Originally I had this planned for running with 3e lore with Neverwinter Nights.
put after playing pen and paper I thought why not do it for the table.
However certain plots have developed in 4E that might make a it bit more interesting.
Basically the story goes as follows. A powerful priest of Cyric had become enemies with a some followers of Bane(or any evil church that might have conflict with Cyric). After the followers were defeated, The Banites hired a powerful wizard to imprison the Cyric priest, and a number of other powerful followers within his own keep (or some demiplain might work better).
Now, although he and his lackey are trapped they are not totally without contact to the outside world. And it has come the attention of other Cyricist that the wizard who imprisoned him has become a lich of no small power residing somewhere in the silver marches. The Cyrist have also become aware of a tome that resides with the lich that contains the spell that imprisoned the priest in the first place and may contain a way to free him.
Now while other factions would have reason to prevent this action certain Banites would also like to recover this tome for themselves and stop the Cyricist.
This all boils down the PC's thwarting a plot to free a powerful priest of Cyric. And preventing the Banites from getting their hands on the tome.
(or If a PC happens to be a Bane follower, to get the tome for himself).
Now with the events of spellplague I could take it further. Why not make this a mission to thwart an atempt involving the Zhents (at least the Cyric Portion) to free Cyric himself. Instead of using a tome as an objective, why not use a powerful artifact.
I know the easiest way to handle this would be to just run it 3.5. In allot of moves I unfortuanately have lost my books. And this plot hook (Although I know there will mostly be many attempts to free Cyric) I could take to Epic levels.
My problem though with this is how, if at all, could I involved the Banites? (Sorry I just think bane is cool. And I thought I read some where that he and Cyric aren't on the best of terms.)
I know that Tyr, Lathander, and Sune where involved Cyrics Imprisonment (pg. 74 FRCG) but would it be too far from lore if they involved a sinister deity aswell in the imprisonment process, that they mite have excluded from the history books. (I cant remeber the alignment of Tyr and Lathander but I believe it was/is lawful good).
I realize that it's my realms when it comes down to it, but other opinions never hurt. If this sounds too similar to another tale out there let me know aswell. Im not too versed on FR novels or lore for that matter
The artifact that the Zhents need in order to free Cyric was in possession of the church of Bane, lying hidden and forgotten in one of there temples that had been razed during the purges of the faith after the time of troubles. The Banites, learn of the looting of one of their temples, and desire to; a. recover their artifact, b. punish those who would defile and steal from one of their temples, and c. stop the release of Cyric.
Im gonna have to look more into the lore of the purging. I guess another thing I want to look into in that case is places where the church of Bane is concentrated. (Still have alot reading to do in any case).
Now I just have to sit and think a bit how I can weave a few minor plot lines into the major plotline. Micro story telling is something I've always struggled with.
While I think the whole Cyric being imprisoned thing is cool and has a lot of potential. One has to wonder ,though, how an entire plane becomes locked down. I imagine that is something that would require Ao. But than again Im not up to speed really on how the Time of Troubles began either.
Thanks for the help.
Make it a moral debate and see how it goes.
Make the priest of Cyric that is imprisoned the only true keeper of the knowledge of how Cyric can be released--and the only person that knows what the tome can do and/or how it works. And make it that so nobody but the PC's know.
Make it a moral debate and see how it goes.
I like it, but Im not sure I follow.
I Guess I'm asking why this would bring up the moral depate among the PC's.
Or are you thinking that maybe the PC's stumble upon this information and might be in danger from people seeking this kind of information?
Or that they have been informed by Priest of Amaunator(or whoever) of the valuable information contained in the tome and how the priest of Cyric could exploit it?
Or have they been tasked by some lord, duke or baron to recover it without knowing his true reasoning for wanting it recovered?
I would suggest making the tome the focal point of the strife between the Cyricist priest and the Banite front. That is, if your intent is to have the tome be the key to freeing Cyric. Otherwise, this ain’t the way.
Naex has it completely right. The Banites came into possession of it through some sort of conquest of a Cyric temple or something—matters not what it was. Either way, after obtaining it, they simply considered it part of the spoils and saw it as nothing more than another odd spellbook and/or doctrine to Cyric or something (it’s a bit unique, as it is easily not identified—specifically made that way by the Cyricist priest). They simply stow it away in a treasure room. The Cyricist priest, on the other hand, knows exactly what it was and attempted to retrieve it by force.
Not wanting the Banites to catch on to what power they actually have in their possession, the priest coordinates several “raids” against their temple/fortress/whatever to make them think its simply Cyricist retaliation. He then steps it up a notch and actually breaches their stronghold—though fails to achieve his goal.
Aware that the priest leading the attacks has been successful enough to threaten their existence, they call in outside help.
Your lich contains the problem. As payment, he receives several magical items, one of which is the tome—that still hasn’t been identified as a threat by the Banites. Though, in the process, the lich blatantly tells them of their stupidity and the power that they have just handed over.
What does the tome do? Up to you. I would go for something along the lines of being able deceive everyone or something similar without containment, without restriction and without boundaries—meaning Cyric, as the god of deception, can be let loose due to a loophole in the magic that would be released.
Not great for the Church of Bane, great for the Church of Cyric.
The Banites, now aware of what they’ve given away, want it back. But, being that they had to call on the lich for support in the first place, can’t deal with him directly. They need more outside help.
Enter the PC’s.
Your adventurers are approached by a priest of some goodly god (a Banite) and told that the lich plans to release the Cyric priest (and not that he imprisoned him in the first place) with the tome. He has to be stopped and that they will be paid considerably for the return of the tome—and more for the destruction of the lich (as he is sure to retaliate, or some such crap).
PC’s battle stuff, reach the lich, and right before the major battle, have dialogue with it. The “truth” comes out. Who to believe?
At which point they can give up and go home
Or, return to the Banite in disguise and get their revenge.
Or, battle the lich.
Third choice being most probable, they fight the lich. If they can take him, cool. They get the tome.
If during the battle the PC’s are about to get wasted, have the imprisoned priest be actually imprisoned in the tome, due to its nature or something. Have him offer aid—through lies again, of course—and have him help the PC’s defeat the lich in some screwy way. The result is that he is freed.
At which point, you are on your own. Now the variables of their actions and the actions of the other two churches is completely up in the air and left with you to figure out.
Either way, they are left with giving the tome back to the Banites, the Cyricist’s, or dealing with it themselves. Not easy in any sense as, due to what they possess, they are sure to deal with repercussions later on—if not immediately.
And, while you could have the Cyricist's hire the PC's for this job in an easy enough manner, this will get right to the heart of bringing in the Banites.
(sigh)
Sorry for the winded feedback.
