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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7355108" data-attributes="member: 20323">Thanks! I appreciate your comments; definitely helped me to keep digging till I found something that made sense. That adventure by Alan Patrick gives me some ideas about how to modify the atropal to give it a Kyuss vibe <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I sort of stumbled upon it, honestly. I've never used Kyuss before nor played in a game where Kyuss was used. The non-canon material about Kyuss originating in Chult was what inspired me.I don't think I'd adhere strictly to FR's canon with Eliministers and whatnot running around. That kind of thinking detracts from the PCs (where IMHO the focus should be). However, I can definitely see a player asking at some point: "Whoa! Acererak and Kyuss? He's trying to do what? Where's our backup?" I have a couple thoughts there...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There is backup in ToA, but it's not always "nice" (e.g. Red Wizards) and it's not always in the best of shape itself (e.g. Fort Beluarin and others).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In the non-canon lore, Kyuss' divine ascension was only thwarted by an alliance of couatls, druids, wild dwarves, and eladrin (oddly enough) which took a devastating toll on the allied forces which they never really recovered from. This is seen in Chult where the couatl are few in number & hidden, the dwarves are scattered from their old strongholds & "gone wild", there are no druid circles, and no mention of elves/eladrin (likely because they've withdrawn to other lands or the Plane of Faerie). So the ones most in the know about Kyuss are least in a position to help...and likely think he's been defeated.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There are very few divine (or super-powerful) beings in D&D with "Undeath" as the main aspect of their portfolio. And they are all evil to the bone. Vecna comes to mind, but he seems to have a non-hostile relationship with his former apprentice Kyuss...maybe their goals are very different...or maybe Vecna secretly is undermining Acerark behind the scenes? Orcus comes to mind, as does Kiaransalee, and Shar more loosely (who apparently absorbed the "shadow of Ubtao"!). Usually, as with Shar, "Undeath" is a secondary thing to the main element of their portfolio AFAICT.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">When it comes to "Death" divine beings there are sooo many, but they are often embody morally opposing forces. For every Osiris or Kelemvor, there is a Baal, Loviatar, Myrkul, and Talona. Tentative allies at best. This might suggest there are competing cleric expeditions in Chult...which actually is an interesting twist that makes sense... </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">More neutral-minded undead-hating potential allies may be thinking "maybe we shouldn't come back to life, maybe this destruction of all liches is actually a good thing in the long-term." Maybe – unlike the intro to ToA states, the Soulmonger is not common knowledge & most folks have no idea that dead souls are being consumed by it (after all, most folk have no way to commune with /check up on souls of the dead). Maybe proof – acquired painstakingly by adventurers – is needed before most nations would even consider military mobilization.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I've found at least one lich in ToA who is opposed to Acererak's plan, and may make for a tense ally. And the Red Wizards of Thay serve the lich Ssaz Tam (sp?). I could perhaps include one more potential lich ally, but definitely a lich makes for potent backup.</li> </ul>I... I... Before I thought it looked like a "key" into the sky, but now that I've seen it I can't unsee it.</blockquote>

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