Written Into A Corner...Help Me Out - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Written Into A Corner...Help Me Out

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
tufrat
Jan 03, 2011 9:46:46
My players have finally arrived in the Mournland to gather the final McGuffin, a relic of a long lost hero.

I gave them some clues about where to go and what to do, but have long since forgotten the solutions to the prophesy/riddle. So I need some ideas on possible solutions.

Here are the clues:

A snippet of Prophesy:
One is found in glowing grave, filled by arcane, twisted wave.
(This was meant to indicate the Mournlands and possibly direct them to the Glowing Chasm)

The Sphinxes Riddle:
"Travel across the Crystal Plain until you reach the City of Broken Glass.
Reflect on the Past and move beyond your reflections.
Only then can you bring the past to the present.
But make haste, for shadows already gather to quench the lights forever.”
(This was meant to direct them to the Glass Plateau and to the City of Making, where the party is now)

The Strange Reflections:
The city, when viewed from above, reflects the current starfield, day or night, and may be an Orerry of some sort on a grand scale. In addition, when they look down into the now glassy ground, they can see arcane wisps of energy flowing around.

The party is currently IN Making, and I've described it as a city that was transformed into glass. So whatever the solution is, it needs to be in Making.

I had something in mind that the clues would help identify where to go in the city as well as, upon further consideration, provide clues about how to find and actually open the secret hiding place...
#2
Ogiwan
Jan 03, 2011 10:04:53 Does the final MacGuffin have to be in Making?

Alternatively, you say "final MacGuffin," insinuating that there are others. Other parts of something? Perhaps they are all part of an ancient Giant doomsday device found in Xen'Drik.
#3
tufrat
Jan 03, 2011 10:14:48
Does the final MacGuffin have to be in Making?

Alternatively, you say "final MacGuffin," insinuating that there are others. Other parts of something? Perhaps they are all part of an ancient Giant doomsday device found in Xen'Drik.

The items are all the relics of an ancient hero, the party has gathered all the other relics in previous adventures. His soul is trapped in limbo and they need to bring him back, because they can't kill the key villain while the ancient hero's soul is trapped. (And before anyone brings it up, the ancient hero will not overshadow the party, he's just a plot device.)

The item doesn't HAVE to be in Making, but the entrance, portal, method of getting to the relic does need to be.
#4
Ogiwan
Jan 04, 2011 17:03:59 Ok. Now, what is the ancient hero? Is he Dhakaani? Galifarian? Elven? What?

I'm thinking the party picks up the last bit in Making, and then has to go to some shrine somewhere else to waken the ancient spirit, and then make the assault on the Villainous Citadel. Workable?
#5
tufrat
Jan 04, 2011 20:47:45 You're on my wavelength.

The ancient Hero is an Orc. At a specific date (several game months), the party needs to be in a specific place (Flamekeep) where they know the Villain is going to attack. They need to summon the hero's soul back to this world during the attack. That will make the villain vulnerable and they can kill him.

That's pretty much where all the MacGuffin quests have been headed, but there are several other things they need to do, discover, be confronted with etc. before the final confrontation.

I posted this on EnWorld as well and got some neat suggestions involving time travel and mirrors.

Bringing the hero's soul back to the workd definitely covers bringing the past to the present.

"Reflect on the Past and move beyond your reflections." --this line is the real stumper...I need an Indiana Jones - style solution
#6
Ogiwan
Jan 05, 2011 10:49:10 Well, if you need some extra encounters, you could have your people do stuff for the Church of the Silver Flame in return for using their holiest sites or whatever for the resurrection.

For the reflection thing, well, you could either have them fight reflections, or.....maybe if you want some role-playing, give them the chance to re-do some major regret they have or something.
#7
tufrat
Jan 05, 2011 11:32:30 I like those ideas. Thanks!
#8
Madfox11
Jan 07, 2011 3:35:16 In regards to the reflections, one often used plot device is tht somehow the PCs are confronted by life-like flashes/visions of events in the past through some kind of magical effect (in story more often than not a ritual designed to help a character learn).

For example, the PCs in my home campaign had to gain access to the forbidden section of the library of a temple. They needed to proof they would not use the knowledge to corrupt and destroy magic, and were exposed to a series of tests. Each encounter consisted of a scene from the past of one PC. They needed to reach a specific goal to get to the next scene. All the PCs were present in each scene and they had to work together to achieve the goal. The goal was not of particular interest to the priests. How the PCs acted was. They could die. So for example, one PC had become an adventurer after his family had been brutally slaughered by something. He relived the scene, and together they had to solve the murder. They solved it, and it ended with a fight with a wendigo. My players absolutely loved it. Not only did I use their characters' background, I confronted the other PCs with it as well, giving them some opportunities to explain or deny things. What is more, since the test only build on images from the past of each PC, the things were not necessarily as they really happened, leaving it up to the players whether or not the gaps I had to fill were there to keep or drop.
#9
CraggleRock
Feb 23, 2011 9:03:25 My thought on "Reflect on the past and move beyond your reflections" if taken a bit more "literaly", would make me think as a player of needing to step backwards through a mirror.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 tufrat Jan 03, 2011 9:46:46	My players have finally arrived in the Mournland to gather the final McGuffin, a relic of a long lost hero. I gave them some clues about where to go and what to do, but have long since forgotten the solutions to the prophesy/riddle. So I need some ideas on possible solutions. Here are the clues: A snippet of Prophesy: One is found in glowing grave, filled by arcane, twisted wave. (This was meant to indicate the Mournlands and possibly direct them to the Glowing Chasm) The Sphinxes Riddle: "Travel across the Crystal Plain until you reach the City of Broken Glass. Reflect on the Past and move beyond your reflections. Only then can you bring the past to the present. But make haste, for shadows already gather to quench the lights forever.” (This was meant to direct them to the Glass Plateau and to the City of Making, where the party is now) The Strange Reflections: The city, when viewed from above, reflects the current starfield, day or night, and may be an Orerry of some sort on a grand scale. In addition, when they look down into the now glassy ground, they can see arcane wisps of energy flowing around. The party is currently IN Making, and I've described it as a city that was transformed into glass. So whatever the solution is, it needs to be in Making. I had something in mind that the clues would help identify where to go in the city as well as, upon further consideration, provide clues about how to find and actually open the secret hiding place...
#2 Ogiwan Jan 03, 2011 10:04:53	Does the final MacGuffin have to be in Making? Alternatively, you say "final MacGuffin," insinuating that there are others. Other parts of something? Perhaps they are all part of an ancient Giant doomsday device found in Xen'Drik.
#3 tufrat Jan 03, 2011 10:14:48	Does the final MacGuffin have to be in Making? Alternatively, you say "final MacGuffin," insinuating that there are others. Other parts of something? Perhaps they are all part of an ancient Giant doomsday device found in Xen'Drik. The items are all the relics of an ancient hero, the party has gathered all the other relics in previous adventures. His soul is trapped in limbo and they need to bring him back, because they can't kill the key villain while the ancient hero's soul is trapped. (And before anyone brings it up, the ancient hero will not overshadow the party, he's just a plot device.) The item doesn't HAVE to be in Making, but the entrance, portal, method of getting to the relic does need to be.
#4 Ogiwan Jan 04, 2011 17:03:59	Ok. Now, what is the ancient hero? Is he Dhakaani? Galifarian? Elven? What? I'm thinking the party picks up the last bit in Making, and then has to go to some shrine somewhere else to waken the ancient spirit, and then make the assault on the Villainous Citadel. Workable?
#5 tufrat Jan 04, 2011 20:47:45	You're on my wavelength. The ancient Hero is an Orc. At a specific date (several game months), the party needs to be in a specific place (Flamekeep) where they know the Villain is going to attack. They need to summon the hero's soul back to this world during the attack. That will make the villain vulnerable and they can kill him. That's pretty much where all the MacGuffin quests have been headed, but there are several other things they need to do, discover, be confronted with etc. before the final confrontation. I posted this on EnWorld as well and got some neat suggestions involving time travel and mirrors. Bringing the hero's soul back to the workd definitely covers bringing the past to the present. "Reflect on the Past and move beyond your reflections." --this line is the real stumper...I need an Indiana Jones - style solution
#6 Ogiwan Jan 05, 2011 10:49:10	Well, if you need some extra encounters, you could have your people do stuff for the Church of the Silver Flame in return for using their holiest sites or whatever for the resurrection. For the reflection thing, well, you could either have them fight reflections, or.....maybe if you want some role-playing, give them the chance to re-do some major regret they have or something.
#7 tufrat Jan 05, 2011 11:32:30	I like those ideas. Thanks!
#8 Madfox11 Jan 07, 2011 3:35:16	In regards to the reflections, one often used plot device is tht somehow the PCs are confronted by life-like flashes/visions of events in the past through some kind of magical effect (in story more often than not a ritual designed to help a character learn). For example, the PCs in my home campaign had to gain access to the forbidden section of the library of a temple. They needed to proof they would not use the knowledge to corrupt and destroy magic, and were exposed to a series of tests. Each encounter consisted of a scene from the past of one PC. They needed to reach a specific goal to get to the next scene. All the PCs were present in each scene and they had to work together to achieve the goal. The goal was not of particular interest to the priests. How the PCs acted was. They could die. So for example, one PC had become an adventurer after his family had been brutally slaughered by something. He relived the scene, and together they had to solve the murder. They solved it, and it ended with a fight with a wendigo. My players absolutely loved it. Not only did I use their characters' background, I confronted the other PCs with it as well, giving them some opportunities to explain or deny things. What is more, since the test only build on images from the past of each PC, the things were not necessarily as they really happened, leaving it up to the players whether or not the gaps I had to fill were there to keep or drop.
#9 CraggleRock Feb 23, 2011 9:03:25	My thought on "Reflect on the past and move beyond your reflections" if taken a bit more "literaly", would make me think as a player of needing to step backwards through a mirror.