EricNoah
Adventurer
Another update...
As noted earlier, I'm sending the PCs to the Fane first and then to Brindol second. Here's how I'm dealing with it...
1) En route to the Fane I want the PCs to encounter a valley or canyon that is kind of a spooky graveyard for any hobgoblin priests of the goblin pantheon who refused to convert to the worship of Tiamat. I've been hinting around that this whole invasion is more of a "dragon thing" than a "hobgoblin thing" and that the dragons are really just using the hobgoblins as fodder. I think if the PCs somehow engage the hobgoblin 2nd in command at Brindol and manage to talk to him and bring up that subject, it will demoralize him in some way.
2) At the fane I'm removing a lot of the devils and the hobgoblins. THe only guardians there are some blackspawn raiders, some redspawn arcanisses, and some blue abishai, as well as the blue dragon at the front. The place really will have just a skeleton crew. I think I will put that blackspawn raider ninja in here too and remove him from Brindol.
3) When the PCs finally make it into the inner sanctum, Azaar Kul has nearly completed the ritual to summon the aspect of Tiamat. The aspect is kind of "phasing into" the material plane a bit at a time. In particular, each head is phasing in slowly and separately. Depending on how many rounds it takes to dispatch Azaar Kul, the aspect may end up with anywhere from 1 to all five heads.
4) When Azaar Kul is dead, the aspect (or however much of her has made it) will fly into the air and break through a fairly thin rock wall -- and she'll begin about a 2-day journey flyng overland toward Brindol. This will probably look bad to the heroes at first, but I plan on scattering at least two fairly quick methods of arriving at Brindol ahead of Tiamat somewhere in the fane. I'll probably have a scroll of teleport around somewhere, and I may make it possible to "re-wire" the portal that leads to the Nine Hells and make it into a teleporter.
Once the PCs arrive in Brindol, they should have about a day or so to rest, re-supply, undertake a mission or two, and then have a final showdown.
As noted earlier, I'm sending the PCs to the Fane first and then to Brindol second. Here's how I'm dealing with it...
1) En route to the Fane I want the PCs to encounter a valley or canyon that is kind of a spooky graveyard for any hobgoblin priests of the goblin pantheon who refused to convert to the worship of Tiamat. I've been hinting around that this whole invasion is more of a "dragon thing" than a "hobgoblin thing" and that the dragons are really just using the hobgoblins as fodder. I think if the PCs somehow engage the hobgoblin 2nd in command at Brindol and manage to talk to him and bring up that subject, it will demoralize him in some way.
2) At the fane I'm removing a lot of the devils and the hobgoblins. THe only guardians there are some blackspawn raiders, some redspawn arcanisses, and some blue abishai, as well as the blue dragon at the front. The place really will have just a skeleton crew. I think I will put that blackspawn raider ninja in here too and remove him from Brindol.
3) When the PCs finally make it into the inner sanctum, Azaar Kul has nearly completed the ritual to summon the aspect of Tiamat. The aspect is kind of "phasing into" the material plane a bit at a time. In particular, each head is phasing in slowly and separately. Depending on how many rounds it takes to dispatch Azaar Kul, the aspect may end up with anywhere from 1 to all five heads.
4) When Azaar Kul is dead, the aspect (or however much of her has made it) will fly into the air and break through a fairly thin rock wall -- and she'll begin about a 2-day journey flyng overland toward Brindol. This will probably look bad to the heroes at first, but I plan on scattering at least two fairly quick methods of arriving at Brindol ahead of Tiamat somewhere in the fane. I'll probably have a scroll of teleport around somewhere, and I may make it possible to "re-wire" the portal that leads to the Nine Hells and make it into a teleporter.
Once the PCs arrive in Brindol, they should have about a day or so to rest, re-supply, undertake a mission or two, and then have a final showdown.
)
