

I don't think you can add the celestial template to plants.

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