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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Sep 2005 : 02:25:46
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Alright. I detailed this a bit in the Rollivard's Catalogue thread, but at work I managed to have a few epiphanies that dropped all of this into place, and I feel much better now that I have a long term hook for my player's ex-rogue druid. I felt bad since the cleric of Helm was in the party longer, and had a lot of plot threads flowing out of his previous actions.
The druid has the catalogue. There are actually only two gateways that are part of the "big quest", the gateway that opens into Malar's realm, leading to a guardian and a heart for the follower to find and eat, thus gaining part of Malar's power. The other part is the key to open the gateway.
I had to think about why the heart, gate, or key wasn't destroyed, so I thought about it. I was going to do the old, they can only be destroyed together hook, but that was too cliqued (not that I am above that). But when I thought about it, I came up with this hook.
The heart is actually from a mortal ranger, Meilikki's son by a human ranger that she fell in love with. While the heart is enchanted to pass on part of Malar's wrath to anyone that eats it, it cannot be destroyed without eating it. But is someone casts True Ressurection on the heart, Meilikki's son, whose soul is still trapped in the heart, will be fully alive again.
If the PCs find a way to destroy it without the true ressurection angle, they can still free Meilikki's son's soul, but not bring him back to life.
So, any thoughts or ideas on this?
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DDH_101
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1272 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2005 : 02:36:01
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| KnightErrant, this seems like a big and difficult quest. One thing I suggest is for a reward (coz gold and magic doesn't seem like something Mielikki would reward) is perhaps have her son's soul bond with the druid PC. The bonding would then increase the PC's powers (ex. raise stats or give resistance to elements). |
"Trust in the shadows, for the bright way makes you an easy target." -Mask |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2005 : 02:40:33
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Oh, there will be a reward, though I really have to think it out a bit, perhaps just get some more input from the player to see what he really wants to do with his character. It is really meant to be long term. As you can see from the Fzoul's Children thread, I like have a lot up in the air at once. I forget what writer said this, but he said that he always had a current plot, the seeds of the next plot that would move into the foreground when the current one resolves, and then the third, down the road hinted at plot way on the horizon.
Not to mention I have little adventure seeds for minor adventures scattered like land mines around Mistledale, if they ever wander back home, lol. |
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Crennen FaerieBane
Master of Realmslore
USA
1378 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2005 : 03:01:44
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That sounds like a heck of a hook for the Druid. Especially because it is a good Catch 22.
How do you have it planned that the PCs will be able to find out about the True Resurrection angle? Ancient lore lost in a tome. Divine hints? Just curious as this seems to be the only way they might ever find out about this opportunity.
Good story! 
C-Fb |
Still rockin' the Fey'ri style. |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2005 : 03:08:11
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Somewhere down the line, since I am planning on drawing this out, I am hoping to have someone say something to the effect of, "I wonder who the heart belonged to." and then just leave it at that. If it piques their interest, then hopefully they will do some reserch, as they have been pretty good at visiting sages and wizards to plan things out. I also will hint to them that there is a reason that Meilikki didn't just destroy the gateway or the heart over the ages.
Oh, I almost forgot to point out that the first few minor hints are going to come from the druid's old mentor, who will tell him its a sacred duty to keep it save from the Malarites. The mentor was taken captive by werewolves and tortured to death, but his prayer to warn his student was heard by Meilikki and she granted it by reincarnating him . . . as a Tressym kit (they were near Eveningstar after all). |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2005 : 03:12:35
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The Malarite Black Blood Cultist is a werewolf druid that is ambitious for his type. Instead of just ruling a pack made up of his own type of lycanthrope and competeing with others for dominance, he has been killing the pack leaders of other types of Black Blood tribes and consolidating them into a huge multi lycanthrope pack. So far he has werewolves, wereboars, werebats, and two hill giant wereboars as bodyguards.
I plan on having the PCs have a few "the enemy of my enemy" issues when some of the other packs of Black Blood tribes don't take kindly to the werewolf's new fangled ideas and attempts to assimilate so many lycanthropes. |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 17 Nov 2005 : 16:55:59
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Just to provide some background on this particular hook, the werewolf druid of Malar that is searching for the heart and consolidating tribes of the Black Blood is looking for the heart to give him a boost as he hopes to challenge anth-Malar, who has been a running villain in Wil Upchurch's adventures in Dungeon magazine.
The werewolf druid is trying to prove that the People of the Black Blood are not just tools of other Malarites, but that they are the chosen children of Malar, which will be proven when he defeats anth-Malar and claims the title of Chosen of Malar.
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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 17 Nov 2005 : 20:11:29
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Very interesting.
However, may I suggest the following:
Don't use a Black Blood Cultist. It's a cute idea, but your druid will own this guy.
May I suggest instead a Druid. That's right. Just a druid. I'd like to point out that a favorite here is always "The follower of Malar is a student of the same teacher,' or "The follower of Malar is the PC's ex romantic interest, who still covets the romantic attentions of the PC,' or "The follower of Malar is a member of the PC's own family."
Things like this really add spice, and make your players twitch. Trust me. :)
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 17 Nov 2005 : 20:55:18
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Well, I only have two problems with this.
1) They have already run into his minions, werewolves that they clearly identified as People of the Black Blood.
2) I am trying to set up a sort of mini-schism between anth-Malar, who is more about savage fury and using whatever tools are appropriate to destroying the Silver Marches, and my Werewolf Druid, who honestly beleives that lycanthropes are the children of Malar, and should rule over the rest of the faith.
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Finally, An Anti-Malarite Quest for my PCs Druid
