The Elves and the Grimlocks

[Aholibamah]

I'd appreciate the critique of this adventure I'm setting up. The basics are these:
- the pcs have been granted lands and titles and along with this are required to defend and hold a border between their country (which we'll call the Republic) and one that they've recently made peace with. (we'll call this the Theocracy.)

- Not far off is an ancient forest. Before the war between the Republic and the Theocracy came to a head this forest was a battleground; the elves that lived there were vanquished and fled. Some of them ended up fleeing into an underground region and made bitter alliances. (including with a tribe of Grimlocks)

- Now the elves have sought their revenge. Their plan is to undermine the Theocracy's settlements and reclaim the area for their own. However this is mostly through guerilla style hit and run tactics. They fully intend to relish the Grimlocks' savagery in all this as well.


What I really want critiqued is this:

Hook: Theocracy deputation demands recompense/apology/both for lost livestock and people from the pcs.

Synopsis: The pcs sneak or get invited into Theocracy territory to investigate and find out about Grimlocks raiding the area. Tracking them to their lair they discover the elves behind it all. In a sense this is a sort of Drow story--my take on the Drow being that they are actually pale elves but otherwise the pcs will discover a place of worship of evil and destruction in the form of a demon incarnated as a gigantic spider.

 

[theskyfullofdust]

It's ok, but I'd steer away from the drow-idea and do something more interesting instead: say, treat the elves as exiles, refugee types, forced to do 'evil' because they have to in order to survive. Don't make them evil as such, more desperate; make it a grey-area instead. Maybe the PCs can use diplomacy instead of outright combat, to solve the problem.

Just a thought.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

It's ok, but I'd steer away from the drow-idea and do something more interesting instead: say, treat the elves as exiles, refugee types, forced to do 'evil' because they have to in order to survive. Don't make them evil as such, more desperate; make it a grey-area instead. Maybe the PCs can use diplomacy instead of outright combat, to solve the problem.

Just a thought.

I agree. Drow are easy. You shoot them full of dead. TheSkyFullOfDust's idea will make it tricker for the PCs.

 

[Gilladian]

Or, even more complex - some of the elves are doing evil and relishing it; they've become drowlike. But others are just desperate, fearful and trapped. Are they strong willed enough to rebel against their own few remaining kind and remain true to their original nature? Can the PCs help, or will their presence push the elves further towards evil?

You may need something else to offer the elves as a counter to a return to their own lands. It sounds as if the Theocracy has a pretty good hold there. Maybe a hunt for a new, untenanted forest somewhere else... (or hopefully untenanted).

 

[Aholibamah]

Hm. I agree with removing the Drow factor entirely. What I might do is have a particular faction have turned evil as suggested. Perhaps then the others don't even know about the Grimlock alliance? In that case then I might need to have an earlier encounter with elves before the Grimlock and evil elf lair is discovered, perhaps with some stolen goods from one of the Theocracy's communities but with no idea that people died in order for them to get it....