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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Keenberg" data-source="post: 5771902" data-attributes="member: 88833">I combined ideas from a few of the above posts, and here is what I've got going:Here is what the party will be informed of at the outset of the adventure.[THINK]The Archmage and the other High Wizards of the council have recently felt a weakening of the ley lines. After much time spent scrying into the cause of the disruptions, they have discovered that an Alchemist, a former high wizard himself, has in some unknown manner been sapping power from the lifestream. Since the lifestream winds in and out of the network of ley lines, they are sure that this is what has been the cause of the problem at hand. Weakened from the disruptions in their power source, the council of wizards feels unfit to combat this dark alchemist, and has enlisted the adventuring party to aid them. Without their help, the wizards and the citizens they protect will be wiped out. (Passing away of ancient knowledge theme)[/THINK]Here is what will be revealed during the course of the adventure:[THINK]The Dark Alchemist has been harvesting body parts from living beings to form grotesque constructs. He aims to raise an enormous army and destroy, overthrow, and/or dominate any who oppose him and his ways. (slavery, anti-technology themes)After the needed body parts are harvested, and before the souls of his prisoners can grow weak, they are killed on a transmutation circle bound with a ritual to extract their souls, producing a residuum. This residuum is distilled to form a potent extract the Dark Alchemist mixes into his potions. Potions embued with such raw, powerful additives provide the imbiber with immense physical and arcane powers, but quickly drives the imbiber insane. (Any character not chaotic evil cannot bring themselves to drink such a horrible concoction.)The Alchemist gained knowledge into these evil arts by selling his soul to Misha the Wolf-Spider. This is another reason he is marshaling forces and concocting empowering potions: to escape this Faustian bargain with Misha. (Corruptability of mortals/immortals)Misha knows better, and waits in Pandemonium for the inevitable downfall of the mortal Alchemist. When the Alchemist falls, Misha will ride the Alchemist's soul from the Outer Plane to resume the Ancient War, that of Chaos and Evil against Law and Good. (Despair and immortal force themes)[/THINK]So there is the plot, I'm pretty happy with it. Any ideas on how to stretch it across expansive, engaging landscapes? I always was quite taken with the vistas Tolkien created, so it seems important to provide such settings to the players to lend the story the same epic quality.</blockquote>

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