Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Pallin Rahl 02-06-07, 04:16 PM	Note to My Players: Get Out! :) --- Tad long... bear with me. :) There are several different plot threads and concepts I have been developing along-side the core plot my players were working through. However, now that that "core plot" has been generally resolved, I'm thinking it might be time for some of those side-issues to take center stage. Problem is... some of the plot threads don't tie in so smoothly... and I've yet to nail down the specifics of some concepts that I've been hinting at. So I come to you all for your suggestions to consider. :D Key Concepts or Plot Threads I Hope To Develop Further (possibly into a single plot or maybe two plots that develop side-by-side) Thread/Concept 1: The first concept I want to further develop is a case of the ol' "friend into enemy" scenario, with a twist. In my campaign there is an NPC bard ally, named Aria, that the group has grown fond of. One of the PCs has even started working towards having a relationship with her (mild flirting / early courtship kinda stuff). By this point the PCs are aware that she has both celestial and fiendish blood running through her veins (I used a half-Aasimar/half-Tiefling race I wrote up awhile back)... something she is rather sheepish about discussing. At one point, in a crowded town square during a festival, one of the PCs (the one that kinda likes her) witnessed something a bit odd: Basically... out of nowhere, she was suddenly wracked with pain and she partially collapsed and what could be interpreted as more-fiendish characteristics made a temporary appearance - including her popping out her raven wings (they can be summoned/dismissed - something the PCs knew she had, but she rarely used publicly), her hands taking on a more-clawed appearance, eye-color changes, etc... (enough to get the point across heh). ...and just as quickly as the event started, it ended (a few min later). She had no clue what was happening but admitted that it has happened at least one other time, very recently. ...she ran-off (well, flew-off), visably embarrassed. The PCs have travelled with her since, but nothing like this event has popped up again... yet. Oh... as this little "event" was playing out, a solid spot check found the PC noticing a shadowy figure in the crowd, clearly observing the two of them. He passed into the crowd as the event came to an end... the PC could not track him down thereafter (this figure was spotted once before by the PCs... they have no clue who he is). Honestly, even I am not sure how I want that shadowy figure to play into things... if at all. I mean, he could have nothing to do with it at all (or everything to do with it - haven't decided yet). ...maybe this can all be tied to the Lords of Dust... (maybe this person is an agent of them, etc). Regardless, I'm thinking it could be interesting to have something trigger Aria's fiendish side to somehow take over... changing the normally more mild-mannered (when not on stage singing) Bard they have grown close to, into a bold, powerful enemy to be feared... against her will and desires. Leaving the party with a threat they must deal with... but one they won't want to end with a simple fight & kill scenario. They'll want to put an end to this... not only to save those she might hurt, but to save their friend from herself as well. You get the picture. The big dilemma: How best to work this change against her will into the plot... and what threats to have her pose once she's gone "bad". I want to have options here too... a way for her to be "saved" from herself ...but I also want the serious chance for that option to fail (depending on how the PCs handle things). Furthermore, I want to work this into the surrounding plot in an interesting manner. I don't want it to be a "*pop* she's evil!" scenario... but I don't want the PCs to see it coming a mile away either. This NPC is a friend of theirs (and/or potential love-interest of at least one PC)... I want this event to have the proper impact. Thread/Concept 2 Whether they have worked out what it means yet (or even how important it is)... the party has already thwarted the scheme of at least one person who seems to have been a pawn of the Lords of Dust. They certainly don't know the whole story... but they are aware (at least partially) of the Rakshasa Rajahs and the Lords of Dust, etc. I'm thinking of possibly working the Lords of Dust into a more central plot... possibly putting the PCs in a situation where they have to stop a powerful Rajah from being freed or somesuch. Thread/Concept 3 From their last adventure, the PCs have a little knowledge of the existance of the Dragon Prophecy. ...and the fact that some dragons are even present in the Five Nations, studying the Prophecy, etc. I've been kicking around the idea of having a few of these dragons get corrupted by the Lords of Dust (or a powerful Rakshasa Rajah)... to some end. Possibly setting up a confrontation with a dragon or two, for my players. :) Thread/Concept 4 I think it's time that the PCs start mixing with the truly notable people in Eberron. ...they've become well known and are of a level where they are heroes of note. I was thinking of having one of the key plots in the future stem from one of the notable people in the world. ...such as, possibly, Jaela Daran (an NPC ally of theirs has ties to some higher-ups in the Silver Flame... though it's never come up as an actual plot device). /shrug EXTRA I've also introduced the minions of the Daelkyr into the campaign... and the PCs have some knowledge of their existance. At some point I want them to take center-stage. I figured I'd toss this out there... if you feel they would be better-used than the Lords of Dust for some specific portion of the plots being kicked-around above. :) --- Notes regarding the party: The party consists of 2 PCs... both currently level 10 (one a multiclassed human archer-type, the other a claw-focused kalashtar psychic warrior). However, they are part of an adventurer's guild and have several allies they often quest with... to cover any bases that need covered for any given mission/quest. The Party has already dealt with the Emerald Claw, the Blood of Vol, minions of the Lord of Blades... with hints of the Lords of Dust ...and even several encounters with the Dreaming Dark and minions of the Daelkyr. Just pointing out that tying the above events into any of these groups (or any others you can think of from Eberron) are totally fine by me... the party gets around. :) ...and any evil organizations are fair-game by me - either they already have bumped into the party or are likely to in the future anyway. :P --- Any help/suggestions appreciated. :D
Melvin the Mediocre 02-06-07, 04:55 PM	The Lords of Dust have been experimenting for several hundred years with implanting portions of their demonic essence in the unborn. The "shadowy figure" is but one of many minions with a magical key the unlocks the evil inside. He has been using his latest pet, the bard, to test his control. Soon he will be able to control her completely, and then he will awake the fiends within the dragons. Meanwhile, the Daelkyr have learned of these fiendish offspring and hope to steal a few away for experiments of their own. The are especially interested in a certain bard with occasional bat wings…
Just another user 02-06-07, 05:30 PM	The shadowy figure is actually a dragon,(or one of his agents) Aria have an important place in a part of the prophecy this particolar dragon is studyng, for this prophecy to unfold is necessary that the demonic side of Aria prevail and that is what is the dragon is trying to do, apparently with a certain grade of success, using... something, I'm not sure, a spell, a special magic item, maybe a relic/artifact of some kind, pick you something appropriate, the two occasions where Aria changed where tests the dragon was doing to perfectionate the process. Personally I'd say that the dragon don't need to be corrupted by the raja/lord of dust because even the dragons of the Chamber can be evil or simply bastards without problems, but if that point is really important to you, you could say that to influence Aria he is using an artifact linked to the lord of dust and it is having an effect over him, too. About the threat of Aria, what about if to satisfy the prophecy "the born of heaven and hell turned to darkness" must kill "the bearer of the pure flame" i.e Jalea, the PCs of course had to stop her but this would certainly bring the wrath of the dragon over them. (P.S if you want to mix the lord of dust into this just say that they want their relic back)
Yakman 02-07-07, 12:42 PM	I got one better: Aria was grown from blood gathered from the battle where the Paladin who founded the Silver Flame Church lady, the Rajah, and the Couatl fought. As such, she combines human, fiendish, and celestial traits. These three are battling for control of her body. Where you go from there? I dunno... but that's a great start, I think.
Pallin Rahl 02-07-07, 01:28 PM	Great ideas thus far... Strongly considering several elements you brought up :) Keep 'em coming! :D
Yakman 02-07-07, 01:50 PM	Going with the paladin/couatl/rakshasa idea: Aria is the result of a magical experiment done on ancient relics--the blood from the battle under Flamekeep. The reliquaries were stolen by... umm... someone... who attempted to create a clone of the original Tira Miron? or a cloned couatl? or a cloned rajah? from the blood, and ended up creating a mixture of the three. (This will lead to a cool scene in the arch-villain's lab, like in Aliens 4 where Ripley confronted the failed cloning attempts and takes a flamethrower to them) At some point, this is going to be a huge blow to the Church of the Silver Flame--their prophet is back, but she's not human anymore. Expect legions of zealots to come pouring down on your PCs. This will complicate matters, as the final climactic battle will take place in the chambers below Flamekeep.
maollelujah 02-07-07, 02:52 PM	I would make her dual bloodlines a gift of the traveller... And the shadowy figure someone who is never unmasked. Just randomly let him be seen watching the PCs. This while get the PCs a little paranoid. I think I would have her occasionally reveal tremendous power and use it in a callous way when her demonic side takes control. But I wouldn't make her an enemy, but someone that makes the PCs nervous... Leave her as an enigma, someone the PCs like but fear. As for what makes her demonic side stronger, you could tie it in with one of the planes (Shavarath or Mabar) becoming conterminous or remote. As the plane gets closer the more the demonic sides shows and the more powerful she gets. As for the total plot... Maybe the Lords of Dust have come up with a way to free one of their Rajahs by swapping bodies with their freed Rajah and a vessel, but they haven't found someone that could handle the switch. Which leads them to Aria... Might she just be the one? If you want to include some dragons have a group of them feel that the prophecy dictates that Aria be destroyed. Well just some random musings...
Yakman 02-07-07, 03:02 PM	If you want to include some dragons have a group of them feel that the prophecy dictates that Aria be destroyed. Or better yet: a dragon(s) WANTS the agents of the Lords of Dust to resurrect their leader through Aria, so as to restart the War against the Fiends, which ended in only a partial victory for the Dragons. this particular Dragon believes that if he can re-ignite the war, the Dragons can actually destroy the Rajahs and totally dominate not only Eberron, but Khyber as well...
Pallin Rahl 02-07-07, 04:18 PM	I was already (in the back of my mind) kinda leaning towards something akin to Just Another User's suggestion... sounds like a solid basis and nice tie in with Jaela. :) Though a nifty idea, I don't think I want to run with the whole Tira / rakshasa / etc bloodline. I could see it playing-out as an interesting plot... just not exactly where I was looking to take it... The whole "don't turn her evil, just have her around and occationally do something powerful when her fiend-side momentarily takes over... to keep the party paranoid" thing is a fine idea... something I may inject a bit before this all comes to a head. However, I kinda wanted that all to lead somewhere. They're already a bit paranoid due to her recent "issues". :) I could see letting the paranoia build over a longer period of time... always fun... but I'm in the mood to have it lead somewhere soon... Beyond the overall plot of things (the why behind this happening)... I'd also like to hear your advice regarding "the reveal", so to speak. I need to figure out not only why this is happening... but also how best to have things unfold for maximum dramatic impact. :) ...hell, I wouldn't even be against having some NPC ally collateral damage in the process hehe
Yakman 02-07-07, 04:36 PM	I was already (in the back of my mind) kinda leaning towards something akin to Just Another User's suggestion... sounds like a solid basis and nice tie in with Jaela. :) Though a nifty idea, I don't think I want to run with the whole Tira / rakshasa / etc bloodline. I could see it playing-out as an interesting plot... just not exactly where I was looking to take it... The whole "don't turn her evil, just have her around and occationally do something powerful when her fiend-side momentarily takes over... to keep the party paranoid" thing is a fine idea... something I may inject a bit before this all comes to a head. However, I kinda wanted that all to lead somewhere. They're already a bit paranoid due to her recent "issues". :) I could see letting the paranoia build over a longer period of time... always fun... but I'm in the mood to have it lead somewhere soon... Beyond the overall plot of things (the why behind this happening)... I'd also like to hear your advice regarding "the reveal", so to speak. I need to figure out not only why this is happening... but also how best to have things unfold for maximum dramatic impact. :) ...hell, I wouldn't even be against having some NPC ally collateral damage in the process hehe I suppose the key question then is the nature of both the fiendish and the celestial aspects of the character. If you can figure both of those out you can get a good grasp of the 'reveal'--which ideally will be in an adventure that incorporates some aspect of either (or both) side(s).
Pallin Rahl 02-07-07, 04:46 PM	As far as she knows (and has related to at least one PC), she is simply the result of the coupling of one celestial-related parent (possibly an Aasimar or Half-Celestial) and a fiendish-related parent (possibly a Tiefling or Half-Fiend). Honestly, I hadn't really nailed it down beyond that... as she never knew her parents and this was her best guess that she worked out (in the past) with a rather knowledgable Archivist NPC ally of the party... I'm still not 100% certain if I want it to be that simple... or something wholly different. I'm leaving that bit open for everyone's interpretation, as it can alter your suggestions and plot ideas. ...I just didn't want her to be the clone of famous, legendary Eberron people and demons ;) hehe ...again, that's not a bad idea at all - just don't want to take the whole Tira-linked route. :)
Shady314 02-07-07, 05:19 PM	First I wouldn't completely write in stone who the stranger is just yet. It's always fun if players become convinced they've figured out your plot to pull the rug out from under them. Oh it must be a rakshasa! What do you mean it's an evil dragon? Oh noes! ;) Anyways... (also a tad long. Oh and info on this race you created is also helpful.) Now that you have used a conspicious and shadowy figure it's weak sauce to not use it. It will feel like a dangling subplot. Of course I also find shadowy figures to be weak sauce since a powerful rakshasa or dragon should be smart enough to stand around shapechanged pretending to be a nobody. People that walk around acting suspicious are usually idiots or people that have little to no experence being sneaky. So here's the first big reveal. After all the suspicion this guy is a rakshasa or evil dragon etc. the shadowy figure is caught and revealed to be...an ally. An ally that has been somehow helping her transform back to her normal self after her terrifying transormations. Without his help the transformations would have been longer and even worse. I see a few possibilities. My favorite is an inexperienced young adult dragon of the chamber battling a much more competent Rakshasa. The Dragon believes Aria to be very important to the Prophecy while most Dragons see the particular passage he is studying to be trivial or centuries from fruition etc. Have the dragon be practically shy and very bookish. Doubtful they've ever met an inept dragon. :) When they eventually track him to his lair and confront him he can transform into a gold dragon for what will hopefully give them a brief moment of terror and THEN the big reveal. If they attack instantly that'd be even better. Of course the Dragon (I will just call Bob hereafter) has some mcguffin that combats the transformation process. Bob has never come forward because 1) he's a mysterious dragon and 2) figured doing so would reveal himself to the rakshasa, a point the PCs have now made moot. Good job PCs! ;) The transformation process is the result of a centuries long breeding experiment of a rakshasa rajah. It's absolutely wonderful that she's a semi love interest of a player. It's unbelievable how far you can go with something like this. First off you must play up the personal terror this will be causing Aria. If you want her to go evil she must slowly but surely be losing her mind. But to avoid any suspicion she must come across as nothing but a helpless victim until the very last second where she transforms utterly and a fiendish side takes over. I'm thinking along the lines of Fred in Angel. Lead the PCs to believe the end result is her death and then surprise them with the fiendish possession. Two she must turn to the particular character for help as her transformations become more frequent and terrifying and she must become more and more desperate and eventually even hysterical. Eventually she'll ask him to bind her/lock her up for her own safety or later even ask him to kill her. I'm imaging her transformed and very demonic briefly in control begging him to kill her but I love horror. So all tough choices for him hopefully. Now this rakshasa needs to be close to Aria and maybe even the PCs. An old friend especially some kindly old uncle or friend of the family (since the whole family is obviously part of his program, what you think a celestial blooded human just runs into a fiendish blooded human and they fall in love ;) perhaps as a clue he can be be casually credited as having been the one to introduce her parents to each otheror something), her agent/manager or something. He should have a ridiculous amount of magic that prevents him from being detected. Aria is the end result of his eternal ambition: creation of a powerful true breeding slave race he has utter control over OR the channeling/possesion of/to a Rajah! Specifically the rajah at Flamekeep. :schemes: See THIS is why the celestial part was needed! AHA! Alternatively the shadow figure is a succesful male experiment he wants to breed with her that he has been sending to speed up her transformation. However I like the idea she is a conduit to a rajah so I'll be focusing on that. The rakshasa has found a fragment of the Draconic prophecy (he promptly destroyed) that led him to believe an upcoming time soon Aria would be in a position to kill the Speaker of the Flame. "If the accursed slave of the Dark Flame bathes in the Keeper's blood and enters the Silver Fire chains will be broken etc." As a bard Aria is probably good enough to be invited to an event the Keeper may be at. But the circumstances I leave up to you. Or if it even makes it that far. As for corrupted dragons leave it for another time. For awhile the big bad needs to be their former friend and loved one Aria and finding the Rakshasa. Both tasks should be sufficiently monumental. As for mixing with notable people. Saving Jaela Daran and breaking a rakshasa plot is a great note for them to meet her on. Like right after they save her life they can turn to her and say "Wow it's so great to meet you can I get an autograph?" ;) I'd also leave out the Daelkyr for now. It's easy for campaign focus to suffer greatly with too many villains running around. Ok well that took a long time to write so I'll stop and see if you even like any of that before I waste time writing more that might have no chance of being used.
Pallin Rahl 02-07-07, 05:27 PM	Per your request... Half-Aasimar/Half-Tiefling • +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma • Medium size Outsider-Blooded Humanoid (treat as Outsiders for spells & effects, but humanoid racial traits) • Base land speed: 30 ft • Special Qualities: Darkvision Out to 60 ft • Racial Skills: +2 racial bonus on Spot, Listen, and Bluff checks. • Celestial/Fiend-blooded Ability (Sp): Can use either Daylight or Darkness once per day (caster level equal to class levels). • Special Qualities: Resistance to acid 5, cold 5 and fire 5. • Automatic Languages: Common, Celestial, Infernal. • Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc, Sylvan. • Favored Class: Monk • Level adjustment +1 ...worked it out with help on the Races Board awhile ago. :) The wings this specific character has (raven wings... think black angel wings ;)) are just a perk I tossed in... as I liked the flavor and as the DM I can do that kinda thing :P (I'd have to check her writeup again, but I think I actually forfeited a feat to accomodate the wings...)
Shady314 02-07-07, 05:30 PM	About what I expected. Just wanted to make sure there was nothing truly odd that would completely obliterate my idea. I mean the bonus to wisdom is a niggle since it'd up her will which I would expect makes it harder to control her but no one said his experiment was working perfectly. :)
Pallin Rahl 02-07-07, 05:51 PM	So here's the first big reveal. After all the suspicion this guy is a rakshasa or evil dragon etc. the shadowy figure is caught and revealed to be...an ally. An ally that has been somehow helping her transform back to her normal self after her terrifying transormations. Without his help the transformations would have been longer and even worse. Nice. :D First off you must play up the personal terror this will be causing Aria. If you want her to go evil she must slowly but surely be losing her mind. But to avoid any suspicion she must come across as nothing but a helpless victim until the very last second where she transforms utterly and a fiendish side takes over. I'm thinking along the lines of Fred in Angel. Lead the PCs to believe the end result is her death and then surprise them with the fiendish possession. That is very-much how I was envisioning it. :) ...and yes, I was hoping for a sort of Illyria-esque thing. ;) Good call on the "playing out the shift towards losing herself" thing - will be interesting to see how the one PC in particular deals with that. Alternatively the shadow figure is a succesful male experiment he wants to breed with her that he has been sending to speed up her transformation. However I like the idea she is a conduit to a rajah so I'll be focusing on that. Another solid idea... but I agree, I prefer the prior one (the rajah vessel version). All-around solid ideas... very much in the vein of what I was kicking around (all fragmented in my head). :D P.S. ... "Wow it's so great to meet you can I get an autograph?" ;) Interestingly enough, I could see one of them actually saying that to her :P --- Following along with your plot suggestions... how do you feel it best to work in the PCs discovering the Rakshasa? Would you simply have the dragon ally (once that's worked-out) lead them in the right direction? ...or would you play-out that reveal some other way? --- Ok well that took a long time to write so I'll stop and see if you even like any of that before I waste time writing more that might have no chance of being used. Actually, we seem to be rather of the same mind regarding how this should play-out... feel free to add more if you wish :)
Shady314 02-07-07, 06:06 PM	Following along with your plot suggestions... how do you feel it best to work in the PCs discovering the Rakshasa? Would you simply have the dragon ally (once that's worked-out) lead them in the right direction? ...or would you play-out that reveal some other way? Actually, we seem to be rather of the same mind regarding how this should play-out... feel free to add more if you wish :) The way I'd see it is the focus is at first on this shadowy figure. So they track him down to figure out what the deal is. Aha! Caught you! Shadowy figure transforms. Oh noes Dragon! Must be an evil dragon! Kill it! Dragon says Whoa hold up there I'm not your enemy.. and after a tense standoff probably convinces them. So they say "Yo Dragon what's the deal?" and Dragon says I don't know it all myself. I suspect your friend is the pawn of an evil Rakshasa I have been trying to pinpoint. Thus far he has evaded me. I am sorry to say he is a far older being than I am and powerful enough to elude me. Your friend is in great danger..." "Don't worry she's safe!" "Oh where is she currently?" "She's locked up and unguarded back at our place." "You mean she's helpless and easily found...?" "Oh Damn." ;) They rush back much much too late. Dragon's advice: We MUST discover the rakshasa immediately. This rakshasa is a cruel, merciless bastard that revels in others suffering. I suspect he has kept himself close to Aria enjoying her torment. That narrows the list of suspects and you can go from there. Of course when they do find the rakshasa the rakshasa should be an unbelievable liar/actor and make them doubt themselves even when the evidence is overwhelming. A sobbing old friend of the family. "I don't know what you are talking about I swear. Please I love Aria don't hurt me" Sob Sob. Then see how far they are willing to go to get answers. MWHEHEH
Pallin Rahl 02-07-07, 06:24 PM	Hmm... still have to think more on how to get them on the Rakshasa's train without leading them by the hand. :P Furthermore, if the Rakshasa does somehow kidnap Aria, that seems likely to set up a scenario where they can "save" her before she even fully "goes bad". The more I think on it, however... I'm not sure if I want to go the kidnapping route. Over that last 10 sessions or so there have been two significant kidnapping-style schenarios (both different enough to be sure... but still). Having a third so soon thereafter would feel like overkill to me (of course you couldn't know that with the info I have given thus far heh). Will have to consider some other ideas related to this... --- On a side note... I suppose I also have to figure out how Aria is going to be statted while being ruled by her darker side. I want her to seem powerful and daunting... but not like some hellgod they would be totally suicidal to even confront. At first I was considering having her basically go gestalt... basically keeping one half of the gestalt her current class setup and the other half be something like Warlock or somesuch. ...but, though gestalt characters are obviously more powerful than standard ones, they're not that much more powerful (only maybe CR 2 or something higher). Increasing her class level seems cheesy, so I'd avoid that (upping her CR via other means is one thing... saying she's now a level 20 bard is something altogether different). Maybe a mix of gestalt with a homebrew template added might be in order... (ramp up her STR and hp... maybe give her a nasty trick or two... make her more resistant to damage via DR or somesuch...). I dunno... any suggestions appreciated here as well :)
Just another user 02-07-07, 06:31 PM	First I wouldn't completely write in stone who the stranger is just yet. It's always fun if players become convinced they've figured out your plot to pull the rug out from under them. Oh it must be a rakshasa! What do you mean it's an evil dragon? Oh noes! ;) Anyways... (also a tad long. Oh and info on this race you created is also helpful.) Now that you have used a conspicious and shadowy figure it's weak sauce to not use it. It will feel like a dangling subplot. Of course I also find shadowy figures to be weak sauce since a powerful rakshasa or dragon should be smart enough to stand around shapechanged pretending to be a nobody. Unless they want to be seen, of course. For example maybe that dragon I mentioned don't want for Aria to kill Jalea, but only attempt it and the PCs being able to stop her and when (if) they are able to save Jalea they will be in a position to do something truly epic, or at least, that is what the prophecy says. So he let them see him as a shadowy figure and leave them some clue, like making them follow him until to a house where he enter and disappear, but where they "casually" find a book with a part of the prophecy, or just enough so that they are able to "stop" it from happen.
Pallin Rahl 02-08-07, 01:46 PM	Couple things to discuss... Maybe the "vessel for a rajah" and "kill Jaela" plot ideas could be combined in some manner... Maybe Aria is intended to be the vessel of the rakshasa bound in the silver flame (now basically without a true physical form of its own)... and as part of the ritual to free it / bind to it, she must kill Jaela in the Chamber of the Flame... Don't know how I'd explain such a necessity directly /shrug --- Separate issue: Let's say I did go with there being a hidden Rakshasa among her friends... triggering the changes in Aria and working towards the plot of freeing the Rajah in Flamekeep ...and I went with the "shadowy figure" being a dragon-prophecy-studying Dragon trying to counteract the workings of the Rakshasa, trailing it, etc. If the Dragon can't pinpoint who the Rakshasa is directly... and the Rakshasa has such powerful warding against detection... how could my PCs possibly hope to figure out who it is? Let's say they don't (a perfectly viable answer) and the change is completed... and Aria goes all "evil". At this point, there is no further reason for the Rakshasa to make himself/herself known... and hell, if the party doesn't even realize one of their allies might be a problem, the whole thing might go completely unnoticed (the Rakshasa among them part, that is). How would you suggest I best-introduce that reveal... if at all? --- Finally is the topic of pacing. How do you think I should pace all this? There have already been hints that something is up... but there has really been no sense of escalation yet. Though I want to get to this key plot... do you think it would be best to have a couple small (one-shot) adventures first... overall unrelated to this plot, but giving a sense of escalation (regarding Aria's issues) and further impending dread before the major events come to a head (that which we're talking about above)? ...or do you think that the hints already out there would suffice and a more sudden, almost jarring, turn of events might prove more meaningful? Remeber, I'm looking to make this a significant event with some meaning... --- Keep your great suggestions coming! ...thus far you've all been very helpful! :D
maollelujah 02-08-07, 03:03 PM	Let's say I did go with there being a hidden Rakshasa among her friends... triggering the changes in Aria and working towards the plot of freeing the Rajah in Flamekeep ...and I went with the "shadowy figure" being a dragon-prophecy-studying Dragon trying to counteract the workings of the Rakshasa, trailing it, etc. If the Dragon can't pinpoint who the Rakshasa is directly... and the Rakshasa has such powerful warding against detection... how could my PCs possibly hope to figure out who it is? This one is tough. I wouldn't have the Dragon actively trying to counter-act the Rakshasa. I would have the Dragon unsure who is doing this, partly because it doesn't have full access to Aria and is only watching from a distance. Plus it is still unsure what the prophecy means, what Aria's roll in this piece of the prophecy is and what actions it will take. The Rakshasa doesn't ever show its hand, it just pulls the strings. I would have one of its minions be among Aria's circle of friends. As for actions of the Rajah: slips Aria a potion (the potion should be cure light wounds or something simple but has a strange mark on the bottle as a clue for the pcs.), has her gather a strange dragonshard focus (the dragonshard was harvested from a spot near the Rajah), has her travel to a strange location (an ancient fortress of the said Rajah) etc... These could help the Rakshasa prepare Aria for becoming the Rajah's vessel. I wouldn't have Jaela need to be killed, but have the little girl be one that helps the pcs find out the truth. Remember Jaela can speak to the Silver Flame and the Flame could be whispering something to her. Plus the Silver Flame is a good place to include a few corrupted minions of the Rakshasa. As for Stating her out, I would just give her some spell-like abilities that she shouldn't have and let the rest be a description of her appearance... When she breaks out finger of death or other powerful spell in front of the PCs they will start to scratch their heads. Just some thoughts
Shady314 02-08-07, 10:01 PM	Couple things to discuss... Maybe the "vessel for a rajah" and "kill Jaela" plot ideas could be combined in some manner... That's what I had meant. Aria is basically a manchurian candidate the Rakshasa (I'll call Grishak) has been spending centuries creating. Maybe Aria is intended to be the vessel of the rakshasa bound in the silver flame (now basically without a true physical form of its own)... and as part of the ritual to free it / bind to it, she must kill Jaela in the Chamber of the Flame... Within the Chamber is when Jaela is at her strongest. I also don't know about "ritual" just that it is a necessary component of the prophecy that Aria soaks in the blood of the Keeper. This could be interpreted as a literal bath or possibly just getting sprayed like after cutting an artery will suffice. [insert eldritch theories on what about the Keeper's blood is necessary] Also getting into the chamber is a tall order. I think it's better if the god-awful transformed Aria is going after the 11 year old level 3 cleric outside of Flamekeep. Yes she'll have a kick ass honor guard but that's what will make the whole fight fun. Don't know how I'd explain such a necessity directly /shrug The player's don't need to understand the end game Aria is attempting to pull off. They just need to catch up to her and try to subdue her regardless of what she is up to. Separate issue: Let's say I did go with there being a hidden Rakshasa among her friends... triggering the changes in Aria and working towards the plot of freeing the Rajah in Flamekeep ...and I went with the "shadowy figure" being a dragon-prophecy-studying Dragon trying to counteract the workings of the Rakshasa, trailing it, etc. If the Dragon can't pinpoint who the Rakshasa is directly... and the Rakshasa has such powerful warding against detection... how could my PCs possibly hope to figure out who it is? Well you can have the Dragon have a suspect. You can give them mundane clues beforehand. Aria's visiting uncle disappears for long stretches of time... etc. It would be interesting to set the clock ticking give them a helpless suspect and see how far they'll go to unmask him. Torture anyone? The Rakshasa is an embodiment of cruelty/suffering/evil etc. so sometimes his nature may force him to take irrational actions he may decide at some point just to gloat over them that they have failed. He may decide to kill them before they can reach Aria. I think this rajah would be willing to risk his life since in the worst case scenario he'll reform later and if he is an LoD actively trying to release a rajah he is much more zealous than most of his compatriots. Let's say they don't (a perfectly viable answer) and the ch ange is completed... and Aria goes all "evil". At this point, there is no further reason for the Rakshasa to make himself/herself known... and hell, if the party doesn't even realize one of their allies might be a problem, the whole thing might go completely unnoticed (the Rakshasa among them part, that is). How would you suggest I best-introduce that reveal... if at all? See above. Rakshasa may feel an irrational compulsion to gloat so close to the goal. Though if the players haven't earned the reveal then don't give it to them. They can track Aria some other way. Some divination. Perhaps they'll visit Flamewind. Finally is the topic of pacing. How do you think I should pace all this? There have already been hints that something is up... but there has really been no sense of escalation yet. Though I want to get to this key plot... do you think it would be best to have a couple small (one-shot) adventures first... overall unrelated to this plot, but giving a sense of escalation (regarding Aria's issues) and further impending dread before the major events come to a head (that which we're talking about above)? ...or do you think that the hints already out there would suffice and a more sudden, almost jarring, turn of events might prove more meaningful? Remeber, I'm looking to make this a significant event with some meaning... Go for jarring. She transformed twice against her will and from what you're telling us they haven't done a single thing about it. Now they must suffer for their lack of paranoia and concern! But yes 2 events is 1 more precedent than is necessary. ;) If you do it gradually they will catch on. It will be more meaningful if they feel guilty for ignoring the previous incidents when everything suddenly goes to hell. Remember the Fred-Illyria thing. They didn't even have precedent then. She breathed in some dust but otherwise everything was great. Till she suddenly sneezed blood and collapsed...
Shady314 02-08-07, 11:01 PM	Anyways I was thinking about all this at work and I felt it needed a deeper level of intrigue. So new ramblings. Corrupted dragons are back in! Well dragon no s. And not so much "fiendish corruption" as ruthless bastard. Make Bob a villain. So everything I said before is the same except Bob is now an older dragon than he is pretending to be and not nearly as inept as he pretends. Bob is playing a dangerous game. Altering prophecy AND attempting to infiltrate the LoD. To this end he has convinced Grishak he is a fellow Rakshasa and worked with him over the years. To infiltrate deeper he must bind (so no reforming) Grishak and assume his identity. He also intends to use the PCs to fulfill prophetic events to his liking. The first step is "saving the Keeper from a former love turned to evil" or however you write up the prophecy fragment. This is not for the PCs to know until the end when the Bob they have grown to like (hopefully) that has helped them and is completely non-threatening turns vicious menace and betrays them. MWHEHE I am sadistic. Here's how I see a very rough outline of the whole Evil Aria Adventure Arc. Hmmm I suck at titles... anyways 1. Aria's transformations become frequent and violent. The 3rd one should be long and completely unexpected. I see her and the PC about to kiss when she transforms and tries to claw his face off. :) I'm mean. 2. PCs search for clues and/or cures. Turn up nothing or find small clues that will lead them to the Rakshasa. The situation deteriorates as Aria loses control and permanently transforms. For now though she is weak and/or unconscious. at some point in here Aria will send word to family she is seriously ill and the Rakshasa impersonator will show up. Another possibility for a later reveal is to have the Rakshasa slip up. He's not perfect. He mentions something from a time before he should have shown up in Sharn. He does not know a touching childhood story Aria shared with the PCs that he should know. etc. 3. Shadowy figure is seen again. This time they manage to track him. (Bob want's them to) Big reveal! Bob is friendly and wants to help so very much. He's not like those uncaring Dragons that sit back in Argonessen doing nothing for the lesser races. Bob wants to make a difference. To that end he claims he is attempting to figure out what Grishak has done to Aria and reverse it. His mcguffin supresses transformations of all kinds and is not specific to Aria's condition. If he could study Aria he might be able to help. Bob as YOU will know actually knows everything but he will claim limited knowledge. He gives them a special book. What is written in one book will appear in the other to keep in contact. (Yes I stole it from the Sword of Truth series as I'm sure you'll recognize) 4. PCs rush back to HQ at some point. Lot's of options here. Aria is long gone. Aria flies off just as they get there. Bob says he must leave to inform his elders and work on his device/pursue other avenues in finding Grishak. Really he watches them and tries to set Grishak up to be found. Aria is still here and escapes later as they hunt for the Rakshasa. He gives them a special box(another mcguffin) that will trap Grishak's essence if they slay him. Or Bob pretends to try and study her to help her even though he could fix the problem at anytime. Dragons are pricks. He sends them off to find the Rakshasa while he works in secret to set Grishak up to be found. Grishak meanwhile does not intend to travel with Aria. He has other plots to tend to and all he was interested in doing was freeing Aria to go do what he's programmed her to do. This is why(or one of the reasons why) he's still around. Character wise he is a cruel fanatic that believes the time has come for the Rajahs to rise and nothing can stop this now that Aria is under his master's control. He is a tad overconfident of that fact though... 5. PCs capture Grishak though at this point Aria must be gone and Bob be unavailable. PCs must attempt to coerce Grishak to give up the information. Most importantly is what Aria will try to do and where but they may also be curious just what the hell he did to her. Grishak will try to get them to cut a "bargain" which is a bad idea. He'll ask for their strength temporarily but given willingly, their magical weapons or similar and agree to free him afterwards. He'll answer as insufficiently and unhelpfully as possible and/or make the bargain include very limited terms on what can be asked. Whatever he asks for though weakens the PCs and he'll attempt to kill them once freed and the bargain puts them at a disadvantage. Alternatively there is torture with a combination of magic to ensure honesty. Very difficult and if they go this route it'd be great if there could be some doubt as to whether he really is a Rakshasa. "Stop youre torturing a possibly innocent man!" Either way can be a lot of fun to play Grishak. Eventually sputtering, cursing, growling, hissing etc. At some point have him break out the prophecy. To give them a clue what Aria is up to. He'll also eventually give up that a specially prepared Khyber shard was implanted in Aria to channel the Rajah. Remove it and she's freed. Easier said than done. Give it a heal check just within reach of a PC. But Aria must be grappeled(nearly impossible in fiend form and you must have a slashing weapon in hand) or subdued to attempt it. Grishak must die though so he can be trapped in the box which shall disappear as soon as he dies. Back into Bob's posession. 6. The PCs track Aria down. She is now a high level monk with the half-fiend template and a few rules fudges under the control of an evil alien influence. You may wish to track time to see at what point they catch up to her. She can slip between her regular form (now a souped up bard with powerful infernal songs) and fiend form but Aria is not in control of either one. Souped up bard form is going to get herself into a festival at Flamekeep. A festival the Keeper will also be at. Cathing up to her early will be good since the Rajah will taunt them that they are far out of their league before escaping dramatically. 7. Aria breaks out a super powerful bard song that plunges the whole festival into chaos. High DC confusion effect with an enormous area. But really she can do pretty much whatever you feel is good for the story. She's kind of an avatar of a Rajah. She can break out whatever Mcguffin you feel is necessary. Of course Jaela is attempted to be spirited away. But Aria has somehow stopped teleportation and the like. The PCs should be caught in the confusion and need to work their way towards Aria (working her way towards Jaela and carving through defenders) they need to reach her soon before she reaches Jaela though. Make it clear they can get to her faster if they cut down some commoners MWHEHE. So either they reach her before she gets to Jaela or they get to her as she is attacking Jaela. As soon as she scores a hit on Jaela describe her as slicing Jaela's throat and being showered in a spray of blood. That's enough for her and Aria will flee immediately. Her departure ends any effects that may be going on. The PCs will need to immediately heal or at least stabilize Jaela. Either way it works out they've now saved the Keeper's life. And if Aria gets away they know where she is going next. Aria is not launching an insane full frontal assualt on Flamekeep though. She is using the obligatory secret passage to quickly reach the Chamber of the Flame. PCs pursue and must stop Aria one way or another before she can step into the Flame. 8. Hopefully they've saved Aria's life without killing her. If they've killed her have Jaela appear and raise her. Gosh she's a saint. Jaela will grant her saviors boons. Probably some kick ass divine magic items. The Aria matter will be tricky but easily sidestepped if a PC asks for their boon to be sparing Aria's life. Basically a big awards ceremony to wrap it all up a la Star Wars. Aria will be very "grateful" to her hero. And they should go get a room somewhere. They'll spend some quality time together before Bob shows up and paralyzes the PC and murders Aria with a Keeper's Fang weapon... launching a new adventure. Obviously it needs a lot of ironing out but like I said. Outline.
Pallin Rahl 02-11-07, 02:16 PM	Good stuff. :) Yeah, Jaela would be pretty damn powerful in Flamekeep. ...unless Aria in her "bad"-form is immune to Divine magic ;) ...via a divine-only antimagic effect or just a plain-old high spell resistance. Were a fight to break out near the silver flame emination itself, tossing her into the flame might be a possible way to "save" her (if the ritual doesn't go as she planns). ...maybe tossing her into the Silver Flame is the only way to cleanse her, so to speak. ...or maybe I'm just thinking nutty now :P (next weekend I'll be running this, so I hope to start actually statting things out and nailing-down the plot in the near future) :)
Pallin Rahl 02-13-07, 01:17 PM	A quick :bump: for any further discussion before I start to set some of this in stone as I prepare for my group's next gaming session. :)
Pallin Rahl 02-14-07, 12:18 PM	Last :bump: back to page 1 then no more ;) Regardless, thanks for all the help (it has been quite... uh... helpful :D)
Pallin Rahl 02-16-07, 12:01 PM	Wasn't going to bump this again... but I'm having a difficult time coming up with a solid "reveal" (if you will) for Aria's final transformation - i.e. the moment she goes all fiendish and doesn't revert (till this has all been settled). The PCs and a couple NPC allies of theirs in their adventuring guild kinda know something is up... but I want this "final shifting" to have a stronger impact than "oh yeah, what has happened a couple times before happens again and she doesn't change back". Any suggestions? ...or any further discussion at all? :)
Yakman 02-16-07, 12:58 PM	At the end, Aria has to die, you know. And the PC who's in love with her has to kill her.
Pallin Rahl 02-16-07, 01:02 PM	At the end, Aria has to die, you know. And the PC who's in love with her has to kill her. heh not necessarily... all depends on how the PCs handle it, I suppose. Will probably provide a risky "out" to saving her in some manner. ...maybe tossing her into the Silver Flame can burn the "bad" outta her. ;)
Yakman 02-16-07, 01:04 PM	heh not necessarily... all depends on how the PCs handle it, I suppose. Will probably provide a risky "out" to saving her in some manner. ...maybe tossing her into the Silver Flame can burn the "bad" outta her. ;) It's only good if she dies--despite the possibility of redemption. Give evil some claws, and even though it loses one fight, it still wounds the characters.
goblin_pride 02-16-07, 01:07 PM	heh not necessarily... all depends on how the PCs handle it, I suppose. Will probably provide a risky "out" to saving her in some manner. ...maybe tossing her into the Silver Flame can burn the "bad" outta her. ;) And burn away the parts that have been corrupted, leaving her an empty husk. The merciful approach would be to have the PCs kill her outright. That which is Aria could be saved from the corruption that tormented her, but the Aria that will return after cleansing won't be the same. So romantic and tragic that it's pure noir.
Yakman 02-16-07, 01:19 PM	or she's taken (horribly scarred both physically and emotionally) by the Church of the Silver Flame and kept in a nunnery--the last glimpse the PCs have of her is through the upper window as they ride away...
Pallin Rahl 02-16-07, 01:41 PM	I dunno... I kinda like the idea of Aria still being around and "good" if saved... but having to deal with all the pain, suffering and death she's caused (some long-standing NPC allies of the PCs will surely die during this event... if not some of the PCs themselves, depending on how they handle it hehe). However, I want it to be totally up to how the PCs handle it... I want Aria's death to be a distinct possibility... among other various alternatives (hell, who says they'll even be able to stop her). ...but it would just be, I don't know, wrong for me to give them no viable way to "save" her. ...again, even if they save her, things wouldn't be all puppies and roses ;) ...there will undoubtably be fallout. :)
Yakman 02-16-07, 02:23 PM	[/PHP]I dunno... I kinda like the idea of Aria still being around and "good" if saved... but having to deal with all the pain, suffering and death she's caused (some long-standing NPC allies of the PCs will surely die during this event... if not some of the PCs themselves, depending on how they handle it hehe). However, I want it to be totally up to how the PCs handle it... I want Aria's death to be a distinct possibility... among other various alternatives (hell, who says they'll even be able to stop her). ...but it would just be, I don't know, wrong for me to give them no viable way to "save" her. ...again, even if they save her, things wouldn't be all puppies and roses ;) ...there will undoubtably be fallout. :)No, it wouldn't be wrong. It would be evil. Which is what DMs are for. :smirk:
Pallin Rahl 03-01-07, 12:22 PM	Final :bump: ...after some unexpected off-weeks, all this will be "going-down" this coming Saturday. ;) ...any final discussion is welcome. :D
goblin_pride 03-01-07, 02:44 PM	or she's taken (horribly scarred both physically and emotionally) by the Church of the Silver Flame and kept in a nunnery--the last glimpse the PCs have of her is through the upper window as they ride away... You do realize that nunnery is an Elizabethan-era slang for a brothel, don't you? During the protestant period, all things catholic were insulted, defamed and pretty much scorned so they started calling brothels nunneries. It adds a secondary level of insult to Hamlet's tirade to Ophelia to "Get thee to a nunnery, to a nunnery go." That's one of those subtle little nuances in literature that no one notices some four hundred years after the fact. Shakespeare's work is heavily peppered with subtle humor that requires an understanding of the historical context to catch.
Yakman 03-01-07, 02:53 PM	You do realize that nunnery is an Elizabethan-era slang for a brothel, don't you? During the protestant period, all things catholic were insulted, defamed and pretty much scorned so they started calling brothels nunneries. It adds a secondary level of insult to Hamlet's tirade to Ophelia to "Get thee to a nunnery, to a nunnery go." That's one of those subtle little nuances in literature that no one notices some four hundred years after the fact. Shakespeare's work is heavily peppered with subtle humor that requires an understanding of the historical context to catch. While I didn't know that, I fail to see how it diminishes my suggestion...
Hopeless 03-01-07, 06:57 PM	[/PHP]No, it wouldn't be wrong. It would be evil. Which is what DMs are for. :smirk: Just a thought but there was a sub-plot in the Faiths of Eberron I think where it postulated that the fiend was still stuck with both the Coatul and Tira so what if this prophecy was a means of removing this element from the current head of the Silver Flame? What if it was all about preventing the corruption of the Silver Flame rather than the murder of its head? Is Aria actually being used to discover the "truth" of this prophecy BUT its being misread or deliberately being altered to fit the readers' conception of its actual meaning... Aria isn't the intended recipient of this prophecy or perhaps the duplicity is that everything has been set up to make it look like she is meanwhile the true recipient is being located and acquired whilst the Silver Flame is being diverted... It could be any one of these could be applied and the final result could later be revealed to make the final result of this adventure merely more tragic than it actually was...
Korhal IV 03-02-07, 03:11 AM	I'm jumping in without referencing the previous discussion - I read the first post and it just sounded cool. What if Aria's demonic seizures are simply evidence of the growing split within her? The "real" Aria is so gosh-darned nice because she's been repressing the evil within her. Sort of a "Jekyll and Dr. Hyde" thing. I would run it as a sort of lycanthropy - certain things 'trigger' Evil Aria. Our shadowy figure has unknown designs. Reaching back into her ancestry, what if Aria was the descendant of a female paladin (CotSF, just for kicks) who was unknowingly seduced by an incubus whose plans she had destroyed. Now Great-grand-daddy is awakening the demonic lineage to bring about the total ruin of that paladin's name and legacy, revealing that she literally consorted with demons. Being dead and gone, the paladin can't contest that, and it'll be a heavy blow to the Church - and moreso for the PCs and Aria, as her triggered episodes leave carnage across the country.
Incudine 03-02-07, 10:39 AM	Just another perspective As already suggested Aria is the result of a long (thousands of years long to be precise) plan from the LOD, after millennia of breeding they have finally succeeded in having not one, but two halfcelestial/half fiendish creatures, one is a male (lets call him TOM) and the other is a female. The plan is not to create a vessel for an imprisoned rahja but to create a new one! If Aria breeds with TOM the two half fiendish parts will unite and form a full demon/devil. The Draconic Prophecy talks about it and it has been studied by the LOD during all these millennia and they are sure it will workout. The Chamber knows about it as well and is observing the situation. The SF sense that a great danger is looming but still is not clear about what this danger is. The LOD are trying to wake up Aria’s dark side so she will accept her fate as the Raja’s Mother, These sudden changes are the result of their effort, the only reason they failed in the past (partially, the effect was temporary) is because she “made the ST”. will she be lucky enough to resist longer? I personally would work it out this way, let the romance develop between the PC and Aria over the next few sessions. Wait until they have sex for the first time and they swear love to each other, wait a couple of days, the PC comes back home and she is gone! Disappeared! She succumbed to the LOD spells and is now ready to mate with Tom. Let the PC try to find her, only to fail in their efforts (at the same time maybe discovering something about the LOD plan. A couple of months afterwards an NPC manages to get a divination spell working on Aria, she is in her evil form and… she is pregnant! Is the baby the son of the PC or the baby raja? The pregnancy is proceeding faster than a normal one, probably in another couple of months she will give birth. The PC now have to find her, find a way to get her back to her good side, defeat some LOD and Tom…. Happy ending? Of course not!!! ;) the baby has now been born... Is the baby a raja? For some reason no alignment is identified by the spells. But Aria and Tom are well half celestial,…. What about twins? One deformed and horrible and the other beautiful like an angel? No way of finding out which one is the evil and which one is good. What will the PC do, kill potentially innocent babies? Leave a potential raja around Khorvaire? By now the Silver Flame has identified the two babies as the danger and now you have the LOD trying to get the babies back, the SF trying to kill them, the Chamber trying to understand what’s going on, any other organisation in Eberron is potentially interested in raising an extremely powerful being to serve the organisation’s goal and the PC are in the middle. God, can I play in your campaign??!!! :)